France's (and the West's) Quandry
Given that I have so recently commented on post-modernism, and France is perhaps the place where that ideology has most firmly taken hold. I cannot stand by and ignore the problems that are going on in Paris tonight, and for the past two weeks.
France has, at least publicly, spouted post-modernism from every bully pulpit. I do not know how far it has carried its belief but in politics, appearance is reality. Now, a reality has come home to the people in the country who apparently do really believe that all we need to do is not care too much.
This is an inherently weak position. All of the extremism notwithstanding, France is now butting up against absolutes. Either they are the absolute of real or imagined mistreatment, or they are the absolute of extremist motivated ideology. Either way the people in the slums of Paris have a brick wall against their back. They are not rioting over abstracts, they are rioting over concretes.
If, as people claim, the root cause is economic injustice, then these people are not unlike the masses in 1789 who overthrew the Bastille, and they want a piece of the action. If this is an extension of the so-called "Islamic Rage" that has fueled so much of the violence of the past twenty years then the rioters are attempting to complete that which was thwarted by Charles Martel so many years ago. Either way it is for real and substantial change of France that battle is going on in the streets.
If France values its culture as much as it claims, it cannot afford to role over. There can be no concessions made and the point of a gun (or the flame of a torch as the case may be). This is as real a threat to France as the German invasion was sixty-five years ago. I will not take the obvious opportunity to poke fun at a generation of French soldiers that have endured enough ridicule. France, like it or not, is a critical bastion of Democracy. It is the newest front in this war, and the war just got hot for them.
However, the weakness that France has is that it has so thoroughly bought into post-modern ideology. First, all of the major politicians are tremendously critical of states that remain Modern, especially the United States. Second, these same politicians fight to defend the socialist state system that has been established within France, and to which some people attribute the current economic woes. Third, France has publicly and soundly criticized the use of force in other areas, especially the Middle East. (The irony is not lost on the savvy observer that knows that France is currently occupying Sierra Leon, but that is merely in the shadows.)
France will have to completely change its ideas about the world and retrenche on all of these points in order to combat the war that is within its own borders. While it may be able to retain some of the socialist trappings that have produced its current woes, it will need to reform them or else the economics of the situation will remain. It must allow the use of force, because if words were going to dissuade these rioters, then it would have happened long ago. After all, the incedent which caused the riots, probably never actually happened.
Finally, however, France has to realize, and I believe the leadership already does realize, that it must adopt some of the affirmative stances that the United States currently embraces in order to face this ideological conflict. You cannot face someone who believes that they are right regardless of any evidence, with the statement, "Oh, we're all right, and we're all wrong." Only ideas can battle ideas. The wishy-washy muddling about never forwards anything, and self doubt only aids your enemy.
This is not to say that we should all just plow ahead. No doubt in Mobile Bay, more that a few on the ship trembled at the command of "Damn the Torpedoes," and perhaps even Admiral Farragut questioned the wisdom of the order. However, neither the middle of battle nor the middle of war is the time to openly question your actions. A good leader always revises his or her course of action, but all the questioning is done internally. Otherwise you only sap the resolve of those around you.
France currently has a battle on its hands. This is just the first shot to land in France. It needs to awaken France and all of Europe to the fact that there is a Hot World War IV going on right now. War has already been declared on them, whether they like it or not. They have a chance to move the battle outside their borders right now. However, how long do you think that cars can burn in Paris, before car bombs start there. The Islamofascist thugs are just like wolves, they strike when they sense weakness. Fight well Lafayette, this is one battle that Washington cannot help you with, but if you lose, we are all the worse off.
France has, at least publicly, spouted post-modernism from every bully pulpit. I do not know how far it has carried its belief but in politics, appearance is reality. Now, a reality has come home to the people in the country who apparently do really believe that all we need to do is not care too much.
This is an inherently weak position. All of the extremism notwithstanding, France is now butting up against absolutes. Either they are the absolute of real or imagined mistreatment, or they are the absolute of extremist motivated ideology. Either way the people in the slums of Paris have a brick wall against their back. They are not rioting over abstracts, they are rioting over concretes.
If, as people claim, the root cause is economic injustice, then these people are not unlike the masses in 1789 who overthrew the Bastille, and they want a piece of the action. If this is an extension of the so-called "Islamic Rage" that has fueled so much of the violence of the past twenty years then the rioters are attempting to complete that which was thwarted by Charles Martel so many years ago. Either way it is for real and substantial change of France that battle is going on in the streets.
If France values its culture as much as it claims, it cannot afford to role over. There can be no concessions made and the point of a gun (or the flame of a torch as the case may be). This is as real a threat to France as the German invasion was sixty-five years ago. I will not take the obvious opportunity to poke fun at a generation of French soldiers that have endured enough ridicule. France, like it or not, is a critical bastion of Democracy. It is the newest front in this war, and the war just got hot for them.
However, the weakness that France has is that it has so thoroughly bought into post-modern ideology. First, all of the major politicians are tremendously critical of states that remain Modern, especially the United States. Second, these same politicians fight to defend the socialist state system that has been established within France, and to which some people attribute the current economic woes. Third, France has publicly and soundly criticized the use of force in other areas, especially the Middle East. (The irony is not lost on the savvy observer that knows that France is currently occupying Sierra Leon, but that is merely in the shadows.)
France will have to completely change its ideas about the world and retrenche on all of these points in order to combat the war that is within its own borders. While it may be able to retain some of the socialist trappings that have produced its current woes, it will need to reform them or else the economics of the situation will remain. It must allow the use of force, because if words were going to dissuade these rioters, then it would have happened long ago. After all, the incedent which caused the riots, probably never actually happened.
Finally, however, France has to realize, and I believe the leadership already does realize, that it must adopt some of the affirmative stances that the United States currently embraces in order to face this ideological conflict. You cannot face someone who believes that they are right regardless of any evidence, with the statement, "Oh, we're all right, and we're all wrong." Only ideas can battle ideas. The wishy-washy muddling about never forwards anything, and self doubt only aids your enemy.
This is not to say that we should all just plow ahead. No doubt in Mobile Bay, more that a few on the ship trembled at the command of "Damn the Torpedoes," and perhaps even Admiral Farragut questioned the wisdom of the order. However, neither the middle of battle nor the middle of war is the time to openly question your actions. A good leader always revises his or her course of action, but all the questioning is done internally. Otherwise you only sap the resolve of those around you.
France currently has a battle on its hands. This is just the first shot to land in France. It needs to awaken France and all of Europe to the fact that there is a Hot World War IV going on right now. War has already been declared on them, whether they like it or not. They have a chance to move the battle outside their borders right now. However, how long do you think that cars can burn in Paris, before car bombs start there. The Islamofascist thugs are just like wolves, they strike when they sense weakness. Fight well Lafayette, this is one battle that Washington cannot help you with, but if you lose, we are all the worse off.
posted by David Benson | 5:10 PM
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