If travel broadens the mind...

[Tresco]

 

RE the current situation in the Ivory Coast

"I'd be wary about a serious debate about it here, for fear of bringing out the racists versus the PC brigade" (Will the Conq).

Well I'd be wary too, Will, but because I doubt very strongly that I, or many other people here know enough about this very complex situation.

If there are racists on the forum, they are hardly numerous, or indeed a homogenous group, any more than the people who speak against racism on the forum - I assuming that you would include them among the PC 'brigade' you refer to?

[SaligoBay]

[quote]I agree - the French are very parochial indeed. I would be interested to know how much has been heard in France about the recent trial which exposed the astonishing misuse of power by Mitterand and th...[/quote]

Yes, it's all well publicised.  The difference is that people don't get as hysterical about these things like the British do.

Some French friends were looking at the Private Eye last night, the one with Boris on the front.  I explained who Boris was, that he'd had an affair etc, and now he was being booted out.

It was difficult to explain why he was so unceremoniously ejected from his post.  For the French, mistresses and corruption are just part of being a politician.  French people don't expect anything better from their politicians!! 

[Clarkkent]

It was difficult to explain why he was so unceremoniously ejected from his post.  For the French, mistresses and corruption are just part of being a politician.  French people don't expect anything better from their politicians!! 

And now, post-Boris, we have the unedifying spectacle of the former leader of the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire being accused by his ex-mistress of such wrong doings as giving her a rail ticket and expediting a visa application by her nanny. He is reported as (still) having the support of the prime minister - but the tumbril is being hosed down and Mme Lafarge is looking out her knitting patterns ...

 

[zeb]

[quote]Hello Ref Ivory Coast. I have a client who is a member of a rather elite section of the armed forces. His unit go to IC on tours of duty and before they go the all buy rather unsporting shotgun cart...[/quote]

Didn't realise being anti-racist was labelled as being "PC" - just thought it was normal.

[Tom]

Michael Howard sacked Boris for lying, which seems a bit harsh for a politician. Personally I couldn't get through the day without lying a quite a lot, especially if I was having an affair.

Albi, you use PC as a shortcut insult for anyone that might disagree with you. The people on the Ivory Coast are fundamentally no different from the people living on the south coast of England or on the south coast of France.

[Dick Smith]

Michael Howard didn't sack Boris for lying per se, he sacked him for lying to Michael Howard...

And I agree with you both about the racism comments. Why is it 'PC' to be civilised, just because your 'important' clients who get to shoot people (ho ho) aren't? Dum dum was declared illegal by the Hague Convention of 1899, by the way.

Are we seeing the return of an old friend?

[Richardbk]

Is there not enough going on in France to discuss?    It's not difficult to find French or French-related news in English on the internet.

Unfortunately as soon as we try and invoke aspects of really living in France, we are accused of being negative , doom and gloom merchants - even worse there is usually some comparison with the UK. 

So the reality is that whilst the forum provides lots of  useful and detailed advice such as where to get your goat clipped for the summer and how to eat an andouillet without chucking up,  at the political end it refuses to let anything upset the dreamy postcard vision of living in France.

 

regs

Richard