ArkanGL sent me this link earlier:

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9767681

"Belgium: Time to call it a day; Sometimes it is right for a country to recognise that its job is done"

Since some of you talked about this with me during the London meet, i thought i might post here the response i sent Louis.

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This is just american media coining a highly typical american one dimensional "analysis".

In truth the situation is highly complex, and it'll take some time longer still for the governement negotions to result into anything. Everyone here knew it would be highly tricky to begin with (six years of a previous governement ignoring difficult issues will do that), so it never really came as a suprise, and now we're just sort of waiting for them to figure it out. So that's why the belgians might appear indifferent to the Economist reporter.

Apart from the extremist right wing, nobody seriously considers to abolish the country entirely. So that wouldn't ever fly. There's just no practical solution for it that would ever work (not the mini state model, and DEFINATLY not the merging with The Netherlands or France option). But one of the issues in the current negotiations is reforming the state into an updated and better working model, so that messes like these might be avoided or at least better dealt with in the future. That's actually why the dutch and french parties have a difficult time getting along. They're different regions and have different ideas on how it should be done.

American Media?

The Economist is a British publication.

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I only read the Economist in the bathroom.

quote:

Originally posted by Fashionpolice:
American Media?

The Economist is a British publication.

**********************
I only read the Economist in the bathroom.

Minor detail.

yeah, same result... one dimensional, extremely simplified analysis.

Not true. You would never see such an analysis of Belgium from the US. Because we're generally not aware it's a country. In grade school, they just taught us that Belgium was a battle in WWII. Somewhere over in Eurpoe, which I'm pretty sure is in western Germany.

I thought it was some kind of waffle!

Wanderer, were you born in Belgium? Or just currently living there for work or study?

quote:

Originally posted by Fashionpolice:
I thought it was some kind of waffle!

It most certainly is not. I have conclusive evidence that Belgium is in fact a series of tubes.

quote:

Originally posted by Fashionpolice:
I thought it was some kind of waffle!

"I'll have a Belgian waffle... And a Danish..."

But to give a reply to the real issue, yes, that column is quite flip. I have a general rule with the Economist: I don't waste time with their shorter pieces because they are commonly so flippant. As if they've explored the issue sufficiently in that little blurb to justify recommending the abolition of a state.

quote:

Originally posted by psyclone:
Wanderer, were you born in Belgium? Or just currently living there for work or study?

Born and bred Belgian. I'm practicly made of chocolate and beer.

quote:

Originally posted by Wanderer:

quote:

Originally posted by psyclone:
Wanderer, were you born in Belgium? Or just currently living there for work or study?

Born and bred Belgian. I'm practicly made of chocolate and beer.

Memo to self: add Wanderer to database of cool people.

quote:

Originally posted by Wanderer:

quote:

Originally posted by psyclone:
Wanderer, were you born in Belgium? Or just currently living there for work or study?

Born and bred Belgian. I'm practicly made of chocolate and beer.

Come over here, Wanderer...I've got a nice clean, comfy spot in my refrigerator just for you... I won't eat or drink you all at once, I promise.

I for one think the chocolate and beer justifiy their perpetual existance.

Man, if Belgium disappears, where we gonna fight WWIII?

Not Portugal. Come on.

Upon glimpsing the thread title, I'd thought this was another Osier thread.

"This will be a plague of androgynous reporters and their little dogs. The only answer must be NUCULEAR DEVASTATION. Engage the hands of the Dutches if you can."

Today marks the 100th day without a new governement. Almost a third of a year... i guess it's starting to look somewhat bleak.
Admittedly though i'm not paying too close attention to the whole issue anymore.

eeep! I didn't realize things were that bad...

Well it has happenend before. According to the paper the longest stretch between elections and formation of a governement in belgium was 148 days, and there have been two or three other formations which lasted arround the 100 days mark. So it's not exceptionally bad, yet.

So, that move to Korea is looking good then, huh? :P Or are you holding out for California?