Ruminating on a burqa ban, high speed trains and financial regulation

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. Not all reader comments have been published. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

French commission recommends banning the burqa

Wearing a veil in public in all countries should be banned on the basis of public security. If that is unacceptable, people should go back to their native country. -- Helen, Great Britain

No exceptions for religions. It does not fit in a democracy. If there are dress rules in public places, all have to stay within the rules. For example if a school has a rule to wear a school uniform, it cannot be that some can wear full veils, or be allowed to dress just how they want. There should be no special treatment because of their faith. After school they can put their veil on again and still have freedom of religion. -- Gerhard Seeger, Philippines

France has got it right on this subject. Very good. All countries should follow their lead! -- Mr. Stevens, US

Thousands protest against new high-speed trains in Europe

Outside of tunnels being drilled in sensitive areas, I cannot understand the protests. The alternative to high speed rail is more airline flights and highways. One only has to look at the United States to see where this leads. We have millions of automobiles, spewing tons of carbon into the atmosphere. Likewise the lack of interest here in the US for high speed rail has resulted in the proliferation of airlines, which fly thousands of flights a day. The mentality of these people baffles me. -- Kenneth Sturmer, US

High speed trains are no threat to the environment. And given that the alternative is the extra air travel that these nihilists are also complaining about, the governments are left with no alternative but to do the right thing for the millions of travelers who would want to have high speed trains as an alternative to air travel. -- Charles Smyth, Great Britain

In this third world country (Mexico) we'd like to have one tenth of the rail network Europeans enjoy. -- Eugenio Herrmann, Mexico

Did they count the number of plane passengers per year for flights from Paris to Milan? That should be the environmental debate: how are people and the post going from Milan to Paris and back now, how would this change that and what is the environment impact of both solutions. -- Alexandru, Romania

Since when are trains more polluting than road vehicles? This link should reduce Europe's overall carbon footprint. These so called "20,000" protesters cannot be representative of all those untold millions who will gain from creating this new link. There is no mention of jobs creation and additional tourist revenue that will also add to more general prosperity for both Italy and France. It seems that these protests are more like Luddites who cannot distinguish between positive infrastructural and technological development and that which is not. -- HistoryTechDoc, The Netherlands

EU applauds Obama's bank crackdown, but won't copy it

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Readers hope for increased regulation of American banksWhile on the surface the plans proposed by Obama are welcome, I am concerned about the lack of details and, more importantly, how they will be administered by regulatory officials. Too often such proposals lack sufficient follow through and "teeth" to effectively achieve the required results. -- Rolf Boll, US

I believe President Obama's ideas to put more restrictions on US banks is essential, even if it comes too long after the bail-out. US banks need more regulations in order to deflate the egos of the enormously greedy arrogant bank executives. -- Ronda Kerr, US

Obama's proposal isn't a bad idea for America's financial structure reform. It is time for reform after the havoc their deregulated banks caused the entire world economy. However, I am afraid of his anxious intention to export his reform to the rest of us. "Uniforming" everything, disregarding that our, EU, financial structure is different, even on a country-to-country basis, could be pernicious. In a word, do not apply the same remedies to different kinds of sickness or problems. -- Mario, Portugal

President Obama does not have the fortitude to stand up to the Wall Street bankers who wield great power over the US political establishment. This indecisiveness will cost this much-admired president his next election and will leave a lot of Democrats very frustrated. -- G. Gosau, Canada

Compiled by Stuart Tiffen
Editor: Michael Lawton