And it appears I am not alone. The Mainstream Media seem to be groping for a means of understanding what motivates the rioters, and how to measure "progress" (if any) toward stability.
One measure that has appeared over the past week or so is a kind of "body count." Thank G_d, the bodies are not those of human beings.
Rather, they are the "bodies" of burnt-out vehicles:
From an outburst of anger in suburban Paris housing projects, the violence has fanned out into a nationwide show of disdain for French authority from youths and minorities, most French-born children of Arab and black Africans angered by years of unequal opportunities.
Arsonists burned 1,295 vehicles nationwide overnight Saturday-Sunday — sharply up from 897 the night before, national police spokesman Patrick Hamon said, adding that police made 349 arrests nationwide.
This is a very peculiar war.
If it is a war.
22 comments:
I don't have counts, but I read (can't remember which article, read too much today) that the number of incidents are down but the number of car/other burnings are up.
To me that looks like the 'normal' rioting is winding down but the more organized elements are still at it...or have taken advantage to join the romp.
BTW, Jamie, am I not allowed to be snippy? I was confused by what looked like a politically correct chastising at Rogers place.
syl
You must have misunderstood me, or I was unconsciously rude.
Tell me what you're referring to.
Jamie
Oh, Syl, I just realized what your're referring to.
No, I was talking to thibaud.
Jamie
Interesting that Belmont Club has a take on the car count.
Belmont Club commenter Red River makes the interesting conjecture that rioting "youths" in Paris have confined their primary mode of attack to car burning as part of a deliberate brinkmanship. Car burning is spectacular, serious enough to get attention yet -- and this is the vital point -- not serious enough to provoke lethal force. By staying just shy of the threshold, the rioters can maximize their rate of propagation at minimum danger to themselves. Other commenters have noted how small groups of "youths", coordinated by cell phone, can gather to attack and disperse before a response can be mounted. A BBC article describes some of the cut and thrust.
Jamie Irons
That's Emperor Thibaud I - the Philosopher King - to you, buddy.
He has some decent ideas occasionally but the sales pitch is a little lacking.
car burning may be symbolic of car bombs.
Doing this also lets the powers that be know they can blow things up any time they want.
Just like Baghdad.
rick:
I beg the King's gracious pardon.
As is not at all surprising, Wretchard makes sense of an observation that I found merely puzzling and surprising.
Terrye,
That was to Jamie, I should have named him. Seems to be a day for misunderstandings.
Jamie,
I'm watching Nice and Marseilles - if it spreads there it will go straight to Alexandria (IT) and then to Genoa, Turin and Milan. If it gets started in Milan it will be very bad. Possibly worse than Paris.
Prodi is hopping mad at the French for not getting this under control and I don't blame him. This is a struggle for autonomous thuggery and must be stopped. Appeasement will only strengthen these hooligans.
Rick:
same difference.
To me that looks like the 'normal' rioting is winding down but the more organized elements are still at it...or have taken advantage to join the romp.
Every trick gets old. The cure for boredom is to escalate. We will soon see just how imaginative the youth are.
BTW, bus service to the banlieue has become spotty. Trucks are being burned. It occurs to me that at some point food and water will become a concern.
Re Thibaud. I think he has a deep emotional investment in France and in his world view. I am just not sure what those are.
I'm watching Nice and Marseilles
There have been incidents in both. I don't know how severe the situation is, but I do know that Provence has both a large muslim population and strong support for LePen. That is a potentially volatile mixture.
Terrye,
See, I misread yours.
Chuck,
It's been minor to date in Provence but it could change tomorrow. It's not like they have to get up and go to work or school.
From No -Pasaran comes a good link to Corbusier , who has more observations on French housing and les beures.
Syl,
You told Thibaud exactly what needed to be told to him. Thank you.
Unfortunately, my take on him is that although he is an extremely gifted writer, as a listener he falls down completely. He has a tin ear. He tells us his opinion, we listen, react, and tell him ours, and he doesn't listen. That's where the dialog stops. It reminds me of the lefty trolls. When arguments or facts counter to their arguments are raised, their response is along the lines of "you people aren't rational, let's change the subject". Thibaud was behaving thusly tonight, telling us we were all stupid and couldn't possibly understand France as well as he.
I don't see a point in continuing a dialog with a person who is engaged in a soliloquy.
Peter,
Obviously this is a test. Push a little and see how much you can get, next time push a little harder and see if it brings more. It's the Arafat/PLO playbook from forty years ago. If the French buy them off this time, I have absolutely no sympathy for what is to come.
I'm not saying that it's a "muslim" thing because it is not. It's gangster's carrying Korans with the sottocapi wearing turbans. Really cracking heads would give the French some time to figure out the proper amount of baksheesh required to shut this down - for a while.
MHA,
Do you wonder why he doesn't start his own blog? If the ideas are that great surely he'd pass Reynolds in popularity within a week or so.
It's the Arafat/PLO playbook from forty years ago.
Except no Arafat. I really don't think it is organized as yet or has any particular goals, rather it is just an improvisation, undoubtedly helped along by people who have talked together online or in drug deals. Just as we would be in touch if we were on the streets.
I think it is good that the riots have lasted as long as they have. Events have forced themselves upon the attention of the media and I think the political outfall will be tremendous. Events will settle, perhaps in a few days or a week or two, but the psychological impact will build for months. It will be a different world.
I've copped another good comment from samizdata:
Frank, I had an email from my French friends in Paris this morning, and they say it is dreadful beyond belief. Friday night, 900 cars burned. Saturday night (the 10th night running), 1,000 cars burned. They now have the Gendarmes, the army, the CRS (I think that may be special services) and the firefighters, but she says the rioting Muslims are so numerous that this is not enough. Gosh, I wish they'd just shoot them, then come back and shovel up the bodies and use them as landfill on a pig farm.
Sounds like Frank's friend has had enough.
Jamie
"Oh, Syl, I just realized what your're referring to."
Okay. Thanks. Sorry for wondering otherwise. I admit I was a bit on edge yesterday for another reason. Won't go into that right now.
As for France, I really have little more to say than I've already said, or that anyone else here has said. I just don't know enough and am waiting to see what happens or doesn't happen.
The Poet is giving a speech tonite, and I'm curious as to what he will say.
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