Fried French Toll Tops Ten Thousand

10,000 French
Fried, People Blame Government, Government Blames People

What the heck is going on in France? The latest officially acknoledged
death toll in this month’s heat wave is 10,000! Meanwhile, in Southern
neighbor Spain, where the temperatures were even higher than in France,
there were only 40 deaths and in Germany 38, although Portugal and Italy are
also reporting significant numbers.

Now, the French government, responding to
intense criticsm from newspapers, opposition parties and public opinion,
has blasted back at the public itself, saying most of the dead were elderly
and infirm
citizens abandoned in their apartments while family members left town
on traditional August vacations. Quite unseemly, but terribly French.

“Many fragile people died alone in their homes. These
dramas again shed light on the solitude of many of our aged or handicapped
citizens,” said Chirac.

France’s medical system is widely regarded as one of the world’s best.
But some health workers said it fell short in August because of laws
restricting France’s workweek to 35 hours, worsening staff shortages.