Text 11049, 73 rader
Skriven 2013-10-29 02:21:56 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
  Kommentar till text 10949 av Gerrit Kuehn (2:244/12)
Ärende: Re: US bashing?
=======================
Gerrit,
 
GK> No, I was just reminding Ward, that his own country is more and more
GK> developing into two countries. Just one highlight: After the last
GK> elections, it took them something like 1.5 years to form a government
GK> (and the highest-scoring party has the primary target to split the
GK> country in two). They should probably be grateful for having a king
GK> holding everything together.
 
Had your knowledge about this country been at the level that you sort-of boast
it to be, then you would know that instead of 2 federal states, the country
eventually will be splitting into 4 federal states.
 
Germany is such a federal state, that's OK. For Belgium it is not OK?
 
Yes, government formation set a world record to be verified in the "Guinness
Book of Records". However, testing your knowledge again ... did something go
wrong? Did the government shut down as our American friends experienced in
their neck of the woods?
 
No ... of course.
 
The government stays in place as long as negotiations are going on and retains
full power. The newly elected MP's took the oath of office and started their
job. So contrary to what you implicitly are arguing, there was never a lack of
leadership. More so, it was "business as usual", laws were discussed in
parliament and in the senate, they were enacted, the national budget was
presented and voted, salaries kept on being paid, services remained available
...
 
During that period Belgium had the Presidency of the EU and the membership
agreed it was one of the best presidencies since Jan.1 1958. I don't understand
what your problem is.
 
As for our king and his ability to keep the country together ... he:
 
* Never took an exam at school and got his diplomas just like that because
  we cannot have the crown prince fail a test
* did not take an exam at the military academy and got the diploma of civil
  engineer "just like that"
* He studied at Hartford ... never took an exam
* he was promoted so high in the air force he wasn't allowed to fly anymore
  after crashlanding twice
* he was promoted to the rank of general of the paratroopers because that way
  they could keep him away from climbing rocks ... he slid down basically
  unharmed from a 75 meter nearly vertical rock
* in the navy they refused to have him on a boat
* His sister, Astrid, never finished high-school but went to a finishing
  school for the aristocracy. Without a diploma she entered the university
  of Leuven (which is impossible for ordinary people without a high-school
  diploma) to study 'law". Within 6 months she abandoned.
  Then she went to the university of Leiden in the Netherlands to study
  art-history. She abandoned after 9 months. Then she enrolled in a nurses
  school in Michigan and abandoned after 3 months. Then she went to work in
  a daycare ... in New York ... as a volunteer.
  However, when she got married, her curriculum read "With high school behind
  her, the princess went on to study law. After that she studied art-history
  and then continued her education studying medicine in Michigan. She now
  provides essential services in a children's programme in New York"
  Quite an achievement for someone who married at the age of 22.
  She's also a member of the Senate by birth and joined the armed forces
  she immediately was promoted to colonel of the medical department.
* King Filip has a brother: Laurent for whom the stand-up comedians are
  grateful. His main achievement is wasting a fortune and writing a book
  about dogs.
 
You want me to have any respect at all for that kind of people? "Down with the
monarchy" I say.
 
 \%/@rd

--- D'Bridge 3.95
 * Origin: Many Glacier / Protect - Preserve - Conserve (2:292/854)