Countdown from 10,000

1600

what?

 

1599 Oops, meant Wallonia. Belgium is split in a dutch and a french part, Flanders and Wallonia. Lot of taxes go towards poorer French part, where only the education of French is mandatory, not that of Dutch, while in the Dutch part, french is mandatory. So a couple of people are fed up that they pay for people who refuse to respect the culture which pays. Or, I think thats the gist of it, I am not belgian, so I probably missed a couple of parts.

 

1598 that's right Ijffdrie, you have well sumerized the situation. I am glad that you know what happens in Belgium. And I'm sorry to reply so late too. (gone to see the match France - Uruguay ) But please, this is interesting, the situation according to what I know. It is very sumerized too. But we understand more.

It was a time when Wallonia was more rich than Flanders thanks to some industries of fossile resources. Especially before the '70s. People in Flanders were poor. But Wallonia paid for the development of Flanders. The big harbor of Antwerp (Antwerpen) was developed by the founds from Wallonia. Also the long canal of Charleroi that makes a fluvial relationship between Antwerp and the South of Belgium.
But the people of Wallonia, especially the rich people (the "bourgeois"), only spoke in French. And they didn't want to learn the Dutch from the poor Flemish. Since the beginning, the Flemish people got an envy of revenge. But al that I say is very short.

And now (actually for some decenies ago) Flanders is more developed, more rich than Wallonia. There was the crisis. No more resources. We can compare Wallonia to Michigan. It was a rich State, well developed. And now this State is like the fantom of itself. Same for Wallonia.
Flanders is developed by the service industries. And who pays for the development of Wallonia ? Flanders ! And the Flemish people don't want this situation anymore. That's why they created the 'Vlaams Belang'(new Vlaams Blok) and the NV-A parties. They want the separatism between Flanders and Wallonia.

[notice I don't want to enter into some explanations about the education. that's true, there is an injustice. Flanders gives more money. And also pays for schools where we only speak French ! Also, how can Wallonia, which is in a very difficult financial position pay for all of this ? Add the retirement question, the taxes, the cost of life, the health, the salary, etc ... I am sure, Ijffdrie, that you also meet those questions in Holland, don't you ? I tell you something : according to a lot of persons, the problem became very high since the fall of the Wall of Berlin, and also since the entrance of the euro. To be debated ...]

Huge problem : Brussels. The capital of Flanders a,d stands inside the Flemish territory, the capital of Belgium, and the capital of Europe, where 80% persons talk French, like me. But this town, this region has the two official languages. With the separatism, Brussels will depend on Flanders only. And everybody will have to talk Flemish only. The kingdom ? Gone. Wallonia ? Attached to France. Flanders ? Maybe attached to Holland.

Frankly I doubt the world will allow this situation. Evene the people of Belgium (like me) Even if the NV-A wins, no one in Belgium will tolerate this.

Voilà. Thank you to have read my little explanations.

 

1597
Wth are text walls doing in countdown?

 

1596 this was just a little parenthesis

 

1595 background exposition for our next adventure.

Netherlands don't really have the problem, only second language spoken by basis of area is Friesch, and those guys pretty much keep to themselves. All schools have lessons in Dutch, unless it's foreign languages or multilingual education(which still is multi, not solo) so not really a problem.

 

1594 : you know, even if there is a huuuuuuge problem of existencialism in Belgium, this will not prevent me from enjoying to play Starcraft 2 in 46 days.

 

1593 Only World War 4 can stop that

 

1592 let's wait that WW3 finishes first okay ?

 

1591

 

1590

 

1591 I think we can fit both in there

 

1588

 

1587

 

1586

 

1585

 

1584 So I was looking at pictures of myself as a young child.

My skin was white as snow, my lips red as blood.

Thats right, I was snowwhite.

 

1583

Count faster!

 

1582

Are we trying to reach 0 on the 27th of July?

 

1581 not trying, failing