EU: The Model is collapsing

[Leafless]

The politicians in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, are unable to form a government coalition with sufficient support in both parts of the multinational country, i.e. in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking north of the country, and Wallonia, the French-speaking south. They have asked the Belgian King Albert II to defuse the situation.

Belgium is an artificial state of 10.5 million inhabitants, which prides itself on being the model for a federal Europe. The country was put together in 1830-31 by the international powers as a political compromise and an experiment in building one state out of two nationalities.

. This was done in an attempt to force the Flemings into an ever shrinking minority position in what used to be one of their most important towns. In 2001 (in an interview in the newspaper Le Matin) Claude Eerdekens, the Socialist chairman of the Naturalisation Commission of the Belgian House of Representatives, admitted that his commission was granting citizenship to foreigners without investigating the applicants' backgrounds because most of the immigrants speak French rather than Dutch. "Our Commission does more for the frenchification of Brussels than the Flemings can ever do to prevent it," Mr Eerdekens boasted.

The Francophone arrogance has backfired in a growing appeal of the Vlaams Belang (flemishrepublic.org) (VB) party, Belgium's most outspoken Flemish-secessionist and "Islamophobic" party and its only Eurosceptic party. Owing to the rising popularity of the VB, other Flemish parties have begun to take stronger pro-Flemish positions

The unravelling of Belgium does not bode well for the European Union's attempts to transform itself into a multinational state.

Can Canada be seen in the same state of collapse?

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/brussels082007.htm

[M.Dancer]

That has nothing to do with the EU other than Belgium is a member of it.

[Leafless]

That has nothing to do with the EU other than Belgium is a member of it.

In respect to:

The unravelling of Belgium does not bode well for the European Union's attempts to transform itself into a multinational state.

No one enjoys the prospect of predetermined failure.

Canada has been at it since the 1960's with Quebec and the only ingredient that has prevented Canada breaking up or war, is the federal government CONTINUES to throw wads of tax payers money and rights to Quebec.

Canada is an artificial country in the same manner Belgium is.

[guyser]

Canada is an artificial country in the same manner Belgium is.

Artificial.....no I am pretty sure that is solid land underneath me , but hey can I pay my taxes with artificial money?

Are you sure this is not a Banana Republic?

[Leafless]

Artificial.....no I am pretty sure that is solid land underneath me , but hey can I pay my taxes with artificial money?

Artificial relating to the definiton of a country.

Are you sure this is not a Banana Republic?

IMO and I am certain many other Canadians, tis a banana republic and you are a troublesome troll.

I am surprised moderator Sir Anthony, as not warned you about your trollish behavior.

[Drea]

Why, pray tell, Leafless are you still in this "fake" country?

And what exactly makes it a "fake" country as opposed to a "real" country?

There are over 230 "countires" on the planet. Which ones are "fake"?

PS Banana's don't grow very well here...

[marcinmoka]

What an artificial analysis.

But if these "genuine" nations are based on linguistic and/or ethnic lines, I pity poor India.

Though in equal measures, how do we carve up Toronto, Vancouver, New York?

_{I'm personally claiming Steeles-Bathurst and Roncesvalles as the two provinces in my quasi-ethnic empire.}

Edited August 23, 2007 by marcinmoka

[guyser]

Artificial relating to the definiton of a country.

Wha....? Did you sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night? You are right , but then again, every single country in the world is artificial, and I doubt thats what you meant. But I digress.

Here you go from the ONline Etymology Dictionary..........

artificial

c.1382, "made by man" (opposite of natural), from O.Fr. artificial, from L. artificialis "of or belonging to art," from artificium (see artifice). Another early use was in the phrase artificial day "part of the day from sunrise to sunset" (c.1386). Artificial intelligence first attested 1956.

Since every country was made by man........

IMO and I am certain many other Canadians, tis a banana republic and you are a troublesome troll.

Cite please , or is this another pulled out of your um....thin air? But lets not quibble and go back to the dictionary again shall we. This time we will be looking at "banana republic" and we will use Dictionary.com unabridged ok?

banana republic

–noun Usually Disparaging. any of the small countries in the tropics, esp. in the Western Hemisphere, whose economies are largely dependent on fruit exports, tourism, and foreign investors.

