GUWonder

The French government security establishment has plenty of people who have little qualm about monitoring whomever they wish to monitor, suspicious criminal activity or not, however they want, law or not. Where there's material evidence, I expect and want charges, prosecution and convictions under the existing body law; the rest is nothing but a blanket smear.

TierFlyer

It was the title of the news story. I do not believe that the title has the word "all" in it. Let me go check. Nope. Sorry, what was the question?

GUWonder

The title of the BBC story: "Paris airport bars 72 employees". That's different than "Paris airport bars Muslim staff" which is the title you gave it.

TierFlyer

Ohhh, how racist and insulting of you! Where are my fuzzy slippers and my hot toddy!

Actually, France (and England, for that matter) have wildly looser laws (despite or because of their socialist leanings) around privacy and oversight by government agents. The hoops that the Fibbers have to jump through over here to get permission to snoop email at an ISP is available to English security cops through an administrative order, for example. (I have this image of Vogons lecturing Ford Prefect....)

GUWonder

"The French government security establishment" isn't a reference to a racial or ethnic group.

Referring to the French people with the use of an animal name seems to be in the same mold as the misleading thread title. Of the individuals "barred" not all were muslims; and most all muslims working at CDG are still working at CDG in the jobs they had before. I was in Paris not too long ago and there are muslim staff working at CDG. I would be comfortable to say there are hundreds still working there ... and that gives the lie to the notion that "Paris airport bars Muslim staff".

The thread title is not the same title as that used by the BBC, so that snake oil won't sell.

About domestic spying, the US government does plenty -- law or not -- and is engaged in the same kind of activities, including by way of administrative proceedings behind closed doors. Echoes of the Star Chamber, perhaps.

TierFlyer

It was the title when I posted the story.

TierFlyer

Sorry, clearly should have used a sarcasm indicator. The French are not a racial or ethnic group - it's quite a surprisingly heterogeneous country, from Normandy to Alsace you have several different and distinct cultures. Also, of course, there are many many Algerian and Moroccans living in France - and their ethnicity *and* culture are very very non-French in many ways.

It was when I posted it.

Well, our government has worked that way for 240 years, so I'm not sure what the anxiety is all about.

Also, given the relative frequency of debate about the Patriot Act, the consistency of Supreme Court rulings, and the amount of actual oversight of congress, it's hard to see where you come up with the Star Chamber analogy.

etch5895

I'll go along with you that the title 'frog' is offensive to French police, but bear in mind that the one poster who first posted offense to this has no problem referring to law enforcement personnel as 'pigs'.

How about no slurs for any group, protected catagory or not.

PhlyingRPh

Can't deny that. Oink oink!!!

GUWonder

I'll take you at your word. The BBC borrowed one from the Fox News playbook and then realized that this wasn't yet a re-make of 1930s Germany and so they adjusted the title to reflect reality rather than blanket statements connoting the triumph of bigotry.

dodo

Come on, the Oxford English Dictionary cites an 1811 reference to a "pig" as a Bow Street Runner--the early police force, named after the location of their headquarters, before Sir Robert Peel and the Metropolitan Police Force.

In the 60's demonstrators and student protesters used that name to show how they disliked the police force
A slur is speaking disparagingly against a race, a nation ( in this case France) or an ethnicity (or religion).

Well, it is so fashionable and cool to put down France ( though we still have pretension to own that house in Provence or enjoy good food ) and bash a certain religion these days. Any time there is an alert or something goes wrong somewhere- we know already who the usual suspects are.
Wonder what will happen 5 or 10 years down the road when the focus of the administration changes from the ME to Central or South America (still in the interest of propagating democracy (sic) and achieving low cost oil for those gas-guzzling road demons)- who are we going to bash and which religion are we going to point the finger at. I remember quite well the stories that the parents of my Asian friends experienced during the Vietnam war- because they look oriental, they were categorized in the same basket as far as racial slurs go even though they are Koreans, Chinese, Thai or even Japanese.

Unfortunately, the so well-educated people of the western world have forgotten the history of the 20th century about bigotry, discrimination , prejudice and racism and its effects.

GUWonder

"Frog" is an offensive reference to the French .... and that goes beyond just the French police.

And in response to an earlier poster, classifying French as an ethnic group can be as valid as classifying Italian, Greek or Russian as ethnic groups -- all of which are commonly done.

etch5895

If you take an opinion poll, you more find some French people don't mind being called frogs. See below.

http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/general/frenchfrogs.html

We can go a little further here, too. I'm almost afraid to post this next link, but I'll do it anyway:

http://www.rsdb.org/

Almost anything can be a racial slur. Banana, Bourbon, Boxcutter---all slurs and yet all everyday words. The context in which it is used is often a determining factor, but more importantly how the intended (or unintended) victim takes it. Calling a French person a frog may be an insult to their heritage, just as calling a police officer a pig may be insulting to them. Lets not forget that the gross majority of French people are good, likable people. The same can be said for police officers.

Why the difference in standards when it comes to making slurs against people? Lets just call the French and the police what they are, instead of stooping to insults.

To the OP, sorry to go OT here. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

aamilesslave

Frogs and Rosbifs can get along quite well.

http://www.frogpubs.com/pub.php?lang...s&topic=events

dodo