Tuesday, September 04, 2007

News In Brief (And The Usual Opinionated Commentary)

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon this report coming out of Switzerland. It's a proposal to deport entire families if one of their children is convicted of a violent crime, drug offense, or benefits fraud. I'd say this seems pretty drastic. The one that commits the crime should definitely be cast out, without question.

Wait'll you get a load of this one. Spain has decided to put illegal immigrants being deported back to their country of origin in strait jackets, for the flight home. I thought that sounded drastic too, until I read the reason for doing so.

Police may resort to the measures when they deem it necessary to protect illegal immigrants from hurting themselves in attempts to prevent their expulsion.


I hear a lot of outcry about the proposed deportation of illegals from the States, back to Mexico. But, I wonder how much outcry is going on about these tactics being reported from Spain and Switzerland.

Speaking of Switzerland, did you know that males in that country all have assault rifles for militia service and 46 out of 100 people have guns. Yet, crime is very very low. Read about it here. Then come back and tell me that guns cause crime. Tell me why, guns need to be banned, so that the only ones that will have them will be criminals.


16 comments:

L'Amerloque said...

Hi LASunsett !


/*/ .../… Over the weekend, I stumbled upon this report coming out of Switzerland. It's a proposal to deport entire families if one of their children is convicted of a violent crime, drug offense, or benefits fraud. I'd say this seems pretty drastic. …/… /*/


Many Europeans are fed up with a) immigration; b) illegals; and c) rampant crime. The Swiss proposal is unsurprising. Perhaps many Americans simply cannot understand just how far the quality of life has dropped in Europe over the past quarter century. Some (not "all": "some") of that drop is due to rampant immigration into countries, populations and cultures unprepared to receive and deal with such immigration.


/*/ …/… I wonder how much outcry is going on about these tactics being reported from Spain and Switzerland. …/… //


Restraints such as handcuffs and straitjackets are used in France, too, and there has been a huge outcry from the touchy-feelys. The pilots' unions at Air France have even voted not to fly company aircraft that carry deported illegals back home. (sigh)


The French gov't is now looking at a) deporting "black Africans" via Morocco and Algeria; b) deporting "Arabs" via a "black African" country and b) using charter flights as they do for Romanians and Bulgarians.


All of this is on the news every day here: the latest episode (10 days or so ago)was when six French police escorting illegals/deported to Dakar were "set upon" and "attacked" at the Dakar airport … including by the local heat. Front page news.


This is one story that will be taking up more and more space in the media …


Best,
L'Amerloque

Anonymous said...

Well, all I know is that if the US started the same practices, there would be a whole new set of news pieces about the assault on human rights that has been taking place since bushitler took office. Perhaps also several weeks of discussion and condemnation at the UN "Human Rights" Council. Pfff.

A.C. McCloud said...

I was never one of those freedom fries people but it does seem the conventional wisdom about Europe being ahead of us regards terrorism is wrong. More and more they appear to be coming around to Bush's way of thinking.

LA Sunset said...

Hi Amerloque,

//Perhaps many Americans simply cannot understand just how far the quality of life has dropped in Europe over the past quarter century.//

Can't speak too much about France, I basically passed through on my way to Spain. But I do know that when I was stationed in Germany, crime was highest in the GI community. Anywhere there was not a concentration of GIs, I always felt safe. Whatever time of day, wherever I went, there were never any threats. I even felt safe to hitchhike on occasion.

The Polizei rarely patrolled most areas on a routine basis. Most of the time, they waited for a call (unless there was an event).

Don't get me wrong. There was some petty crime, here and there. Nothing of the magnitude I had seen in the States.

I had a person or two recognize me as a GI and rant about politics. One night after a lengthy visit to a local gasthaus, this guy in his 50s (keep in mind this was in 77 or so), yelling at me in German about Nixon being kaput, Cater being kaput, and Kennedy being sehr gut. That's about all I remember because I had only been in country about a couple of weeks at that point, and didn't speak the local language very well.

He was drunk. I wasn't feeling much pain, either.

