OK, can you give me a slightly longer version? Like the one that would justify rioting? 'Cause that version ain’t it.
You know, that’s a good representation of what bothers me most about liberals today (yeah I’m going to use a blanket generalization because I’ve gotten nothing but generalizations from the left for about 5 years now.) The incessant bleating of COMPLETELY irrelevant points because the left feels they are “zingers” that just eradicate any possible argument anyone from the right could have.
“Oh, you have a problem with FRANCE? WELL FRANCE FREED YOUR ASS BACK IN 1781 SO YOU BETTER JUST SHUT UP YOU HYPOCRITE!!”
I’m starting to increasingly feel like the left side of the spectrum has absolutely nothing to offer, mainly because of the crap I read on message boards like this. You know I’ve been a registered Republican for a long time, but I’ve regularly voted for Democratic candidates. I voted for Clinton in 96, I voted for Warner here in my home state. I’d say my voting record is something like 60% Republican 40% Democrat.
But it’s getting to the point where the shrill generalizations, inane arguments and over simplified insults the left has basically taken up as their war cry has me to the point where I may just start voting straight ticket because ideologically I don’t want to associate with the other side even if some of their individual candidates may be superior.
Go to a conservative message board. You’ll learn that the “right side of the spectrum” also has absolutely nothing to offer.
I do see that the zing against conservatives about fucking things up in yet another country was not needed, I think also that your “counter” zinger is more insulting.
http://www.centcom.mil/Operations/Coalition/Coalition_pages/france.htm
More depth over here.
Don’t forget that they also gave us the Statue of Liberty. That was pretty nice of them.
And they tried to bring us to our senses about invading Iraq. I appreciate that.
And if the French hadn’t invented champagne, what would championship-winning teams douse each other with? Huh? Beer? How mundane! And it doesn’t spray nearly as far as a bottle of well-shaken bubbly.
There is a GD thread on this as well though surprisingly not much participation thus far. Appearently if it doesn’t happen in America (for good or ill), or if America isn’t at least partially involved (a la Argentina) then its not really news worthy…or worthy of deep discussion on this board.
As for what the French could or should do…no friggin idea. It actually sounds like they are trying to discuss things with the folks who are rioting and I’m unsure what more they could do except ramp up the violence by cracking down. So…I’m not sure they are taking the wrong tact though it doesn’t seem to be working yet. I do find it ironic that France is having racially/religiously inspired riots because of economic and social factors. In fact my irony meter is off the scale with this story, though appearently I’m the only one who thinks this. 
BTW, for anyone interested, Tamerlane gave a brief but interesting take on the riots in the GD thread.
-XT
Why can’t they do anything? Doesn’t anyone remember Watts? It was a traffic stop that set the city on fire for a week. Detriot? Cops breaking up a party. Rodney did get is has thoroughly beat on camera for the LA riots. I guess that’s a good a reason as any to start burning shit up.
Okay, well other than champagne, the Statue of Liberty, safe milk, cooperation in the War on Terror, oxygen, and our freedom, what have the French ever done for us?
Fiiiiiiiiinally! Someone admits that this is a liberal message board. Thank you.
Proceed.
And this has…well, what to do with the riots? Or do you think that in an orgy of love for France the US should send in troops to help with the riots? 
-XT
Yeah, it would have been so much worse if they stood with us and Great Britain.
They are poor, unemployment is high and they don’t feel like the government gives a rats ass about them. Add in a fair amount of perceived or real racism and cars are burning in the streets.
Few things really justify rioting. There usually is some incident that pisses people rocks are thrown a cars is burnt and things go down hill from there.
They did what they could to stop the U.S. and the U.K. from embarking on a fool’s errand. I do appreciate that.
You did note that they stood beside us in Afghanistan, didn’t you?
“I’m gonna use a tu quoque fallacy, and y’all can’t stop me!”
“And when I get done with my tu quoque fallacy, I’m going to employ the fallacy of hasty generalization!”
“And then I’ll cut my nose off to spite my face and screw my own country over! That’ll sure show them!”
And America stands by France as the cars burn in Paris (and throughout the country).
-XT
BTW thanks to Biggirl for a very relevant answer. This is France’s Watts. It doesn’t take that much provocation to send a marginalized community over the brink, and if the population/area is large enough it’s not a simple matter to stabilize the situation.
Wow. You really are clueless about French politics.