A few questions about Europe

[Os Cangaceiros]

These have been nagging on my mind, so here goes:

1) Why does Belgium exist as a country? Why hasn't it been divided up between France and the Netherlands? Please don't bore me with any historical facts when giving an answer!

2) Has anyone else noticed that Germans will not cross the street until given the signal that it's OK to do so? I'm someone who charges across streets if I see there are no cars coming, which people also did in most European countries I've been in. But Germans will wait until explicitely given the signal that it's OK to cross, even if there are no cars coming for as far as the eye can see. It got to the point that I actually felt ashamed crossing the street illegally and sometimes stopped doing it, because I felt that German people were silently judging me, it was very effective social coercion.

3) Do we have any French members on this board? I can't think of a single one that I've encountered as a member here...

[Le Rouge]

3) I have french ancestors and i speak french. Does that count?

[Os Cangaceiros]

No, that does not count. Real French people view you as a hillbilly and a country bumpkin. :sleep:

[Le Rouge]

No, that does not count. Real French people view you as a hillbilly and a country bumpkin. :sleep:

Oh shit that's so true :laugh:

[Prometeo liberado]

Good call! I will not bore you with facts so here's my take, sans facts. Germans always J-walk, unless you are looking. France and The Netherlands currently occupy Belgium but are just to embarrassed to tell anyone. When this went down the U.S. agreed to act as a decoy so they in turn occupied Iraq. Thus all the worlds eyes missed this one, save for that eternal bad ass journalist Wolf Blitzer. Sadly no one listens to him anymore. My grandfathers name was Roland so that makes me a bumpkin by proxy.

By the way, have you ever noticed how Spain is always creeping on Portugal? And always keep one eye on those lunatic Andorrans. Bad attitudes make for bad countries mon ami!

[Nox]

These have been nagging on my mind, so here goes:

1) Why does Belgium exist as a country? Why hasn't it been divided up between France and the Netherlands? Please don't bore me with any historical facts when giving an answer!

2) Has anyone else noticed that Germans will not cross the street until given the signal that it's OK to do so? I'm someone who charges across streets if I see there are no cars coming, which people also did in most European countries I've been in. But Germans will wait until explicitely given the signal that it's OK to cross, even if there are no cars coming for as far as the eye can see. It got to the point that I actually felt ashamed crossing the street illegally and sometimes stopped doing it, because I felt that German people were silently judging me, it was very effective social coercion.

3) Do we have any French members on this board? I can't think of a single one that I've encountered as a member here...

1) I believe it's because of some treaty that happened just over a century ago, can't remember which. Belgium also has a German-speaking area so Germany would want a piece too if it were divided up.

2) Because they don't want to get hit by a car?

3) I don't think we do. It's kind of weird... Never noticed that before

[bricolage]

there was a french guy, username began with H and he said he was about in may '68. can't remember anything else though.

[dodger]

Belgium= French/Dutch speaking. As fellow bumpkins and sailors, found them very friendly hospitable. A country that produces such fine beers is worthy of our respect. A bucket of Mussels and the rest of the world can go ........to hell;

[Susurrus]

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[PC LOAD LETTER]

These have been nagging on my mind, so here goes:

...

3) Do we have any French members on this board? I can't think of a single one that I've encountered as a member here...
I'm Cajun. Does that count?


No, that does not count. Real French people view you as a hillbilly and a country bumpkin. :sleep:
If a French-Canadian (LeRouge) is a hillbilly and a country bumpkin ... uh oh

[lombas]

These have been nagging on my mind, so here goes:

1) Why does Belgium exist as a country? Why hasn't it been divided up between France and the Netherlands? Please don't bore me with any historical facts when giving an answer!

I will just ignore that and give you historical facts.

When the Belgian revolution took place in 1830, there was a French proposal by Talleyrand (a top diplomat from the Napoleontic regime) to divide it between France and the Netherlands. The whole of French-speaking Wallonia would go to France, the Netherlands would take the southern parts of Brabant and Limbourg (that had been divided from Dutch independence on), and the remaining part (Flanders + a small bit of Brabant) would become the Antwerp Freestate under Britsh influence.

Also, while the Great Powers were inclined to bring it back under the Dutch control it had been under since 1814, they were ... too busy. France just brought the Orléanist regime to power, and the others were too busy with the Polish crisis (Tsarist Russia was a key supporter of the Netherlands).

No one agreed with the Plan Talleyrand, however, and Belgium became an independent Kingdom. The question why it still exists today is more relevant than why it came to existance, I believe.



2) Has anyone else noticed that Germans will not cross the street until given the signal that it's OK to do so? I'm someone who charges across streets if I see there are no cars coming, which people also did in most European countries I've been in. But Germans will wait until explicitely given the signal that it's OK to cross, even if there are no cars coming for as far as the eye can see. It got to the point that I actually felt ashamed crossing the street illegally and sometimes stopped doing it, because I felt that German people were silently judging me, it was very effective social coercion.

I visit Germany from time to time, and I can assure you that's not at all true.



3) Do we have any French members on this board? I can't think of a single one that I've encountered as a member here...

I speak French daily at work (all my colleagues are French-speaking), though it's not my mother tongue.

