Casseur ibn DeGaulle

Well, my postings regarding the riots in France earlier this year needs an additional comment or two. In light of the recent activity by French students, the earlier problematic behavior by disenchanted Muslim youth proves to be rather French indeed. Perhaps they are adjusting to the French lifestyle after all.
After reading several news stories and commentaries, I had to sit back and shake my head. I don't get it.
A recent article by the BBC stated that "Hundreds of thousands of people - mostly students - have taken to the streets in France for a second week of protests against the controversial new employment contracts."
Their plight? The government won't tuck them in anymore. They want a powerful government to give them everything or they will shit on everything for everybody else. Very French.
“All it could take is one careless spark for this howl of existential anxiety to explode,” went the article.
I do not mean to relish in the woes of the French...but part of me does. It has to do with their inferiority complex. Right. Inferiority, not superiority. I mean that in the sense of "Me thinks thou doth protest too much." The French complain about everything and blame the Anglo-American hegemony for it all while they are at it. They claim to be so civilized while they burn shit to the ground.
If you remember, they offerred to buy back New Orleans because they have a more tolerant society. What a yuck that was. Of course there are still issues in the States. People are people. However, the overt racism in Europe makes the US look like we are all sitting around a campfire together. NIMBY? Please!
I guess I would not revel in it so much if their juvenile petulance was not equal to their determination to block anything put forth by the States. Jesus wept! Their general lack of gratitude is nothing new. The iconic DeGaulle was an egotistical douche bag. He could have screwed up a wet dream. Forget war plans. The post-WWII France? Can we say "Anti-American agenda" any louder?
Yet, I'll admit that I like France. However, to paraphrase a buddy of mine "But there are too many French people there." I have French friends and we agree to disagree on a plethora of issues. We get along fine. I would even enjoy living there, I'm sure. I like the wine, language and cafe' society for sure.
Unfortunately, the thing that that stands out from my last sojourn there was a petite, young American girl being knocked down by a 20-ish Frenchman running around a corner, then her being ignored by him as he sped off after being momentarily inconvienenced.
Yes. All those ill-mannered, ungrateful Muslims rioting in the Paris suburbs. Seems to me that matches the French notion of liberty and fraternity all too well. After all, the seed for the Islamic Revolution in Iran was germinated there. So was the Bolshevik one for that matter.
As Caroline Wyatt sublimely stated in her BBC story "To the barricades, they went, these revolutionaries, to fight for their rights - to pensions, mortgages and a steady job. Such odd revolutionaries. No heartfelt cry to change the world, but a plea for everything to stay the same. For France to remain in its glorious past: a time of full employment and jobs for life - a paternalistic state to take care of them from cradle to grave."
I guess I just don't get it. If a government is powerful enough to give you everything, they sure as hell are strong enough to take all you've got. I guess that is why some things in the US are "self evident."

Absence makes the heart what exactly?

Been absent for two weeks. Took some time off on the Gulf side of Florida - Tampa-St. Pete. Saw an old friend and some family - sis and mother. It felt nice to be back on the road (for what it was).
I like new terrain. I like the feeling of not having been on a road before; not knowing what lies beyond the next bend, light, corner or hill.
I look forward to the next time.
It did, however, leave me with a sort of liberation hangover. I returned to my humble abode spent. I had nothing to give. I guess it has been a form of depression.
You see, I am on the verge of a great (as in substantial) move. It is a move of distance and duration and it has me in a bind. Time is speeding by at breakneck speed and I have so much left to do. This pace is in no way matched by my deeds and the drag it produces brings me way down. I want it all cleared away so I can begin this next chapter quickly but ...

Crow Chutney

Must begin with what I believe is grounds for a retraction on my previous posting. I was all over the Bush in South Asia program. I read many of the online papers and gobbled up tons of images that poured from the event. Yes, even the "Kill Bush" image.
This is the point I sought to retract. At least, I shall judge this in need of retraction with the same faith I had put into the source's veracity. It was a news feed. Simply that. An image along with many others that accompanied the US president in India - protests that were taking place all across India.
This is where today's venting comes from. The image was cropped so that "Kill Bush" was clearly evident. Checking out the hundreds of others showed none of the same. They did, however, show countless images of "Killer Bush." That, my friend, is merely free speech - an expression of inference, not expression of intent.
The protests were anti-US, anti-Bush, anti-globalization and anti-capitalism. What they weren't were calls for execution (albeit there were burnings in effigy). They were not incitements to riot (albeit violence did occur). They were still, clearly, filled to the brim with intolerance. But, you know what? Free speech is kinda like that - all messy and pointed and putting people on edge sometimes.
I feel much better about India today.

Dosa Intolerance

Well today I received a bit if a jolt. I was caught off-guard I suppose. It was something I did not expect to see. I was checking the news from Bangalore and caught some of the country-wide anti-bush protests. Yes, there it was - a banner that included "Kill Bush."
How original.
What an Einstein it must have taken to come up with that catchy slogan. All that was needed was a slightly off construction and spelling of a sentence utilizing a variation on the word fuck. Ha! The week is young.
I know I should not be so put off by this. This is, after all, the world's largest democracy. I know protest is protest, but this level of intolerance is enough to make me cry.
I know the anti-Bush protest across the country engaged a lot of the communist/socialist and Islamist-types. I'm sure there were moderate mozzies and plenty of others in the mix too. However, when I see "Kill (fill in the blank)," I have to hang my head whether it is in shame or sad resignation. This takes a special kind of social retardation. Maybe they grew up in a room of peeling lead paint?
India is a lot like the US in this matter. We produce a Lincoln. We killed him. India produces a Mahatma Gandhi. They kill him. Hell, lots of folks named Gandhi were murdered. Not to be outdone, the US produced some Kennedys to kill.
The two countries have given its citizens just enough liberties with which to off themselves (others too). Some elect to take up the gauntlet, yelling "everyone is free to choose but my group will choose for everybody."
Ignorant bastards. They're everywhere.