http://politicsandpress.com/2007/belgium-canadas-nightmare/ The interaction of the press and politics; public diplomacy, and daily absurdities. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:40:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 http://politicsandpress.com/2007/belgium-canadas-nightmare/#comment-1847 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:50:49 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/2007/belgium-canadas-nightmare/#comment-1847 Belgium, Canada's nightmare or "liebestraum"? There are many people in Canada that would love to see Quebec separate and become its own country. Would she be able to accomplish that? Yes, but she would need outside help (USA, Europe and possibly Canada). In the case of Belgium, (which is really 2 countries sandwiched together), the answer is yes/no. The Flems, would probably be absorbed by The Netherlands or some emigrate to South Africa (Afrikaans is closely related to West Flemish). The Walloons would probably go to France (or the new country of Quebec). The other possibility is that 2 countries could emerge from one. Would they be a principality a la Liechtenstein or a Grand Duchy a la Luxembourg? Or Neither? What would these new countries be called? Flemlandia, Flemland, Wallonia, Wallony? I'm not sure the world could function with a country called Flemland in it. Belgium, Canada’s nightmare or “liebestraum”? There are many people in Canada that would love to see Quebec separate and become its own country. Would she be able to accomplish that? Yes, but she would need outside help (USA, Europe and possibly Canada). In the case of Belgium, (which is really 2 countries sandwiched together), the answer is yes/no. The Flems, would probably be absorbed by The Netherlands or some emigrate to South Africa (Afrikaans is closely related to West Flemish). The Walloons would probably go to France (or the new country of Quebec). The other possibility is that 2 countries could emerge from one. Would they be a principality a la Liechtenstein or a Grand Duchy a la Luxembourg? Or Neither? What would these new countries be called? Flemlandia, Flemland, Wallonia, Wallony? I’m not sure the world could function with a country called Flemland in it.

]]> http://politicsandpress.com/2007/belgium-canadas-nightmare/#comment-1819 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:47:08 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/2007/belgium-canadas-nightmare/#comment-1819 One of my fondest memories of Brussels was watching a group of Flemish speakers play the video game "Frogger" in 1982 at Montana Jack's, a lively bar. The object of Froger was to get a frog across the road without being squashed by oncoming cars. Except in this game every time a frog got squashed the Flemish speakers cheered as one to see one less frog. I suppose Canada's Anglophones would never do that.... One of my fondest memories of Brussels was watching a group of Flemish speakers play the video game “Frogger” in 1982 at Montana Jack’s, a lively bar. The object of Froger was to get a frog across the road without being squashed by oncoming cars. Except in this game every time a frog got squashed the Flemish speakers cheered as one to see one less frog. I suppose Canada’s Anglophones would never do that….

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