On France and Immigration

By Michael Medved

In both the United States and France, about 10 percent of the population is foreign born, and many of these immigrants are economically disadvantaged. In France, tens of thousands of these newcomers have rioted for more than two weeks in 300 French cities, but America remains blessedly free of violent immigrant unrest.

This contrast stems in part from the religious outlook of the foreign born: nearly all immigrants to the U.S. identify themselves as Christian and are able to connect with the majority faith in the nation at large, while newcomers in France are overwhelmingly Muslim--afflicted with the fanatical sense of grudge that afflicts many Muslims everywhere, and deeply alienated from secular France.

The French riots also reflect the abject failure of the welfare state: the high taxes and intrusive regulation produce a less dynamic and less entrepreneurial economy--with far less opportunity for newcomers who seek to work their way into the middle class.

From: Beyond the News