Jo53 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Thought you might like to hear our local paper's take on why so many English are coming to Normandy. According to its editorial last week:English society is in the process of imploding. Life has become impossible for the 'lower classes' (their phrase). There is little or no help for the less well off. Most schools have to be paid for: if you can't pay, you get an unacceptably poor standard of schooling. So families are bringing their children to France to get an education. Healthcare is geared towards the rich (no mention of universal healthcare free at the point of delivery, then!). Life in England is infinitely harder than in France (try telling that to self-employed people trying to earn a living in France). Lots of unemployed English are coming to France because unemployment benefits in England are so low (yes, but you can get another job in England ...). Oh, and the whole of the SE of England is full of immigrants. An ever-increasing tide of English people are going to come to France to escape.I expected them to say next that mothers in England beg on the streets and that the children had ricketts. Amazingly, smog was not mentioned.The implication of this smug little piece was that those English who come to France are from the bottom of society, and are coming to France's social utopia to escape poverty. Ha ha. It read like a propoganda piece - demonising the nasty AngloSaxon way of life to scare a gullible readership away from voting for anyone who seeks to reform French institutions.Does not bode well for Anglo-French understanding.Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghound Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 But oh so true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 LOL, there's an article in today's Midi Libre today too, called "Comment vivre avec les Anglais".Talks about our insularity, extrapolated nonsensically from the saying that an Englishman's home is his castle, that's quite funny. And I was fascinated to learn that we like streets without numbers, and our house numbering doesn't make sense. Oh yes, and our place names are meaningless, example being Seven Oaks when there are no oaks in sight. Yawwwwwnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!Best bit was right at the end. Wait for this....."Les Anglais sont dcidment de curieux membres de l'UE. Mais, sans eux, aurait-on vaincu Hitler?"Gee thanx, guys!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mops Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Needless to say that they don't like being reminded of the thousands of French people crossing the channel looking for work which is available with less social charges etc etc and maybe just a tad less red tape! We won't mention the weather, the busy roads, cost of wine and fuel though...Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Does this publication have a letters page ? Do you, or anyone else in the area, write good enough French to write and refute this ?Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicmonkey<ADDRESS><STRONG>Musicmonkey<STRONG><ADDRESS> Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 On a lighter note, maybe this will help to redress the balance of those French who mistakenly think that all Les Anglais are rolling in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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