Friday, March 17, 2006

More Violence in France


The Times of London reports:

"President Chirac appealed for calm today after mass protests against youth job reforms erupted in violence across France, and police prepared for even bigger demonstrations at the weekend."

4 comments:

Rick Ballard said...

"France is truly a nation of jerks."

I think cattle works better than jerks. Cud chewers until the farmer doesn't show up with enough or the right kind of hay. Then the herd grows uneasy and the unions stampede them.

Economic idiots works too - the French masses seem to firmly believe that they are capable of taxing themselves rich. The problem is that they have robbed Jacques to pay Jean to the point where Jacques has holes in his shoes and is living under a bridge.

Let's see if the riots get really ugly over the weekend - get them fired up enough and maybe they'll head for the banlieus and have it out with the "disaffected Muslim youth" who are sucking up the welfare money that the average Frenchies believes belongs rightfully in his own pocket.

EUnuch serfdom is going to have a very ugly end.

Unknown said...

This is worrisome. I think the French people really believe all that socialism stuff. Or so it seems. But sometimes there is no accouting for things like public sentiment. People en masse can be really stupid.

Barry Dauphin said...

It also shows that a place can appear calm and tranquil until the chickens come home to roost (keeping with our farm metaphors). France is often depicted by the left inelligentsia as a quasi socialist paradise. Until, that is, Muslim youths are rioting and until it becomes possible to...you know..actually......fire somebody from his job. Oh my. What will it come to next....basing employment on competency?

Syl said...

Idiots.

I remember a job back in the '70's. Company had a windfall (it was great!--a year's salary as a bonus, for example.) My boss had hired three new people. But it turned out there wasn't enough work for all three, so he let one of them go after a couple of months. The guy didn't do anything wrong--there just wasn't enough work.

It was kinda sad 'cause the guy had been thrilled to death to get a job with this company and he was pretty low about being let go. But that's life. But this is America and I'm sure he landed with both feet somewhere else.

Why do the French think they deserve 'better'? I guess cause France ain't America and they don't have the optimism and pick-yourself-up-and-just-do-it attitude that most Americans have.

'Better' is just relative. If your self-esteem depends on 100% job security, that ain't no self-esteem at all.