The killing of Nahel Merzouk by a French police officer on June 27th sparked France’s worst riots since 2005: more than 1,000 buildings and more than 5,000 cars were set on fire – costing businesses more than €1 billion in damage. This is similar to the total cost of the George Floyd riots in the U.S. – although those riots lasted 13 days rather than eight, and the U.S. is a much bigger country.
Much has been written about the causes of the riots and how the Government should respond to them. But what do the French people think? Thanks to a major new poll commissioned by the centre-Right newspaper Le Figaro, we now have some idea. (The results are all in French, but I used Google to translate them.)
Respondents were asked what feelings did the riots “provoke in you”. 89% said “concern for the future of France”, 84% said “anger” and 66% said “fear”. By contrast, only 21% said “understanding” and just 14% said “support”. So the vast majority of French are not sympathetic to the rioters.
Results broken down by party are shown below. (I put ‘far Left’ and ‘far Right’ in speech marks because I realise these labels are contested. The ‘far Left’ is the La France Insoumise group, while the ‘far Right’ is the Rassemblement National.)
Interestingly, the only party where there is substantial support for the rioters is the ‘far Left’ – though even here, it amounts to less than half of voters. What’s also interesting is that Macron’s voters look very similar to Republican voters and those who vote ‘far Right’. All three groups show substantial anger, and none shows much understanding or support for the rioters.
Respondents were also asked what “explains the riots in the suburbs”. 62% said “the rise of crime” (which seems somewhat tautological) and 47% said “the disappearance of authority”. By contrast, only 17% said “the attitude of the police” and just 11% said “the feeling of exclusion” – though 25% did say “economic and social difficulties”. So only a small minority of French believe the riots were caused by police brutality and social exclusion.
When asked “are you satisfied or dissatisfied” with the action of the Government and the police, respondents were far more satisfied with the police. 64% said “rather or very satisfied” when asked about the police, but only 27% did so when asked about the Government.
What’s more, most respondents endorsed quite heavy-handed measures for dealing with rioters. 77% supported “financially sanctioning” the families of those who are minors, 75% supported “depriving French nationality” to those who are dual nationals and 69% supported “cutting off social media” in the event of future riots.
These findings will make painful reading for the Left-wing journalists and politicians who’ve been claiming the riots were all the fault of the police for being racist and violent towards minorities. The public aren’t buying it: they want more policing, not less.
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Paul Thorpe interviewed Andrew Bridgen , it’s a real eye opener !
Also was Dan Andrews regime a dry run for Starmers tyranny?
Got a link?
Sorry for delay , it was on YouTube
Israel and Ukraine are defending us too: why don’t Western moralisers recognise this?
‘I do not say the French cannot come, I only say they cannot come by sea’
Lord St Vincent 1803
England, Britain, as illustrated by the amusing graphic at the beginning of ‘Dad’s Army’ has, for centuries, since seeing off the Spanish Armada, understood the merits a forward defence strategy, even if, every so often, the gallant warriors of ‘Dad’s Army’ have still been required.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF6qElf9GJ8
What is the point of a ‘forward defence’ strategy?
‘In a modern strategy the Atlantic army must provide for the West a sense of security to a degree that will encourage it to act and react in respect to global events with confidence. That forecloses to (Russia) the options of intimidation, blackmail, and political leverage.’
Forward defence is not just about not having to fight a bloody war on your own soil but very much also about not having to fight a war at all; deterrence, particularly conventional deterrence.
Which country is one of the leading exponents of forward defence today?
That would be a country that means us no good: Iran
What do they think is really going on?
‘Iranian commentators have long fixated over the prospect of a new world order in which the hegemony of the United States is diluted through a shift to multipolarity in the three regions of the Eurasian world-island: Europe, through the efforts of Russia; Asia, through the efforts of China; and the Middle East, through the efforts of Iran. At the outset of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Iranian officials welcomed the attack as the opening of “a new front against American arrogance.’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0030438724000322
Which is the foremost contemporary and powerful enemy of this country, having recently murdered a British citizen on British soil and, earlier this year, sponsored a terrorist attack in East London?
