Ah, the dying part of the world has been heard from.
Europe, who cares?
A collection of once great countries desperately trying to be relevant in the 21st century.
Say what you will, but then trot on down to a foreign capital.
See which Embassy has lines of people trying to get a visa.
France? Germany? Belgium?
Naaah, they advertise the availability of visas to try to attract people.
The US Embassy in any country is where the people are.
Well, if they are qualified at any rate.
If not, they settle for lesser places.

White people riot and loot too.
We just do it for dumb@ss, I mean more noble causes:
Rock concerts (Rock on dude!)
Consumer goods (Thanksgiving weekend at Walmart)
Sporting events (European football matches)
Computer equipment (Henrico County School District iBooks sale)
Equality and justice (not anymore)

Wiki has a good page about this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Riots

As Americans is it obligatory that we make fun of the French? These attempts to make fun of them are lame. As I recall it, without France there would be no US, or was I the only person who took courses in the history of the US?

France has given rise to many great intellectual traditions and cultural works, lets not forget that when we follow the popular path of making fun of them just because we couldnt also dupe THEM into thinking WMDs existed in Iraq.

Um...with the possible exception of skimore, who on this thread is making fun of the French? Jump to conclusions much?

Oh wait, now I see...you just wanted some way to bash Bush even if you had to fabricate an excuse to try and make it relevant...I get it now.

I believe compulsory may be more accurate than obligatory. As a whole, Americans make fun of the French much less then they make fun of us. With the exception of 9/11, they've downright basked in our misfortunes/ tragedies of late. Sorry, but I haven't seen nor heard anyone "make fun" of the French in this riot situation. I have seen and heard people say France has greatly influenced the situation upon themselves with their immigration and census practices. Your talking about France, the country that the only reason the leader isn't in jail for bribery (prior to being office) is he can't be tried while in office. Not sure what is going to happen when he isn't in office. I haven't followed it that much. Here is what I learned about history. France went bankrupt paying for our wars with Britian. They wanted to pay America to spill American blood instead of spilling their own and for the fact that they couldn't defeat Britain. Their plan was to take over after we defeated the British, granted with major French assistance. France didn't count on going bankrupt, nor their own revolution, nor the little Napolean era. Luckily for America, they needed money to finance thier European\African wars so we bought the Louisianna Purchase from Napoleon. A little irony on one of the things they laughed at us on is the New Orleans\Hurricane Katrina. I believe history shows the U.S. has paid France back in at least three ways. One, our liberating them in WWI. Two, our liberating them in WWII. Three, our saving them in Vietnam. France's Vietnam problems started in the mid 1940's. Becoming a big problem in mid 1950's. Might want to check out little thing called "Dien Bien Phu". Another irony is we almost repeated France's same mistakes at the exact same location. Luckily for us, we had a little thing called air superiority. Let's take your advice and remember history. It wasn't the U.S. that couldn't "dupe" France on Iraq's WMD's. It was also Britain, Russia and others including the U.N. Everyone said they had the chemical agent WMD's. Everyone said it because it is "known how much they bought". We also have pretty good estimates on how much they used against Iran and the Kurds. The large discrepncy is the problem. These with their widely known "attempts" to purchase "yellow cake" uranium. Bush is in trouble for the forged Niger documents he mentioned in his "State of the Union". Not that Iraq never tried to buy uranium. History is also showing the reason why France didn't back us on Iraq. It was due to their huge investments in Iraq, their and the U.N.'s accepting bribes from Saddam on the "Oil For Food" program. This is getting very little media play in the U.S. Those involved are already starting to go down... What's interesting is how France is reacting to the situation. And how it is now becoming clear that the riots spread isn't unorganized and is being assisted by opportunistic Muslim groups.

Severe lack of housing and employment they should realy close the border to new imigrants till conditions improve and boot the ones caught rioting out leaving more for the law abiding ones that are already there.

well, the violence is anger about their social situation, not just a riot organisated through the internet from ghana. Keep that in mind when reading this article.

well, with 25%+ un-employment. Along with no real reason to work since everything is provided for. And being in France.. I would be rioting also.

