Friday, February 18, 2011

Go, Belgium!

In addition to having invented "French" fries,* not to mention claims that the country doesn't even exist, Belgium now has a new and perfectly delightful accomplishment: they haven't had a government for over 249 days, beating the previous record-holder (Iran, which has been without a sane government for... Aw, gee. Divide by secret police, add the Ayatollah, carry the Shah: pretty much forever).

Belgium's legislature(s) has got so tied up in knots that there's nobody in charge; it's a remarkably complicated federal system with a (mostly) parliamentary structure; at the Federal level, the representative body is bicameral and that's a simple as it gets -- indeed, Belgians are having trouble working it out, so don't expect me to explain it in a blog post. A hasty read suggests a great deal of decentralization; add in a King as Head Of State and I've got to wonder if Belgians even need the top layer of government they've been doing without for 250 days already?

...That's a question only they can answer and whoever does it had better be convincing in three languages. In the meantime? Here's to you, Belgium, for proving that civilization can work even without high-level meddlers!

(Meanwhile in Brazil, they've elected a clown to Congress. Hey, we've got dozens of 'em in ours here in the States!)
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* So back when people were callin' 'em "freedom fries?" A perfect chance to put things right, had anyone bothered. But noooooo.
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11 comments:

  1. dannoFebruary 18, 2011 at 8:31 AM

    But I bet they still find a way to collect taxes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2011 at 8:52 AM

    Between this and the New Zealanders privatizing a large fraction of government function, I'm frankly cheered up.

    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2011 at 9:47 AM

    Somalia has them beat by a mile.

    Gerry

    ReplyDelete
  4. perlhaqrFebruary 18, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    See? Anarchy does work! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. DrangFebruary 18, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    FWIW, "french fries" should be called "frenched fries"; the reference is to the style of cutting the food, not to the country of origin. "French-style green beans" are frenched, or cut french-style, not the way they serve them in Cheese-eating surrender monkey land.

    ReplyDelete
  6. RobinFebruary 18, 2011 at 11:39 AM

    I love Zapatopi.

    Years ago, there was a tactical board wargame series that included a bunch of hypothetical 'future' scenarios. In included combat for a civil war in Belgium between the Walloons and Flems, with intervention by French and Dutch units.

    Does not look as farfetched today.

    ReplyDelete
  7. GrumpyunkFebruary 18, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    I had totally forgotten the "Belgium doesn't exist" thing. Always good for a laugh, Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ancient WoodsmanFebruary 18, 2011 at 1:09 PM

    Seems when the Germanic folks ring the Franks doorbell it's the Flems & Walloons playing doormat. Every time.

    Guess that might give one a complex after a while. Maybe it's a good thing for them to have a hearty laugh.

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  9. Roberta XFebruary 18, 2011 at 9:29 PM

    D.W., Okay. Let's call 'em pomme frites, or something, then.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Frank W. JamesFebruary 18, 2011 at 10:32 PM

    Hey Roberta, Belgium may have elected a clown but we've got a bald headed darwf for a governor. Who has Presidential delusions...

    All The Best,
    Frank W. James

    ReplyDelete
  11. Midwest ChickFebruary 20, 2011 at 12:07 PM

    Well, that explains why my boss is such a bad supervisor.....

    ReplyDelete

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