Russia.
The enemy of our enemy is our friend, Mr Lammy.
It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Postscript:
‘Iran…..act(s) in concert with organised criminal entities, conduct assassinations and kidnappings abroad, and participate(s) in the international drug trade.
In the last 15 months, (the) MI5 Director and (the) Counter-terrorism Policing lead have identified 12 to 15 cases of Iranian plots within the UK against British citizens or Iranian dissidents.
These statements are in line with those of the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, pointing to more intense Iranian intelligence activity in the past two years.’ July 2023
https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/the-iran-question-and-british-strategy/#contents__accordion
Oh dear, are we now going to get daily updates on how Iran is planning to take over the world?
It may be difficult to understand that the rest of the world, outside Europe, is pretty fed up with US hegemony, meaning you either do as we (USA) tell you and take your loans from the IMF, etc., or else your country will be undermined by our NGOs, eventually leading to a voluntary or involuntary change in government.
It is interesting that the development of a multi-polar world – USA, Russia, China – is almost entirely due to Joe Biden’s terrible presidency. The very dubious 2020 election results, his completely open southern border, the politicization of the judicial system including the frenzied and continual attacks against his main political opponent, the dubious business concerns of his immediate family, his refusal to provide funds to Ukraine unless the chief prosecutor was fired (who happened to be investigating corruption in Burisma, the company employing Hunter Biden), his probable destruction of Nord Stream, as well as his sanctions against Russia resulting in a world-wide ‘dedollarization’. BRICS has pretty well exploded with applicants during his presidency.
Well done, Joe Biden!
Of course many countries are disenchanted with the U.S., particularly within the EU and, most particularly, France.
Mr Trump was no more popular than Mr Biden.
But, in a Middle Eastern popularity contest between China proxy, Iran and U.S. proxy, Israel, this country and its government should be clear that Iran, intent on the destruction of Israel, is no friend of Britain.
‘2023 – A terror suspect escaped from Wandsworth prison in London while awaiting trial for offences, including; collecting information useful to the enemy, alleged to be Iran; eliciting information about members of the armed forces likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism; and perpetrating a bomb hoax. The individual was later recaptured and is currently awaiting trial. Prosecutors have claimed that the individual passed sensitive material to Iranian intelligence
On 22 December 2023, another individual was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to collect information useful to a terrorist. The individual conducted hostile reconnaissance at the headquarters of Iran International, a dissident Iranian television station, in West London. Reporting suggests that the individual recorded security arrangements at the venue on his phone as part of a plot to conduct a terrorist attack.’
Unless Iran conducts further criminal activities in this country, it is unlikely that I will comment.
My comments, in any case, simply reflect, quote the views of experts in any particular arena.
With regard to Iran taking over the world, that is certainly its intention with regard to the Islamic world:
‘Iran considers itself the Islamic world’s natural leader, and seeks to export the Islamic Revolution first to areas with major Shia populations like Iraq, Lebanon, and parts of Syria, and then to the Islamic world more broadly.
By uniting the Islamic world under the Iranian banner, Tehran hopes to preserve the Islamic revolutionary regime indefinitely. Insulated by a buffer of friendly Islamic states, and directly or indirectly controlling the majority of the world’s oil reserves, Iran would be immune to long-term economic pressure.
This Iran, likely armed with nuclear weapons, could expand conventional and advanced military capabilities to expand its influence in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.
A united Islamic world under Iranian leadership, meanwhile, would be a bona fide great power, the first Islamic great power since the Ottoman Empire, and the first Middle Eastern actor capable of projecting power beyond the region since the early 19th century.
An emboldened, empowered Iran would be able to negotiate with Russia and China, the other Eurasian authoritarians, on reasonably equal terms.
It would also be able to extend its influence throughout Eurasia and even gain allies in the Americas, likely first turning to Venezuela and Cuba, and then to other Latin American states hostile to the Anglo-Euro-American international system.
