You can't assimilate opposing cultures. One will absorb the other. My money is on the violent culture.
One is a centrist, the kind of man who can talk for hours without saying anything, the kind of guy who seeks power for itself and would be able to promiss anything to get it. He was unknown until recently, and strangely all the newspapers owned by his billionnaires buddies did a lot of articles in his favor. The other one is the daughter of the former leader of her parti. Her parti have some roots into petain officials and nazi sympathiser, however she tried to clean up the reputation of her parti. You can't integrate opposing cultures, assimilating is not impossible. We can assimilate them, however it's not won. It's still possible, but I think we can still overcome that in a peacefull way, despite the slaughters of Paris and Nice. I'm rather pessimistic and tend to think that french civilization tend to die for the simple reasons we don't have any faith anymore. And I'm an athee (even if I started to study and practice buddhism). But religion is something simply more than faith, it's common rules and aspiration, that's too social link. People who get together at the church tend to know each other better, less isolate and more brotherly.
No, being tolerant is being passive. How does a peaceful society incorporate a violent society that despises western culture?
For me the ideal would be for muslims to drop their religion. I'm maybe an optimist pacifist or naive, but at the opposite of the rest of the leftist, I don't believe that Islam is a religion of peace. Muhammed is the most perfect man for muslims and he was a violent man. I regulary met muslims who are extremly polite, nice and create no troubles. I'm probably too optimist, but it's for me the sign that assimilation is possible for a big part of them. However we have to watch closely, put in prison all the radical preachers and people who watch ISIS videos or simply read their newspapers calling to djihad.
I met many former muslims people who converted to either christianism or buddhism, they're fine. However, some of them don't have any contacts anymore with their parents, and I doubt they will visit back their native countries for some of them.
How much would people in France care if ISIS were to do something like 9/11 before the election between Le Pen and Macron? It seems that in France people don't react as strongly to terrorist attacks as those living in the United States do so would most voters just call it the risk of doing the right thing with taking in everyone or would 2-3k people dead be a game changer? I ask because it doesn't seem like those in the EU react the same way to Islamic terror as those that live here in the US. Do you think it's because your attacks have been much smaller in spite of happening more often or because those in France are more willing to deal with the risk that comes with taking in so many refugees from the middle east?
I think that Paris attacks had as much influence on french people than 9/11. Most french honnestly don't want refugees or more muslim immigrants. Their is a lot of things who influence. Now, we are to the third generation of muslims born in France and people don't want to be divided. WW2 and what happened to jews influence a lot too and the fear that what happened in 1940 happens back. Even if we're invaded, their is a lot of guilt about that. I tend to think that we became more and more pacifist too.
Have you heard of a prophetic woman by the name of Vanga? She is very popular in Russia and Eestern Europe, but not only there. Passed away in 1996. She once predicted that one day Paris will be destroyed by it's own habbitants. Note, I wrote habbitants, not citizens. So watch out and be very carefull with those immigration policies! You don't want that prophecy to come true, do you?
Not really. We have 5 centuries of tradition of nude sculpting or painting, we have to preserve that, not for ourselves, but for the future generations.
Thank you One point … to give you an example … is this Brexit and here is much BS told and thought by the Pro Brexit people. Look … The Brits leave the EU with reason to be over with the flood of EU rules to follow, but want to have further full access to the EU market. BS … to have access to the EU market, you have to follow the EU rules further like have the Non – EU members Norway and Switzerland to do … but as Non-EU member you have no vote about to decide at this rules, but only to follow them. Another point to vote for Brexit was to have back control on their own borders in case of immigration from outside and of people from other EU members iv they want to move to the UK. So … the UK is not member of the Schengen agreement and so no open borders to other EU members forced and it is their own decision how far they make border controls. About the free movement inside the EU of people is is fact that over 1 million Brits live and work in other EU countries. But more important, of course want the UK to have further the full right of free movement of their people as now, but want to have control to say you from Poland, Germany, Hungary or whatever EU country can only move and work at us with our permission. This they can forget to have, because same obstacles UK builds up, will be build up towards UK people too! Was that all told to the Brexit people? No, of course not…. And of course are these facts (!) denied to be truth by the Pro-Brexit people… And here I gave only 2 examples where the facts looks really other as many think, or not? It is a community of many countries and you know that many US states are in the area bigger as these countries here in Europe. Every country has an own centuries and more old history and culture, but the fools in Brussels want to have a full United States of Europe as goal. So far we can discuss about this goal endless, but how they do it until now is only BS … a half ass done forced marriage which does not work proper and can’t work this way proper. Anyway … form this point of view could be a counter question done like “for what the USA does benefit along unproductive states like for example Mississippi too. The answer it least for Greece and Mississippi the same I guess… Look, first of all it is imply a myth that all refugees of this migrant wave were Muslims. About 60% of them are Muslims, the rest not! The next Myth is that majority of Islamic refugees are Jihadist and potential terrorists. Like we Christians, the Islam has several confessions too. Do you for example know that ISIS is only of confession Sunni and they declare all other Islamic confessions same way as wrong believers and unbelievers which have to be killed … like for example Shiite and Alevis? So … any Shiite and Alevi is for sure NO member of ISIS! In general is the problem that this some few percent of evil Islamists and Jihadists are going more in focus as the rest and that the Islamist scum often has no clue about their own religion and the Islam haters name the same BS as reason to blame complete Islam as evil. 1 single example in short is the term “unbeliever” which is due to Koran NOT for Christians and Jews … did you know this? If out of 100 people believing the same religion, 1 or 2 are making evil things in name of their religion, and about 5 or so other tell that these 1 or 2 do well. Are all 100 then evil? Le Pen says yes and this is nonsense. Sure, there cultural differences and that anyone living in my country has to follow our rules, laws and values – point. And in case of France is in parts more strict forced against immigrants as in the USA … but Le Pen is making all Muslims to be potential Terrorists. In case of Nazi Germany, the Nazis searched only a minority to blame to be guilty for the lost WW-1 and found the Jewish, combined with their sick racial ideology which is older as they. Jews were since centuries victims of Christian Progroms. Was in medieval age somewhere the plague, the Jews were guilty and killed. Jews are the financial sharks behind everything, because so many in financial markets were and are Jews. But why were they? Because they were forbidden to do other jobs like farmer, blacksmith etc. due to be Jewish and so they made the job they were allowed to do. Yes, for me she is a hidden Nazi at least. Look at example of the past when journalists wanted to have statements of her if she believed Holocaust happens and if Jews were guilty and so on. No clear answers in majority… why? And thank you again
Well, if the ninjas of Allah prevail, guess what happens to those nude paintings. By the way, it is concidered that the prophetic gift of Vanga is inherited by a French girl named Kaede Uber. You may have heard of her.
