Holocaust of the elderly: death toll in French heatwave rises to 10,000

The Independent UK ^ | August 22, 2003 | John Lichfield

[Ann Archy]

Volunteering is a Judeo-Christian act.....the French are neither....they are just French.

[Kay Soze]

gold should read "Golf"

[auboy]

Good one! Really good.

[Righty1]

Now the frogs have more money to pay for muslims with multiple wives on welfare. What a lunatic country! Almost equals our weakness for messican invaders!!

[radiohead]

Didn't any of the neighbors even think about calling on their elderly neighbors to make sure they were OK? Where were the volunteers at the hospitals and old age homes who could have given these people spounge baths or cooled them down with alcohol?

When the state takes care of everything, there is no reason for the individual to do anything. I recently read about a German man who was found in his apartment months after his death.

The article said it was becoming common in Germany because you have automated payments paying utilities, rent, etc. so no one calls to see why a payment's been missed and that with so many needs taken care of by the state, neighbors and relatives just don't check in on the elderly.

Sad commentary - and a warning...

[McGavin999]

You're right, it is a warning. As our president always says, the government can provide money, but it can not provide the love or caring of a giving heart.

[Humidston]

Ummm, I believe mvonfr meant that comment as sarcasm. You know, the French were trying to cut down on payments so they just sent elderly into horrendous conditions to get rid of them.

[nutmeg]

Amen, KS! This article is incredible.

[elbucko]

Such was the death rate - described officially as a period of "surplus mortality"....

Such an innocuously banal government euphemism. Perhaps Gray Davis will become a "surplus governor" in October.

[Consort]

I'm glad we changed the name to Freedom Fries.

[Kay Soze]

Chirac Goes On TV To Quell Heatwave Anger

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[SAJ]

Perhaps. But also one of the most accurate, at least as to fact.

[Doctor Stochastic]

For comparison: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/443213in.html

[Let's Roll]

Too bad they regarded air conditioning as too "American" unlike Italy and Spain who viewed A/C as just another way to be comfortable. Or did the heat wave stop at the French border? All that hot air.

[Brimack34]

I guess we have too add France as a third world Country.

[mvonfr]

Thank you!

[Libertina]

Have these people ever heard of fans?

[boxerblues]

There was a story out several days ago where they were contracting with local food storage plants to keep the bodies.

http://www.news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?id=897742003&tid=507

[hedgetrimmer]

This horrible thought occurred to me as well.