Will we always have Paris?

The Spectator ^ | 29 October 2026 | Douglas Murray

[Rummyfan]

Two worlds met in Paris last week. Thanks to the presence of Art Basel, some of the world’s most valuable art that wasn’t already in the city was shipped there. It arrived just in time for Paris to go up in flames. Most of the art fair went ahead as planned at the Grand Palais, but the final weekend was canceled.

Parisian friends and those who were visiting the city described scenes of Dada-esque absurdity. They navigated streets filled with burning bins and rioting “youths” in balaclavas, before slipping into champagne receptions. Some who attempted to get out of the city spoke of Mogadishu-like scenes at Gare du Nord, where the country’s newest net-contributors were busily assaulting any available police and stealing the luggage of any tourist they could find.

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TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

[Rummyfan]

Most people reading this have strong stomachs, so let me lay it out as baldly as I can: Much of what we loosely call the Western world will not survive this century, and much of it will effectively disappear within our lifetimes, including many if not most Western European countries. There’ll probably still be a geographical area on the map marked as Italy or the Netherlands–probably–just as in Istanbul there’s still a building called St. Sophia’s Cathedral. But it’s not a cathedral; it’s merely a designation for a piece of real estate. Likewise, Italy and the Netherlands will merely be designations for real estate. The challenge for those who reckon Western civilization is on balance better than the alternatives is to figure out a way to save at least some parts of the West.

, —Mark Steyn, The Wall Street Journal, January 4th, 2006.

[BipolarBob]

Ric Blaine told Ilsa Lund “We’ll always have Paris”.

[Arkady]

“figure out a way to save at least some parts of the west...” As always Steyn is right, we should have this foremost in our minds and yet I wonder if even this modicum is within our atrophied grasp. Some societies are too stupid to survive.

[Jonty30]

The city will be there, but the name will revert to whatever it was when Muslims had control of Europe

[gibsonguy]

“WE” will not have Paris THEY will.

[plain talk]

Well i doubt we will always have the Eiffel tower or the empire state building. Muslims will likely take them out.

[Jeff Chandler]

Some societies are too stupid to survive

Most Europeans consider chauvinistic attitudes towards Western Civilization to be unenlightened at best; they look down upon people such as of all Americans to be offensive simpletons to believe in such malodorous buffoonery.

[Merrick]

Well, since Nazi’s were goose stepping down thd Champs Elysee when the line was original seen in the movie, I’m not sure the point the author wants to make actually mak3s sense.

[Merrick]

Muslims never had control of Europe. Al Andalusia did hold Portugal and Spain and Sicily for a while.

[gbs]

Would it really matter?

[MikelTackNailer]

Would it really matter?

I want all classical art saved as far away from Muslims as possible.

[Rummyfan]

Well, since Nazi’s were goose stepping down thd Champs Elysee when the line was original seen in the movie,....

You wore blue; the Germans wore grey.

[Jonty30]

They had some of the southern parts of France, but they didnt make it as fast as Paris.

But Im sure they have a new named planned.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Answer: Paris, Texas, USA, yes. Paris, France, no.

[anton]

Yes, Paris will always be the filthy, BO filled, fake gold filigreed, Bordello it has always been, only now it will be packed with third world ragheads and letterboxes.