In short, then, Iran’s long-term strategic objective is great-power status.’
Sir John Jenkins, Air Marshal Edward Stringer, Harry Halem
You seem to be looking for enemies under the bed, seeing everywhere countries we must militarily discipline and prevent from conquering the world.
Iran is no friend of Britain, you maintain. Should it be? Is Britain a friend of Iran? Hardly.
How about we just stop parading around the world, pretending we are God’s gift to mankind, and simply develop friendly relationships with all the countries we come across? That means not preaching our way of life to them, not forcing them to do this or that, but just lending a sympathetic ear and helping them develop. Because that is what China and Russia do and it is obviously very successful.
All USA does (and UK trots along like an obedient poodle) is apply military might whenever its current leader thinks anyone needs a lesson in discipline.
You will argue that China and Russia take advantage of other countries but it works both ways. And offering assistance to anyone who needs it is a good way of developing a business relationship.
Do I think Iranian religious zealots are ideal leaders? No, but the fact is they are governing the country so they are the people our diplomats should be addressing. And helping Iran means helping the Iranian people, who possibly suffer as much from their leaders as we do from ours.
You asked about Iran taking over the world.
They certainly do want to take over the Islamic world, in the view of some regional experts.
I have no need to look for enemies.
Iran has, just last year, had agents in Britain arrested for scoping out acts of terrorism.
Russia has recently conducted acts of terrorism in Britain, killing one British citizen on British soil.
Both are totalitarian fascist dictatorships intent on destroying this country and our way of life, plain for all to see.
The only way to prevent that is through the strengthening of our national defences.
That, in my view, bears endless repetition.
We know what to do. We’ve done it before. It works.
You don’t, by any chance, manage a hedge fund like Labour’s biggest donor, with investments in arms manufacturers?
Ukraine has been invaded twice in ten years. Israel has been invaded. Red sea shipping is being interdicted from Yemen. Wars smoulder on in Syria and Iraq. Iran is on the cusp of possessing nuclear weapons. China rattles spears at Taiwan and terrorises the South China Sea. Mali, Bourkina Faso, Sudan are aflame. Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia are at daggers drawn. Venezuela is on the brink of civil war…..and so on and so forth…..
No need to talk up defence stocks….
Friday morning Rackstraw Rd & Acacia Ave,
Owlsmoor Sandhurst
David Lammy has cost Britain a crucial ally against Putin
Intelligent and integrated foreign affairs and defence strategy saves lives and money. Foreign policy debacles like the Falklands and now Ukraine are extremely expensive.
‘The costs of the war in Ukraine so far could fund the equivalent of 175,000 US troops on NATO’s eastern front for 40 years which would deter Russia from threatening NATO allies and attacking its neighbors.’
‘By 2013, the last US Army tank departed Europe, something celebrated as an “historic moment” Just a year later, in another historic moment, American Army tanks returned to Europe after Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine.’
CEPA June 2022
‘Words matter as Foreign Secretary, especially when opining on conflict. Contradicting long standing UK policy in a vanity blog is totally inappropriate…’
Alicia Kearns
Investment in an active and informed (through enhanced overseas intelligence) foreign policy, allied to a sound, efficient and cost effective defence spend on deterrence, conventional and the rest, although expensive in the short term, saves money (and, more importantly, blood) over the long haul in a number of different ways.
‘Loose talk (and a tight purse) costs lives’
I doubt the US cares much what Lammy says about anything. They have their own reasons for what is happening in Ukraine – reasons you have mentioned often.
‘What is happening in Ukraine’ is that Russia has invaded, twice.
I make no apologies for labouring that point.
No idea or interest in the U.S. view of Lammy.
The taxpayer here, however, should care that they will have to pick up the tab for his incompetence in alienating allies in Europe and the Middle East.
I make no apologies for labouring that point.
Over and over and over again …
Makes you wonder it he’s being paid to do it.
There is a great deal of uninformed bigotry on here.
