To be honest, it’s weird that nothing like this happened in Belgium earlier. The country has been going in a bad direction for a while. Everybody I know who traveled there said that Belgium had the worst kind of alienation and dislike between different ethnic communities and between locals and immigrants. I’ve heard people say, “If you want to travel to Europe, go anywhere but Belgium” on several occasions.
12 responses to “Belgium”
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I’ve read the idea that since it was a political creation by the great powers Belgium doesn’t have much nation state spirit (Flanders does and maybe the French speaking part does). Brussels is just this thing now, surrounded by the Dutch speaking area but mostly deserted by them.
When I was in Belgium a few years ago visiting a Dutch language college in Brussels (they didn’t live there they commuted to keep some Flemish presence) Brussels was as you said – unreal, alienating and disjointed. I wouldn’t want to return.
A few days in Antwerp after that were very different (despite some of the same problems – though to a much lesser degree). It was much more like a country rather than a badly thought out bureaucratic creation.
The funniest part was our Dutch speaking contact complaining about Netherlanderss coming to Belgium to cut loose (these were portly middle aged burgers whose idea of cutting loose was singing sea shantys in a restaurant).
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I suppose this is another version of the demise of the nation-state. Belgium may be unique, but we’ve already seen the same kind of terrorism in Paris, London, New York. I’m thinking that diversity is a wonderful ideal. But human nature being what it is, extreme diversity without a strong center of gravity descends into alienation.
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// alienation and dislike between different ethnic communities and between locals and immigrants
I am sure the reality you mentioned doesn’t help, but aren’t you also to some extent forcing reality to confirm to “alienation leads to terrorism” narrative? ISIS members have entered EU with the huge migration going on and I doubt “good” European behavior would / will change their minds. EU can not accept and integrate the entire world, and Arab / Muslim terrorists, who have nothing to lose from their pov, will continue in their attempts to harm EU in the foreseeable future, no matter how EU treats immigrants.
Saw this:
\ ANKARA – Turkey’s President Erdoğan said on Wednesday that one of the Brussels attackers was caught in Turkey in June and deported to Belgium, but that Belgian officials later set him free.
Btw, I was shocked by propaganda in Belgium shool textbooks:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4782159,00.htmlLikeLike
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It cannot possibly be a good idea to have people separated into closed-off, impenetrable ghettos whose members fear and dislike each other. The already eroding nation-state can’t take this kind of thing.
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A European human rights commissioner has told British ministers to stop referring to “illegal immigrants”, claiming they should use the term “irregular migrants” for foreigners who enter this country without permission.
Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, described Britain’s immigration laws as “draconian” and insisted key policies introduced by the Government should be scrapped.
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“Regrettably throughout his public speeches the prime minister has used the term ‘illegal migrants’ which carries stigmatising connotations, as the adjective ‘illegal’ is usually linked to criminality.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/12202522/Dont-call-them-illegal-immigrants-says-Europe-human-rights-commissioner.htmlAnd I naively thought that crossing other country’s borders without permission was illegal. I am partly envious of Europe here since such talk would lend one in mental asylum in the Middle East where I live.
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“Irregular” vs. “illegal immigrants” is a nonsensical euphemism, similar to the silliness in the U.S. media about substituting the term “undocumented immigrant” for “illegal alien.”
Considering what is going on in Continental Europe, the British are currently in no mood to soften their stance on illegal foreigners, and attempts by the EU to push the U.K. into a less “draconian” position will simply strengthen those elements who are urging a vote for withdrawal from the European Union in the U.K.’s June 23 referendum.
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I agree. My husband was an illegal immigrant in the UK for a couple of years, and he knew very clearly that he was doing something illegal. Let’s not patronize immigrants and consider them mentally deficient.
As an immigrant, I have no problem with referring to myself as a foreigner and a resident alien. This is my legal status, so why should I be afraid of naming it?
I’m finding, though, that it isn’t immigrants who fear these words but the fussy locals. They remind me of people who get scandalized when I state the glaringly obvious and mention that I’m not thin. “Of course, you are thin!” they say, looking deeply uncomfortable at the ridiculous lie.
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What do you think about this opinion column?
The terror attack in Brussels: Three steps that nobody wants to take
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4782368,00.htmlIn short, the steps are:
First: the creation of a secured perimeter that includes all stations and ports. That change would entail, however, a great deal of effort, tremendous nuisance to passengers and a massive financial investment.
Second: changing the ways in which European intelligence functions
The third lesson: Every additional terror attack on European soil brings closer the moment that the West will have to make a call, and do what it most dreads: ground operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
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I wouldn’t fixate excessively on ISIS in this regard because long before ISIS there were 9/11, Atocha, London bombings, the terror attacks in Russia, Boston bombing, etc. I’m all for destroying ISIS but that will do very little to end this kind of terrorism.
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“Every additional terror attack on European soil brings closer the moment that the West will have to make a call, and do what it most dreads: ground operations against ISIS”
Significant ground operations by European (NATO) forces, lead by the U.S., are eventually going to be conducted against ISIS — despite the fact that most Western governments are still loudly denying that this will be necessary — because this is going to be the only way to actually defeat that enemy.
Barring a major attack on American soil, that won’t happen until Obama leaves office. But after the November Presidential election, the new President (Hillary or one of the Republicans) will ultimately be forced to make that call. It may not be desirable, but it’s inevitable.
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I agree that it will probably happen eventually. Not that it will put an end to these terror attacks.
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I look like I’m of Dutch/German and English/French heritage (both of which I am), and I speak reasonably passable French, but I don’t speak Dutch very well … so what advice was I given as to what languages I should speak in Belgium?
When speaking to the Dutch, speak in English and hope they understand.
When speaking to the French, speak in either English or French.
If you are in the small part of Belgium where German is dominant, try German first, then English.
Don’t try to speak French to the Dutch or Dutch to the French, although this might work with some of the Germans who probably won’t mind.
If you have to start a conversation, speak in English first.
My carefully considered reaction: FUCK IT, ENGLISH IT SHALL ALWAYS BE, AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS BE DAMNED! 🙂
[… and it’s a pity, because Belgium has some of the easiest incorporation laws on the Continent if you’re intent on building a start-up, although the UK is still a much better choice for now …]
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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