One time, we were in Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon. We watched a couple of battalions of polizei in their armored vehicles, file past us on the strasse, with full sirens set on "annoy". Like the old vaudevillian rope trick that just keeps coming and coming, they just kept coming and coming.

They were on their way to a Leftist rally, somewhere.

The polizei was not a group of men, I'd choose to get mouthy with. They used to get irritable when they had to make runs or do crowd control.

Come to think of it, maybe that's one reason crime WAS so low. ;)

LA Sunset said...

Greg,

//Perhaps also several weeks of discussion and condemnation at the UN "Human Rights" Council.//

Bingo.

LA Sunset said...

AC,

//More and more they appear to be coming around to Bush's way of thinking.//

I think Bush really has sorely been a disappointment on the border issue. I am not pleased with the way he has handled it and immigration in general. Only after much haranguing, did he send the extra troops down to assist the Border Patrol.

Sadly, I fear that under a Democrat, the border will get out on the back burner. So I guess we could do much worse.

Anonymous said...

Hey LA

If Nixon was kaput, Carter kaput, and Kennedy was sehr gut it is only because Kennedy declared himself as a German jelly roll at the Berlin Wall in 1963

"ich bin ein berliner"

http://tinyurl.com/2qxgld

(Pic I took in DDorf 2005)

Anonymous said...

Amerloque said

"Many Europeans are fed up with a) immigration; b) illegals; and c) rampant crime. "

How true. (sigh)

When I arrived in France in 1977 and up until the last 5-7 years I had really no fear about walking anywhere in this country at anytime of the day or night. Not now! The reality of no go zones like in certain American cities and suburbs has come home to roost in Europe and in France. Everytime I take the RER B north to the airport I hold on to my belongings and have my telephone ready in case I have to film some aggression.

The northern suburbs of Paris are rough. Very rough.

The face of Europe has changed and with it the movement of governments and mentalities to the right (even the left is moving right)have now made it politically correct to throw out the illegals “manu militaire”

Nota bene - unfortunately I use the notion of political cleavage for facility because of time considerations


People are fed up and It's not the American immigrants that are perceived as causing the problems. Radicalism among a certain part of the Muslim population doesn't help and those Muslims who have tried to integrate unfortunately pay the price for those who have no desire to integrate and preach for a second caliphate in Europe.

Just look at Holland which had been thought of as a model of immigration and integration. The Dutch are extremely tolerant people.

After the murder of Theo Van Gogh in 2004 the Dutch began to reevaluate their overture toward unbridled immigration.

LA

As per your remarks about guns.

The difference between Americans and Swiss is that a part of the American population is so driven to win that they will go to any means including using a gun. In other words they can't control themselves

For the moment we are not there yet in Europe and even if people (ex) in Switzerland have guns they have the good sense to not let their emotions dictate their use of said weapon.

But...but..but..but..and I do say but...Countries such as France and England are moving toward the same type of aggressive-weapons response.

It's a question of time

Last week England was hit by a unfortunate very mediatic killing of an 11 year old in Liverpool by some gang members.

LA Sunset said...

Rocket,

//The difference between Americans and Swiss is that a part of the American population is so driven to win that they will go to any means including using a gun. In other words they can't control themselves//

The difference is the culture. How many gang-banging wanna be rap artist thugs roam the streets of Switzerland's urban areas, protecting their turf? Any "Bloods" or "Crips" chapters in Zurich?

You are right about Americans and their desire to win. But I think that it has little to do with our higher level of gun violence here. It's more about the image portrayed by many of the rap stars singing "dust my homey on the street" songs and glorifying the drugs, the guns, and overall lifestyle of a "gangsta" rapper.

LA Sunset said...

//"ich bin ein berliner"//

Yes, he made this statement many times during his rant, as well.

Anonymous said...

LA

I do agree with you as per your last post. The problem is that people need to get back to religious values in order to combat this rise in violence. Not only rappers but also white artists contribute to this degeneration.

