Friday May 11, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

Most Americans really do not care what happens in France.
But whether Americans care or not, it is important to pay attention to the French now.
France's election results impact not only the French, but on America and the rest of the world.

Nicholad Sarkozy just won the presidential election.
Nicholad Sarkozy is a conservative.
On the streets of France there has been a violent backlash - not with the same intensity as the street violence of a year ago November, but certainly similar.
The first night after the election 292 cars were torched.
The next night 198 cars were torched.

French authorities say that things are calming down.
This is what I say:
Mainstream France is moving to the right - that is good for US and French relations. But there is a small vocal and even violent minority that rejects this move. These loud and violent few are taking it to the streets.

Mainstream France is beginning to understand that the country needs to conform to the standard set by the rest of the West. The violent few still want to frighten the rest of France and that will just backfire.

That is how and why Sarkozy came to be elected.