Unpatriotic, I Know . . . but I can't seem to muster a whole lot of schadenfreude for the French this week. Islam and immigration are the hot peppers within this social stew, but don't forget that the economy there is always in the toilet these days, despite the fact that France gets a grossly disproportionate share of EU subsidies. Even the right wing is socialist in France.

Still, it's just hard not to feel bad for Monsieur et Madamoiselle Bourgeois, trying to make a mortgage payment (and perhaps keep a little apartment for Monsieur's mistress) while the citizenry demands economic improvement (plus relief from the wretchedness of the 35-hour workweek) and the immigrant population, legal and otherwise, suggests that the republic could stand a bit of sharia. It's almost enough to make McDonalds, Hollywood, and le hip-hop seem like boons to French society.