Yeah, I bet the French wish they lived in the US where this could never happen. It's not like - say, a black guy being harassed by the police - would ever spark riots in - say, Los Angeles - or anything like that... Nope, this is all happening because it's France...

What about the riots in the watts?
Forgot about that? Do you actually know what you are talking about? Have you ever been to france? Keep in mind that the US is the country with the most murders with guns in the world. Do you think the US is really that great? Haha. I think NO european civilian wants to live in the US. Wallow in your small-mindedness!

... has the French Tousist Office got at you?? France is a pleasant country. Having visited Paris and travelled around France in recent years, and can confirm that the streets are not paved with gold, and the people there do work for a living, just like in any other country.

live in the states! NO way, i wouldent want to live there if i got $1000000. im more comfortable bout livin in a well educated society with MORE FREEDOM than in the states. no european i know personally, would actually consider living in the states.

5043069:

" Do you think the US is really that great? Haha. I think NO european civilian wants to live in the US. Wallow in your small-mindedness!"

I actually think, they think the US is so gerat, because they dont know any better. I pitty these americans, who have to live in a place with hardly any social security, stupid goverment, bad and expensive education (to you americans.... education is FREE here and at mutch higher standard).

I guess they left the term "sarcasm" out of your "well educated society".

moron

He was being sarcastic numb nuts...remember the LA riots several years back?? Hello? anyone home?

that might be the un-employment in eastern europe, but last time i checked (recently) in western europe and skandinavia, it was around 15%. Bout the same as the US. only here we have something called SOCIAL SECURITY, that helps people out. other things we have, accessible to almost everyone (atleast here in sweden):

¤high speed broadband up to 100mbit (im only on 8)

¤free medical care untill you'r 19, and even after filling 19, its very cheap.

¤free school,(you even get paid to go to school[CSN] + you get free foood)

¤quality ganja (weed, reefer, marijuana, cannabis, to those who dont know)

So if anyone has real reason to riot, its you americans, your goverment hates and dictates you.

you make a very INTELIGENT argument.

i would expect more, even from a yank.

i pitty you living in the little messed up dream of yours.

Do you live in America? You stand here ranting against America and how we make conclusions about Europe and then follow up and do the same damn thing. GG nutjob.

Incidently, since i'm bored:
* Unemployment in the US is 5% not 15% http://www.dol.gov/
* We have social security in the US as well, way to get your facts straight.
* I have high speed broadband thank you
* I'll give you the medical bit, our medical system sucks a** and is a major campaign issue
* Free school here as well...you know, all those colleges that Europeans are beating down the doors to get into over here...yea I went to one and didn't pay a dime.
* Ganja...? This is actually an argument point to you? Go toke up another one.

Lame attempt at a rediect. Sorry you got caught with your pants down at his attempt at sarcasm and now you look like a fool. Go troll somewhere else.

¤if you count employment in the US by eurpean employment standards (minimum wages for the type of work performed etc.) you will be up to 85%, which leaves 15% unemployment, 5% = false statistics, since 10% are by our standards being exploited (not employed).

¤the social security you do have is TERRIBLE, and not worth mentioning.

¤you might have broadband, but most of the states is still surfing SLOW ASSED.

¤even if its a major campaign issue, its not likely to improve since you have a two party system, where all parties are "sponsored" by the same corporations, i.e. a semi-dictatorship, since both parties arent mutch different.

¤you had a scholarship right? or did you go to one of those crappy schools. (over here: ALL even the GOOD ones tend to be free) And i wouldent call the standard in free crappy american schools for education.

¤Yes it is a point to me, since it should be legal, how can you make a plant illegal, unfortunately most of europe followed US propaganda,(many years ago) and it was made illegal here too, but the netherlands isint that far away, and neither is legalization.

* Employment at low wage != unemployment, more importantly where is your proof to back up the bull your spewing?

* Really? It helped me out a very great deal during a recent lay off...but then again I guess it's terrible and not worth mentioning since it expected me to find a new job and not let the state carry me along forever.