I provide an alternative view, as sceptics do.
If you are looking for an echo chamber, of those there is no shortage.
This site, however, is for daily sceptics.
I tend to treat what politicians say as largely theatre. My suspicion is that they also view the whole thing as theatre. They are all professionals at spin.
“Running an electric car is twice as expensive as a petrol one”
Ah well I can only guess that the forthcoming October Budget will fix that anomaly and it is unlikely to be by electricity becoming cheaper!
This is bizarre. I thought it was bad enough that Germany were bribing migrants to go home by offering them 1000 euros rather than just booting them out, but then when Sweden came out with their offer of 31,000 euros *per person* I thought this is absolutely crazy. However, when you consider what the annual wage is in somewhere like Afghanistan or Syria, wouldn’t you expect more people to jump at the chance and accept this overly generous bribe?
”Despite being offered €31,000 to remigrate by the Swedish government, polling shows that very few migrants would accept the offer.
As Remix News previously reported, the Swedish government is making a significant monetary offer of 350,000 Swedish kroner to foreigners living in Sweden to voluntarily return home. It is also important to note that this amount would be paid out per person, which means a family of four could receive €124,000.
Still, these foreigners are so desperate to live in Sweden, a majority White country, that the vast majority of them said they would reject the offer, according to a poll conducted by the website Alkompis.
The poll showed that 77 percent of those questioned in the survey said that they were not even interested in the increased amount, and only 15 percent said that they would be interested in the offer. The others are uncertain.”
https://rmx.news/article/very-few-migrants-interested-in-swedens-remigration-offer-worth-e31000/
A very good new short film ( 15mins ) by Matt Goodwin, ‘How To Stop An Invasion’. He’s absolutely right, the government could stop this if they really wanted to, after all, look at the feats the Tories were capable of during the scamdemic, and how people realised they didn’t have actual rights at all, just privileges that could be taken away on a whim. It’s the government’s responsibility, at the end of the day, they’re hardly powerless, but they don’t want to stop the mass, relentless immigration, that much is apparent to anyone who isn’t a complete muppet;
https://x.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1837003034632540179
“Why LSE is the Sunday Times University of the Year 2025”
Ostensibly a change from the late 1960s, when students chanted:
“Free, free, LSE
Free it from the bourgeoisie.”
Can a ‘woman’ be charged with ‘indecent exposure’ if she flashes her penis in public?? I swear to God, Germany is done for. When your country embraces the woke mind virus *plus* uncontrolled immigration from countries where people hate you for many years, your country naturally goes to sh*t over time. One does not need a PhD in Sociology to have foreseen this happening. Stop the world, I want to get off;
”A trans-identified male from Troisdorf, Germany, is facing charges after attacking multiple women in two disturbing incidents involving knives and exhibitionism. But a debate is now raging in court as legal experts weigh whether the man, who identifies as a “woman,” can be charged with exposing his penis, a crime only males can be prosecuted for.
The man, 56, is scheduled to stand trial in Bonn for threats and grievous bodily harm related to two incidents, one from 2021 and one from 2022. Due to Germany’s strict privacy laws, the man’s full name has not been released, but he will be referred to as “Klaus” for the purposes of this article.
In August of 2021, Klaus followed a woman home and attacked her while she was at her front door. Klaus is alleged to have grabbed her from behind and held a knife to her throat while he wrangled her boots off. The woman fought back, suffering cuts to her neck and hands, and was able to send her attacker fleeing thanks to her loud cries for help. Klaus was wearing women’s clothes at the time of the attack, and is said to be a women’s shoe fetishist.
The next year, in December, Klaus exposed his penis to two women on a train. The regional court in Bonn must now decide whether this was a sexual offense, as Section 183 of the German Criminal Code only imposes a fine or a prison sentence to men for exhibitionistic acts. Because Klaus is legally considered “female,” he may avoid this charge entirely.
