Belgium: Europe's canary in a coal mine?

Los Angeles Times ^ | October 9, 2007 | Jonah Goldberg:

[Lorianne]

You probably don't realize it, but we are living in an unprecedented historical moment. For the first time, Belgium has managed to be interesting without getting invaded by Germany or abusing an African colony.

What's so interesting? In short: Belgium is coming apart at the seams. For roughly 120 days, its 11 political parties have been unable to form a national government because the Dutch-speaking regions want greater autonomy, or even outright independence.

Primarily split between Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons, Belgium was formed as a constitutional monarchy where the non-French speakers were mostly treated as second-class citizens. Even today, 177 years later, there are no national figures or national political parties. Each party represents its own ethnic, linguistic or regional enclave. But, although the Flemish majority is somewhat more prosperous, the Walloons have a perceived stranglehold on Belgian politics. One is tempted to joke that it's an Iraq with better weather and waffles.

But it isn't a mini-Iraq, and not just because they're not killing one another. It's more like a mini-European Union. In fact, that's the one thing everyone can agree on.

No country is more invested in the EU experiment than Belgium, whose capital, Brussels, is also the capital of the EU. If Belgium falls to sectarianism, what does that say about prospects for making Europe into a super-Belgium?

[Jigajog]

Agree with Jonahs take on the abrogation of adult duties to the EU by the multiple ethnics. The only thing Jonah left out is the EU abrogates their defense responsibility to the US while undercutting the US at the UN. Seems to me everyone in Europe seems to want someone else to do all their dirty jobs - a weaker group would be hard to find. Now I see why the Muzzies think they can take over.

[Tzimisce]

Coming soon to a nation near you.

Our government is already in the stranglehold of a few whinney political minorities (illegal immigrants, racial minorities, etc.)

[the_Watchman]

On my first trip to Europe back in the early 1980’s my wife and I took one of the whirlwind bus tours of 7 countries. One thing that really stood out was how so many Europeans spoke English and obviously other languages. Out last stop was a conference in Brussels that I was attending. One of the perks was a cocktail party in the old Brussels town hall.

There, the thing that really stood out was two Plexiglas booths in the chambers for the translators. Clearly, while everyone else in Europe seemed to be polyglots, the Belgians refused to learn each other’s language!

[AZLiberty]

Funny. The EU was supposed to make nationality (if not ethnicity) irrelevant as everyone joined a United States of Europe. Dividing Belgium would be like dividing a U.S. state. Picture upstate N.Y splitting from New York City, or the natives in Hawaii splitting from the Europeans, or the Anglos and Hispanics splitting Arizona in two. It might be interesting for a while, but they would all still be living under the same Constitution and Federal Government.

[montag813]

I pray Belgium will indeed split. The North (Flemish) account for 70% of Belgium’s GDP, are very conservative, anti-Muslim and EU-skeptical. They are wonderful hosts (as I have experienced first hand) and do not speak English with disdain, but with a sense of pride. They deserve their own country. Let France annex the cesspool that is the Walloon South.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I lived in Germany for four years and traveled to Belgium. My favorite place in Belgium is Brugges, a medieval city preserved like it was hundreds of years ago.
I had a friend that married a Belgian woman. The ethnic groups get along better than this article implies, but it is mainly the French Belgians that don’t learn the other language.
I really enjoyed Luxembourg, there is a neat old town called Vianden on the German border with an old castle.
Most of the Luxembourgers that I met knew French, Dutch, German, their own language and English. George Patton is buried in Luxembourg.

[Verginius Rufus]

If it was Belgium, it must have been Tuesday.

[Wuli]

“Dividing Belgium would be like dividing a U.S. state.”

Sorry, but your analogy is missing far too much history to be valid.

For it to be valid, you would have to provide some theoretical conditions that do not apply, even historically, to any state in the U.S.

1. The state would have to have at one time, 170 years ago, had parts of it that were claimed as part of three other states.

2. The population in those three parts would have to have been divided by three language groups.

3. But that population would also have to have been dominated by only two of those language groups.

4. The three groups would have to be comprised not only based on language but on separate ethnic histories and historic links with the broader areas where each of those ethnic identities and their languages dominated (France, Holland and Germany, in the case of Belgium).

5. That state would have to have been created by the three external parties imposing their solution on the people in that new state, simply as a means to keep themselves (the three external states) from fighting, with armies, over it; which they had done constantly in the past.

6. That state would have to have been presented with its form of government by those three parties.

7. And, 170 years later (now) the two dominant language/ethnic groups would have to have continued to be as divided (and separated) as they were 170 years ago, in language, in where they live and work, in education and religion, in private and political associations - divided on those ethnic and language lines.

There is no American state that can fit that analogy today.

But, 100 years from now, if illegal immigration continues unabated, whose to say the conditions for your analogy will not then be resident somewhere here in the U.S?

[figgers3036]

Silly Belgium. The Netherlands should just take it back.

[Erasmus]

Here's a beautiful song by Jacques Brel about a lost love, and a heart that seems torn between the two Belgiums--and lyrics that alternate between Flemish and French.

(Judy Collins has a remarkable rendition of this on record.)

Marieke

Ay Marieke Marieke je t`aimais tant
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke Marieke il y a longtemps
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand

Zonder liefde warme liefde
Waait de wind de stomme wind
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Weent de zee de grijze zee
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lijdt het licht het donk`re licht
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland

Ay Marieke Marieke le ciel flamand
Couleur des tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke Marieke le ciel flamand
Pleure avec moi de Bruges à Gand

Zonder liefde warme liefde
Waait de wind c`est fini
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Weent de zee déjà fini
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lijdt het licht tout est fini
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
Ay Marieke Marieke le ciel flamand
Pesait-il trop de Bruges à Gand
Ay Marieke Marieke sur tes vingt ans
Que j`aimais tant de Bruges à Gand

Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lacht de duivel de zwarte duivel
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Brandt mijn hart mijn oude hart
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Sterft de zomer de droeve zomer
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland

Ay Marieke Marieke revienne le temps
Revienne le temps de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke Marieke revienne le temps
Où tu m`aimais de Bruges à Gand

Ay Marieke Marieke le soir souvent
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke Marieke tous les étangs
M`ouvrent leurs bras de Bruges à Gand
De Bruges à Gand de Bruges à Gand

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

The immigration problem is huge in Belgium. When will Arabic become the third language of the country?