The French are one of the most polluted cultures and societies in history and continue to fall. However, it goes back much further than Algeria. Some specifics that come to my mind right now are Joan of Arc and the French betrayal of her cause, the French Revolution and how barbaric savagery was embraced by the citizens of that country, and my "piece de resistance" The Dreyfuss Affair which brought down the French Government and is a tragedy to this day (see http://www.pbs.org/newshour/essays/january98/rosenblatt_1-13.html).
J'Accuse!!!
When one contemplates just how influential the French Reign of Terror was on people like Jefferson, one walks away with a profound sense of relief that the pollution was opposed by thoughtful men, many of whom were unfairly vilified at the time (Washington, et al).