Ah, Paris in winter…
Or anywhere in France, apparently.
Car burnings are regular occurrences in France but the registering the New Year’s Eve total has become something of a tradition since they achieved symbolic status in the violent rioting that shook many of the country’s poor suburbs in 2005.
Indeed. And just how many cars went up ub flames as the New Year was rung in?
The French press reported that the Interior Ministry released a final “verified” count of 1,147 vehicles burned in France over New Year’s Eve. The number is up 30.64% from last year’s total, 878.
Awesome. Apparently over 35,000 police were online ready to deal with any rioting (though actual clashes with the cops were few, apparently), and yet over a thousand cars got torched.
“There were few ‘contacts’ with police, gendarmes and fire services but an increase in the number of burnings for which we don’t have an explanation at the moment,” the official said.
I suppose “they are worthless piles of crap who apparently have it too easy living on the dole” was never mentioned at the round-table? And I don’t suppose it is too much to hope that these malcontents started with their own cars, eh?
No, I didn’t think so.
For the record, while IL law doesn’t allow for it the way Texas law does, if you try and torch my car, I’m shooting you if you should be so unlucky as to have me catch you in the act.
I had a Renault for a short time. After about 38,000 miles, a bonfire was all it was good for.
Comment by nk — 1/2/2009 @ 2:52 pm
I heard Mark Steyn today speaking about this noting that the MSM consistently fails to mention, as he put it, It’s being done by those of that religion that begins with an “I” and ends with “slam”. The burning cars are just a symptom of a much, much larger problem that France has to get a handle on.
“These crimes are so commonly accepted that the police do not investigate nor readily keep statistics. Not just on the arson, but also on the rape and arson of Muslims because that would let the cat out of the bag. France would have to admit it has a crime rate south of South Africa’s. Which it does.”
“Besides, said a 26-year-old man of Senegalese descent who gave his name as Djibri, “What else are you going to burn?” It is less harmful than attacking people, he noted.”
Comment by Dana — 1/2/2009 @ 6:24 pm
Doesn’t anyone understand that this is a conspiracy by GM to boost sales? -Link
This is part of a long term strategy by Detroit.
From 1981:
The American Motors Corporation said that it exercised part of its option to sell preferred stock and warrants to Regie Nationale des Usines Renault, the French state-owned automaker, for an aggregate price of $45 million.
The sale, made under the stock and warrant purchase agreement of Sept. 23, 1980, involved 1.6 million shares of American Motors cumulative preferred stock at $2.80 a share and warrants for the purchase of 6.4 million common shares at $7 a share, the company said.
Renault owns 46.4 percent of American Motors, which is the exclusive distributor of Renault cars in the United States. Under its agreements with American Motors, the ceiling on Renault’s ownership is 59 percent.
Comment by Apogee — 1/2/2009 @ 6:35 pm
Yes, and shooting someone in the foot is better than shooting them in the head. it doesn’t mean I should just wander around town doing either…
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 1/2/2009 @ 7:53 pm
This side of Patterico does not get enough comments. Does anybody know any European jokes? I’ll start off with this oldie but goodie that I put online in the
cavemenUsenet days.EU heaven:
The chefs are French.
The mechanics are German.
The police are British.
The lovers are
ItaliansGreeks.And it’s all organized by the Swiss.
EU hell:
The chefs are British.
The mechanics are French.
The police are German.
The lovers are Swiss.
And it’s all organized by the
ItaliansGreeks.Comment by nk — 1/3/2009 @ 12:08 pm
Hey nk, here is the version I know:
In Heaven
The beer is German
The police are British
The food is French
The lovers are Italian
And the timepieces are Swiss
In Hell
The police are German
The food is British
The beer is French
The timepieces are Italian
And the lovers are Swiss
Pretty similar. I like your version too.
Comment by JVW — 1/3/2009 @ 12:55 pm
“What else are you going to burn? It is less harmful than attacking people,” he noted.
One of the hallmarks of quasi-Socialist societies is a disregard for private property. It is telling that the attitude of the citizens and police seems to be, “Well, it is only property being destroyed. No sense starting a confrontation over it.” Thankfully that would not go over well here in America, at least for the time being.
Does anyone know if auto insurance even exists in France, especially for riot damage such as this? I can’t imagine anyone being dumb enough to underwrite it.
Comment by JVW — 1/3/2009 @ 1:00 pm
Scott: Don’t forget about Illinois UUW Statute, and of course the FOID requirement. Simply carrying a loaded firearm is a crime in Illinois. (Or as I like to call it: “The People’s Republik of Illinois”).
