1 Well, I see one of the "don't blame Islam" links slams anyone that WILL point out of the obvious as "rightwing hate mongers looking for a reason to spread HATE..." The Euro-style socialist leftism (that Kerry, et al, so LOVE and want in this country) is as much to blame as Islamism. But to pretend that Islamism has nothing to do with these [cough cough] spontaneous riots and is akin to the '65 Watts riots is wildly disengenious. I read in WaPo (IIRC) interviews with some "youths" and their laments were ... ie they didn't like the "dual" nature of their existence..that they have this "french" identity (partying and drinking) and this "islamic" identity (attending mosque and wearing a beard). And they don't like being "disrespected" by French citizens. Then add to this that the cheese-eating-surrender-monkeys have been alternately ignoring or pandering to these almost autonomous enclaves...letting the moslems set up their own defacto local governments (women forced to wear habij while in the 'hood, moslem or not, the closing of bars and theaters, the segregation of sexes at public pool) and Chirac admin very publically proclaiming their undying love of Saddam. 11 days of rioting with coordinated attacks and at least one bomb-factory discovered does NOT bespeak "spontaneity".

2 I argee, a lot fo thsi is caused by the idiotic policies of the French government and the hatred for western culture foster by community leaders. I made an off hand comment at one point, but thank god my family did live in France, because we'd still be a poor family. With the 35 hour work week my gramps would of never been able to work the two, sometimes three, jobs it took to support the family and generate a savings/personal wealth generation.

3 But that anti-assimilation you speak of may well be the point., D. And can you imagine us simply allowing people in the slums to make up their own laws? It's the French government that pays lip service to assimilation but doesn't really promote it.

4 Oh, by far I lay at least half the blame on the French government. But the "all cultures are the same and who are we to judge?" is a consistent mantra of the left. We have enough examples of that here in the US to raise concern. And anyone that points out the dangers of non-assimilation is going to have the brickbats of "xenophobic! racist! nativist! nationalist! imperialist!" tossed at 'em.

5 The so called religion of peace and crince charles want to come over here to lecture us on the avantage of the religion of peace why dont he stay home and save himself from getting his foot in his mouth

6 "...funky social policies, bad economic conditions, and racial segregation have a lot more to do with the French riots than Islam does." Why can't there be an "All of the Above?" I personally don't have a dog in this fight. France has been (inadvertantly?) building this for a long time, and Europe is rife with riot-at-the-drop-of-a-hat jerks of all flavors. And I say that as someone who lived there for seven years. And do you know what the sad part is? I don't think either side is going to take away a lesson from all this. Eh, whatever. I'm going to go back to revisiting The Sims. It's not less stressful than keeping up with French woes, but it's infinitely more constructive.

7 John Stewert had a take on this....we can now understand France's reluctane to take part in the iraqi War. why trvel to the Middle East when you can fight Muslims right there at home? Rob Cordry opined that the French would soon be surrendering. Stewert asked him how this could be since the rioters themselves were French. cordry remarked that that was what made it exciting, sort of like a contest to see who could surrender first.