Putting men and women on an even playing field...

Back home at the DP Fray, there is a lively discussion about men's right to "abort" an unwanted fetus. This comes out of a very silly vletter from a very silly boy who some girl had the misfortune of sleeping with. That girl is now pregnant, and LW boy is acting as if he has nothing to do with the whole thing.

The question that arises from this is that the woman has the right to end this story, with no say from the man, whereas the man has no rights, but only obligations to the child that will be born if the woman carries the child to term.

I have been considering a solution which would be complicated and costly, but which would solve an awful lot of problems.

The solution is mandatory sterilization of men at puberty. It is far easier to deal with male sterilization and its consequences than female sterilization Each young man would have samples of his semen collected and stored in a variety of locations, so as to ensure that there will always be semen available for him to use.

When he decides to have a child with a woman, she will undergo artificial insemination.

No unwanted children, no birth control mistakes, no women "tricking" men into unchosen pregnancies. Both parties must be willing to participate, and one can even imagine that women need to notify a central registry of their insemination, ensuring that the father is absolutely certain that he is the father.

"En régions" or "en province"? Politically correct BS

My whine of the day.

I really get riled by the increasing use of the expression "en régions" which has replaced "en province" for right-thinking French people.

"En province" is used to describe that part of France that is not Paris. "La Province", for many Parisians, is the boonies, a hellhole where you go to enjoy your country home or for vacation, but which you have thankfully left behind forever as a place to live, having "gone up" to Paris. The inhabitants of "la Province" are hicks and hayseeds, incapable of appreciating the finer things in life (like traffic jams and pollution).

Naturally, sùome people's feeling were hurt, and someone decided it was politically incorrect to describe 90 of France in this disparaging fashion. And so was born the expression "en régions". A "région" is one of the 20-odd administrative regions of France (Upper Normandy, Midi-Pyrénées, Brittany, Lorraine...). By saying "en régions" rather than "en province", the delicate feelings of the Provincials are protected.

Please note that I have never met a Provincial who cares one way or another about this. This is a made-up grievance as seen from the Parisian perspective, which can only see the world as being divided into Paris vs everywhere else. That Provincials may be perfectly happy with their lives in the Provinces, that people can achieve personal fulfilment and professional success beyond the ring road, does not occur to them.

Anyway, these crazy people, who do control the way language is used, since they control the media, business, and politics, have decided we should say "régions" and "en régions" rather than "Province" and "en province". This is stupid, annoying, and ultimately useless.

First, it is inappropriate. Paris is part of the region Ile-de-France, which takes its name from the Ancien Régime province to which it very roughly corresponds. This region used to be known as the "Région parisienne", a name that is still used unofficially. So "en régions" by definition includes Paris, which is not the aim of those who use this term. "En province" at least has the historic use of "province" in opposition to "Paris" on its side.

And there's the real problem. Those saying "en régions" believe they are removing the stigma of the term "provincial", when they are in fact merely reproducing an age-old opposition that corresponds to a real phenomenon, and that is only perjorative for those who believe that Paris is the be-all and end-all of human existence. As long as you use "en régions" to make a distinction between Paris and the rest of France, you're changing the words without solving the problem (or the perceived problem).

Political, economic and social power in France is concentrated in Paris. That's a fact, and one that does justify a distinction between Paris and the rest of the country. In certain professions, success does mean success in Paris. And if you want to be at the cutting edge of what's going on in fashion or the arts, Paris is probably the place to be. But if you want to have the time and money to actually enjoy culture, to profit from the resources of your community, you're probably better off in the provinces, where costs are lower, where you spend less time commuting and have more time for leisure, and where you can find a wide range of cultural and social opportunities.

I'm happy to live in Paris, but unlike those soft-hearted souls who think they're sparing someone's feelings, I don't think that makes me better than my neighbors in the provinces.

Vive la France, vive la Province!

Hooligans, and the response thereto

Marc explains the news from France.

The stories HERE and HERE.

Emeute MAILORAMA distribution d'argent 14.11.2009 Annulé
envoyé par feartrip. - L'info video en direct.

So this "marketing" company Mailorama wants to do a promotional event. They decide to copy a stunt done elsewhere (USA, USA!) by giving away cash in the street. A scandalous idea for the French political elite, who want to downplay the desperate financial situation of many French people (see the Yes Men getting Sarkozy's BFF Patrick Balkany explaining that "poor" people in France are simply those who buy foie gras in bulk just below), who want to deny that the French are just as greedy as those corrupt Anglo-Saxon capitalists, and who want to blame those that exploit poverty rather than work to eliminate it.

yes men VS Balkany par lelabtv
envoyé par lelabtv. - L'info video en direct.

(This reminds me of the scandal caused during a Socialist government by a rent-to-own firm. The deals offered by the firm were dreadful in financial terms, with purchase plans that were usurous, but that at least offered those without access to credit a possibility to obtain some goods that society tells them they must have, like color TVs. Rather than worry about the financial illiteracy of the French, an illiteracy shared by much of the political class, or the existence of poverty, the government of the time blamed those that would "exploit" poverty by offering the poor a choice.)

Anyway, the giveaway was announced for last week behind the Ecole Militaire, not far from the Eiffel Tower. A huge crowd arrived. The police told the organizers that the situation was dangerous (natch), so the organizers called off the distribution. A riot ensued, with a car burned, stores pillaged, the police attacked, etc. Typical French civism, in short, and totally predictable when you tell a bunch of greedy and/or poor people they're not getting the handout they were promised.

The Ministry of the Interior says it's going to prosecute the organizers. The organizers say they had a permit from the Police. The police say they didn't give a permit, and couldn't ban the event because it's only a minor infraction to distribute money in public (yes, it's against the law to distribute money in public in France... only the State can do that, when it serves its interest, for example with the special grant families with children receive for Christmas). Oddly enough, the police manage to ban all sorts of events when it suits them.

Basically, they fucked up, and now the State is going to sue, sue, sue those responsible (well, those they claim are responsible).

Now on to our other story. Last month, the match between the Paris Saint Germain and the Olympique de Marseille football teams was called off at the last minute. There were questions about a mini-swine flu epidemic on the Paris team, but the Federation decided to wait until the day of the match, after many Parisian thugs had arrived in Marseille or were on their way there, to cancel the match. As is typical during a Paris-Marseille match, there was rioting, but even more so than usual.

Similarly, last weekend there was a match between Egypt and Algeria. Algeria lost, so of course, there was rioting in Marseille.

On Friday, the PSG-OM match will be held again, and 1000 riot police will be on hand to try to limit the damage.

All this to say... when the fuck will the State ban football matches, or at least make the instigators of this violence (the football clubs and their Federation) pay for the damage caused?

Strollers!

The RATP guide can be found HERE.