* Actually current figures are >50% having access...not bad for a country 25x the size of most European nations. Now whether people choose to take advantage of broadband is a different story, not all people find the need for it.

* *shrug* now your a fortune teller? Under your assumptions nothing would ever improve in terms of quality of life anywhere and yet we know that to be patently false. Stop trying to pull s*** out of your a** to save your baseless assumptions.

* Yep a scholorship...in other words I worked my a** off and earned what I got instead of expecting it to be handed to me for the sole reason that I exist...shame on me for working hard.

* So you think your ability to get stoned is a valid reason to bash another country?

No I don't remember. Why should I? I live in belgium. So he was being sarcastic, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't. And who are you calling a numb nuts? I invite you to come and visit a website in my native language and join a discussion. (As I'm doing right now) See how long you would last... How many languages do you speak?
One? Go vote for bush.

Ahh but thats exactly what you DONT see, is me going to someone elses website and flaming another person because I didn't understand them. And thats exactly what you DID. So yea...numb nuts applies to you.

"Go vote for bush." <-- was that supposed to be some sort of insult? Typical.

¤spewing? my comment was based on research, if you did some(instead of relying on unfair statistics)you would find my comments to be true.

¤true, but what if someone for eg. went bankrupt on wall street, and the repo company took all his belongings(house, car etc), im guessing he would end up in the gutter even though he might have been well educated, sutch a waste of potentially good tallent.

¤we were talking about the eu, then consider this, the us isint 25x bigger than europe. and dose 50% having access actually mean they have access at home or at the library(so, easy to lie with statistics)
also 50% seems quite low.

¤i dont know of any goverments in the eu that consist of only two parties, usualy its more than, lets say 5, and then there are other parties that have the possibility to get seats in the riksdag(its called different in every country, its the place where the decisions are voted).
Now i hope you can see why a 2 party system seems to me as easily manipulated, and not very democratic,
ps. no need to use volgar vocabulary, makes you look bad.

¤im fully aware that people who get a scholarship work their a** off, but shouldnt everybody have a right to good education,

¤my ability to get stoned is just a freedom, that i believe is more free here(generaly refering to the eu, focusing on NL, spain and belgium) than in the states(the so called land of freedom).

* What research? Where? Unfair statistics? Why are they unfair? Thats the Dept of Labor right there, are you suggesting they are lieing? What proof do you have? How do you know YOUR statistics are not lies if you think the DoL is lieing to me?

* Obviously you missed the entire point of backruptcy, gj...btw i've been bankrupt thanks to the affore mentioned job loss, other then a difficulty in getting credit (and rightly so) i've been doing just fine.

* I said most european *countries*...not all of europe. not all of europe is like you. as much as you might want it to be. and yes, i meant at home, not the library.

* i look bad? you came in here flaming people for generalizing about europe and procede to do the same about america when you obviously know nothing about the country...look in the mirror

* sure, and in america they can get one...for free. they can get a better one if they put in some effort. so really there is no difference as much as your superiority complex would like to believe.

* wonderful your free to get stoned as you wish. i'll give you that one, gratz. i really dont give a damn if you can get stoned, it just makes you look stupid for doing so.

¤"What research? Where?"my own, i believe i told you to do your own. so if you dont trust my findings, go take a look yourself, at how many % of the ppl your statistics say are employed hardly earn enough to survive(like in a 3rd world country)

"Why are they unfair?" they compare a country(the US) with lower employment standards (working conditions, min wages) to a country where a bum would be better off than the employed in the 10% of that other country(US)

"How do you know YOUR statistics"my own research hasent failed me yet, (i dont naively trust statistics, i rather take the time to find out on my own)

¤here even one who went bankrupt, dosent have basic things(house ect) taken away from them, they even get to keep all their nessesities, only Luxuries they dont need get taken away from them, law here bosent allow the ppl to just be throw to the streets,(theres some real social security for you)

¤still 50% is low for the nation that "invented the internet(with lots of help from the brittish)

¤i believe i know more about the states than most of you americans know about europe, http://www.cecs.uci.edu/...mages/worldAccToUSA.gif
lol.

¤"america they can get one...for free."didint you just say you had to work your a** of to get your education of choice. also that free education, do you seriously believe its at the same level as your scholarship education.

¤you shouldent consider people who take use of mother earths fruits, for their own pleasure as stupid. Whats stupid about cassualy/socially smoking a natural stimulant. better than doing drugs.

* In other words you have nothing to backup your own claims, I provided you with stats and you blew them off as lies without anything to back THAT claim up either.

* We dont either, I kept my house and both cars. So HOW exactly is your system better? Or right, it isn't...even though you'd like to have a superiority complex over it the truth is, your system is no better then ours.

* Apparently the concept of "square kilometers" hasn't crossed your mind yet. The large urban areas with lots of people have broadband, more rural areas often do not yet but it's coming, these things take time...or did you think we could just wave a magic wand?

* Your ignorant and bigoted comments just go to show that you don't know anything about the US. Basically you just like to hate and insult a group of people you know nothing about.

* I worked my a** off for a quality education. You suggested they get a good one for free. They do, public schooling is free and its a good education. If you want a quality education you have to work for it, we don't reward the lazy. They can get a decent education for free and if they work hard an apply themselves they can get an even better one. We DO NOT just hand you a silver platter if your too freakin lazy to get off your butt and go get it.

* Ok stoner. Want some chips?

The more I read from you the more I begin to think you are nothing but a bigot, you ridicule without reason, your facts are faulty and when presented with the truth refuse to acknowledge it. In fact, your come across as exactly the type of person that you ridicule Americans as being...funny that. If ignorance is bliss, you must be a very happy person.

Unemployment = no job, not being paid properly in a certain pay scale. If you want to be accurate European unemployment numbers does include eastern Europe. France does have a social security program.

EU? Isn't this the organization France and other European countries voted not to be a part of?

The U.S. does have more than two political parties. One could split the Republican and Democratic parties into three parts (conservative, moderate and liberal). Without doing that, there are also the Independant Party, Green Party, Constitution Party,
Green Party, Libertarian Party. All with enough electorial votes to win the presidential election. Many, Many more that didn't have enough, including numerous Socialilistic and Communistic parties.

You might want to check you immigration, visa and tourism research. The numbers don't show your point of view. By far...

Want high death rates. Try invading the U.S.. Think Fallujah, Iraq was bad. Try another country stepping into L.A, Oakland, Chicago, New York, Houston, Detroit. I believe the U.S. cleared Fallujah in a few days...

Aren't these posts suposed to be about France? Not Sweden... not sure how the confusion happened. Pride maybe...

Pardon my lack Swedish knowledge. Which Swedish schools match, Stanford, Cornell, Yale, Princeton, Harvard, U.C. Berkeley, Duke, California Institute of Tech., M.I.T., Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, Purdue and all the others that are too many to mention in the U.S.? Why is it when a student transfers from European Colleges to U.S. they have to go back at least one grade year and or meet other requirements? Why aren't European medical certifications recognized in the U.S. but U.S. ones are recognized there? Just curious...

You have to have some common sense on this. Herion is from a plant. Would you give your child herion? At what age? Strychnine and Chlorine are natural also but I wouldn't use them to get a buzz. Just cause something is natural doesn't make it ok to use or should make it legal. There are places in the U.S. where weed is legal. Denver just changed their law to one ounce is legal. California actually gives medical cards to basically anyone...

Can you please make up your mind? Are you talking about Sweden or the EU? We're talking about the U.S. Isn't this supposed to be about France? It's much easier try to "one up" someone taking the best from mutliple sources but not talking about any of thier negatives. Your points are getting lost in your selectiveness...

They must not have anything better to do.

Boredom, in my opinion, is no reason for violence.

There are many problems with attitudes in France but rioting will only compound these attitudes.

My view is that violence is never the answer.

(These are just my thoughts so no flaming please) ;)

I agree with you. Now more people are going to be unemployed. As a matter of fact, the trigger for this riot (which I assume to be the two boys electrocuted) has no basis at all. Here's my blog entry about it. Hope you're not offended: http://zinga.yeungnet.com/blog/?p=71