mdoneil writes “French students protesting a new labor law in France staged a protest at locations across France including Paris’s Sorbonne. These students, demonstrating over job reforms destroyed a priceless archive of pre-French Revolution texts housed at the University. The Washington Post covers the story.
Australia’s ABC reports that students were “Starting to destroy our national heritage, which has been built up over centuries, destroying old books, smashing objects, vandalising the building.”
Destroying national treasures, including rare books and manuscripts is not really the way to get anyone’s support, especially not that of this librarian.”
Just that library or any library?
You were very quiet when the Baghdad libraries and museums were in flames. But maybe those are “different”.
A shadow of a doubt.
Sorry, Mdoneil, but I need a little more than the word of Minister de Robien as to whether the students rampaged or (just maybe) the security forces were over-zealous in “taking” the building.
Re:Just that library or any library?
Are you referring to the Post or LISnews? If it’s the latter, see here, here, here, here and here for some of the *many* articles we’ve linked to about the destruction of Iraq’s libraries.
Re:Just that library or any library?
Actually I have not been very quiet. You might want to see the article I submitted here, or perhaps this post on my blog here 4th paragraph is most important. I know that I have more posts at LISNews about this topic, but I can’t find them. I don’t know if they are no longer available or my search for “iraq libraries” (I can’t do iraq w/5 libraries or iraq and libraries – slashcode was not designed by a librarian)
So perhaps before giving your knee jerk reactions in public you should have read what I wrote previously. I am opposed to the willful destruction of library materials.
Oh, by the way there is a war going on in Iraq, it has been in all the papers. France however is just filled with unemployed disgruntled students. There are jobs available in France, if you don’t believe me go to a major French daily and click on annonces, then emploi. I found plenty of McDonalds jobs there. There is dignity in all work so these spoiled students can certainly swallow their pride and do some manual labor.
So since you appear to be too dense to read what I have written previously let me make it easy for you.
Willful distruction of historical artifacts and books = bad.
Inadvertent damage to historical artifacts and books = terribly unfortunate/
French students want more money for menial labor = who cares there are people who will do it for what they are offering.
A murderous despot removed from power so he can’t kill thousands more – good.
If you need me to clarify anything else just let me know.
Oh, and if you want to help with my project to restock the library at the Tehran law school I’d be delighted to forward anything you have. I can fax you the copies of the letters authorizing the project I have from the relevent Federal authorities. You can read about that here, but frankly I doubt you will, it might change your opinion.
Re:A shadow of a doubt.
So you don’t trust the French, or the Washington Post – the inside the beltway left of center daily, or the ABC?
How about some OU student here, or perhaps the NYT is more to your liking.
If those fine bastions of authority can’t be believed perhaps a picture will do.
If you don’t believe any of that then I guess reality is not in your vocabulary.
One in the morning?!
Yes, reality is in my vocabulary and yes, I’m still suspicious of the entire affair. I’ll attribute your tone to it being 1am when you posted and you’re mildly cranky! Try getting some sleep!
Re:One in the morning?!
Well suspicion is not necessarily a bad thing, at least in moderation.
I have more than one job and work odd hours so sometimes I do post at odd hours, but I’ll never disagree with anyone who suggests some shut eye.
I wish we still had nap time at work like we did in kindergarten.
Re:Just that library or any library?
No, there isn’t. Not even the ass kissing corporate press has lied so blatantly as to suggest that Congress has issued a formal declaration of war against Iraq. And that body is the only body in the U.S. with the legal authority to do so. This is another non-war; at least the third in U.S. history. That’s point number one; point number two is that pre-invasion Iraq was reasonably stable with full (if misapplied) exercise of civil authority. The libraries were only burned after civil authority was overthrown and the occupation forces failed to replace it:
Bush lied and history died.
Re:A shadow of a doubt.
Actually the student quoted in OU didn’t say anything about destroying books, rare or otherwise, just ATMs and broken windows. Also, the NY times just quoted the Education minister again.
I agree with the protestors but I don’t condone detroying rare books IF that is what happened.