Riots in France

I just keep thinking of all the damage to the environment these riots are causing. Along with the wildfires in Canada. It makes my small attempts at recycling etc seem a waste of time. And, no matter what bad thing has happened it’s no excuse to do this

SueDonim

I wouldn’t call my dil aggressive! She’s direct, knows what she is asking for and saying it loud and clear. She doesn’t spend any time angsting about things like Brits do, if she sees a job needing doing, it gets done.

SueDonim I wouldn’t call my dil aggressive! She’s direct, knows what she is asking for and saying it loud and clear. She doesn’t spend any time angsting about things like Brits do, if she sees a job needing doing, it gets done.

I can change my wording to direct. My point remains the same.

I believe differences in aggression is what makes people in many other countries hard to understand in many instances.

French people seem direct, sometimes to me, where people here would be passive in their attitudes and ways.

People view things through their own lens.

Example unrelated to the French, American asking a Brit: "What do you call the 4th of July (their holiday of independence)?" -- Well, this year we call it Tuesday. "Are you upset still over the end to that war?" -- Well, no it's been over 200 years - we keep calm, carry on. You've a party about war in the 1700s.

The French just view things and act differently to us.

It’s interesting Norah, but I’m not sure whether there is a common ‘us’ in the UK, or in France either. Within both there are tensions between groups, nations and religions, and people who see things differently. We see lots of evidence on Gransnet that Scottish and Welsh people have different identities to English people (of course, English people also have strong regional identities), and Northern Ireland is still divided too. France has many parallels (as do other European countries). I don’t think they are necessarily more different from us than we are from each other.

This is no way to remember Nahel and not what his family wants.

How soon before someone else dies?

There will always be cultural differences and similarities between different nations and, even regions within a country. Look at how this comes out in different threads on GN where something one region of Britain takes as commonplace is unknown to someone in another region of the country.

In Europe, we have a common Western European Christian tradition that has shaped us and given us things in common for nearly 2,000 years, then we have all the differences that arise from people living in smaller areas.

We famously have Magna Carta and have had a representative government since 1215. Universal suffrage is much more recent but from 1215, our monarchs have, at least nominally, had to answer for their actions to the houses of parliament. This has diffused dissent, but we have had our revolutions, campaigns and riots on our way to the current situation.

France was governed by an autocratic monarchy with no reportability until it was finally overthrew it violently in 1789. Since then it has had a turbulent, history of monarchs and republics, it is now on its 5th Republic.

If after the 1789 revolution, France has settled for an unchanging republican democracy, then it probably wouldn't have riots like they do, but having done it once to effect change in 1789 and done it regularly since, rioting for change is embedded in their psyche.

After 32 years of owning property in France, We have probably lived in France for the equivalent of 3 years, I do not see any real difference in individual personality in people.

If Suedonim's DiL, is direct, it may well just be her natural personality. I can think of a lot of people in the UK who have those characteristics. I can think of members of GN whose posts suggest that they have those characteristics.

Every nation has aspects of its life where its occupants have expectations and complain quickly when they aren't met. They just differ from country to country.

I believe the way French people think and behave stems from their education. I attended a French school as a child and also later taught in a French lycée. French education concentrates on critical thinkingandproblem-solving skills. Every essay question asks the pupil to Analysez this, that, or the other which in turn encourages the students to question assumptions. The British system is different so turns out different products.

Ironically the kids from the French banlieues appear to knock against this type of education. Truancy is rife, discipline is ignored, and so results are poor.

Joseann

I believe the way French people think and behave stems from their education. I attended a French school as a child and also later taught in a French lycée. French education concentrates on critical thinkingandproblem-solving skills. Every essay question asks the pupil to Analysez this, that, or the other which in turn encourages the students to question assumptions. The British system is different so turns out different products.

It is a really bad idea to train children to question everything, because when they get a job they have to follow instructions or work within tight boundaries
Teachers are a good example, you are told what curriculum to teach and how to do it, your hours and holidays are fixed, you have very little freedom to vary that regime. Other professions are very similar, doctors, nurses, solicitors the same.

Very few of us get the freedom to change anything or even use initiative you follow the rules, and those rules get ever tighter.

My parents trained their w daughters to question, to discuss and evaluate. It didn’t lead to anarchy

joseann, writing an academic type of essay is a bit different IMO from everyday life, where there are various things that the vast majority of us just have to get on and do, whether we like them or not.

Germanshepherdsmum

The use of a vehicle as a weapon has become popular with terrorists. The police can’t risk that happening.

Maybe its tires could have been shot at?

It was reported on ITV Breakfast News this morning that a Fire Fighter has died whilst trying to extinguish burning cars in France overnight.

One more needless waste of life RIP

Yes, 24 years old.

FarNorth

Germanshepherdsmum

The use of a vehicle as a weapon has become popular with terrorists. The police can’t risk that happening.

Maybe its tires could have been shot at?

I thought of that but, of course, it could have skidded and killed anyone else in the vicinity.

Exactly. Not like you see happening in films where it’s carefully staged.

Joseann

I believe the way French people think and behave stems from their education. I attended a French school as a child and also later taught in a French lycée. French education concentrates on critical thinkingandproblem-solving skills. Every essay question asks the pupil to Analysez this, that, or the other which in turn encourages the students to question assumptions. The British system is different so turns out different products.

possibly why the government in this country are so keen on removing and restricting education in the arts and humanities.

Iam64

My parents trained their w daughters to question, to discuss and evaluate. It didn’t lead to anarchy

Most parents do bring their children up to respect the rules they are not the problem, it is the minority who dont, and the schools don’t either.

A dead driver at the wheel of a car is just as likely to skid and cause an accident.

We could benefit from some French-style traffic police in Greater Manchester. Some drivers don’t understand the meaning of a red light…

FarNorth

Germanshepherdsmum

The use of a vehicle as a weapon has become popular with terrorists. The police can’t risk that happening.

Maybe its tires could have been shot at?

The wheels still turn, and the sudden shock of tyres blowing out, may well have veered him into pedestrians.

The irony is that the French education system is very rigid. Many years ago a Minister of Education boasted that at any time he could tell you exactly what a child of any age was studying in class at that moment.

It always seems to me that the analysing they do in schoolis theoretical, and I am always struck by the amount of philosophy and deep thought the French bring to publicity films those short films you get in museums.

Mistakes happen when people do not look at rules critically and point out when errors have been made. The art is in the judgement of knowing when to query the rules and when to accept them.

Another terrible waste of a young life. A Fire Fighter just doing his job.

Yes indeed Smileless.

From what I've seen and read, the cat was stationary when the policeman had the gun aimed into the car. The car would have shifted down even with the driver incapacitated.

But the fact that the French police immediately arrested and charged this policeman speaks volumes. They will be very aware of what happened. An arrest and remand in custody would not have happened under any other circumstance.

The policeman involved has apologised . Had he felt he was in the position where he needed to shoot he'd not be apologising.

For cat read car