Mark Steyn: Iraq may be on the edge but France has hit rock bottom abyss

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 08/23/03 | Mark Steyn

[randog]

Steyn rocks.

I had no idea the frogs were drying up--shows you how much I pay attention.

[dwills]

the frenchies' death toll to sub-100 temps (how hot exactly?) doesn't shame them at all, when they can blame it on how much our wars and SUVs have heated up the earth since Bush became prez

especially since the rest of the world and 40% of our own population will nod in agreement

[xp38]

Yeah and from St. Julien no less. That is in the dead heart of Bordeaux wine country. Heat there can be a plus. They're saying this could be a great year for wine but not so good for the elderly. Regardless I won't be downing any french wine in the future.

[VOA]

To date, two US soldiers are believed to have succumbed to the heat in Iraq,
whereas over 10,000 people have succumbed to it in France.

During the lead-up to Operation Iraqui Freedom...my constant gripe was how the
most foul and foreign and perfidious French were going to be killing Americans with
heatstroke by the delay, delay, and delay of attack.

I'm still upset at how the French acted.

But at the same time I have a small, humble smile at how the hand of Providence moves...

[PoisedWoman]

France the entire health system – or that percentage of it not spending August at the beach – is stretched beyond its limits (35 hours a week, 44 weeks a year). Why aren't Médecins Sans Frontières demanding to be allowed in to take over?

Side-splitting in two languages. What a talent!

[Temple Owl]

They call it socialism, but after the Big War it became a battle between communism and capitalism. Communism, unfortunately won. The left-wing liberals have turned capitalism into a dirty word. But, in reality, it is a beautiful word that America was built upon.

[Angel]

I am having a hard time believing that 10,000 people have died from the heat. Some one explain that to me, please.

[Pokey78]

Saw on TV today that the French don't have air conditioning in their homes. Offices, yes, but not most of the homes.

[headsonpikes]

"Socialism is a disease."

Socialism is the disease of which history, written by others, is the cure of record.

[Billthedrill]

Yeah, me too. First it was 3000, then 5000, and now ten. I guess you'd have to bounce the demographics to see if this really was literally 10,000 more deaths than usually experienced this time of year. It may be, but I smell "media circus" here.

[NovemberCharlie]

I think they arrived at the number through statistical analysis -certain Parisian undertakers were doing a brisk business this summer, ergo people are dropping dead left and right all over France. It will probably drop with time.

[Angel]

Even without air conditioning, couldn't you sit in a tub of water or something? I live in Orange County and we had 95+ degrees for a month. Granted, we don't have humidity. But I still worked in the sun for 6 hours a day. I just drank tons of water, and if I got too hot, I cooled off in the sun.

[BunnySlippers]

I am having a hard time believing that 10,000 people have died from the heat. Some one explain that to me, please.

I'm having a hard time trying to figure it out also. Look at India which periodically has horrendously high temps and no air-conditioning in poor living conditions ... even they don't rack up these numbers. The news was saying that Baghdad temps were well over 120 and the people who have lived there all the time in terrible conditions don't die at that rate.

I'm inclined to believe that someone is fiddling with the statistics. The French have serious problems ...and, like the man said, it's not the heat.

[Angel]

Great point. Is it a goal to push the Koyota Global Warming Treaty?

[Gritty]

Au bord de la mer? Ou au bord de ma mère? Hmm. Tough call.

I don't speak French, so I translated this on Babelfish. It apparently goes something like this:

At the side of the sea? Or at the side of my mother? Hmm. Tough call.

[MEG33]

The numbers were 5000 at first and I found that incredible.I know no ones checking on the elderly who have poor body thermostats and don't drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[RJL]

whereas over 10,000 people have succumbed to (the heat wave) in France.

It seems like these 10,000 deaths should be considered a crime against humanity. Shouldn’t the UN or the International Court in Belgium be looking at these deaths and putting those responsible in jail?

[MEG33]

Steyn uses his pen like a diamond cutting glass.

[maica]

It seems to me France might have let all those pensioners die to get them off the pension rolls...Chirac is having a bit of a budget crunch this year.

I had the same cynical thought! Apparently deaths due to heat in Spain and Portugal have been about 10 in each country. It appears that France had a excess of elderly just hanging on and making a nuisance of themselves!

I find this number so hard to comprehend. 10000 stricken by anything is massive. Even 10000 Bangladeshis killed by flood is a huge event, and yet if the number is true, it was not enough to bring home vacationers (including their President.)