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Belgium broke the record for longest time a country's been without a government


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I wouldn't have known at all if it weren't for Wikipedia putting it on its little "In the News" section.

 

I think the Flemings vs. Walloons thing is just too much for most Americans, or at least in the eyes of the news companies. It's funny cuz they think we're too dumb for it, but it's mostly because we never really hear about them on the news, and if we did, we'd know about it, so it's a vicious cycle and... yeah.

 

It is funny though, because while the people in Egypt are utterly freaking out about the lack of government the Belgians are still being pretty chill about it, as far as I can tell. I commend them.

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what about Somalia? they've been in a state of anarchy since 1991

 

this from wiki

 

Since 1991 no central government has controlled the entirety of the country, despite several attempts to establish a unified central government.The north western part of the country has been relatively stable under the self declared, but unrecognized, sovereign state of Somaliland. The self-governing region of Puntland covers the northeast of the country. It declares itself to be autonomous, but not independent from Somalia. The Islamist Al-Shabaab controls a large part of the south of the country. Without a central government, Somalia's inhabitants subsequently reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either civil, Islamic or customary law.
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what about Somalia? they've been in a state of anarchy since 1991

 

this from wiki

 

*wiki stuff*

I think that that at least has people who claim that there's a government, even if it's just laughably untrue, whereas nobody in Belgium even says that they're governing it.

I was in Belgium on Monday, and nothing seemed strange............................... :rolleyes:

 

That's the point.

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Basically, historically there's been the Flemings and the Walloons, and the Flemings speak Flemish and live in the north, and the Walloons speak French and live in the south. You go from the south of the country to the north and the second you cross the border all the signs switch languages to Flemish, everyone starts hating you for speaking French, etc. (Same way going the other direction.) In other words Belgium is just made up of two social groups that are culturally and linguistically separated and unwilling to deal with one another. Imo it's a miracle they've stayed as one country for so long.

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Well my understanding is that the ones who hate the Walloons are more vocal/influential than the normal ones who don't care. :P

 

The only reason I even sort of know what's going on is cuz we studied Belgium in school for like a week my freshman year haha. So even you are having trouble knowing what's going on or what?

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I wouldn't have known at all if it weren't for Wikipedia putting it on its little "In the News" section.

 

I think the Flemings vs. Walloons thing is just too much for most Americans, or at least in the eyes of the news companies. It's funny cuz they think we're too dumb for it, but it's mostly because we never really hear about them on the news, and if we did, we'd know about it, so it's a vicious cycle and... yeah.

 

It is funny though, because while the people in Egypt are utterly freaking out about the lack of government the Belgians are still being pretty chill about it, as far as I can tell. I commend them.

 

I agree, it's like they think we can't understand/handle it. :|

 

But I'd much rather know about things like this than what the Kardashians have been arguing about.

 

Basically, historically there's been the Flemings and the Walloons, and the Flemings speak Flemish and live in the north, and the Walloons speak French and live in the south. You go from the south of the country to the north and the second you cross the border all the signs switch languages to Flemish, everyone starts hating you for speaking French, etc. (Same way going the other direction.) In other words Belgium is just made up of two social groups that are culturally and linguistically separated and unwilling to deal with one another. Imo it's a miracle they've stayed as one country for so long.

 

Okay, thanks for putting that in simple terms. :lol:

But what exactly broke up the government? Did everyone decide to disband it, or was their some sort of an argument or fight? Because it seems odd that, if they hated each other so much, they would break up the government after all these years.

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