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Subject: First thoughts about countries
I'm not quoting anyone, and if I were, I'd like to know who ;-)
Why would the money-transfer stay in existence? If we could prepare both sides of the country for independence, a friendly split up ( like Czechoslovakia ) should be possible.
Why would the money-transfer stay in existence? If we could prepare both sides of the country for independence, a friendly split up ( like Czechoslovakia ) should be possible.
this would be the end of your football team(s) achieving anything
(not exactly such a big aggravation but still)
(not exactly such a big aggravation but still)
i hope they shut it down soon. pain in the ass with all those technical problems. grr
Like the Belgian Squad has achieved anything since WC 2002 ... And the football team wouldn't be a reason to not split up at all.
Did you know that - statistically - every Belgian gives 0 EUR to Belgium, and every Belgian receives 0 EUR from Belgium? :P
Did you know that - statistically - every rich German gives XXX EUR to poor people of Germany and every poor German receives YYY EUR from rich people of Germany?
All three statements (yours and mine) are true (as long as Germany has a progressive tax scheme, at least :P). It's just a question of where you put the frontier -more or less arbitrarily- to construct your statistics ;)
MY personal impression is that Europeans in general tend to draw frontiers every 2 square meters :P
Did you know that - statistically - every rich German gives XXX EUR to poor people of Germany and every poor German receives YYY EUR from rich people of Germany?
All three statements (yours and mine) are true (as long as Germany has a progressive tax scheme, at least :P). It's just a question of where you put the frontier -more or less arbitrarily- to construct your statistics ;)
MY personal impression is that Europeans in general tend to draw frontiers every 2 square meters :P
But I guess you don't know anything about the Flemmings and the Walloons ... So how could you even judge our situation?
MY personal impression is that Europeans in general tend to draw frontiers every 2 square meters
But our frontiers are based on historical events. In Europe, there are a lot of different kind of people. In America, a lot of frontiers are drawn by colonists ( you can see that, because there are a lot of straight frontiers, but this is not the case for Argentina ). But Argentinians are a mix of Italians, Spaniards, Asians, Armenians, etc. so you guys don't have that explicit national 'feeling' I have for Flanders. I don't think you as Americans - no offense - can understand Europe and it's tensions.
But our frontiers are based on historical events. In Europe, there are a lot of different kind of people. In America, a lot of frontiers are drawn by colonists ( you can see that, because there are a lot of straight frontiers, but this is not the case for Argentina ). But Argentinians are a mix of Italians, Spaniards, Asians, Armenians, etc. so you guys don't have that explicit national 'feeling' I have for Flanders. I don't think you as Americans - no offense - can understand Europe and it's tensions.
Nope, Don Enzo is right... W-Europeans have a tendency to be small minded about all these things. A guy that lives in a city 10km that way and thus has a slightly different accent will be "not from around here" and this will have all the psychological implications that usually accompagny "strangers". We're so used to think 50 km north or south is 'abroad' (France/the Netherlands) that we're surprised anybody (like tourists or exchange students) see Paris or Amsterdam as possible daytrips), while for us the distance would be unbridgable. Because it is in another country.
Some of us are even so used to think as 100km as 'nearly half a country away' that anything further is too far away. So he might understand our limitations better than most of us do. We put up borders anywhere we can and subsequently we'll pretent that behind those borders the world ends. Which justifies us in putting up a new border.
Some of us are even so used to think as 100km as 'nearly half a country away' that anything further is too far away. So he might understand our limitations better than most of us do. We put up borders anywhere we can and subsequently we'll pretent that behind those borders the world ends. Which justifies us in putting up a new border.
tensions are stupid and different historic background don't justify their own existence.
Do you know the differences about my country?
The south is basically european colonization, and in some cities we can listen the people talking just in german or italian.
The southeast for us is like the USA are for the world: They think they are much more important than they really are...
The center-west is a lot of crops.
The North is basically amazon forest with some cities around and inside it.
Northeast is the poorest region, there are beatiful beaches, but a lot of places with drought.
So, we can easily divide Brazil into 5 or more coutries with culture, accent, origin, economy, and many other caracteristics really different among them.
The south is basically european colonization, and in some cities we can listen the people talking just in german or italian.
The southeast for us is like the USA are for the world: They think they are much more important than they really are...
The center-west is a lot of crops.
The North is basically amazon forest with some cities around and inside it.
Northeast is the poorest region, there are beatiful beaches, but a lot of places with drought.
So, we can easily divide Brazil into 5 or more coutries with culture, accent, origin, economy, and many other caracteristics really different among them.
Well, you say it yourself. West-Europeans have a tendency to be small minded. I can't help it I'm West-European. And I won't change my 'small mindedness' because people in America aren't that way. If this is what you mean by being small minded, I'm happy I am small minded.
no they're just used to bigger distances than us.
But they have a point when they question our tendency to put up borders everywhere and insist on differences that are relatively speaking rather small.
You insist on using historical backgrounds as a justification for those borders. You can use this logic the other way around as well: just because the great-grandfathers of the Italians and Germans got rid of theirs, means that they live together with so many 'nationalities' in the same country. Does this mean their so-called historical differences were (are) smaller? That the best thing they can do right now, is to split up?
Flemish nationalist insist on convincing us that their logic (that of a bad marriage) is the only one that can hold itself to reality, but if you would apply it to any other country out of Belgium, you would come to the conclusion they would have to split up as well. That absurd conclusion alone is enough to question the logic of Flemish nationalists.
Btw, to anybody not from belgium trying to grasp this stupid argument: know that public opinion on whether or not to split up changes more than US president's approval rating. And it's urgency varies with the economic climate: when there's nothing elso to complain about, cue the nationalists...
But they have a point when they question our tendency to put up borders everywhere and insist on differences that are relatively speaking rather small.
You insist on using historical backgrounds as a justification for those borders. You can use this logic the other way around as well: just because the great-grandfathers of the Italians and Germans got rid of theirs, means that they live together with so many 'nationalities' in the same country. Does this mean their so-called historical differences were (are) smaller? That the best thing they can do right now, is to split up?
Flemish nationalist insist on convincing us that their logic (that of a bad marriage) is the only one that can hold itself to reality, but if you would apply it to any other country out of Belgium, you would come to the conclusion they would have to split up as well. That absurd conclusion alone is enough to question the logic of Flemish nationalists.
Btw, to anybody not from belgium trying to grasp this stupid argument: know that public opinion on whether or not to split up changes more than US president's approval rating. And it's urgency varies with the economic climate: when there's nothing elso to complain about, cue the nationalists...
a lot of frontiers are drawn by colonists ( you can see that, because there are a lot of straight frontiers, but this is not the case for Argentina )
That's Africa - it starts with 'A' too, but it is a different continent :P
Believe me, I lived 21 years in Argentina and 8 years in Europe, and although it's not the same as being native, I did get to know a lot about both continents. And a euro is a euro everywhere :P
At some point in time, Argentina was inhabited by lots of Spaniards, Italians, Ukranians, etc, etc... who didn't have a lot of trouble in getting along with each other, so now we are a mix of whatever.
But when you come to Europe, you find all those Spaniards, Italians, etc, etc, can't even get along with their closest neighbours, those same people that, across the ocean, lived side-by-side with Turks, Germans, Welsh, etc.
How come, if our grandparents were just the same as those staying in Europe? Why were they just "Spaniards", coexisting easily with Italians, Russians, etc, if you come to Spain and you see that they are not "Spanish" but "Castilian" - no, wait, I'm from León, not Castile - what the hell, I'm from El Bierzo, not León! And I would bet there'0s even a small town at El Bierzo claiming they have historical differencs with Ponferrada :P
Honestly, I agree with Chuck Norris: it all looks as a sign of "thinking small" to me. Still, I also agree with you: as an American, I don't understand you guys, you are right about that :P
That's Africa - it starts with 'A' too, but it is a different continent :P
Believe me, I lived 21 years in Argentina and 8 years in Europe, and although it's not the same as being native, I did get to know a lot about both continents. And a euro is a euro everywhere :P
At some point in time, Argentina was inhabited by lots of Spaniards, Italians, Ukranians, etc, etc... who didn't have a lot of trouble in getting along with each other, so now we are a mix of whatever.
But when you come to Europe, you find all those Spaniards, Italians, etc, etc, can't even get along with their closest neighbours, those same people that, across the ocean, lived side-by-side with Turks, Germans, Welsh, etc.
How come, if our grandparents were just the same as those staying in Europe? Why were they just "Spaniards", coexisting easily with Italians, Russians, etc, if you come to Spain and you see that they are not "Spanish" but "Castilian" - no, wait, I'm from León, not Castile - what the hell, I'm from El Bierzo, not León! And I would bet there'0s even a small town at El Bierzo claiming they have historical differencs with Ponferrada :P
Honestly, I agree with Chuck Norris: it all looks as a sign of "thinking small" to me. Still, I also agree with you: as an American, I don't understand you guys, you are right about that :P
I'll never change my opinion ;-)
I think the Italians have more in common with each other than the Flemmings and the Walloons. And by the way, what is the added value of Belgium for Flanders?
I think the Italians have more in common with each other than the Flemmings and the Walloons. And by the way, what is the added value of Belgium for Flanders?