Miss Belgium is not 'tweetalig'

[Matrix]

quote:Originally posted by Shabbaman

Somehow I get the feeling that no one here takes Belgium's problems seriously.

I think the whole point is the Belgiums themselves don't their own problem seriously. They're playing a game. But eventually it will break the country apart.

[Melifluous]

quote:Originally posted by romeothemonk


Although since very few people comprehend me and my pathologies, perhaps I should become more reclusive. Or spam more. One of those two.

I think you talk just fine Romeo, don't worry if some of the more backward members of the EU dont understand you To put things in perspective, the people booing the pretty lady are the people going to one of the few places on earth that people who are only there because they are pretty are gaurenteed NOT to take their clothes off...

As for Belgium generally, I cannot take them seriously, I mean the whole idea of a subset of any country being called Walloons and Flems makes me want to laugh a lot.

[Shabbaman]

Don't worry Meli, the rest of the world laughs about the scots, welsh and brits as well.

[Stapel]

@Barbu,
Belgium and Canada have hardly anything in common. The Belgian commaunutairian problems are of a different level.

Matrix explainjed some of it.

quote:Originally posted by Matrix

The division is a but more equal than in Canada, barbu. 59% speaks Dutch, 40% French and 1% German. Wallonia (French/German speaking) used to be more prosperous, but now it's the other way around. Flanders gifts Wallonia about 1 billion euros on a yearly basis.

But Brussels is mostly French-speaking, and because of suburbanisation a lot of them moved to the neighbouring Flemmish municipality. That's where the cultural conflict is heaviest.

So there is an economically Flemmish dominance nationwide, but a linguistically French dominance around Brussels. That's the heart of the conflict. And the amateuristic politicians make it worse.

The actual problem is not sending the 1mio billion euros form Flanders to Wallonia. The problem is the total lack of democratic control. To give a simple example: if (in the Netherlands) a community gets money from the national treasury, the local government has to explain what they do with that money. If it isn't spent according to its purpose, fines will follow.

But in Belgium, federal (thus Flemmish) money goes straight into the hands of the regional Wallonian government. They can spoil it as they please. To make it worse, Wallonia has been ruled by the PS (Parti Socialiste) since 1945, without any exceptions. The PS is an utterly corrupt, backward and ultra-leftwing party.

[barbu1977]

quote:Originally posted by Stapel

@Barbu,
Belgium and Canada have hardly anything in common.

Well they are 2 countries with 2 official languages (that's a start).

I'm saying that from what I'm seeing in Canada (well in Montreal, where the population is about 50-50, in a french-speaking province and where the anglos still hold most of the whealth), I can understand that a Miss Belgium will get booed if shee doesn't speak both official languages.

I can also understand that theese cultural/language questions can get out of hand preaty fast.

[Matrix]

It's true that language is a strong definer of cultures and ethnicity. Speaking the same language unites people, while speaking different languages not only makes communication harder, but also just doesn't feel comfortable.

If all Belgians spoke the same language it would never have gotten so much out of hand as it has now.

Nevertheless, good analysis, Stapel. My brother, who lives just outside Brussels, has told me just about the same. But that also makes it so frustrating. For the first time since WW2 not the socialists but the liberals became first in Wallony, and the federal government finally has a chance of making a coalition without the PS, but they just screwed up.

[Robi D]

The problem here is Belgium is suffering from its governments (while it still had one) foreign policies, which are part of the wider foreign policies of the West. Since the end of the cold war the West deliberately went about fuelling break up of nations in the east. As much as they blab about unique situations and such crap, their people see if its good enough for them then why not us. Belgium is feeling this first because the split is so even, but other nations in the west will soon follow.

[Shabbaman]

You are saying something to the effect that I said before: in Europe there's no more need for classic nation states. Although in other Western European countries there has been active seperatist movements for years, this hasn't been so in Belgium. That the problems are worse in Belgium than anywhere else, that could be because both parts are very equal (in size, not in value) and because the country doesn't really have a long history.