Not that it has anything to do with Korea — other than a shared history as a small nation with a history of uninvited visits from its larger neighbors — but I found this quote by Filip Dewinter, head of the far-right nationalist Flemish Bloc, to be quite humorous:
“We are two different nations, an artificial state created as a buffer between big powers, and we have nothing in common except a king, chocolate and beer,” said Filip Dewinter, the leader of Vlaams Belang, or Flemish Bloc, the extreme-right, xenophobic Flemish party, in an interview. “It’s ‘bye-bye Belgium’ time.”
“Bye-bye Belgium” time. That’s just golden.
23 Comments
The Economist concurs.
http://www.economist.com/opini.....id=9767681
Actually, Belgium’s history is quite different from that of Korea, though there are some similarities. Belgium was part of the Spanish Netherlands until a Hapsburg named Karl ascended to the Spanish throne as Carlos I (later Carlos V) upon the death of his grandfther, Ferdinand of Aragon. Spanish intentions to rule the Netherlands through a Casa de Contratacion, similar to how they ruled the Americas, sparked an 80 year war for independence which ended with the 7 northern (and Protestant) provinces being recognized as an independent Kingdom under the house of Orange, while the southern (and Catholic) provinces remained the “Spanish Netherlands” up until Boney’s time. Thus you have a nation divided into two states, both adhering to dogmas violently opposed to each other, and both of which became pawns in greater power politics. In Holland’s case, Catholic France was only too happy to fight Spain because it kept the Hapsburgs in check and they had territorial ambitions in what is today Belgium and the Flanders part of France.
dda would be far better qualified to comment on this. Gerard Depardieu’s movie version of Cyrano de Bergerac is set in this war, and lovers of historical irony will note that the two regiments opposing each other are both composed of Basques.
Real lovable guy, Filip Dewinter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filip_Dewinter
One disgruntled citizen (not sure which part he was from) went so far as to put Belgium up for sale on eBay. Someone bid $14 million. Quite a bargain.
It sounds better like this:
“other than a shared history as a small nation with a history of uninvited visits from its larger neighbors”
Oh the german Nazi-Koehler in here tries to be funny.
Many of the Vlaams Belang are xenophobes and even racists, but that doesn’t mean their gripes with Belgium are illegitimate. Flanders subsidizes Wallonia in a huge way. In a country where the income tax rate is 63% and VAT is 21%, large transfer payments (over €10 billion) from one Dutch-speaking, (relatively) entrepreneurial nation of six million to another, French-speaking and socialist nation of four million, the deal can rankle. That’s almost €1700 per year going from the pocket of each Dutch-speaking Belgian and €2500 put into the pocket of each French-speaking Belgian — who, according to the Flemings, are lazy and have a 21% unemployment rate.
Put another way, if there were no Belgium, each person in Flanders could suddenly enjoy an 8% increase in standard of living. Is it any wonder that the Flemings say “Belgium, what have you done for me?”
highintellect — For a guy with that online name, I’m surprised you can be such a fucking moron.
Banned.
This kind of peaceful break-up talk is something China hates to read about.
“nothing in common but…chocolate and beer”
The way I see it, that makes Belgium one of the greatest countries in the world.
““When my daughter comes home with a lesbian girlfriend, a Muslim or a negro, I’ll know I raised her wrong. But it’s her own choice.” (May 17, 2007 Jensen!)”
X-D At least it’s her choice, right? Lol… what if his son-in-law-to-be speaks French? ^^
Is the general plan that the Southern side will integrate to France and Northern side gain independence? Or is the Northern side planning to integrate to the Netherlands?
And what about Brussels? Isn’t it like their own version of Post-WWII Berlin? (Wallonia city full of Flemings?)
Maybe, but that presumes France needs more unemployed freeloaders.
Actually, not. It’s the other way around. Brussels was the capital of Flanders and thanks to Belgian Frenchification policy after 1830, the government actively encouraged Francophone Walloons to move to Brussels to take the place over. Dutch-speakers were made second-class citizens in their own city as “official French” policy took over.
Just as the Belgian government now encourages Francophone Arabs to move to Brussels to take the place over. The Arabs don’t think much of work either, and like the stupid European government dole, so their immigration “preserves” Wallonian entitlement to the status quo for now, while setting up a real disaster (warning: the Flemish guy delivering the warning may be a xenophobe and racist) for Brussels in the future. As with the banlieues of Paris, the city center of Brussels is emerging as a no-go zone for indigenous Belgians, and practically a zone of sharia law for the Arab residents because the police have a real hands-off policy toward them.
