by Mark Finkelstein November 9, 2005 - 09:11. If there's one area in which the French take a back seat to no one, it's in the realm of surrender and appeasement. We have seen history repeat itself today as French Prime Minister de Villepin announced a series of new and expanded welfare programs to reward the Muslim rioters who have set fire to 300 French cities. But those heroic Gallic efforts to appease Muslim insurgents aren't coming fast enough to please NBC reporter Jim Maceda. In a segment airing on this morning's Today show, Maceda, reporting from Paris, proclaimed that...