March 25, 2004

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France Upgrades Terror Alert

In light of the Madrid bombing, France has raised their terror alert level from "run" to "hide". The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaboration".

(Thanks to Aaron, the lumberjack).

posted by Simon on 03.25.04 at 01:23 PM in the




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Simon,

I would not mind you not making too much fun about terrorism and France, or any other European country for that matter (well, make it the whole world, while you are at it).

The anti-terrorism alert has been pretty high in France since the last batch of killings in 1995. There seem to be a bunch of crazy guys threatening to puts bombs on the rails somewhere on the 18,000 km of tracks...

This is in addition to the risk of Al Qaeda attack.

Most other countries around there have their terrorist problems with separatists or other crazy guys.

You might find it funny from the safety of your place, I don't.

You are perfectly free to bash at France, but, please, at least do it with taste.

posted by: Alexandre on 03.25.04 at 05:22 PM [permalink]

Alexandre, it's clearly a joke. You seemed to understand that last time. Certainly France faces many terrorism threats, just as many other Western nations do. Sure the joke panders to stereotypes. Taste is a matter of, well, taste. If this one offends you then I direct you to the plethora of other posts that fill this site.

The whole point is that sometimes in serious times it is good to have a laugh, a release of stress. Nowhere in the world is safe; being from Australia with most of my family and friends back there I feel the threat constantly. Likewise I have many friends living in Israel with this hanging over their heads daily. They manage to joke about it as a form of release. It doesn't make it any better. But it helps people get on with their lives in difficult circumstances.

If it makes you feel better, I'll return the favour: try this one for a good George W one.

posted by: Simon on 03.25.04 at 05:48 PM [permalink]

Well, I thought it was funny, anyway. I live in London, where everyone looks at you if you are shifty looking or if, like me, you have a tiny bladder and have to dash to the toilet every ten minutes. I live in a country now where the police, who previously ventured into the crime arena with a little nightstick and threats of:"Stop, or I'll say stop again!", now have bigger guns than the Texans I know (all this, and they still wear the funny hats.)

posted by: Helen on 03.25.04 at 07:13 PM [permalink]

Ahh, French bashing - the international blogging pastime. Personally, I recieved that little gem via email this morning, smiled and then deleted it. I certainly didn't give it any more thought than that.

And Helen, the london police are armed but won't shoot anything for fear of the 10 million pages of paperwork they have to do for each bullet fired (and the pointy hats cover their pointy heads!)

posted by: Robert on 03.25.04 at 09:01 PM [permalink]

Given that Germany lost the two major wars last century, it seems odd that this surrender meme keeps sticking to the French.

True, Germany didn't officially surrender after the Second World War (did they?). But still, that makes one surrender for Germany after the First World War and one for France during the Second. A tie, at worst.

Japan surrended, and what about all the other European nations that were overrun in the initial stages of the war?

I mean it's a minor point, but selective history benefits no-one.

posted by: Michael on 03.26.04 at 12:00 PM [permalink]




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