September 14, 2007
THERE'S A REASON THE ONE ENTITLEMENT WE REFORMED WAS WELFARE:
An amicable divorce? (William Pfaff, September 14, 2007, International Herald Tribune)
August ended with collapse of the negotiations that have been going on since the June 10 national elections on forming a new government. The Flemish Christian Democratic leader, Yves Leterme, returned his mandate to King Albert II, reporting stalemate between the Flemish and French-speaking parties on a program to reconcile Flemish demands for welfare policy changes and increased devolution of power to the regions, with Walloon opposition to both measures.Sentiment in Flanders favoring Flemish secession and independence reportedly is keener now than it has ever been, and argued with an intensity not previously experienced.
Emotion - linguistic and cultural nationalism - dominates this conflict, as in all divorces. No one knows, if and when the proposed split takes place, whether the advantages of single life will end up being seen as justifying the destruction of Belgium.
Perhaps they will. The Czechs and Slovaks split up in much the same circumstances in 1993, after 92 years of life in common, and seem happy divorcees today.
With America as one of the (to some degree) rare exceptions, studies suggest that ethnic homogeneity is a key determinant of social capital and trust within a society and one of the areas where it has a notorious effect is that ethnic majorities tend to resent what they perceive as the provision of welfare services to minorities. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 14, 2007 12:00 AM
You're on tho something here. In America the majority culture is marked by a high degree of industriousness, while the minority culture is at least perceived to be more casual.
Now it may or may not be that the more relaxed lifestyle is healthier, ever more reasonable. However, whether the driven or the casual folkway is "better," the ants still rebel at carrying the grasshoppers.
Posted by: Lou Gots at September 14, 2007 3:51 PMDon't you also think the desire for ethnic homogeneity(sp?) is a manifestation of the same underlying pathology that is causing the death of Europe?
In other words, this drive for ethnic uniformity is a symptom of a deeper problem, right?
Posted by: Benny at September 14, 2007 5:25 PMThe above was primarily directed at OJ. But Lou, feel free to respond if you want..
Posted by: Benny at September 14, 2007 5:26 PMYes, Christianity dying away they are thrown back on Darwinism/nationalism.
Posted by: oj at September 14, 2007 7:42 PMSome other Christianity, perhaps. My Bible contains 2 Thess, 3:10--". . .he who does not work, shall not eat." Distaste for layabouts is deeply rooted.
Getting back to the case of Belgium, consider that there is no longer any reason for such an entity, the balance-of-power considerations which gave rise to its creation and mainetnance having dissapated. Since all these statelets have become geopolitically irrelevant, by all means let the voelker rearange themselves as they will.
Posted by: Lou Gots at September 15, 2007 9:55 AMYet Christ fed the masses. Odd that.
Posted by: oj at September 15, 2007 12:29 PM