You have given us yet another very interesting, insightful post, Mandelus, and I do appreciate your viewpoint and scholarly approach, with a good dose of Realschule added-in for levity. Indeed, Great Britain has always been something of an on-again, off-again partner in the EU, and for that it can either be praised, or blamed. One sure thing -- they did not forsake the British Pound for the Euro, but, given the premise of the EU, I understand why Germany gave up the Deutsche Mark. But I doubt that the British did this out of a chauvinistic sense of 'patriotism' -- andererseits -- perhaps some points of difference between the European Central Bank and the very powerful Bank of England had something to do with it...? By now you surely have observed that I am always seeing banker 'conspiracy theories' in all dealings between countries, but I feel that the evidence is often there. I found your comparison of the EU with the U. S. to be most compelling as you pointed out that the U. S. has 'weak-sister' states like Mississippi in our country, and yet we carry on regardless. Thus, it puts in a different perspective the relationship between the Northern European states and the 'weak-sister' states, like Greece (et al). While it is certainly not a completely accurate comparison, it is accurate enough for you to have made a very valid point. But, it must be remembered that every part of any 'union' must eventually be a participating, contributing member in order to maintain good standing... otherwise, such a country is little more than a burden that is endlessly in a sick condition of economic disease, which in the case of Greece and too many other countries in Europe I identify as extreme-Socialism. Indeed, Germany is the only country I know of in the world where a form of Socialism has really worked very well for ALL the people. You made another very accurate point in your observation concerning the exclusion of Jews from 'mainstream' Europe for hundreds of years, and their subsequent development in areas where they were permitted by the Christian (Roman Catholic primarily) majority to earn income. I am a non-practicing Roman Catholic who was once betrothed (verlobt) to a Conservative-Jewish lady, and from her I learned a great deal about Judaism, and the history of the Jewish people -- particularly in the Middle East, and in Europe. As I said, I will continue to read your posts with great interest, for you have much to offer to this American's understanding regarding European politics, among other things. I wish I could meet you in a kneipe and buy you a couple of rounds of Hannen Alt, or Jever! Ah, I remember it so well.... If I go back to Deutschland sometime in the future, I may try to do exactly that! Viel spass! Bitte eine Frage... 'Posten' Sie auf Deutsche 'Forums'? Wenn so, welche? Danke!
I'm amazed at the amount of people that care about the French election. Good for you France...you're back on the map.
Unfortunately, it's not because we are becoming "great again". The attacks of Paris and Nice made us the symbol of the islamic crisis in Europe.
Anytime changed. We're not anymore one of the only scientific country. Almost all countries "converted" to scientific research, and we're only 60 millions of people. The time we were with germany and united kingdom the only one to lead the scientific progress is totally over for a long time now. Beyond the problem of islam, we have a lot of structural problem with the debt and the global spending of the governement. Furthermore, we never totally overcomed the huge was of deep pessimism because of WW1 and WW2. On many points, we still have consequences of WW1, WW2 and even the revolution today. I'm not optimistic myself, but I tend to think that optimism is necessary for a people. Nobody can overcome difficulties if they don't believe themselves they can, no people can act in a brillant way if they don't believe in themselves.
They will be even "backier" if they turn the tide around and elect Le Pen. Radical problems require radical mesures.
Wow, I'm dazzled. You did fight against the fascists, right? What is there to be ashamed of? On the debt part, a lot of countries have big debt - Usa, Japan, UK, Italy,Spain, etc. Many Eastern European countries went bankrupt after the fall of socialism and still they survived. Don't be such a ***** (doesn't apply to the female population of France)! https://www.banquesage.com/en/businesss-banking/why-americans-have-so-much-debt-compared-the-french/?keyword=us debt&match=b
