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| Europe | ||
| Tears of rage wept in France | ||
| 2004-03-05 | ||
| That gurgling sound you hear, is France going down the toilet bowl. French researchers came together across the capital yesterday to mark a day of mourning for science. "Sciences at half mast" took place 1 week to the day before the planned mass resignation of research directors on March 9.
Scientists assembled at their nearest locations, wearing lab coats and black armbands. They encouraged passers-by to sign a citizen petition, which has so far gathered 95,000 signatures. At the Métro station named after him, a mourning "Louis Pasteur" came back from the dead to the lamenting tunes of a brass band and declared himself revolted by the fate of the nation’s young scientists. "They are brilliant, motivated, the living strength of the nation, the future of our laboratories. They will discover the drugs and vaccines of tomorrow, and they are thrown away like vermin! Your leaders understand nothing!" He then re-christened the station. "France no longer deserves to celebrate my name. Henceforth, we will call this station ’The Rage.’" "Like Pasteur, we are all enraged," said Alain Fisher, a specialist in genetic therapies from the Necker hospital. "It seems that these days, it is better to be a young waiter than a young researcher." Last week, the French government said it would reinstate 120 of the 550 research posts it cut last year. According to the protestors, this is the equivalent of 2% of what the restaurant business received out of the 2004 budget. Many of the speeches at Pasteur focused on the bleak career prospects of young researchers. Bernard Dujon, of Pasteur, said: "The state of our universities is not worthy of an industrialized country." One young immunologist, recently back from a postdoc abroad, explained that there were only five positions open in her field this year. "I’ve been back for 6 months," she said, "and my only desire is to leave again. It saddens me because I was trained by France. We don’t all want to settle abroad." The crowd greeted her comments with murmurs of "sacrificed generation."
Head hunting time Researchers remain unsatisfied. The announcement that the 2002 credits would be paid was welcomed but they are waiting for bank statements to confirm their government’s good intentions. The 120 posts, however, are "insufficient" and the protestor’s leaders are unconvinced by the organization of the government’s consultation. "If nothing changes before March 9," Fischer said today, "we must remain united and faithful to our decision to resign." | ||
| Posted by:tipper |
| #4 They want to research something? How about maybe a cure for body odor? And welcome back, Louis. It probably beats spinning like a turbine in your grave as you watch this shit. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-3-5 10:36:52 PM |
| #3 Send in the mines. There ought to be mimes ... Seriously, if they resign, won't there be 10 others waiting in line for their position? How about working their tails off and producing something people want to buy? Poseurs. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-3-5 8:43:24 PM |
| #2 Aren't there any jobs for them in French industry? Oh, wait, there is no French industry, is there... |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-3-5 5:22:26 PM |
| #1 Bush lied...rats died. |
| Posted by: john 2004-3-5 12:29:58 PM |