Max keenly and effectively reveals how media messaging translates into an array of interpretations where people living in bubbles will adopt viewpoints for all the wrong reasons, at times agreeing with the same people they publicly protest against.
I agree, I have read Max Blumenthal's books and he is certainly one of the most respected civll rights activists nowadays. He does an honnest journalistic work and so do many of his colleagues that I follow on twitter. I would wish that he would acknowledge Dieudonne and others who have been harassed in France in the last few years by the government. Dieudonne has been portrayed in English media as a racist, anti-this and anti-that. It would be good if he would review Dieudonne's history of persecution in France. Croire encore en la liberte d'expression en France c'est comme croire en l'existence du pere Noel. A bon entendeur Salut!!
If you consider true secularism to include freedom to practise one's religion, in so far as it doesn't interfer with the liberty of others, and true free speech to include the freedom to express one's religious views, i don't think there's any conflict here.
And M.Blumenthal since you speak about "Je ne suis pas Charlie", why don't you speak about Dieudonné and Soral who are fighting the establishments lies and trying to prevent civil war in France by trying to unite communities instead of dividing them?
***** Allez, t'as rien à dire, les trolls ne valent pas le coup de se donner de la peine, je t'ai donné une opportunité pour t'exprimer, t'as montré que t'étais là pour lacher des commentaires à la con ("la blague!")... Bon débarras.. xD
Hey, what's the choice between, a ceaseless war torn region of the world, where hate your neighbour is expected, or a country where peace abiding citizens are the norm where race, religion and the myriad of other divides between us are not reasons to kill each other... We are not anywhere close to solving this but come here and help us move closer to that elusive peace.... Come to Canada!!!
You can't separate the steady, growing, exploding population of middle east refugees crossing into France from a steady, growing resentment among the French that have been there for generations, especially when 10 years of neoliberal austerity and anger is thrown into the mix.
Not surprising, and not a particular French problem. It is linked to the long Euro zone depression since 2008 out of which the Troika have been unable to pull. Or say: it is the German new liberals who insist on monetarist orthodoxy, labor market ''reform'' and austerity that make it. As a start, google '' Germany wage dumping'' to see how German labor's low wage affects French competance and trade balance. Martin Wolf of Financial Time had said this is a structural problem of Euro zone. Europe is repeating history because of some new liberals' class and national interest. '' Austerity breeds Fascism!!''
"Clear discrimination using liberal values." By definition discrimination isn't liberal. That might sound like a "no true Scotsman" fallacy at first glance, but this is the sort of territory where North Korea calls itself a democratic republic when (by commonly understood definitions) it is no such thing. Anyone calling for a ban on Hijabs is calling for authoritarianism.
I have a hard time when Western speakers talk about their values and their sense of pride in their country. France was a Colony, and they would go in an pillage other countries for their wealth. This is happening even today, but we label it as Neo-Liberalism. The Western countries have financed a huge War machine that kills brown people, black people, and they exploit the resources. Europeans saw the photos of Abu Ghraib and no one was responsible. I was angry. I didn't join ISIS. But has anyone mentioned that ISIS is supported be the Dulles Brothers fraternity, also known as the CIA? We are setting up a new lynching society. I just hope that some corporation can market the fight and make a profit.
valgehiir You're conflating being Charlie with upholding these principles. To a lot of people Charlie was no fan of free speech and themselves incited a great deal of bigotry and hatred which, don't fool yourselves, CONSTANTLY results in violence against Muslim people. It was a tragedy what happened, yes. I would never wish this on anyone... but choosing not to identify with this movement does not mean we support terrorism.
I dont understand why "racism" is applied to everything even when theres no correlation. Why is it "anti-semitism" against jews but "racism" against Muslims? The word takes away from your valid points and then you come across like some discredited neoliberal. The word itself has lost all meaning....
French society in general is tolerant of other cultures but no more than that. Right now Muslims are feeling the pinch but France will always be Roman Catholic. The Vatican used to be there. Outsiders have two choices: find a way to fit in or move elsewhere. Don't expect France to change for you. Appreciate what it has to offer eg. Declaration of the Rights of Man which makes this country different than any other in the world. Remember that France was one of the few empires that offered full citizenship to those they colonized but being a citizen not only carries rights but also duties. I say this as a Canadian with no male towards any of these groups. Just recognition of the facts that people have apparently overlooked.
I hope the French are able to stick it out and fully resist evil. It would be a shame to see all the glorious works of the Western art at the Louvre shrouded in burqas and hijabs. Vive Le Fromage...!!! Vive La France...!!! Yum...!!!
***** Bullshit. I am French and the hypocrisies laid out in this doc are 100% correct. These privileged middle class French Christian and Jews say they value freedom of speech, but that only applies to speech they agree with! Muslim speech is repressed, but also progressive liberationists like myself are repressed. They also say they are for secularism, but that only applies to Muslims. Their Christian state symbols and institutions are let off as being "traditional".
