Some Like Frogs Hot - Some Like Frogs Cold - Some Like Frogs in the Pot 10 days old
Posted on 11/06/2005 5:31:05 PM PST by jb6
EVREUX, France, Nov 6 : If 50 cars and a shopping centre can be set alight in a small town in rural Normandy, then perhaps nowhere in France is immune from a wave of rioting by disaffected young people.
The fact that residents say it was only a matter of time before Evreux experienced the violence that has engulfed the rundown suburbs of Paris for the past 10 nights, speaks volumes.
''This was to be expected,'' 49-year-old resident Francis Hurier said today, pointing to the charred remains of a pharmacy where the stench of smoke hung in the air hours after firefighters had put out the flames.
''There are no jobs. Jobs need to be found for the young people,'' said Hurier, who is himself unemployed. ''The cops are also too aggressive.'' As in Paris, it was a housing estate inhabited by immigrant families where angry youths used vandalism and violence to express their frustration with a society they feel excludes them from jobs and is too ready to treat them roughly.
It was the deaths of two youths electrocuted in a power sub-station as they fled police more than a week ago, which ignited the passions of ethnic minorities already incensed by racism, unemployment, police treatment and their marginal place in French society.
Some 50 cars were torched in Evreux overnight and the shopping centre was damaged by fire when youths went on the rampage through a housing estate on the edge of town. Two schools and a local police station were also damaged.
Conservative Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has promised to clamp down on the violence, which has spread from the Paris suburbs to other provincial towns around the country.
The opposition Socialists have criticised Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's ''zero tolerance'' policy towards rioters, whom he has branded ''scum''. Sarkozy has responded by drafting in an extra 2,300 police.
''Sarkozy made a mistake by talking about 'scum'. That provoked people. This is the result,'' said Hurier, who has lived in Evreux since 1982. ''These youngsters ... just want a job and respect.'' RACISM, NO JOBS Simmering anger mixed with a sense of resignation among the locals gathered outside a burned out block of shops in Evreux.
Local Socialist councillor Michel Champredon, who runs a local housing association, said unemployment and racism were the root causes of the trouble.
''There are poor job prospects for a big chunk of the young population, especially those of immigrant origin. That creates a sense of injustice which builds up and can then degenerate into violence.'' Other people were less understanding.
''This is too much, stop! Stop, do something else, but not this, not violence,'' said one local woman in tears.
''My wife's out of a job now,'' said another visibly angry resident. ''I've got two kids, a house to pay for and a car loan.
What do I do now?'' Jean-Louis Debre, the city's mayor and speaker of the French parliament, echoed the government's tough line.
''A hundred people have smashed everything and strewn desolation.
Well, they don't form part of our universe,'' he said.
Champredon said the marginalisation of immigrant youths only fed the tension that led to the violence.
''There is a lot of discrimination when it comes to job recruitment,'' he said.
Local youngsters expected more violence on the outskirts of Evreux.
''It's civil war now,'' said one in a hooded top.
''The cops are also too aggressive.'' said Hurier, who is himself unemployed.
Another dope who thinks jobs can come from the government.
The French will ride stupid idealistic socialism to it's end.
They can all get a job cleaning up the mess they made while wearing jail jumpsuits complete with shackles...how's that? Free room and board alongside.
He must be mistaken. There is no unenployment in socialism.
what jobs? aren't they all on welfare? i just read an article about how the polish are working the "low" jobs these guys won't work....
If I used vanbdalism and violence to express my frustration, my gosh, there would be nothing left of my entire neighborhood...most of us manage to struggle down to the voting booth or the local political club or the op-ed page or the internet before we start setting fire to cars.
Botoom line...lame excuse.
The French will ride stupid idealistic socialism to it's end.
That's what I was thinking. I thought the French and other Euro's are so proud of their socialist system. I thought it was working so well for them that there are those in this country who obviously would like to try it.
Then it's your fault!
It's a simple matter of tolerating the rioters.
There is an easy solution for all of this. We must have worldwide affirmative action for Muslims.
Once you add up all forms of taxation, from federal down to local, I'd guess that something close to 40-50% of all income is being appropriated by various government agencies even in the US. How long before 40-50% of all jobs are government jobs, before 40-50% of all property belongs to one government agency or another?
Problem is the likes of the New York Times won't dispense with their propaganda campaign just because the facts universally concur that socialism (like communism) don't work.
Man can play god all he wants, but he will never be successful at it because men are selfish and sinful and a government relying on beleif in man will be exponentially as selfish and sinful as the number of men in charge of it.
Dey was peaceful whittle wambs until the mean bad daddy called them dat hurtful namee wamee. You can sees how nice dey are twying to be, torching dwugstores and ewil, dirty wauto-mobiles. Can I have som more candy mom, pwease?
Geez, Michel, maybe your socialism is a root cause!
If people just want to make excuses for violent rioters destroying property, and their methods seem to be acceptable to everyone, maybe conservatives should take to the streets with torches and pitchforks and purge this country of our enemies...
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