When one feels like pillaging the Guardian...

This Viking does, anyway. He points out one of the most awful misuses of inverted commas seen anywhere, and much else which merits the thorough utilisation of his email links to the Guardian editorial team.

Needless to say, I don't read the Guardian, or I wouldn't have any blood left to boil. I remember years ago my Dad bought it for a month or two, 'as an experiment'- and even then I wondered why he had a newspaper that evaded commonsense and distorted the relatively simple into some hodge-podge of sentimental pink-tinged porridge.

The viking also notes that Sarkozy is the target of the Left. Some coincidence there, since he's also the target of the intifadists- yes, it's probably time the word was 'bandied round' after the authorities came across an unusual cocktail factory. In fact, as one of the 'boys' and 'girls' the BBC highlights says,


'We want Mr Sarkozy to resign, or the violence will continue. He is too scared to come here and talk to us himself. We don't think we'll ever get jobs'

So, the rioters want Sarkozy to resign, as do his rivals Chirac and Vilepin, as do the Guardian (clearly)- and the BBC weren't too shy about booting it to Sarko (a bit) at the beginning of events:

'Nicolas Sarkozy - the straight-talking right-winger who is France's interior minister - normally thrives on the kind of acute law-and-order crisis that the country is currently going through.'

Which leaves me thinking that for perhaps the first time in my life I have come across a French politician I have some admiration for. I think that there is strategy to these revolts in Paris, and that they represent the conviction among the Islamic underground of French society (which must almost certainly be huge) that Sarkozy is the kind of man who could prevent their plans from unfolding, and must be removed. I think they're right: he seems to have the vigour and grit of a man who will stay on top unless treachery brings him down.

I know I often bash France, but I wish them well on this- and, especially, I wish Sarkozy well, and I note that France does too. I know that Britain is far from robust and invulnerable to Islamic pressure. Far, far from it. If France is spineless now and over the ensuing years, I must say I have little confidence that Britain's won't buckle in some terrible way.