Polygamy caused the riots in France

This is an interesting and rather amusing article in the Financial Times where the French employment minister blamed polygamy as a reason for the unrest in France. In comments that are quite logical but would choke the politically correct here:

Gérard Larcher said multiple marriages among immigrants was one reason for the racial discrimination which ethnic minorities faced in the job market. Overly large polygamous families sometimes led to anti-social behaviour among youths who lacked a father figure, making employers wary of hiring ethnic minorities, he explained.

The minister, speaking to a group of foreign journalists as the government stepped up efforts to improve its image with the foreign media, said: “Since part of society displays this anti-social behaviour, it is not surprising that some of them have difficulties finding work ... Efforts must be made by both sides. If people are not employable, they will not be employed.”

As James Taranto notes in OpinionJournal this is a strong argument against diluting the idea of marriage between one man and one woman. Loosening this bond leads to bad social dynamics.

Polygamy is a taboo subject for most mainstream French politicians. Far-right groups, however, have seized on it to argue that immigrants abuse the French social security system by collecting state benefits for several wives.

Hm. Hadn't thought of that.

The government has also been criticised for refusing to closely analyse demographic patterns in France in order to better integrate minorities. But Mr Larcher said France was so traumatised by the Vichy government’s expulsion of French Jews to German concentration camps during the second world war that it still found it unpalatable to allow information to be collected on people’s ethnic origins.

So traumatized by the expulsion of French Jews!!?! I'll let the Monk comment on that.

He acknowledged that the unemployment rate among young people in France was twice the national average, but said other European countries faced similar problems. He also pointed the finger at the US, where he said the unemployment rate among blacks aged 16-19 was twice that of their white counterparts.

Hm a bit reminiscent of the customary Communist riposte of "What about your Negroes living in the South?" when taken to task for their human rights violations.

HT: OpinionJournal