RIOTS AND CIVILIZATION

One continually hears pretty much the same reasons given for the French riots: unemployment, social exclusion, racism and poverty. The successive French governments are then faulted for having failed to successfully integrate their immigrant populations, mostly muslim of North African descent, and to provide them with the jobs and economic opportunities to better their situation. And yes, it is true that if the young people now rioting were all from well-to-do families, themselves prosperous individuals driving expensive German cars and living in chic neighborhoods, they probably would not be rioting today. They would probably be sitting in their well-appointed salons or attending fashionable cocktail parties, and sympathizing with or excusing the rioting of whatever class of currently disenfranchised and alienated youths there might now be, and lamenting the failure of the government to do right by them; or, else, condemning these youths for not having made the necessary sacrifices and pulling themselves up by their bootstraps as they, themselves, had done. But this is only a part of the picture. The real failure of government is more profound than the current analysis would have one believe.

The Root of Unrest

It is safe to assume that the rioters and their accomplices are exclusively male. As the philosopher and former Minister of Education, Luc Ferry, had noted, these young men are not particularly likeable, and by their dress, language, attitudes and behavior can be offensive and threatening. It is more than likely that these characteristics are more explicative for the reluctance of potential employers to hire them, and of the rest of society shunning them, more so than their racial or social backgrounds might be. It must be pointed out, also, that the Arab populations are much more racially similar to Europeans than are many non-rioting racial and ethnic groups. It is easier to think, then, that the reasons for exclusion have less to do with race or ethnic origin, and more to do with the attitudes and behavior of these young men and the bad reputation that precedes them. The reasons are not racial, then — they are personal. That is, it starts out that way. A few encounters with disagreeable individuals who all exhibit the same identifiable traits lead people to eventually generalize about all people who bear those same traits. This is an ineluctable fact of human nature.

So one must ask, “Why do these young men adopt the attitudes and behavior that eventually lead to their rejection?” The answer is simple: it is fear. It must be acknowledged that the fundamental emotion of all human beings, indeed, of all living creatures, is fear. Every man is basically afraid of every other man. This is even truer for women. Men overcome their fear by forming friendships, or by dominating potential adversaries and rivals when they can; for women, by acquiring protectors, more commonly known as boyfriends and husbands. The tough and menacing attitudes of ghetto youths, then, have been shaped by fear, and show all the hallmarks of a defensive posture. The formation of gangs is a continuity of this logic, and their intimidating behavior becomes a reflex to maintain a semblance of security. It is no secret that all schoolboys want to be tough guys, and this is an important preoccupation of all young males, though thankfully, the lack of success for many is mostly due to something called civilization.

The Clash of Cultures

Civilization mitigates this fundamental fear through the creation of laws, institutions and authorities to regulate the inevitable friction that arises among its members. It serves to create discipline among its citizens and respect for the law and authority. But this can only be achieved if there is a consistent and equitable enforcement of the law. Where the laws of civilization are absent, the law of the jungle will hold sway. This describes rather accurately what is happening in the banlieues (ghettos) of France, and the term “urban jungle” never rang truer. Though French urban youths complain about unjust or unfair treatment by police, the real injustice is the failure to equitably enforce laws and to hold guilty parties responsible for their acts and punish them commensurately. The truly grieved parties are those who have been abandoned by the institutions of civilization and forced to live according the laws of the jungle. Surprisingly, the anger would be due more to the sense of abandonment and neglect that the people of these areas feel because the French authorities have not deemed it worthwhile enough to bring the civilizing influences of justice and order to their neighborhoods. The injustice is precisely due to unequal treatment before the law; white, middle and upper class neighborhoods enjoy the benefit of law and order, while poorer ones do not. This resentment is, of course, transmitted to young people, and for them, the difference between laxity and indifference is indistinguishable. The lack of respect for law and authority installs itself; the sense of alienation grows. The clash, then, is not between civilizations, as some would have us believe, but rather between cultures: that of civilization and barbarity. Probably, these rioting French youths might secretly welcome it if the police just shot them. At least, they would feel someone is taking them seriously.

The Lost Generation

Successive French governments have failed in the most basic first-step of integration; not that of providing economic well-being, but that of providing their immigrant populations and their offspring with the foremost benefit of civilization, that of law and order. This is fundamental, the condition upon which all further initiatives rest, whether educational, social or economic. This has long been neglected, whether due to a misguided humanism, an equally misguided political-correctness, or just plain guilt over her colonial past. Or, perhaps it really is indifference. To listen to many of the French politicians talk, one can expect more of the same failed policies, with more money thrown at the problem, with the notable exception of the French Interior Minister, Nicholas Sarkozy. He seems to have understood the necessity of bringing civilization to the French banlieues, though one hopes it is not too late. If this can be done, then the young people need not adopt the attitudes and behavior of a savage world, and thus comport themselves as civilized citizens. This would go a long way towards their successful integration and, especially, making them employable. In the meantime, a whole generation may have been lost.