Clashes exacerbate strike in French Caribbean

Feb. 19 09

Sometimes I don´t know how to react at the way these events are covered by the international press agencies.

If only some of these "pseudo reporters" or "journalists" would stick to the facts, the world, surely, could be a better place.

To narrow events unfolding, in our sister islands of Guadaloupe, or la Martinique, to racial struggles denotes a lack of empirical investigation and laziness. I think some reporters, come to these latitudes, for the drinks, beaches, sun, fun, all in all (deserved vacations).

These people inherited the French tradition of claiming and fighting for their rights. Who ever heard of protests in France being reduced to "racial struggles"? It may have a social class component, one of the many factors surrounding their reactions (as it happens anywhere in the world).

The economic element is the main component. As I always stress, reproducing modern living in an island constitutes a major extravagance, attainable to only a priviledged few. In other words, the smaller the island, the harder it is for locals to have access to goods that resolve its everyday problems.

So race or economic class struggles doesn´t play an eminent role. People want resources in order to face our inmediate needs, not overthrow an Ancien Regime (simple economic Pyramid).

My heart, wish and prayer goes out to those sisters and brothers, our neighbors, in these desperate times of economic depression (which always hit the poor first).

Jorge from Puerto Rico

that sucks.

Give them their INDEPENDANCE!!!! No more help from FRANCE ....They will have to work for a living.

Claudia wrote:

Give them their INDEPENDANCE!!!! No more help from FRANCE ....They will have to work for a living.

It is France that doesn´t want to let go. And if it dares to do that it will have to do it with a good many "departments" back in their "neck of the woods", you see, places like Bretagne, Provance (have always claimed that) they should not belong to France, that they should be independent.

So it is not a matter of "being supported" by the central govt. in Paris, it is a matter that Paris and the French taxpayers are deriving far more benefit from the "departaments d´outre mer", to let go.

Jorge from Puerto Rico

P.S.

Remember that, as it happens in New Mexico, Washington D.C., is no Santa Claus. In this case, Paris is no Papa Noel.

Claudia wrote:

Give them their INDEPENDANCE!!!! No more help from FRANCE ....They will have to work for a living.

Sorry, Claudia, I got mistaken by the your state, where you read New Mexico, please substitute it with Florida.

In fact, Florida tried to secede from the Union, back in the 19th, in order to become "independent", as part of the Confederate States of America.

A civil war was fought for more than 4 years, with more than 600,000 casualties, lots of cities burn down to the ground, national economy in shambles.

So, you see what happens when a territory decides it is time to go at it by themselves?

The American Civil War was not fought about the slavery issue, it was fought in order to maintain national union. The rebellious South had never regained the wealth and prestige it had before 1865, that has been their punishment.

Just imagine what would France do to Guadaloupe and Martinique. To have a "slight" idea, please review the war of independence that Algeria fought agaisnt France.