New riots in France

Blog drzz ^ | 11 26 2007 | drzz

[Myrddin]

The center of the city is always secured, because it is very expensive. But look at the suburbs around the city.

I never ventured into the suburbs. Aside from the daily grind of work at SHAPE and dinner at Mons, I rarely traveled. Sometimes I took a drive to Chievres to shop at the PX or install some software. I would often fly from San Diego on Saturday and land in Brussels on Sunday morning. After checking into the hotel near Maisieres, I would take a drive out to Soignies to stock up on water and snacks.

[Tailback]

Gangs of youths used guns against police, according to one police union

I'm guessing the French government doesn't have a posse comitatus law. Time to bring in the Foreign Legion to clear out these "suburbs". The Foreign Legion has more experience dealing with Algerians, er, "youths" than the police and can use the proper methods.

[Irishguy]

i think there is a difference between doom and gloom and facts. i suggest you read america alone by mark steyn..prepare to be scared...some parts of the book i find not up to his usual standard, but the facts he prints from european governments are undeniable and very disturbing

[monday]

“I could care less if all of Paris burned except the city. “

You are a bit odd aren’t you?

[NYFriend]

SHAPE probably hasn’t changed that much.

[redstateconfidential]

“he Battle For Algiers 2007”,or :The Battle For Detroit 2015”!

[napscoordinator]

Maybe but you are too. I have followed you for years and you come up with some doosies too.

[Myrddin]

SHAPE probably hasn’t changed that much.

I haven't been back since 1993, but there have been new nations added to NATO. Getting things done in an agreeable fashion was a chore with 12 nations in 1993. I suspect it is more tedious now.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

[T]he head of the opposition Socialist Party, Francois Hollande, said Sunday's violence was further proof of the "deep social crisis" gripping the French suburbs.

This Socialist types are like the fireman who's an arsonist. They set the fire and then come storming in on a shiny red truck promising to extinguish the blaze which they conveniently caused. And everyone is on to them but themselves.

(BTW, is the head of the Dutch Socialist Party named Nederlandse Frans?)

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Time to bring in the Foreign Legion

While France doesn't have a Posse Comitas law, the charter of Légion Étrangère, specifically prohibits them from operating in Metropolitan France, it would be like Caesar crossing the Rubicon.

[alarm rider]

I think the Legion is barred from operating in France proper unless defending aginst an opposing military force via the call of the elected government. I could be wrong, but that’s what I remember from Command School.

[NYFriend]

I also think the French have sent some military folks to Shape as well, but what’s the difference between there being 6 languages you don’t speak and 10.

[Myrddin]

Most of the people I encountered spoke English just fine. French is the common language in the cities nearby SHAPE. It is lots of fun as an English speaker in a Chinese restaurant. You order your meal in French and the server verbally passes the order in Mandarin. Sometimes you actually get want you wanted. Seriously, I speak enough English, French and German to work without a problem in that neighborhood. My personal goal is to spend a week in Aberystwyth, Wales and never give the locals a reason to speak anything but Welsh.

[burzum]

The “youths” are certainly rambunctious. Sarkozy has to deal with pampered transit workers on strike and, now, some more “disaffected youths.”

Unless I'm mistaken, Sarkozy already broke the transit strike. Almost all of the trains are running right now.

I doubt he'll have much problem cleaning up these protests. It is almost December. I doubt that these youths will enjoy fighting when it is cold. And Sarkozy has had 2 years to develop a concrete plan for dealing with this problem. He isn't going to act like Chirac and let them have free reign.

[burzum]

The American Civil War was not a civil war - it was a failed second war for independence, as the South had no intention of taking over and ruling the North.

A civil war is a general classification. It can include things that are considered revolutionary wars from a certain perspective or things like insurrections. It can also deal with the overthrow of a political system and its replacement with another political system. Many people (like yourself) object to the classification of some civil wars as being civil wars because they imply that one party in the war is still politically connected to the other (i.e. the American Revolutionary War from the American perspective or the American Civil War from the Confederate perspective).

I think it is a little silly to argue over this because it is really only a political correctness debate. Nobody is contesting the fact that the Confederacy considered that they had severed all political ties with the Union when the name "American Civil War" is used. People may feel that the title "civil war" implies this but they are wrong. Renaming the American Civil War into something like the War of Southern Secession or the the Southern War of Independence is really only trying to put a political spin on it. If the South would have won then those would be valid names--in the Confederacy. And those names may have eventually gained international acceptance, like the American Revolutionary War. Since the South lost, it was just a civil war from both a national and international perspective.

If you don't agree, then that's fine. But you need to recognize that from a more general perspective than your own most people will consider it a civil war. The US military definition of a civil war is probably helpful for noting was the general international view of what a civil war is:

“A war between factions of the same country; there are five criteria for international recognition of this status: the contestants must control territory, have a functioning government, enjoy some foreign recognition, have identifiable regular armed forces, and engage in major military operations.”

[libbybelle]

You were in a safe place at the right time

[napscoordinator]

You were in a safe place at the right time

Yes thankfully. At first when these threads stated, I kinda scoffed at the attention, but after a few days, I retract my statements! It is getting pretty ugly over there now.