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The article focuses on the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the offices of the periodical "Charlie Hebdo" in Paris, France on January 7, 2015. Topics include the French concept of 'laïcité,' which refers to secularism, freedom of speech in France, and France's ban on head scarves worn by women and girls.

The author reflects on local bans on the burkini in France and freedom of religion claims. She talks about France's laïcité policy and suggests the U.S. could learn something from France in regards to the U.S. First Amendment and its abuse in enabling religious bigotry. She mentions the French ban on headscarfs in public schools in 2004 and states penalties for wearing burkinis falls solely on women. She suggests banning Islamic garb fetishizes it as a marker for communal identity.

The author presents her views on the sex scandal involving French political figure Dominique Struass-Kahn, focusing on French reactions to the incident. Struass-Kahn stands accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York City. The author quotes some French people speaking in defense of Strauss-Kahn, and points out how their words imply that the sexual abuse of women is a normal part of French culture.

The article discusses prohibitions on religious dress such as the burqa in niqab in France and Belgium. The author reflects on facial veils and expressions of piety for Muslim women in Europe. The threat of Islamic fundamentalism is discussed in the context of Western European secularism. Other topics include anti-Muslim discrimination, bans on head scarves, and republican ideals.

This article presents the author's views on the demonstrations by the unemployed during the month of January 1998 in France. The primary achievement of the movement of the unemployed, though, is the movement itself. It marks the start of a collective organization, and it is both cause and effect of a chain of transformations: from isolation, depression, shame, personal resentment and scapegoating to collective mobilization; from resignation, passivity and silence to speech. According to the author the movement also reminds us of some basic truths about neoliberalism. There is the indisputable relationship between the rate of unemployment and the rate of profit.

The article presents information on various social problems in the world. In addition to the AIDS hotline posters that line the Metro stations with grim black-and-white photos of anguished gay men and lonely drug users, Paris has its own municipal anti-AIDS advertisements. Jacques Chirac, France's new conservative President, has proposed raising the minimum wage and increasing the national arts budget. Still, it's the little things that suggest how far the United States has diverged from the rest of the West.