Zhaid
11-11-2004, 04:04
While I realize this poststamp-sized country I am going to tell you about is probably the last thing on earth you worry or care about, what with the whole Bush controversy to discuss over and over, but I figure I'll take my chances and write a post that is soon to disappear into the bowels of the forum's mercifully forgetful archives.
A democracy has been murdered.
The country I am talking about is Belgium (aka Belch'um, aka Absurdistan), geographically wedged between France, Germany and the Netherlands, and inhabited by roughly 10 million Dutch-speaking Flemish and 6 million French-speaking Walloons. A country tiny and insignificant by your standards, yet huge in it's atrocious interpretation of politics and democracy.
Ever since it's artificial construction, the Belgian state has been dominated by the French-speaking minority "elite". Even when the Flemish faced their most dire need in history, when they were starving despite working all their waking hours, they were taxed more heavily than their French-speaking counterparts. The French-speaking were the advocates, we were the farmers. They were the supervisors, we were the factory workers. They were the officers, we were the cannon fodder. All this was maintained by an educational system that outlawed the use of the Dutch language.
In some regards, we have come a long way since that time. Belgium is now officially a federal state, divided into the aforementioned Flemish and Walloon "countries". Yet still the dominance of the French-speaking minority endures. There is one Flemish party, only one, that today still dares to challenge them. The Flemish Block (Vlaams Blok).
The Walloons are subsidized by a yearly "solidarity" transfer that surpasses the transfers of West to East Germany in absurdity, both percentage-wise as purely numerical. Even more infuriating, these transfers are not even used to improve the lot of the Walloon civilians, but rather to buy their politicians popularity and power through gifts and bribes. We want these transfers either to stop, or at least to give us insight as to how it is used, so that we know our "solidarity" does not disappear into dark pockets.
The Flemish Block has always been sceptical about the influx of muslim immigrants and warned for the virtual impossibilty of a succesful integration. Recently, the murder on Theo Van Gogh, Netherlands' controversial movie-maker who made a (very tame, I might add) movie about the islamic oppression of women, has proven them right, for the one committing this brutal act of murder was always before considered a "perfectly integrated" muslim. If a proof was needed at all, for it was neither the first nor, I fear, the last of muslim aggressions against Europe. It was a remarkably eye-catching one though.
Yet the true problem, the issue that lies at the core of the other Belgian parties' hatred for the Flemish Block, is and has always been it's radical separatism, and it's outspoken favor for a republic over the monarchy we have now. Considering that Flanders and Wallonia have evolved into nations that are politically, socially and culturally completely different, they strived and strive for complete political autonomy of both "countries".
Election upon election the Flemish Block has grown, climbing up the ranks from the tiny marginalist party they were back when they started, to become the largest party of Flanders today with 23% of the vote (quite outstanding considering there are 5 major parties and a lot of small ones). It has become a true threat to the other parties, which are all banding together against them, established long before the Flemish Block was erected.
Under these other parties' direction then, six laws were changed, and two new ones were passed to make it possible that the Flemish Block could be persecuted and judged guilty for the charge of racism. Their representative, Johan Le Man, publicly declared that they would continue to persecute the Flemish Block "until a judge was found that was willing to condemn them."
And, at long last, after years of persecution, of being denied and trying again, they have found their judge.
And now the courtroom goes quiet, but who's to confesss?
Is it true you betrayed us? The answer is yes.
Then read me the list of the crimes that are mine,
I will beg for the mercy that you love to decline.
~ Leonard Cohen
I stand for the Flemish Block. I will confess to our crime now.
We wanted Dutch money in Dutch hands. We are racists.
We wanted Dutch people to have the right to decide on their own policies. We are racists.
We wanted muslim immigrants to learn our language. We are racists.
We wanted muslim immigrants to obey our laws. We are racists.
Yet I will not accept this. I request that, as for all "doubtful" democratic nations, foreign investigators are sent to evaluate the "democratic level" of this banana republic.
Thank you.
A democracy has been murdered.
The country I am talking about is Belgium (aka Belch'um, aka Absurdistan), geographically wedged between France, Germany and the Netherlands, and inhabited by roughly 10 million Dutch-speaking Flemish and 6 million French-speaking Walloons. A country tiny and insignificant by your standards, yet huge in it's atrocious interpretation of politics and democracy.
Ever since it's artificial construction, the Belgian state has been dominated by the French-speaking minority "elite". Even when the Flemish faced their most dire need in history, when they were starving despite working all their waking hours, they were taxed more heavily than their French-speaking counterparts. The French-speaking were the advocates, we were the farmers. They were the supervisors, we were the factory workers. They were the officers, we were the cannon fodder. All this was maintained by an educational system that outlawed the use of the Dutch language.
In some regards, we have come a long way since that time. Belgium is now officially a federal state, divided into the aforementioned Flemish and Walloon "countries". Yet still the dominance of the French-speaking minority endures. There is one Flemish party, only one, that today still dares to challenge them. The Flemish Block (Vlaams Blok).
The Walloons are subsidized by a yearly "solidarity" transfer that surpasses the transfers of West to East Germany in absurdity, both percentage-wise as purely numerical. Even more infuriating, these transfers are not even used to improve the lot of the Walloon civilians, but rather to buy their politicians popularity and power through gifts and bribes. We want these transfers either to stop, or at least to give us insight as to how it is used, so that we know our "solidarity" does not disappear into dark pockets.
The Flemish Block has always been sceptical about the influx of muslim immigrants and warned for the virtual impossibilty of a succesful integration. Recently, the murder on Theo Van Gogh, Netherlands' controversial movie-maker who made a (very tame, I might add) movie about the islamic oppression of women, has proven them right, for the one committing this brutal act of murder was always before considered a "perfectly integrated" muslim. If a proof was needed at all, for it was neither the first nor, I fear, the last of muslim aggressions against Europe. It was a remarkably eye-catching one though.
Yet the true problem, the issue that lies at the core of the other Belgian parties' hatred for the Flemish Block, is and has always been it's radical separatism, and it's outspoken favor for a republic over the monarchy we have now. Considering that Flanders and Wallonia have evolved into nations that are politically, socially and culturally completely different, they strived and strive for complete political autonomy of both "countries".
Election upon election the Flemish Block has grown, climbing up the ranks from the tiny marginalist party they were back when they started, to become the largest party of Flanders today with 23% of the vote (quite outstanding considering there are 5 major parties and a lot of small ones). It has become a true threat to the other parties, which are all banding together against them, established long before the Flemish Block was erected.
Under these other parties' direction then, six laws were changed, and two new ones were passed to make it possible that the Flemish Block could be persecuted and judged guilty for the charge of racism. Their representative, Johan Le Man, publicly declared that they would continue to persecute the Flemish Block "until a judge was found that was willing to condemn them."
And, at long last, after years of persecution, of being denied and trying again, they have found their judge.
And now the courtroom goes quiet, but who's to confesss?
Is it true you betrayed us? The answer is yes.
Then read me the list of the crimes that are mine,
I will beg for the mercy that you love to decline.
~ Leonard Cohen
I stand for the Flemish Block. I will confess to our crime now.
We wanted Dutch money in Dutch hands. We are racists.
We wanted Dutch people to have the right to decide on their own policies. We are racists.
We wanted muslim immigrants to learn our language. We are racists.
We wanted muslim immigrants to obey our laws. We are racists.
Yet I will not accept this. I request that, as for all "doubtful" democratic nations, foreign investigators are sent to evaluate the "democratic level" of this banana republic.
Thank you.