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[Nickbat]

Lots of fun things happening in Belgium right now. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/7620515/Future-of-Belgium-under-threat-over-language-row.html

[Lizzie_Zoom]

They should just make English their common language!!

[pscocoa]

Nick Farage may become their next leader.

I go there next week for 2 days - they tried to charge me 450 euros for one night in the Chatelain Hotel because everything is fully booked due to conferences.

[Pitchfork]

Nick Farage may become their next leader.

I go there next week for 2 days - they tried to charge me 450 euros for one night in the Chatelain Hotel because everything is fully booked due to conferences.

I think you're getting confused with all of the electioneering & posturing that's going on - it's Nigel

[pscocoa]

You are right - also just come back from lunch!!

[Kevin Wood]

Nick Farage may become their next leader.

I go there next week for 2 days - they tried to charge me 450 euros for one night in the Chatelain Hotel because everything is fully booked due to conferences.

I think you're getting confused with all of the electioneering & posturing that's going on - it's Nigel

A freudian slip, perhaps?

Kevin

[Pitchfork]

Nick Farage may become their next leader.

I go there next week for 2 days - they tried to charge me 450 euros for one night in the Chatelain Hotel because everything is fully booked due to conferences.

I think you're getting confused with all of the electioneering & posturing that's going on - it's Nigel

A freudian slip, perhaps?

Kevin

Nah!   a 3 hour lunch, probably down to the 2 bottles of Claret

[Kevin Wood]

Nick Farage may become their next leader.

I go there next week for 2 days - they tried to charge me 450 euros for one night in the Chatelain Hotel because everything is fully booked due to conferences.

I think you're getting confused with all of the electioneering & posturing that's going on - it's Nigel

A freudian slip, perhaps?

Kevin

Nah!   a 3 hour lunch, probably down to the 2 bottles of Claret

I can tell it wasn't Belgium's only worthwhile contribution to the world (Trappist beer), as he's managed to find his PC log on to the forum.

Kevin

[pedroMV6]

Will Belgium fall apart?

Politically, I would like to think so!

Then the UK might be able to get out of the EU thing we seem to be supporting for all the other member states to take advantage of.

[pscocoa]

Do you remember the Mike Myers quote from Goldmember (or one of his films) the "evil Belgian and his teenage sex slave".

Sorry it just came to mind.

[Pitchfork]

Will Belgium fall apart?

Politically, I would like to think so!

Then the UK might be able to get out of the EU thing we seem to be supporting for all the other member states to take advantage of.

Britain entered WW1 to defend Belgium which was invaded by Germany. Odd that a Protestant country should come to the aid of a Catholic one

[pscocoa]

I have had some interesting discussions with members of the Belgian government in the area of conflict countries and natural resources. They are one of the first to try and point the finger for the problems of difficult countries at everyone else except government's. If you argue robustly and demonstrate UN indecision they climb down.

Unfortunately in many many issues we find our weak civil servants with little knowledge of the outside world just agree with crack pot interpretations that end up damaging business and livelihoods of those they are supposed to safeguard. I think this is the area of concern that our politicians do not deal with the whole Belgian thing from the point of view of business or conflict country experience,

[STMO999]

I have had some interesting discussions with members of the Belgian government in the area of conflict countries and natural resources. They are one of the first to try and point the finger for the problems of dooficult countries at everyone else except government's. If you argue robustly and demonstrate UN indecision they climb down.

Unfortunately in many many issues we find our weak civil servants with little knowledge of the outside world just agree with crack pot interpretations that end up damaging business and livelihoods of those they are supposed to safeguard. I think this is the area of concern that our politicians do not deal with the whole Belgian thing from the point of view of business or conflict country experience,

You lost me after 'I have...'

[Kevin Wood]

Nick Farage may become their next leader.

I go there next week for 2 days - they tried to charge me 450 euros for one night in the Chatelain Hotel because everything is fully booked due to conferences.

I think you're getting confused with all of the electioneering & posturing that's going on - it's Nigel

A freudian slip, perhaps?

Kevin

Nah!   a 3 hour lunch, probably down to the 2 bottles of Claret

I can tell it wasn't Belgium's only worthwhile contribution to the world (Trappist beer), as he's managed to find his PC and log on to the forum.

Kevin

.. and I only had coffee with my lunch.

Kevin

[pscocoa]

hmmm - a bit heavy for Friday afternoon - but for example coltan is a mineral used in mobile phones. Because of its value people in Rwanda and Congo fight over it.

Is this source of revenue, which should be good for the economy of those countries, to be banned because it causes conflict? Or the companies that buy it criticised for not having measures in place as to guarantees that it has not been purchased from rebels etc? Or should it not be for the UN to act decisively to sort out such messes with vast amounts of human suffering and civil war.
Belgium is always pushing to make companies responsible for doing the job of  governments and threatening bans etc. My point was that whilst some of us do understand the situations reasonably well - we are not backed up by say UK civil servants who tend to jump on the anti business bandwagon to avoid criticsm of government's standing by and watching the atrocities unfold.

Not sure if that helps.