France's predictable dilemma

"...understood, heard and respected..."

That's what Jacques Chirac wants the vandalising immigrant youths of France to feel.

France “has not done everything possible for these youths, supported them so they feel understood, heard and respected,” according to the European-socialist president.

With appeasing, spineless talk like that, the scofflaws have him right where they want him.

...rioting has spread out of Paris’ suburbs and across the country.....worst civil unrest in decades entered a 12th night... rioters setting fire to a bus... pelting police with gasoline bombs and rocks...a junior high school was set ablaze...youths threw gasoline bombs at a hospital...a 61-year-old retired auto worker died of wounds from an attack last week...foreign governments warned their citizens to be careful in France...

Vandals burned more than 1,400 vehicles overnight into Monday, as well as churches, schools and businesses, and injured 36 police officers in clashes around the country, setting a new high for arson and violence.... Attacks were reported in 274 towns...

Apparent copycat attacks took place outside France, with five cars torched outside the main train station in Brussels, Belgium. German police were investigating the burning of five cars in Berlin.

An interesting bullet-point and line from the AP story I'm excerpting: Neglected suburbs
The mayhem is forcing France to confront anger building for decades in neglected suburbs...
Neglected? How so, and by whom? Peddling the socialist viewpoint (which is creeping ever-more into the subconscience of America) that people, neighborhoods, communities require "attention" from a central government (New Orleans ring any bells?) or they cannot function, cannot sustain themselves from within, cannot provide for their own needs and govern themselves, the writer of this story unwittingly reveals his collectivist bias. The people and businesses that comprise these suburbs are the ones, in concert with their local governments, that are responsible to care for and administrate their own affairs.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister seems to be paying part of the blackmail that Socialist opposition leader, Francois Hollande, is pushing for: He said Villepin should have put more emphasis on improving life in tough neighborhoods...

And sure enough: Villepin said he wanted to speed up a $35.5 billion urban redevelopment plan, triple the number of merit scholarships for talented students and offer jobs, training or internships to disadvantaged young people.
“We must offer them hope and a future,” he said.

On the other hand, he did say this, as well:

“The multiplying acts of destruction, the destruction of schools and sports centers, thousands of cars set on fire, all of this is unacceptable and inexcusable,” Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said. “To all in France who are watching me, who are disturbed by this, who are shocked, who want to see a return to normalcy, a return to security, the state’s response — I say it tonight forcefully — will be firm and just.”

Well, we shall see. Oui, oui, we shall see.

Brad