Friday, July 15, 2016

How Will the French People Respond?

M.G. Oprea explains in a piece at The Federalist why yesterday's attack in Nice portends social upheaval in France. Here's part of her column:
As France absorbs the shock of another mass-casualty attack, something dangerous is stirring in the heart of the republic. France’s chief of intelligence, Patrick Calvar, warned members of a French parliamentary commission earlier this week that if another terror attack were to happen in France, or something akin to the New Year’s Eve mass sexual assaults in Germany, it could spark a “civil war.”

Calvar expressed concern about a populist backlash that would lead to a “confrontation” between ultra-right groups, such as Bloc Identitaire, and the rest of the country—especially Arab and North African immigrants.

With the revelation this week, due to a botched cover-up, that far more women were sexually assaulted in Germany on New Year’s Eve than was previously known, and the latest tragic terrorist attack in Nice, the possibility of major destabilization in the country seems all the more likely.

But a revolt in France wouldn’t just be a reaction to outside events. It would also come from deep within France’s unique culture and history. Indeed, France is likely to be the first European country to experience societal upheaval and a radical reordering as a result of immigration. There are signs such an upheaval is already underway.
The revelation Oprea was referring to regarding the sexual assaults in Germany were contained in a recent article in the Washington Post which revealed that the New Year's eve assaults in Cologne and Hamburg were far more numerous and widespread than had been previously reported. Over two thousand women were assaulted by approximately 1200 men, most of whom were apparently Middle Eastern or North African. One wonders how close Germans are to the tipping point in their tolerance of refugees.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. Hillary Clinton has opined that we're not bringing enough refugees into the country and that if she's elected president she'll raise the number by some 550%.

The Trump people are doubtless going to be turning that into a devastating campaign ad along the lines, perhaps, of this: