“If you want to become French, you speak French, you live like the French. We will no longer settle for integration that does not work, we will require assimilation.” These were the words of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy this week. He went on: “Once you become French, your ancestors are the Gauls. ‘I love France, I learned the history of France, I see myself as French,’ is what you must say.”
This week, personalities from both sides of the political spectrum expressed their concern over this statement, made by Sarkozy on Monday night during a meeting in Franconville, a north Paris suburb.
Curiously, the part that stirred up most controversy was the idea that, once you become French, the Gauls are your ancestors. This declaration is historically incorrect: Gaul is actually a geographical construct conceptualised by the Romans to refer to a territory bringing people of varied origins together. This notion was later used by the Third Republic, after defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, to rally the French around symbols such as courage and strength. [627 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 397 votes] "If you want to become French, you speak French, you live like the French. We will no longer settle for integration that does not work, we will require assimilation.”
What exactly is wrong with this sentiment?
[2ND 272] ".... to become French, you speak French, you live like the French. We will no longer settle for integration that does not work, we will require assimilation."
Well done, Mr Sarkozy. Honest and frank statement from him without caring one jot about how psuedo liberals that infest the Western society would react. Their crowing and whining won't protect us from those who wish to destroy our society. It is high time that the shackles of political correctness that are so entrenched in our everyday conversational paradigm are broken and the society faces up to some harsh and bitter truths.
I could start with a couple:
1. Sod moral relativism. Not all cultures are equal.
2. People emigrating to a new society must follow the rules and regulations of their host nation at all times even if those very laws go against the culture of the migrants' forefathers.
Nation states can't be expected to make accommodations in their constitutions as per whims and demands of the immigrants.
[3RD 181] “If you want to become French, you speak French, you live like the French. We will no longer settle for integration that does not work, we will require assimilation.”
Sounds about right.
[4TH 177 ] Denying one's ancestry as an immigrant is a iridiculous thing to ask.
However, expectation that one speaks French and conforms (within reason) to French norms is not unreasonable...
[5TH 166] I was at a National Trust property last summer.
Someone from an ethnic background came past with a big family in tow.
The head of the family took an interest in a motorcycle I had.
We talked at length.
I shook his hand in the standard British greeting, then wishing to be friendly, extended the same greeting to his wife (what else could I do?).
She put her hands behind her back and said that her culture forbid her to make such a greeting.
I stood there, hand extended, more than miffed as you can imagine, indeed shocked.
If this is your "multiculturalism", such that I have to impolite to a woman to avoid offending your culture, then you can keep your multiculturalism. I want nothing to do with it. [Guardian Cif] Read more