So Canada is...small-check , tropical-check, fruit exports-check(not including the pink chardonnay swilling ones)....yup sure sounds like Canada.

I am surprised moderator Sir Anthony, as not warned you about your trollish behavior.

Trollish behavior? Do you mean the pink, brown, chardonnay swilling immigrant that proves you wrong time and time again?

Shall we? you know the dictionary again?From the jargon file....

troll

v.,n. 1. [From the Usenet group alt.folklore.urban] To utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable responses or flames; or, the post itself. Derives from the phrase "trolling for newbies" which in turn comes from mainstream "trolling", a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite. The well-constructed troll is a post that induces lots of newbies and flamers to make themselves look even more clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to the more savvy and experienced that it is in fact a deliberate troll. If you don't fall for the joke, you get to be in on it. See also YHBT. 2. An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1; regularly posts specious arguments, flames or personal attacks to a newsgroup, discussion list, or in email for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by the fact that the have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand - they simply want to utter flame bait. Like the ugly creatures they are named after, they exhibit no redeeming characteristics, and as such, they are recognized as a lower form of life on the net, as in, "Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll."

Some people claim that the troll (sense 1) is properly a narrower category than flame bait, that a troll is categorized by containing some assertion that is wrong but not overtly controversial. See also Troll-O-Meter.

Jargon File 4.2.0

Methinks you might recognize yourself here......Trolls are recognizable by the fact that the have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand (you know...like immigration?)

You better buy more feet. You have shot all yours.

[guyser]

I'm personally claiming Steeles-Bathurst and Roncesvalles as the two provinces in my quasi-ethnic empire.

You will have to fight me for Roncesvalles but I will give you Bath/Steeles except for Kivas bagels. I want that tiny plot of land for sustenance on Sunday mornings.

[Leafless]

Why, pray tell, Leafless are you still in this "fake" country?

And what exactly makes it a "fake" country as opposed to a "real" country?

According to the dictionary definition of a country the two countries in question Belgium and Canada are not real countries.

Relating to Belgium: "Belgium is an artificial state of 10.5 million inhabitants, which prides itself on being the model for a federal Europe. The country was put together in 1830-31 by the international powers as a political compromise and an experiment in building one state out of two nationalities."

Relating to Canada catering to solitudes and paying blackmail tax payers money to achieve the status of a country, makes Canada an artificial country.

There are over 230 "countires" on the planet. Which ones are "fake"?

Currently, we are dealing with two, that are of interest to this thread.

PS Banana's don't grow very well here...

I know, but the definition fits real well.

Just think what Canada would do without all of that U.S. and foreign investment in Canada.

Cease to exist, perhaps.

[Leafless]

Shall we? you know the dictionary again?From the jargon file....

Methinks you might recognize yourself here......Trolls are recognizable by the fact that the have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand (you know...like immigration?)

You better buy more feet. You have shot all yours.

Take a hike guyser.

That immigration bit was about NUMBERS and I have proven, Canadian immigration including foreign workers (er, temporary immigrants, ok. with you) exceeds the disputed 330,000 per year to a to a total of about 380,000.

It really was all that simple considering no one knows what the Conservative policy is for 2007 concerning immigrant numbers.

We will find that out next spring or early summer.

Edited August 23, 2007 by Leafless

[M.Dancer]

You will have to fight me for Roncesvalles but I will give you Bath/Steeles except for Kivas bagels. I want that tiny plot of land for sustenance on Sunday mornings.

I have Forest Hill. I intend to mortgage the real estate and buy me an army.........

[guyser]

I have Forest Hill. I intend to mortgage the real estate and buy me an army.........

Ha...good luck on that.

I have the fierce polish inhabitants hopped up on cabbage rolls and kielbasa to help me . Not to mention all the "fine" denizens of the very southern tip of my community .They will be my front line.

[M.Dancer]

Ha...good luck on that.

