When you saw the title, what did you think of? Was it the number of days you and your significant other have been together? Or maybe it’s been that amount of days since your favorite soccer team won that important match? Or could it be 126 days ago, that blasted Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted?
Guess again. It’s the number of days Belgium hasn’t had a federal government.
What’s more, it seems I’m alone when I say that’s outrageous. I mean, why isn’t anybody talking about this anymore? Has it gotten boring, something that hit far to home (see what I did there?)? It shouldn’t be, for it’s a matter which concerns us all. Because the press isn’t making a fuss? We’re all adults capable to think for ourselves, we shouldn’t go with whatever the media wants us to think. Because this country is going to the crapper no matter what? Or because, whether we talk about it or not, we simply can’t change anything? Then let me ask you this: who put us in that predicament? Surely those of us who voted last June!
So: why is this a non-issue, and when will we finally get a new federal government? The way it’s looking right now, only time will tell…
You're certainly not the only one concerned. This country's sure as hell gone to pot, but really, what can we 'the citizen' do about it? Voting for a party doesn't necessarily mean they're going to win, what's more, because of our system, your one party of preference has to find a way to get along with all of the other competitors. Which is, if you ask me, a lose-lose situation, because as long as there is freedom of speech, every single one of those politicians will want his voice to be heard and his alone. And okay, maybe I haven't voted in the past three years, but why should I? My statement is pretty clear: "I have no faith in our government system AND the existing one has zero credibility anymore." Besides, I couldn't even cast a blank vote if my life depended on it, since my blank vote inevitably goes to the winning party. Which brings us back to the lose-lose situation.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenSo really, why should any of us bother anymore? I say, let is rip. See where we go from there.
Sincerely. ;)
As always, you make some good points, and I agree with most. However, your answer inevitably begs the question: ‘what government system should we then adopt’? I think we can all agree that any kind of authoritarianism won’t work. Democracy then? But which kind of democracy?
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI would be a proponent of either socialism or oligarchy (or a combo), but only if humans weren’t fallible. So I admit I don’t have the answer.
It also seems to me you’re implicitly pleading for less parties, like the American 2-party system. But this, in my opinion, is an even worse choice. Remember the Simpsons episode Treehouse of Horror VII, where America had to choose between the 2 aliens [Dems & Reps]. Essentially, nothing will change if either alien [party] comes to power. And yes, Obama picked up where Bush left off, see e.g.:
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/09/25/secrecy/index.html
In particular, read the italic text at the end of §1!!!.
Arnout
Well, I find it odd that a country that has always been split in half culturally and politically has lasted for so long.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenNowadays, people more often call themselves Flemish or Walloon instead of Belgian (that's how bad the feeling of "us against them" is).
In my opinion, the administration shouldn't be divided in North and South, but hey, it's already too late, I guess.