We Are Nero

L'Intifada Française is making reactive waves, much of the population outside the ghettos still shocked at the violence that erupted there - plans are afoot to find scapegoats in French rap musicians. How bizarre, but predictable. They are blaming the messenger for the message, and this highlights the polarisation of French culture and the total lack of understanding of the causes of the violence there on the part of the entrenched establishment.

One of the funky things you can find on FUNK is Cinema Du Lyon, which doesn't know quite whether it is an art movement or a musical outfit and is possibly both. With this affection in mind, I travelled to Lyon and visited the main areas to inspect the cinema there. They are still showing films, much as you would expect.

I have never forgotten this strange but true fact - up until the start of war in 1939, Hitler read not one novel, but he watched a film every night that he could. Nazi propaganda came in a triumphalist, modern way straight from Hollywood; he was the first media dictator. I have always imagined him and Eva, conversing about their leisure activities like couples do.

"Eva, meine Schnickelfritz, what shall we do later, after we've burned down the synagogue? There's an Al Jolson film I wouldn't mind watching."

"Oh but Adolf, that's such old hat. I wanted to catch the Sniper gig."

"Don't be silly, meine kleine Vegetarier! You'll be able to see any filthy French rap band you like in a year's time."

France has a relatively large right wing movement - Le Pen is still very much at large, and the burning of city centres is likely to add recruits to white elitist factions, which could fuel further disharmony and social collapse.

We have witnessed a spontaneous uprising of disaffected youth, and I hope that the French powers take the situation seriously enough to address the very real disadvantages that are the real cause of the violence.

Yet I fear that too little will be done, too late, in the same way that mounting evidence (which we continue to ignore in spectacularly idiotic fashion) is showing us that we are now at the ecological tipping point.

We are Nero, and we all play that tune.