I have the fierce polish inhabitants hopped up on cabbage rolls and kielbasa to help me . Not to mention all the "fine" denizens of the very southern tip of my community .They will be my front line.

I'm not interested in the toxic soils....I'm marching on Rosedale and Leaside.

[marcinmoka]

They will be my front line.

Precisely why I am taking cabbage town. I just need agent provocateurs spreading rumors of "mountains of crack in Rosedale" that even a direct hit on their person will not stop them from fighting on. Though I somehow I don't expect too much resistance from the Village.....though I could be wrong.

[M.Dancer]

Precisely why I am taking cabbage town. I just need agent provocateurs spreading rumors of "mountains of crack in Rosedale" that even a direct hit on their person will not stop them from fighting on. Though I somehow I don't expect too much resistance from the Village.....though I could be wrong.

Hummff...you've never seen the fashion mavens skirmishing and grappling mano a mano at the Hadassah-Wizo Bazaar.....

[marcinmoka]

Hummff...you've never seen the fashion mavens skirmishing and grappling mano a mano at the Hadassah-Wizo Bazaar.....

Ah yes, what is referred to in military circles as the ferrocious 4th Armoured Pansy Division....

Edited August 24, 2007 by marcinmoka

[M.Dancer]

Ah yes, what is referred to in military circles as the ferrocious 4th Armoured Pansy Division....

droll...very droll

[Leafless]

I can't help to notice how guyser and M.Dancer always manages to ruin a serious thread with their immature trollish replies.

AGAIN I ASK WHERE IS THE MODERATOR OR IS CHARLES ANTHONY COMMUNIST TO?

[M.Dancer]

Ruined? We improved it. At least now it's no longer a cure for insomnia.......

[guyser]

Ruined? We improved it. At least now it's no longer a cure for insomnia.......

Comrade Dancer....bolshevik meeting tonite at the Hammer and Sickle , 9pm. Nyet to bring the wife, girlfriend only.

Vodka and borscht at 10PM. Lada no work, bring bike and pick me up.

Da?

[Leafless]

Ruined? We improved it. At least now it's no longer a cure for insomnia.......

What you did is purposely diverted attention off of the topic to conceal the fact multiculturalism has failed in Belgium, (the perfect multicultural model many of you praise) with the French being just as arrogant over in Belgium as here in Canada.

Multiculturalism fares no better here in Canada and has only artificially succeeded up to now because our dysfunctional federal government continues to pour hundreds of billions of tax payer dollars into a failed experimental project designed primarily to give Quebec its preferred place in Canada that normally would not even come close to achieving on its own.

La Grand Scheme has Failed.

Edited August 24, 2007 by Leafless

[geoffrey]

Come on guys, Leafless's thread, though typically anti-French and hater of everything that could be possibly related to Quebec, is actually suprisingly interesting.

Belgium has always been an interesting case, and the fact that it's falling apart doesn't suprise me. These nations within a nation never really have much chance at success historically... in fact, the further we give Quebec nationhood, longterm it's more likely they leave. Which is great, Quebecers should be free to do as they please, but I just wish they got on with it before sucking us of any more cash.

As for the EU Leafless, I'm not sure this means it's not possible there. The arrangements are so tight, individual nations still retain a large chunk of sovereignty. I think the EU can still come out on top from this.

--

By the way, I'm just going to mortgage my Calgary property, go down to a Newfie bar paying them in beer in Ft. McMurray and march on your whole damned city if you don't shut up.

[Leafless]

As for the EU Leafless, I'm not sure this means it's not possible there. The arrangements are so tight, individual nations still retain a large chunk of sovereignty. I think the EU can still come out on top from this.

I don't think you will ever see an EU Multinational State.

At present expenditure by Brussels in any one year amounts to less than 1.3% of the EU's annual Gross Domestic Product, a tiny relative figure, whereas Nation State expenditure on public transfers is normally between 35-50% of annual national products. In other words, the solidarity that would sustain an EU fiscal union and an EU Multinational State does not and cannot exist.

http://www.spectrezine.org/europe/Coughlan.htm