France's Weakness Showing

Is it me, or do the comments of this French policeman seem absolutely bizarre? Hey, so what if they've burned the schools and a thousand or more cars and a few people - but, now, this could be serious?? Is he kidding? And televised reports tonight are talking about 30 policemen now injured.

Ten policemen were injured, two of them seriously, when a group of youths fired at police with shotguns in Grigny, south of Paris, police said. One officer was treated with lead shot wounds to the throat, another suffered injuries to one leg.

"They really shot at officers. This is real, serious violence. It's not like the previous nights. I am very concerned because this is mounting," one police officer said.

Another spokesman said the shots could probably not have been fatal due to the distance from which they were fired, but were clearly capable of causing serious injury.

If you really want to read something frightening, click through to here and be sure and read the Steyn column portion.

Mark Steyn: A New "Dark Ages" of "Permanent Conflict"

Comments

[anthony]

Is this the Middle east, rock throwing and such? This looks like the Israelis and Palestinians, but for the fact that Israel is brave enough to fight back. I wonder how long will the French let this go on. They have an obligation to its law abiding citizens in France to do something about this. If they don't act soon, it going to be uncontrollable, if not already. France must put down this unrest. This is far worst than Katrina because with so much water, resources were limited, but what's the French excuse for not taking control of the situation. Now this really looks like a third world country. France don't let terrorist see this weakness you all are displaying, they with exploit it. I know the French don't like America but I bet some of their citizens wish their government would act more like America now and take control of this situation.

USA

[birki's]

Observateurs inquiets ou donneurs de leçon, public, experts et médias américains suivent de près les violences enflammant la banlieue parisienne depuis plus d'une semaine, les attribuant clairement à une minorité musulmane en mal d'intégration. "C'est le Katrina des désastres sociaux, ils auraient dû le voir venir", a lancé vendredi Greg Palkot, correspondant à Paris de la chaîne de télévision américaine Fox (conservatrice) en comparant cette crise à l'incompétence de l'administration américaine face au cyclone qui a dévasté La Nouvelle-Orléans (Louisiane) à la fin août. Les principales chaînes de télévision montrent depuis 24 heures des images des heurts nocturnes entre policiers et manifestants et des voitures incendiées. Un commentateur de CNN a lui aussi évoqué en direct des risques de "guerre civile", une possible instauration d'un "couvre-feu" et l'"envoi de troupes", un envoyé spécial de la même chaîne soulignant "le climat de peur" régnant dans les banlieues. Le journal à sensation New York Post est allé jusqu'à publier la tribune libre d'un commentateur franco-iranien indiquant sous le titre "Pourquoi Paris brûle-t-il" que les banlieues d'Ile-de-France "ont été plongées dans une version européenne de l'Intifada qui semble incontrôlable".

Sur le plan intérieur français, les observateurs américains s'entendent à souligner l'échec de l'intégration des populations immigrées. Dans un éditorial titré "A Paris, parler fort ne suffit pas", le New York Times (centre-gauche) note que ceux qui "brûlent les voitures et lancent des pierres sur la police sont les fils d'immigrés arabes et africains, la plupart musulmans, qui n'ont jamais été intégrés à la société française". "La France s'accroche à son approche de l'immigration qui est de déclarer qu'une fois qu'on est en France, tout le monde est Français, et à égalité. Mais la vérité, c'est que tout le monde n'est pas français, n'est pas à égalité, particulièrement à une époque d'immigration accrue", écrit le quotidien new-yorkais. En une, le Washington Times (ultra-conservateur) publie une photo de pompiers tentant d'éteindre un incendie titrée "Paris en flammes" et accompagnée d'un article décrivant "la rage des émeutes raciales", le Wall Street Journal (conservateur) estimant pour sa part que "les émeutes des jeunes ont transformé la banlieue de Paris en zone de guerre".

Le département d'Etat s'est abstenu vendredi de commenter les émeutes. Mais l'ambassade des Etats-Unis à Paris a recommandé aux Américains d'éviter les zones à risque.

[ProudAmerican]

Posted by: birki's | Nov 7, 2005 7:49:03 AM
care to translate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As usual the french dont get it

[GrannyToad]

As usual the french dont get it
Posted by: ProudAmerican | Nov 7, 2005 9:59:17 AM

Still too wrapped up in being french.

