November 11, 200520 yr Pierre Burton once said that Victoria is a place where old people go to visit their parents. cv
November 11, 200520 yr I disagree with the cartoon because I come from a country that is multicultural.... By that, do you mean your own Frenchies in Quebec? There's francaphones everywhere. Not here pal... ( But I admit that I used to speak french quite well years ago.... ) Also a million muslims, half a million jews, a couple million asians, loads of ukrainians, poles, aboriginals, africans, hispanics, and so on, and so on... I've traveled in Canada, and that may be so in Vancover, Toronto, and Montreal,etc. but outside of those very few cities, Canada is still pretty much still The Great White North.... The ones in Quebec are are known as Quebecois Yeah, I forgot, it's been a few years since I've been there.....Quebecois... My Bad. (BTW, the ladies in the Strip clubs in Montreal are AMAZING! Saw girls of many ethicities, from loads of ukrainians, poles, africans, hispanics, and so on, and so on... Didn't see to many asians dancers, no aboriginals(?),and not ONE single muslim stripper though.... )
November 11, 200520 yr Didn't see to many asians dancers, no aboriginals(?),and not ONE single muslim stripper though.... ) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> From my understanding, most of the asian strippers work in private-members clubs (very exclusive, no "non-asian" guests allowed, ect). I have an idea about why you never see any aboriginal strippers (wouldn't have anything to do with being turned into alcoholics and sexually molested by half their family members by the time they hit 14, especially if they are good-looking to begin with). Still working on the Muslim strippers. Seen a few girls in Vancouver that would fit right into a playboy centerfold, and I've heard of a couple of "escort" agencies that employ women of "Middle Eastern" origin, so strippers may not be too far off in the future. Yeah, outside of the major Canadian cities you don't find a very large ethnic mix. A few aboriginals and a lot of Caucasians in most cases. Why ? Well, there's nothing stopping people from different ethnic groups from locating away from the major population centers. The government may encourage new immigrants to locate in certain areas, but that has more to do with trying to influence future votes than trying to integrate them. So why don't the immigrants spread through-out the country ? Again, they have no requirement to learn the language(s) at all. If they were to relocate to a smaller community, they would find it difficult to communicate or find jobs. Staying in the larger population centers gives them a sort of social safety net of fellow immigrants with whom they can converse and network. Also, the larger cities are located in the southern most parts of Canada (a few years ago a Stats Can study found that 90% of Canada's population lived within 10 miles of the US border). These areas as a rule don't suffer the same kind of winters that more northern cities do, such as Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and so on. Many immigrants come from warm countries, and have a hard time dealing with the brutal Canadian winters.
November 12, 200520 yr France Burning Via The Bad Hair Blog, here’s a map from The Economist showing the true extent of the French intifada: Now ponder that map, and ask yourselves what kind of European (and American) media noise would we be hearing if we’ve had fifteen continuous days of rioting and arson not only in every major city in the country, but coast-to-coast? Would the press be clamoring 24/7 for the Président de la République’s head on a platter, or at least for his ousting? Can you think of one, just one, of the 3 networks and cable TV stations that wouldn’t be on this all the time? All those Peugeots... The Horror~!
November 12, 200520 yr A Strange Sort of Stability At No Pasaran: This is ‘stability’. 463 vehicles burned, 201 arrests, 7 police injured, and 8 police suspended for doing their job. In Lyon, 4 police were hurt by thrown rocks. Violence in the greater Paris area ticked up a bit. 12,000 police are being kept on duty through the weekend (including the holiday of 11 November). Calls to riot continue to circulate via SMS, blogs, and Internet bulletin boards. As long as I can continue to sip my cafe' au lait, draw my government check, and fantasize about my mistress and the destruction of Israel, sure, everything's is tres tres bon!
November 12, 200520 yr France Reborn! "The past two weeks have been a hel_l worse than EuroDisney for our beloved French cousins, but the violence is finally showing signs of slacking off. There were only 1200 cars burned on Monday - 200 less than the night before. Last night, it was down to a paltry 500. At this rate, the rioting should finally come to an end right around the time France runs out of cars..." The rest !
November 12, 200520 yr Check the weather. Maybe the riots are "slowing" down because they are having a spat of rain and cold weather (in the north part) ? I'll bet French insurance companies are scrambling to figure out ways to not have to pay out policies on all those burnt vehicles. Kind of hard to blame it on an "Act of God", but maybe they could claim it was a "civil war" or "insurrection". Luckily it was primarily confined to France (strange as that is). It could have easily boiled over into other parts of Europe very quickly. I'm kind of surprised it didn't actually. Looking at how fast it suddenly spread throughout France (from riots in a Paris suburb over almost 10 days, then suddenly there were riots springing up in almost 300 other cities within a couple of days). Thinking about it, it could have easily spread through the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and other Euro countries with large immigrant populations. I don't think all those other countries are leaps and bounds ahead of France when it comes to integrating their immigrant populations into their societies.
November 12, 200520 yr Thinking about it, it could have easily spread through the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and other Euro countries with large immigrant populations. I don't think all those other countries are leaps and bounds ahead of France when it comes to integrating their immigrant populations into their societies. Just give it some time, it's only a matter of years, or probably months, before all of Europe have some form of mass immigrant riots.
November 13, 200520 yr Now that's what I call Faux News ! The Managing Director of LCI French cable TV news (owned by TF1) admits to censuring coverage of the riots in French to avoid helping the extreme right. The extreme right, mythical (and largely inexistent) bogeyman bandied about by the French press, whenever they see fit to tighten the screws on that country of sheep.
November 13, 200520 yr From: Le Nouvel Observateur Semaine du jeudi 10 novembre 2005 Jacques Julliard’s Column “The Suburbs of Our Souls” How do we teach adolescents the values of solidarity and respect for others when day after day television teaches them the contrary? Are we dealing with a rebellion against exclusion or a new kind of intifada? Is the rioting due to unemployment or a failure of the authorities? Is this the face of true despair or systematic victimization? Are we being confronted with the consequences of poverty or the triumph of a parallel economy? Is the problem a reflection of a breakdown in the system of integration or of integration moving forward? Are we seeing English-style communitarism with as an end-result the terrorist attacks in London, or French-style ghettos in flames? Is Sarkozy or Ben Laden to blame? Should we rely on prevention or repression? I note that aside from a few preachers from both sides of the political fence, no one is trying to show off and no one is making radical decisions. That at least is a good thing. It may even be our only hope left among the ruins and burning hulls. There is one point to make however: English-style communitarism does not work because it is apparently ill-adapted; French-style integration does not work because it is not implemented. Here, like elsewhere, it is not the idea but the implementation that the French fall short. It is unacceptable that in terms of immigration and urban policies, as well as in other areas, each political party that is voted into office endeavors to destroy what was done by its predecessor. Was is really necessary for Nicolas Sarkozy to do away with the neighborhood police that was one of the positive programs of the Jospin era? Or to cut off the resources of the associations that work the most closely with the people in these areas? On the other hand, when Laurent Fabius promises to repeal most of the laws that have been drawn up by the right, he is using scorched earth politics unbecoming to a democratic state. Certain areas such as immigration, education and research should be exempt from electoral demagogy and are the foundation of the Republican alliance. Bipartisan politics are vital, especially since the solutions put forward by one party or the other are not necessarily antagonistic, far from it. I am not one of those who take advantage of the current populist climate to berate politicians. But we are weary, and the word is not strong enough, of electioneering politicians who play with the country’s national interests, that is to say our own - like Charlie Chaplin’s Adolph Hitler playing with a ball representing the earth. Immigration and urban policies should be part of a protected sphere because they have to do with long-term programs. To say that is not to say much. The truth lies beyond; the truth is that our suburbs reflect the stark mirror image of the inequalities and the material injustice that exist in our society. Moreover, they are the reflection of the spiritual misery of this society. By the light of the fires of the past few days, we can hope that the first assessment will allow for some progress to be made. Because what we know how to do, and what we can do when things go wrong is to give money. But the second assessment reveals that the relationship to money and consumerism has completely obliterated the values of the Republic among the “youths” in these suburbs. It would be too easy to blame this on a system of education that has become the scapegoat of a capitalistic society. What can teachers do to inculcate the values of solidarity and respect for others to children and adolescents when day after day television, through its programs, teaches them the contrary: the absolute primacy of money, individual resourcefulness, violence, contempt for women? The arrogant, non-conformist, anti-authoritarian style that characterizes most of the variety shows and hosts on television is the hypocritical mask behind which hides all conformism and compromise. “Youths” do the same thing, with less hypocrisy and more violence: they worship the golden calf and bite the hand that feeds them.
November 13, 200520 yr About 60 vehicles have been burned in Belgium in the past week, including more than a dozen already over the weekend, but that country has not seen rioting similar to that in France. Still sounds like a QUAGMIRE!
November 14, 200520 yr About 60 vehicles have been burned in Belgium in the past week, including more than a dozen already over the weekend, but that country has not seen rioting similar to that in France. Still sounds like a QUAGMIRE! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You're right, Boon Mee, it does sound like soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot!
November 14, 200520 yr France's social and economic problems are too big, too old and too deep to be solved anytime soon. To believe otherwise would be a denial of reality. Possibly in another 50 years the country will have achieved real solutions but by that time it could be too late. » Boveman, Neuilly-sur-Marne It might well be a simple problem of a lack of moral fiber which is the most apparent clash of civilizations: between the nominally aware and those stupified by the nanny state
November 14, 200520 yr France's social and economic problems are too big, too old and too deep to be solved anytime soon. To believe otherwise would be a denial of reality. Possibly in another 50 years the country will have achieved real solutions but by that time it could be too late. »Boveman, Neuilly-sur-Marne It might well be a simple problem of a lack of moral fiber which is the most apparent clash of civilizations: between the nominally aware and those stupified by the nanny state <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's an interesting argument "stupefied by the nanny state"; it's about as meaningful as "society is to blame" and a method of arguing from which the "nominally aware" had apparently advanced. But then maybe you are implying it is others who are "nominally aware" and you have yet to achieve such heights of awareness. But, I really don't think so. Because it is obvious from your doubtless and incessant propagation of your beliefs, your self-assessment would put you in a state of political Nirvana, excluding all others, except your Gurus, from any vestige of knowledge or intelligence. Alas, such a state, as described in many religions - some of them just as fundamentalist as your politics - comes just before a fall.
November 14, 200520 yr France's social and economic problems are too big, too old and too deep to be solved anytime soon. To believe otherwise would be a denial of reality. Possibly in another 50 years the country will have achieved real solutions but by that time it could be too late. »Boveman, Neuilly-sur-Marne It might well be a simple problem of a lack of moral fiber which is the most apparent clash of civilizations: between the nominally aware and those stupified by the nanny state It's an interesting argument "stupefied by the nanny state"; it's about as meaningful as "society is to blame" and a method of arguing from which the "nominally aware" had apparently advanced. But then maybe you are implying it is others who are "nominally aware" and you have yet to achieve such heights of awareness. But, I really don't think so. Because it is obvious from your doubtless and incessant propagation of your beliefs, your self-assessment would put you in a state of political Nirvana, excluding all others, except your Gurus, from any vestige of knowledge or intelligence. Alas, such a state, as described in many religions - some of them just as fundamentalist as your politics - comes just before a fall. Just like Sgt. Joe Friday of the old television show "Dragnet" fame - just reporting the facts. You uncomfortable with 'em, hows about a rejoiner or two, hmmmm?
November 14, 200520 yr Just like Sgt. Joe Friday of the old television show "Dragnet" fame - just reporting the facts. You uncomfortable with 'em, hows about a rejoiner or two, hmmmm? This is coming from the all time thaivisa champion of selective fact checking? cv
November 14, 200520 yr About 60 vehicles have been burned in Belgium in the past week, including more than a dozen already over the weekend, but that country has not seen rioting similar to that in France. Still sounds like a QUAGMIRE! You're right, Boon Mee, it does sound like soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot! This line is a keeper.
November 14, 200520 yr 463 vehicles burned, <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You'd burn cars too if Peugeot and Citroen was all you were stuck with.
November 14, 200520 yr Just like Sgt. Joe Friday of the old television show "Dragnet" fame - just reporting the facts. ... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ah the fifties, I remember them well. When Tricky Dicky was practising his trade together with Uncle Joe, persecuting everyone – the guilty as well as the innocent. When “Strange fruit” hung on Southern trees supplied by Southern boys whose Saturday night entertainment finished with a game of hunt the N*gger, supplemented by a can of beer, some wearing of all-white dresses and some cross burning. When American women were chocking within their Bell Jars. When conscripts were dieing in Korea. When Ike supervised the creation of the biggest caucus in the world. When the Mafia controlled the Judiciary. When Jimmy Hoffa controlled the Unions (until the Mafia bumped him off). When the US police forces were so corrupt, nobody controlled them – except perhaps the raving transvestite who ran the FBI and considered himself guardian of the public’s morality. When Conservatives were telling us, “You have never had it so good” When Joe Friday was just reporting the facts and Boon Mee could get all the quotes he needed “Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush.” You want to go back to those times, don’t you Boony?
November 14, 200520 yr A Grim Milestone Say it isn't so! The war in France is rapidly nearing a grim milestone. The car deaths are now closing in on the magic number of 10,000. How much longer can this quagmire go on? How much longer before the French admit defeat and pull out? Where's the United Nations? Isn't it time for a Security Council resolution and a peacekeeping force? But as we all know, it is Bush's fault... Best slogan: Bush lied, cars fried.
November 16, 200520 yr Non merci, j'ai déjà donné More light on the riots in France: "Solidarity is always a one-way street in this shithole. Quotas or no quotas. Soviet style laws and jail threats be damned. As the owner of a France based company, I can tell you that I won't be hiring any. Ever." The problem is not that these Moslem kids are unemployed, but that they are unemployable. They are illiterate, unskilled except in crime, don't speak French well, refuse to assimilate into French culture and think being Moslem is more important than being French. Worse, they are paid by the French welfare state not to work, living well off the dole (and crime). The problem was epitomized by these words of a young Moslem rioter to a French reporter: 'In the day we sleep, go see our girlfriends, and play video games. And in the evening we have a good time: we go and fight the police.
November 16, 200520 yr boasted a young delinquent to a reporter: 'In the day we sleep, go see our girlfriends, and play video games. And in the evening we have a good time: we go and fight the police could be in just about any large city in the world - add a few sensational media talking heads spouting cliches like " war zone" and give the delinquents their 15 seconds on the telly..........and the insurance excecutives will be hiding their money in offshore accounts.
November 16, 200520 yr boasted a young delinquent to a reporter: 'In the day we sleep, go see our girlfriends, and play video games. And in the evening we have a good time: we go and fight the police could be in just about any large city in the world - add a few sensational media talking heads spouting cliches like " war zone" and give the delinquents their 15 seconds on the telly..........and the insurance excecutives will be hiding their money in offshore accounts. "Could be" in any large city but it's not...
November 16, 200520 yr "Could be" in any large city but it's not... if the french kiddies had any skill at rioting it might be serious - lucky they are not as good as the best - the south koreans -
November 16, 200520 yr Relative to what? It's all relative. The State of Emergency is prolonged for 3 months. Last night, 160 vehicles were torched, 40 arrests were made, and a church was partially destroyed by fire in Romans (Drome). The French are settling into a comfort zone of 150+ cars burned per night just to be able to say that this thing is over.
November 16, 200520 yr Relative to what? It's all relative. The State of Emergency is prolonged for 3 months. Last night, 160 vehicles were torched, 40 arrests were made, and a church was partially destroyed by fire in Romans (Drome). The French are settling into a comfort zone of 150+ cars burned per night just to be able to say that this thing is over. Now that a Church has been destroyed, how long will it be before the French retaliate and start attacking Mosques? This could esculate beyond what anybody ever thought it could
November 17, 200520 yr French Intifada Getting Better All the Time Only 163 cars were burned by Muslim rioters in France last night, in only 79 towns. French Arson Attacks Continue to Fall. Maybe they’re just running out of cars?
November 17, 200520 yr Where's Butterfly's insite into these riots in France? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I am not discussing European social issues with a NASCAR/Trailer Trash SoCal redneck
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