I recently saw a really powerful interview by an extremely pertinent and talented Austrian journalist that left me marked for life about this whole problem of violence and the effect of the devil on kids today.

Certainly the second part is the most powerful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kHk4RFAROg

Please watch it and reflect and get back to me on this most timely subject.

Best regards

LA Sunset said...

//I recently saw a really powerful interview by an extremely pertinent and talented Austrian journalist //

Bruno is a journalist? Seemed like an Austrian Cojo to me.

But as for evangelical Christianity being the way to combat violence, I would say it's up to each individual to ascertain what will effect a change in his/her individual life. Enough changes in enough individual lives will certainly improve things. Europe was not particularly evangelical, when I was there. Yet, their values were certainly consistent with a society that had respect for the law and for human life. Unlike what Amerloque seems to be saying in his commentary on today's Europe.

Anonymous said...

Hi LA

I was just bringing some levity into the debate. Bruno is in fact none other than Borat

Regards

LA Sunset said...

//Bruno is in fact none other than Borat//

Ah so. You got me.

That's okay, I'll be watching you from now on. ;)

Seriously, I thought he looked familiar, just couldn't put my finger on where I had seen him before.

Anonymous said...

hehehe. Is that real German that Bruno speaks?

Anyway, his real gift is keeping a straight face the whole time.

L'Amerloque said...

Hi LASunsett !


/*/ …/… Whatever time of day, wherever I went, there were never any threats. I even felt safe to hitchhike on occasion. …/…


Alas, those days are long gone.


In Western Europe nowadays, crime has skyrocketed. In Eastern Europe, one takes one's life in one's hands if one hitchhikes. Hell, truckers are even pulling their rigs in a circle at night, especially in Romania and Bulgaria. Lotsa trucks hijacked and emptied in a flash …


/*/ …/… The polizei was not a group of men, I'd choose to get mouthy with. They used to get irritable when they had to make runs or do crowd control.


Come to think of it, maybe that's one reason crime WAS so low. ;) …/…


Well, that plus the "German mentality".


Here in France it's tough going.

_ _ _ _ _


Hi Rocket !


/*/ …/… When I arrived in France in 1977 and up until the last 5-7 years I had really no fear about walking anywhere in this country at anytime of the day or night. Not now! The reality of no go zones like in certain American cities and suburbs has come home to roost in Europe and in France. Everytime I take the RER B north to the airport I hold on to my belongings and have my telephone ready in case I have to film some aggression.


The northern suburbs of Paris are rough. Very rough. …/…/*/


Amerloque couldn't agree more. Out in the 78 (Yvelines) there are some tough places, too. A lot of the emergency-call doctors (SOS Medecins) simply won't go into certain neighborhoods anymore.


Amerloque has mentally divided Paris and the 'burbs into "OK" and "war zone" and, needless to say, avoids the second category. (sigh) So does Mme Amerloque. So do Amerloque's kids. So do their friends … and down the line …


The big difference, at least to Amerloque's way of thinking, is that in the USA a citizen can arm her/himself. Here, it's tougher. The Amerloque family has two.big.dogs. No fear of being carjacked when one is in the vehicle with Mme Amerloque … (grin) … three (!) of her acquaintances have been 'jacked in the past year or so. That has come to France, too … (sigh) …


_ _ _ _ _


Hi LASunsett !


/*/…… Yet, their values were certainly consistent with a society that had respect for the law and for human life. Unlike what Amerloque seems to be saying in his commentary on today's Europe. …/… //


In France, the problem is not so much the people (the building blocks of the "society" as a whole) as it is the justice system, at least in Amerloque's view. Crimes of violence are simply not punished as they are in the USA. Period. The magistrates are living on Cloud Nine somewhere and think that all human beings are basically kind and law-abiding. Of course, when it's clear that is not the case in a particularly heinous crime, the other arguments are "he's a criminal because his daddy was an alky, his mom a ho, and he's unemployed."


Sounds familiar, eh ? (sigh)

_ _ _ _ _

Best,
L'Amerloque