The uncertainty is the result of Germany’s recently-passed gender self-identification law, which is considered by many to be the most relaxed legislation of its kind in the world. In 2022, well-known criminal defense attorney Udo Vetter warned about the impact the law would have on criminal proceedings, writing on social media that: “Section 183 of the Criminal Code only applies to men. If a man uses self-ID to become a woman, he can no longer commit a criminal offense for exhibitionism.”
https://reduxx.info/germany-violent-transgender-shoe-fetishist-could-avoid-charges-of-exposing-his-penis-to-women-because-hes-legally-female/
“We’ll stop taking free clothes, say Starmer and Rayner”
Too late she cried! Your values are revealed
“I took cash for clothes too, admits Rachel Reeves”
What the f#@k is this? a fecking desperate charity shop or a party of leadership (he said gagging!)
Kier Starmer- Wardrobe by Waheed Alli
Victoria and kier, the poor mites can’t afford their own clothes, give the prime minister a pay rise, I cannot bare the thought of them having to live in poverty, why!…I’ll donate some of my cast offs too!
Presumably they have to put on a good show to all the other world politicians who are fitted out at other people’s expense to impress the other grifters whose clothes come from corruption. Can’t be seen to be second rate con-men.
“Britain is spending beyond its means”
Never!? Well slapper my thigh
(Not spending it on the right things of cause)
The politicians are spending beyond the people’s means. Beggaring us is the main part of The Agenda. So they can’t have us getting anything worthwhile for our money.
“The politicians are spending beyond the people’s means.”
Correct. And at some point the country will be declared bankrupt and effectively we will be sold to the IMF, BIS and the Blackrock mob.
Is Starmer’s decision to refuse cash for clothes an admission that he did wrong or simply to distract from all the other things he will still continue to accept bungs for.
“Jess Phillips: I’m ‘apoplectic’ domestic abusers were freed without tags”
Well, I’m apoplectic about this:
Teenager jailed for 18 months after McDonald’s fight still in prison 18 years later under indefinite jail term (msn.com)
“A desperate mother has spoken of her anguish after her teenage son was jailed for 18 months but is still trapped in prison 18 years later under a cruel indefinite jail term.
Luke Ings was handed a controversial imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence for robbery and a fight in McDonalds aged just 17.
The jail terms were scrapped in 2012 amid human rights concerns, but not retrospectively – leaving almost 3,000 people languishing in prison with no release date.
His devastated mother Samantha, 57, said Luke, now 36, is trapped with “monsters” inside maximum security HMP Wakefield, which is home to some of Britain’s most serious criminals, HAVING SPENT HIS ENTIRE ADULT LIFE INSIDE.
She fears unless the government takes urgent action he will not survive amid soaring rates of suicide and self-harm among IPP prisoners.”
“Jess Phillips: I’m ‘apoplectic’ domestic abusers were freed without tags”
Well, I’m apoplectic about this:
Teenager jailed for 18 months after McDonald’s fight still in prison 18 years later under indefinite jail term (msn.com)
“The jail terms [created by Lord David Blunkett], were scrapped in 2012 amid human rights concerns, but not retrospectively – leaving almost 3,000 people languishing in prison with no release date.
His devastated mother Samantha, 57, said Luke, now 36, is trapped with “monsters” inside maximum security HMP Wakefield, which is home to some of Britain’s most serious criminals, having spent his entire adult life inside.
She fears unless the government takes urgent action he will not survive amid soaring rates of suicide and self-harm among IPP prisoners.”
“IPP sentences do not fall under the government’s SDS40 early release scheme, which is expected to see 5,500 prisoners walk free by the end of October, despite more than 700 IPP prisoners having served at least 10 years longer than their minimum sentence.”
“We’ll stop taking free clothes,” say Starmer and Rayner. “Buy us something else next time.”
“Why is he so bad at this?” He’s like the rest of the WEF/Common Purpose brigade. Promoted for their adherence to The Agenda, not for competence.
Great video on New Culture Forum today, discussing the newly released figures on the economics of mass immigration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMhLUiqrHco