It's up to 15,000 - viva la france?

Doc · 09-09-2003, 04:34 PM

Don't get me wrong, I hate the French as much as anyone, but this really takes the taco.

Story from Washington Post

For those of you who didn't know there was a heat wave in Europe this summer. Temperatures in France were around 100 - 104 Farenheit for about two weeks. Yeah, big friggin deal, right

Well, not for the French. Most people there don't have air conditioning, and to top that, in August the place shuts down because everyone goes on vacation - including the doctors (go socialized medicine)

So what I want to know is, why no one is really taking any responsibility in the French government. All they seem to be doing saying "It wasn't my fault, it's not my job to think about heat waves". This is 5 times as many that died in 9/11, if this happened here, they would be riots. I guess it shows you something about a culture where they leave grandma at home for a month while they go to the beach and don't even think that something may be wrong with the system. Or maybe it's just karma...

Galt · 09-09-2003, 04:49 PM

racial purity

Ken'sPen · 09-09-2003, 05:00 PM

heartless bastard.

Doc · 09-09-2003, 05:07 PM

Ken'sPen Wrote:heartless bastard.

Yes, those French are heartless bastards.

They were more concerned with living their lifestyle than making sure their family was OK. It's not like no one knew this was going on, they just chose to keep enjoying themselves than to make some sacrifices and help their countrymen.

Danked · 09-09-2003, 05:16 PM

Doesn't everything shut down there in the middle of the day so the whole country can take off for lunch? I remember my high school french teacher mentioning that.

Ken'sPen · 09-09-2003, 05:16 PM

aren't we all guilty of that?
would you want to be held accountable for the lifestyles of many Americans?

We have homeless in every city,
families living well below the poverty line.

Is that your fault?

Doc · 09-09-2003, 05:20 PM

There's a difference between having homeless people and families and doctors so consumed with themselves that they forget about their parents and patients.

When a person leaves a kid or parent in the car on a hot summer day and they die, it makes the news all over the place. In France, 15,000 people die and the big reaction is "It wasn't my job to look out for this."

Galt · 09-09-2003, 05:25 PM

All of Europe works like that.

Americans take on average like 12 days of vacation a year. Much of Europe averarages more than 30. German workers get like 6 weeks of vacation a year. And their unemployment benefits are something like full pay for 9 months.

It's retarded. Everyone outside of the US hates how we control the world economy, but shit what do you expect?

Doc · 09-09-2003, 05:28 PM

But it's not just their work ethic. I work with German engineers for my job, and they are some of the hardest working people I know. But how wrapped up in your own enjoyment do you have to be to not notice that all the old peope are dying around you? It's not like they don't have electricity and couldn't set up cooling centers...no one noticed there was a problem until it was too late

Galt · 09-09-2003, 05:30 PM

I wasn't talking about work ethic. When they work, they work their asses off. The spic side of Europe is lazy as shit and never shows up on time. I was just commenting on how they all drop everything and take weeks off at a time.

And if I had a family, and it was socially acceptable to do so, I'd take 45 days of vacation a year without batting an eye.

I'd also leave work every day at lunch to fuck my wife and take a nap like the Spaniards do

Doc · 09-09-2003, 05:32 PM

Come to think of it, I do miss having nap time

Goatweed · 09-09-2003, 06:15 PM

why don't the french have air conditioning? Are they not able to sustain the power flow for it, or are they just of the opinion that they're too good for it? Christ, its 2003 - get fuckin' AC already.

Doc · 09-09-2003, 06:48 PM

No one over said the Frenchies were the brightest bulbs on the tree

diceisgod · 09-10-2003, 03:47 PM

When you have to keep old people in the refrigerator to keep them from rotting it's just ridiculous. I'm sorry but if a little hot weather is enough to kill you than your time was up long before then.

Keyser Soze · 09-10-2003, 03:51 PM

why didnt the germans think of this?