Free Republic

Could we have race riots in west Dublin, Parnell Street or Shandon? What lessons should we learn from France, and what does the violence in the French suburbs tell us about Europe, Ireland and the future? In the past week, three broad explanations have been advanced to rationalise the chaos raging in France. The first is the ‘official' line, which borrows heavily from soft-focus economics and sociology. It can also be described as the left-liberal analysis, and claims that the problem is one of social exclusion. The solution therefore, is fairly straightforward - more jobs, more income and a greater...