Oh great someone wants to continue the US vs Europe line. Well screw that, get back on topic. Or should I start an Asia vs the West tangent in this BS? The fact that there are 3000 dead in France, or that there are fat people in the US or stupic crazy MoFos with guns shouldn't become a whose dick is bigger contest. Go start another thread on how much the US or Europe or both sucks.
Up in this part of the US many people do not have air conditioning either. Not sure if it is due to the high Eurotaxes [in addition to the latte tax] that we pay or because we're at the 48th parallel and next to the Pacific Ocean.
Oh great someone wants to continue the US vs Europe line. Well screw that, get back on topic. Or should I start an Asia vs the West tangent in this BS? The fact that there are 3000 dead in France, or that there are fat people in the US or stupic crazy MoFos with guns shouldn't become a whose dick is bigger contest. Go start another thread on how much the US or Europe or both sucks.
Actually, this thread was originally posted as knock against Europe, and France in particular, with implicit comparative praise for low-tax, air-conditioned USA. The original poster, and others, have stuck to this theme throughout. So we are not really off-topic (although we have clearly moved into some sub-themes).
I do sympathize with you, however. Your suggestion for a replacement topic for this thread is much better than the original topic. Your replacement topic is, as I understand it: What did France do differently than other European countries? Any further theories on this topic?
When I first heard the news on the number dead in France due to the heat I was caught in the middle of a flood and already pissed, so my usual knee-jerk reaction was worse, ("What the f--k are those French doing, how the hell??? Smug Euro prigs) So I gave myself time before I posted to this thread. In the interim I heard a report comparing the number dead in France to the rest of Europe and realize something really was amiss in the Emergency management system in France. Yes, ACs are probably not a cultural norm, but the French people really need to hold the people in charge of their emergency management accountable.
When I first heard the news on the number dead in France due to the heat I was caught in the middle of a flood and already pissed, so my usual knee-jerk reaction was worse, ("What the f--k are those French doing, how the hell??? Smug Euro prigs) So I gave myself time before I posted to this thread. In the interim I heard a report comparing the number dead in France to the rest of Europe and realize something really was amiss in the Emergency management system in France. Yes, ACs are probably not a cultural norm, but the French people really need to hold the people in charge of their emergency management accountable.
Most of the dead where founded in their homes, and the hospitals managed to take care of the deshydrated people efficiently even if they encountoured big problems to do so.
Since the former french gov decided to go to the 35 hours week, the hospitals encountered big problems of people management. This law have been done, without anticipating backwards effects.
In parallelar the number of emergencies is increasing year after year, most of these emergencies are not real ones, and are built upon people who don't want to wait for regular consultations.
The politic of gestion of the number of bed in hospitals, is also in cause, they reduced dramatically the number of beds since the last 20 years. The result is less bed empty, but a risk of overflow in time of crisis. That's what we see here.
The other big problem is more a society problems, is the lack of compassion for olds generations. Some people, for example do not want to shorten their holidays because their mother is dead : it's really sad, but unfortunately there is nothing new here.
Trumptman :
when i speak of 60 $, i speak of 60 $ a year. Because in a normal year, the AC is only need in France no more than one month. People are able to buy cigarettes at a price of more than 3 $ per day, and thus spend for an average smoker 100 $ per month. Most of the french people are able to spent this amount of money.
The french electricity is not the more expansive one in europe, because France product more electricity than it use, and because most of his electricity comes from nuclear plant. And nuclear plants are one of the most inexpensive source of electricity.
For the price multiplied by two, i have huge doubts. I think he meant multiplication by a factor 2 of the environnemental taxes. If any gov multiplied by 2 the price of electricity, he will face serious social contestation. I never heard this info before, and i have huge doubts about it. The last time that the cost of electricity was raised of 3 % it was a huge debate.
The key word, to understand these 3000 deaths are deshydratation. Sure AC can help, but there is others ways, the simpliest of all is to drink.
While playing golf at extreme hots temperatures, i drinked 3,5 liters once (almost one gallon). In winter i just drink 0,5 liters. But you must drink before you are thirsty, because once your are thirsty, you have already a small deshydratation.