[birki's]

I was about to provide translation but obviously some folks are not ready for it. This circus has been blown out of proportion by foreign media. I wonder why ?
"The unrest began Oct. 27 in the low-income Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, after the deaths of two teenagers. The youths were accidentally electrocuted as they hid from police in a power substation. They apparently thought they were being chased. Why did they run from the Police in the first place ?
The Union for Islamic Organizations of France forbade all those "who seek divine grace from taking part in any action that blindly strikes private or public property or can harm others."
Much of the youths' anger has focused on law-and-order Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, whose reference to the troublemakers as "scum" appeared to inflame passions".
There is definitively a "war" going on right now in France, but it is not between the citizens- it is among politicians, ref Sarkozy and Villepin. Both are competing to replace J. Chirac in the future election.
I hear journalists comparing hurricane Katrina with French riots .. let me tell you something .. there is no such poverty in France, stop comparing both nations like they were competing for something ?
These kids who are burning cars don't even realize what they have in their hands. They have tools to educate themselves (COLLEGE is FREE in France), a roof over their head, their parents get benefits and healthcare. Perhaps they should be sent over to Louisiana or Florida for a couple of weeks without power, sewer and water; and live with REAL Streets Gang. This would be very interesting to see how fast they would go back to school and stop messing around their neighborhood.

[splashtc]

Why are all these immigrants in France in the first place.? Let them stay in their original countries and destroy each other.

[birki's]

After the France-Algeria war (7 years) and more than a hundred year of colonization, the majority of colons living in Algeria and some locals we forced to return to France including a part of the Arkis (Algerian'soldiers on French side, collaborateurs). There was a similar situation with Tunisia and Morocco. This one without violence. This is how these immigrants came in the first place.

[RJ]

France Violence, You people need a plan of action.

1-Declare State of Emergency
2-Enforce Curfew
3 Deploy troops to affected areas and feel free to defend yourself if shot at?!??
4-Deport individuals involved and ban them for life.
5-I will keep this comment to myself

[cindi in pa]

What I don't get is this. If this out break of terrorist, yes terrorist is using cell phones and computers to promote their cause, how the hell were they able to contact so many other violent terrorist across the country? I may have a good number of contacts through email and cell phone use, but not a list of folks willing to destroy in the scale we are seeing in France.

If these terrorist have it so good at home BIRKIS, then why are they not taking advantage of all that is at their disposal?

These TERRORIST are not about poverty, they are about taking control. The first step of them getting that will be with the Government of France to buckle under pressure.

NOTE TO POLICE: As the former mayor of philadelphia said during the racial riots of the late 60's, don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes. Take out your guns and shoot the bastards. Don't wait for your beloved leader to give you the green light, he ain't gonna do it.

BTW......are the people of France allowed to own guns? Good time to get one, that's if there are any left.

[TheAlamo]

Perhaps they should be sent over to Louisiana or Florida for a couple of weeks without power, sewer and water; and live with REAL Streets Gang. This would be very interesting to see how fast they would go back to school and stop messing around their neighborhood.

Posted by: birki's | Nov 7, 2005 11:29:36 AM

Hell, you shouldn't be waiting for the government to act, if it is as out of hand as the media portrays....just shoot the bastards yourselves.

Next:
"hear journalists comparing hurricane Katrina with French riots .. let me tell you something .. there is no such poverty in France, stop comparing both nations like they were competing for something ?
These kids who are burning cars don't even realize what they have in their hands. They have tools to educate themselves (COLLEGE is FREE in France), a roof over their head, their parents get benefits and healthcare."

Proof once again that government subsidies in ANY nation (New Orleans was also a perfect example) make people useless, shiftless, and weak. "Free" college, roofs over their heads, and "benefits" and healthcare are not FREE. Money MUST be stolen from those who produce and given to those who will not produce...in any nation that subsidizes anyone...or anything. Government cannot produce, they must steal, by force in order to provide. The fact is that both here and there the welfare crowds are spoiled brats who need to be taken off the government tit, and either work, or starve. This will work if minimum wages, price controls and other government "regulations" are eliminated so that people worldwide can contract based upon performance instead of "guaranteed minimums"--which guatantee only one thing---they can goof off on the job and still get paid, or as in the case of subsidies, they can riot---and still get paid.
Courtesy--those who work.

If you are in France(or any country for that matter), then a good man to read would be Fredric Bastiat--and you will find your solutions.
Do a search on the internet and read his essay, "The Law." Changes lives!