It’s just Flanders, which pays for the whole fantasy, which gets special attention from the Belgian state.
“The Arabs don’t think much of work either…”
Gee… mmm… You do realize that sounds a bit… You know.
Not exclusive mutually with the previous proposition: she could bring a French-speaking muslim African girlfriend home, right?
True? Accurate? Realistic? What’s teh word you lookin’ for?
#15,
Nope, I was thinking of a word with a negative connotation.
“The Arabs don’t think much of work either…” Dumbass generalization from a guy who usually comes across as being pretty bright.
Thanks for the compliment, and the criticism.
I can only call ‘em as I see ‘em. The fact is, Europe is experiencing a problem — indeed, the possible extinction of their civilization — due to Arab immigration which the United States does not face. The United States can accept and absorb Arab immigrants and turn them into, well, Americans, while Europe for some reason cannot. For the reasons why I’d have to ask our friend dda, who is French although you would not know it from his idiomatic command of English and Korean (and Chinese, and…)
Arab immigrants to Europe have higher rates of unemployment (like three times higher), and stay on the overgenerous public dole interminably. The stupid European social model incentivizes them to do so. If you can’t assimilate them, to invite them over and pay them not to work, but rather to plot war against you seems like a really stupid idea to me.
Check out this provocative piece in Foreign Affairs by Brookings Institution analyst Robert S. Leiken. Now, it’s well-known that Brookings is a xenophobic, racist think tank of the far right. What’s that? Oh, my bad: It’s the Democratic Party’s progressive think tank.
The most popular name for baby boys in Brussels, Amsterdam, Malmö, and London is now “Mohammed”. When all the young men are of this alien culture, and all the Europeans are old, that’s when the new order takes control — which points to civil war in Europe in the next 20 years. Since that’s the war my children will have to fight, I am concerned.
By the way, France and Britain are armed with nuclear weapons. We Americans really don’t want Islam taking control of either place.
“The United States can accept and absorb Arab immigrants and turn them into, well, Americans, while Europe for some reason cannot.”
Multiculturalism seems to have failed in Europe. Instead of creating one big happy multiculti family all sitting around the campfire singing Kumbaya, it seems to have produced ghettos of unemployed immigrants who resent the society at large while the majority resents the immigrants as freeloaders and as being hostile against the values of the adopted society (not that the situation in the US is wonderful, but it does seem better than that in Europe).
That’s because racism is natural, just as greed is natural. What do we do? Capitalism takes advantage of the natural inclination to greed and makes it work relatively effectively for a wide range of people. How can we use the natural inclination for racism to make a more harmonious society? Instead of pretending that racism doesn’t or shouldn’t exist, could we channel it to improve the situation for society overall?
While I agree that Europe has failed to integrate their guest workers from Africa — and likewise the foreign workers failed/refused to integrate — I hardly see the US as a model of integration, one big happy multiculti family all sitting around the campfire singing Kumbaya. Newark? The Bronx? Orange County? The impression I have is that the US managed somehow to make the social pressure heavy enough for [most of] the immigrants to behave or else. Still better than what .eu achieved but not exactly 100% rosy.
You’re right dda. As I said, “not that the situation in the US is wonderful, but it does seem better than that in Europe.” It is of course far from perfect in the US, but immigrants do seem to integrate better in the US than in Europe.
I don’t think it’s heavy-handedness towards its immigrants that makes the US system work better than that in Europe as you suggest. I’d say there seems to be very little social pressure with so many illegals running around all over the place. If anything, I think it has more to do with the US’s relatively open economic system that offers more opportunities to almost anyone with drive and ambition.
The US tends towards economic freedom whereas Europeans tend towards egalitarianism, meaning better social systems for immigrants in Europe but fewer economic opportunities.
#19:
“That’s because racism is natural,…”
While I, as a non-white European, generally agree with the course the discussion here takes (and also agree with most of #19), I do not believe that the problems in Europe really have much to do with the age-old American favourite topic called RACE.
Immigrants from East Asia, South East Asia, and also from parts of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa usually fare quite well in Europe. Areas with a high concentration of these immigrants are not usually unsafe. The real problem is not with immigrants of a particular race but with those of a particular belief, i.e. Islam. Strict adherence to islamic values prevents the integration of the believers into ANY society which is not fully devoted to the same values…
Interesting points, Fantasy. Thanks. I do believe that racism is natural, though, whether it manifests itself in negative behavior is another thing (I hold racist beliefs/stereotypes but I try to treat individuals fairly and on an equitable basis).