Comment by J. Raymond Wright — 1/3/2009 @ 1:28 pm
however, apparently having an FOID card, and the clip in a seperate pocket gets around that law…
*shrugs* I just avoid going out side. Safer that way…
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 1/3/2009 @ 2:09 pm
I heard Mark Steyn today speaking about this noting that the MSM consistently fails to mention, as he put it, It’s being done by those of that religion that begins with an “I” and ends with “slam”.
Dana, Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs pointed this out years ago.
Comment by Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") — 1/3/2009 @ 2:09 pm
Comment by Paul (creator of “Staunch Brayer”) — 1/3/2009 @ 2:09 pm
A whole lot of people have pointed this out for years and it continually falls on deaf ears. Steyn was mocking the fact that its always same ‘ol, same ‘ol… year in, year out- Muslim yutes riot and burn, and the officials do everything but have the metal to call it what it is. (Holland has now rethought its embrace of Muslim immigrants and all the social engineering causing the Dutch to adapt to them rather than them adapting to the Dutch life because they see the failure it has become. As the Dutch lead in this perhaps France too will follow…they seem to be good at that…following… that is.)
Comment by Dana — 1/3/2009 @ 2:45 pm
From Covenant Zone,
The underlying theme behind the French government’s reaction has remained the samefinding ever more creative ways to adapt to the problem, rather than finding ways to reduce the problem in the first place. (I don’t consider the French left’s policies of bribing the vandals to leave them alone, as a serious attempt to solve the problem)
The culmination of this adaptation was the government’s declaration that New Year’s eve was a “calm” night, despite many police officers attacked, private citizens’ property damaged, especially cars, on a scale several times higher than on an average evening.
How closely does the government’s (and the French media’s) attitude represent a reflection of that of the people of France? Every day there is a growing divide…
Comment by JVW — 1/3/2009 @ 1:00 pm, apparently the owners are responsible…
Reuters, via TV NZ
Friday January 02, 2009
President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to crack down on France’s car burning after more than 1,100 vehicles went up in flames overnight on New Year’s Eve.
Sarkozy said he had asked authorities to be “uncompromising” with vehicle arsonists and said those caught burning other people’s cars should lose their own licences until the damage had been paid for.
“There is no reason why honest people should have to pay the consequences of the behaviour of delinquents,” he said in an address to emergency service staff who worked over the evening of December 31.
Comment by Dana — 1/3/2009 @ 3:01 pm
It seems to me there are similarities between the class issues and government policies toward crime in France and Mexico.
Come to think of it, there have been for a long time.
Comment by DRJ — 1/3/2009 @ 8:06 pm
however, apparently having an FOID card, and the clip in a seperate pocket gets around that law…
You’d win in my courtroom for a first offense and no other priors but don’t push it. That’s not really a fair reading of “disassembled”.
Comment by nk — 1/3/2009 @ 8:59 pm
But it fits “not ready to fire”.
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 1/3/2009 @ 11:10 pm
“What else are you going to burn?” It is less harmful than attacking people, he noted.”
A Koran?
A Mosque?
Your French citizenship papers?
Your welfare check?
Your porno?
Comment by Perfect Sense — 1/5/2009 @ 6:07 am
Hey hey hey now…
Lets not get carried away…
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 1/5/2009 @ 6:13 am
First off, I lost my FOID. If I re-apply in Illinois, do ya think I get on some list somewhere?
As to the burnings, it is pretty rich for Sarkozy to condemn Israel for attacking Gaza to prevent missle attacks, when he can’t even prevent mass rioting in Fwance.
Comment by carlitos — 1/5/2009 @ 7:47 am
Maybe it’s just my paranoia talking, but I would be very surprised if you didn’t… Besides the database that lists people who have FOID cards (which if there wasn’t one would make the idea of FOID cards pretty damned silly).
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 1/5/2009 @ 7:50 am
Lots of people lose their FOIDs or let them expire. Just go on ahead and re-apply. As lists go, you’ll be in good company with all the police, sheriffs and coroners in Illinois, the whole Chicago City Council, and Governor Blagojevich.
Comment by nk — 1/5/2009 @ 7:59 am
Obama might have one, too.
Comment by nk — 1/5/2009 @ 8:01 am
There are no exceptions to the FOID requirement. For nobody. There are only exceptions for law enforcement and some other government officials for carry outside your own abode, land or fixed place of business.
Comment by nk — 1/5/2009 @ 8:05 am
got it – found the pdf application online.
Comment by carlitos — 1/5/2009 @ 10:34 am