[birki's]

France is not under siege. The situation is not as bad as it is pictured in the Foreign media. The "kids" who burn the cars are between 12 and 16 years old. They are a bunch of idiots who are burning their own cars, their neigbor cars, their own schools, their own gyms and so on. It does not make sense to anybody: French or immigrants. They don't have revendications and are simply destroying their own belongings.
If Police Officers shoot them - what's going to happen ? Martyrs !! .. The gov. is trying to avoid a clash. You don't answer to violence with more violence!
Now, why is it that France is back again in the picture ? I mean this mockery in the US Media ? Why is it so important today to picture France as a country of terrorism, clash, chaos .. ?
oh and BTW people of France are not allowed to own guns unless they have a permit. I think it is the same in the US, no ?

[Captain Joe]

They (French thugs) are burning the very short busses they have to ride.

[roy]

America but I bet some of their citizens wish their government would act more like America now and take control of this situation.

USA

Posted by: anthony | Nov 7, 2005 3:05:44 AM

And they will. In their own way and on thei own terms.

[roy]

As usual the french dont get it
Posted by: ProudAmerican | Nov 7, 2005 9:59:17 AM

Still too wrapped up in being french.

Posted by: GrannyToad | Nov 7, 2005 10:55:47 AM

Poor things, all who are not Americans.
Sick.

[birki's]

Alamo, I tend to agree with everything that you just wrote except shooting at a bunch of kids. Unfortunately you cannot change mentalities in a snap and a population assisted for decades.

[TheAlamo]

oh and BTW people of France are not allowed to own guns unless they have a permit. I think it is the same in the US, no ?

Posted by: birki's | Nov 7, 2005 5:18:57 PM

No, we own,.. and some carry weapons. I have had occaision to use mine as a threat once, when a carload of guys were trying to run me and my two sons off the road. Stuck the gun out the window and they did a U-turn and went the other way. The threat of greater violence is usually an excellent deterrant. It is only when the idiot doesn't mind dying that the greater violence will not necessarily work, but then...you get to eliminate them from society anyway, so in the end, they have done you a favor.
When any government outlaws guns, then it is a good bet they have something to hide...which, is why some of our own here want to outlaw guns. History is replete with the results of disarming the citizenry, (I would think the disarming of the German citizens by Hitler would still be a reminder to you guys) and it is never good. Not only that...criminals will many times be armed because they don't mind breaking the law. I do not intend to die because the police cannot get to my house in less than an hour--why would you want too?

Now, I do believe the media is probably overplaying the situation, nothing new with that, but I find it hard to believe that these people are only destroying their own property. If that is the case then they should all be committed to a mental institution. No...it is a good bet that they are destroying the property of others, since the welfare mentality--worldwide is basically the same.
If the criminal is 14-16 years of age, he/she obviously knows enough to commit a crime. If one or two were elimianted, it is a good bet that the "rioters" would think twice before continuing their rampage.

If they are worried about "martyrs" then the best solution is to go ahead with the martyrdom, since they will end up doing that anyway. People with that type of mindset have a death wish, or some ridiculuous religious belief system that cannot function in a civilized society.
You cannot "reason" with a criminal, this is why they are criminals in the first place. If you add youth to the mix, then it is my guess that there is little chance for reason.

As stated earlier, the French author, Fredric Bastiat should be required reading worldwide. Most of these problems would be eliminated. Check him out.

[birki's]

F. Bastiat's work was under appreciated for years. He was mostly known among economists and politicians. I believe his work was very much appreciated by President RR . Capitalism. Free trade .. a century in advance seems to be.

[khuber3]

Is it not the Defense Minister? I am an American living in Europe and I must say, often americans trash the rest of the world. And that is wrong. My sister in law is french, from Marsielle, and a great person. Seems to me that Life in many worlds are going wrong. I defend America but I have learned that not everyone lives our life. Try to be open to that.

[TheAlamo]

F. Bastiat's work was under appreciated for years. He was mostly known among economists and politicians. I believe his work was very much appreciated by President RR . Capitalism. Free trade .. a century in advance seems to be.

Posted by: birki's | Nov 7, 2005 6:10:10 PM

He had a gift of making it understandable for the common man, and of course, IF the world has true capitalism (not the fascism called capitalism) then the common man would benefit the most. We have one nation that basically proves his thesis...the USA 1776-1900. After that, we joined the world in destroying our own productivity through the leeching of socialism until we now find ourselves squarely in the middle of fascism, and a virtual dictatorship of the executive branch.

Unfortunately, most people don't really want to be free or have liberty...I think it may have been a one time deal.

[marty]

The French they are a funny race
They fight with their feet
And *uck with their face!

[birki's]

Is it not the Defense Minister? khuber3 . Exactly what are U trying to say ? Are ref to Sarkosy and his comments about the riots ? or are U implying that Bastiat is the Defense minister ?