[RedAnarchist]

I think we have a couple of French members, but I don't think they're very active. You could look in the French-language forum of this site.

[Devrim]

1) Why does Belgium exist as a country? Why hasn't it been divided up between France and the Netherlands? Please don't bore me with any historical facts when giving an answer!

It is a bit different without the history, but basically because various imperial powers, including the British, didn't like the idea of the others having it.


2) Has anyone else noticed that Germans will not cross the street until given the signal that it's OK to do so? I'm someone who charges across streets if I see there are no cars coming, which people also did in most European countries I've been in. But Germans will wait until explicitely given the signal that it's OK to cross, even if there are no cars coming for as far as the eye can see. It got to the point that I actually felt ashamed crossing the street illegally and sometimes stopped doing it, because I felt that German people were silently judging me, it was very effective social coercion.

I don't know about Germany, but in some central European countries it is a crime and you can be finned for it. It is probably for the same reason.


3) Do we have any French members on this board? I can't think of a single one that I've encountered as a member here...

I think there have been a few.

Devrim

[Sasha]

dont forget that flanders is staunchly catholic while the netherlands was dominantly protestant... thats a factor.
also the dutch liked a buffer zone on the southern border after the several spanish and french occupations.
basicly all the local imperial powers (netherlands, german kingdoms, france, engeland) wanted a playground where they could fight out their scuffles, belgium served that role several times, most horrificly during WOII of course.
now a days, while flemmish indepence or at least complete autonomy seems a very real possibility in the future almost no'one, neither in the netherlands nor in flanders it self want anschluss with the netherlands except maybe one or two dutch neo-fash, even the flemmish extreme-right do not want it anymore.

[gorillafuck]

1) Why does Belgium exist as a country? Why hasn't it been divided up between France and the Netherlands? Please don't bore me with any historical facts when giving an answer!I'll try to not go into too much detail but basically the PLO under the leadership of Frederick Douglas has turned Belgium into much too volatile of an area for foreign countries to operate in ever since the most recent Korean war between Belgium and Russia in which the entire caucasian population of Belgium was wiped out, and things have been tense ever since.

[lombas]

dont forget that flanders is staunchly catholic while the netherlands was dominantly protestant... thats a factor.
also the dutch liked a buffer zone on the southern border after the several spanish and french occupations.
basicly all the local imperial powers (netherlands, german kingdoms, france, engeland) wanted a playground where they could fight out their scuffles, belgium served that role several times, most horrificly during WOII of course.
now a days, while flemmish indepence or at least complete autonomy seems a very real possibility in the future almost no'one, neither in the netherlands nor in flanders it self want anschluss with the netherlands except maybe one or two dutch neo-fash, even the flemmish extreme-right do not want it anymore.

You're a bit mistaken there: there has always been a strong Catholic population in the Netherlands. However, the Catholic population lives in Zeeland, Limbourg and Brabant (to some extant northwards), and the influence was primarily "Hollands", a staunch Protestant base. In the last decennia, there are more Catholics than Protestants!

The Dutch were very much against Belgian independence. They invaded the country not too long after the bourgeois revolt (with some popular support: "orangists"). One of the King's sons, Frederick, even offered to be crowned King of Belgium! They occupied the Citadel of Antwerp until it was stormed by a French army until 1832 and didn't recognize the country until 1839.

The Flemish ultraright party "Vlaams Belang" has strong ties with the Netherlands in its party program, and the conservative Flemish nationalist "N-VA" promotes good ties with the Netherlands as well. It is however as you say not to be foreseen that a union between an independent Flanders and the Netherlands is realistic.

[Os Cangaceiros]

thanks for the answers guys

regarding Germany, I was only in Berlin and Munich for a cumulative time of less than a week (I did a LOT of walking, though), so admittedly I'm not an expert, but the thing about jaywalking was just something I personally noticed. Not universally applicable, of course.

[manic expression]

2.) Yeah, parts of Germany are really up-tight about that kind of thing and it can get annoying. And yes, they do think they're superior to you because they don't jaywalk but they're not, they're just arrogant people who long ago lost the ability to enjoy life so they try to ruin yours. The funny thing about Germany is how jaywalking is seen as some terrible sin but shoving people out of the way when you're standing on line is cool. But whatever, it's important to remember that bitter people don't represent Germany.

[Omsk]

Believe me,its better to be strict on such issues than have children run across the streets until something happens.

[hatzel]

1) Paradox made a game called Victoria. I'd often play as Belgium. The game started during the Belgian Revolution and I'd have to fight the pesky Dutchmen off. And then the Brits and all that would be "wooooo you're awesome we love that!" That links in with what Devrim said. But pretty much if you play that game it will explain everything to you and why you're at war at that exact time and everything that that's happening.

2) Swedes do it, too. And Finns. A native said that they felt it was illegal to cross when there's a red man, even though they didn't think it actually was. Still, the feeling that it might be was enough to hold them back. Fun fact: I was once crossing a road in Berlin with my then girlfriend, and she said that the woman there waiting at the lights on her bike was a major German celebrity. But I didn't really hear her so I just assumed it was a friend of hers or something. So I waved. Nice.

3) We need more. We need more.

[#FF0000]

i always thought belgium was a place cause the great powers needed a place to have wars