In time of big hot, many old people have forget this, and there was nobody to give this advice to them or oblige them to do it. This is the major reason.
I know in my area during extreme heat conditions there are constant PSAs on the news to remind people on how to cope with the heat and dehydration. Still there are a few deaths, in the realy bad cases the numbers I've heard from cities various cities across the states can reach to the hundreds, still not thousands thounh.
Powerdoc, are you saying the problem was effect of a compounded problem of poor bureaucracy withing the French policies dealing with the Healthcare industry. Figures, damn bureaucrats trying to save a dime.
Correction: Damn bureaucrats trying to save a dime by cutting from funds and programs that the public actually needs.
Comments
Originally posted by LiquidR
Oh great someone wants to continue the US vs Europe line. Well screw that, get back on topic. Or should I start an Asia vs the West tangent in this BS? The fact that there are 3000 dead in France, or that there are fat people in the US or stupic crazy MoFos with guns shouldn't become a whose dick is bigger contest. Go start another thread on how much the US or Europe or both sucks.
Actually, this thread was originally posted as knock against Europe, and France in particular, with implicit comparative praise for low-tax, air-conditioned USA. The original poster, and others, have stuck to this theme throughout. So we are not really off-topic (although we have clearly moved into some sub-themes).
I do sympathize with you, however. Your suggestion for a replacement topic for this thread is much better than the original topic. Your replacement topic is, as I understand it: What did France do differently than other European countries? Any further theories on this topic?
Originally posted by LiquidR
When I first heard the news on the number dead in France due to the heat I was caught in the middle of a flood and already pissed, so my usual knee-jerk reaction was worse, ("What the f--k are those French doing, how the hell??? Smug Euro prigs) So I gave myself time before I posted to this thread. In the interim I heard a report comparing the number dead in France to the rest of Europe and realize something really was amiss in the Emergency management system in France. Yes, ACs are probably not a cultural norm, but the French people really need to hold the people in charge of their emergency management accountable.
Most of the dead where founded in their homes, and the hospitals managed to take care of the deshydrated people efficiently even if they encountoured big problems to do so.
Since the former french gov decided to go to the 35 hours week, the hospitals encountered big problems of people management. This law have been done, without anticipating backwards effects.
In parallelar the number of emergencies is increasing year after year, most of these emergencies are not real ones, and are built upon people who don't want to wait for regular consultations.
The politic of gestion of the number of bed in hospitals, is also in cause, they reduced dramatically the number of beds since the last 20 years. The result is less bed empty, but a risk of overflow in time of crisis. That's what we see here.
The other big problem is more a society problems, is the lack of compassion for olds generations. Some people, for example do not want to shorten their holidays because their mother is dead : it's really sad, but unfortunately there is nothing new here.
Trumptman :
when i speak of 60 $, i speak of 60 $ a year. Because in a normal year, the AC is only need in France no more than one month. People are able to buy cigarettes at a price of more than 3 $ per day, and thus spend for an average smoker 100 $ per month. Most of the french people are able to spent this amount of money.
The french electricity is not the more expansive one in europe, because France product more electricity than it use, and because most of his electricity comes from nuclear plant. And nuclear plants are one of the most inexpensive source of electricity.
For the price multiplied by two, i have huge doubts. I think he meant multiplication by a factor 2 of the environnemental taxes. If any gov multiplied by 2 the price of electricity, he will face serious social contestation. I never heard this info before, and i have huge doubts about it. The last time that the cost of electricity was raised of 3 % it was a huge debate.
The key word, to understand these 3000 deaths are deshydratation. Sure AC can help, but there is others ways, the simpliest of all is to drink.
While playing golf at extreme hots temperatures, i drinked 3,5 liters once (almost one gallon). In winter i just drink 0,5 liters. But you must drink before you are thirsty, because once your are thirsty, you have already a small deshydratation.
In time of big hot, many old people have forget this, and there was nobody to give this advice to them or oblige them to do it. This is the major reason.
Powerdoc, are you saying the problem was effect of a compounded problem of poor bureaucracy withing the French policies dealing with the Healthcare industry. Figures, damn bureaucrats trying to save a dime.
Correction: Damn bureaucrats trying to save a dime by cutting from funds and programs that the public actually needs.