Motion: Should we do to the French as they do to us? Discuss

[Chantal]

Yes, I know this is jingoistic, but hey, they started it. This is from the Saturday
Telegraph (25 Feb) from the Simon Heffer on Saturday page, and I for one agree with him!

"Goading the French is not to be sneezed at

As bird flu inches its way towards Dover, shouldn't we be congratulating ourselves on our sheer bravery in the face of this potential killer? Even though it has already landed in Italy and France, chickens from Europe are still being imported here by the zillion, and consumed con brio by our trencherpersons. Can you imagine if this had been the other way round? One sneezing swan in Dorset would have been enough for Johnny Frenchman to ban the imports of all foodstuffs from Britain, avian or not.

Visitors to the Continent would have been hosed down with disinfectant on arrival and forced into quarantine before continuing their journeys. If you think I jest, just recall what these people did at the time of BSE, not for health reasons - as they claimed - but in order to put another protectionist fence around their already coddled and inefficient farmers. Then, when eventually fined by the EU for this mad over-reaction, they simply refused to pay, and never did. Since no day is ever too short to goad the French, might it not be time for a spot of revenge?"

[pigletwillie]

I am going to stand up for the French regarding this although a year ago I would have stood 4 square with you Chantal.

We spent a fair bit of time in Normandy last year and my attitude towards them has changed completely. They should be applauded for standing up for their heritage, livliehood and customs and their "up yours if you dont like it" attitude. Thats why you can still buy unpasturized cheese on French markets wrapped in greaseproof paper, just like they have always done, can still have a 1 1/2 hour lunch break and be buggered to the Eu.

I so wish that our own President, sorry did I say President, had the spine of the French to say NON.

We are the prats cos we voted in a government that hasnt got the balls to do anything about issues in case somebodies feeling get hurt, namley the French and Germans leaders.

Vive la France

[lizzie]

The French are proud to be French and to stand up for themselves and what they believe in. All power to them.

Shame this countrys politicians and powers that be can't or won't listen to the general public.

Up the revolution I say. When does it start?

[peter]

I'm with Piglet on this one.

The EU passes a law.
The French add exceptions and dis-regards to it and add it to French law.
The British add improvements and extra inclusions, checks, a regulatory body etc and add it to British law.

Which is self-interest and which is stupidity?

[richard p]

getting back to the point it seems ludicrous that we are still importing live birds both chickens from france and pet birds from china, however our government cannot ban this practice unless the EU commision directs it. one wonders why we need MPs and a civil service anymore. we should also remember that in the 4 or 5 years that this bird flue has been reported as being rife in asia sowhat lee than one hundred people have been reported as dying from it. the vast majority have either been chicken farmers virtually living with their flocks or people involved in cock fighting who give their birds mouth to mouth recusitation. i have seen reports that there is more of a problem with catching duck flue from ducks living on rice paddies.
whilst on the subject of flue i recently saw the figures for deaths from flue for the last 10 years in the USA, 2000 deaths attributed to flue is a bad year on e year it was 27. something over 90% of these were in the over seventy age group, makes one wonder at the cost effectivness of vacination even if we assume that all the deaths hadn't been vacinated.

[jane E]

I think we are missing the point on bird flu - at the moment it does not pose a very great threat if it reaches our shores BUT the danger comes if it mutates and is passed not bird to human but human to human. It does have a 50/50 killing ratio at the moment.I think we should do all in our power to prevent it reaching England - but the government probably won't. What they will do is cull all our poultry, I expect. And we ordinary people sit powerless. S'est la vie en Angleterre!

[peat]

every government in t6he world do all they can to help their people. Our government does everything it can to help them as well. We give them our our best industries and our employment.
Pete