In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, France’s anti-incitement crackdown certainly wouldn’t pass civil liberties muster in the U.S., but it’s a mistake to make these kinds of comparisons.

Before the Charlie Hebdo attack, France was a country racked by self-doubt and in self-evident decline. Will it capture a new sense of purpose in its aftermath?

Is it right that Paris gets a mass rally while Boko Haram’s slaughter of thousands in Nigeria merits hardly a shrug? No. But it’s the response Paris and Nigeria both deserve. This is what civilization looks like.

After Hebdo and the PEGIDA marches, is there a leader who can plot a middle course?