The asylum thing still stands, though. Over there, you are the political blogger, so that puts me out of the game and I could - if I would contemplate a continuation - blog about Belgian politics (and whatever else, just as long as its not music )at a safe distance from Crembo and his cronies. Chances are, he doesn’t know any decent bar in LJ to get drunk in anyway, so even if he decides to go there, we would most certainly not have a chance meeting. Makes sense, no?

As far as wisdom is concerned : agreed, but they might be female as well. Equality for all!

@ dr. fil : you’re welcome, my dear equally esteemed colleague. I’d say, though, the Belgian political reality is rather surreal, just like a René Magritte painting, but at least I’m glad it had an effect on you.

I’d also say - as far as I know it - that Slovene politics are a little less complicated than in Belgium, because you don’t have to deal with the whole Babylonian thing, which accounts for the stagnation this country has been experiencing in the past 1.5 year. Yugoslavia did, though, and on a much bigger scale. While I don’t see a massive war breaking out between Flemings and Walloons here any time soon (although I still say a civil war may be in the cards at some point in the future, especially if this economic recession keeps going for longer and have more impact than anticipated), the example of YU is in the back of my mind whenever that issue is raised (i.e. daily) and I see the actors on both sides of the language border make aggressive statements, unhindered by common sense and helped by their own arrogance and sense of self importance. Communication is the key indeed, but it can also be the fuse to ignite the supply of dynamite a country’s living under.

As for blogging being dangerous : I most certainly hope so, although the odd recipe and photograpic impressions of sights in Slovenija and other European cities on a certain blog are, while non threatening, most welcome too.

I thank you once more for writing this series of posts, which not only allowed us outsiders a glimpse of the intricacies of Belgian political reality, but possibly made us resent our own respective political scenes slightly less in light of the fact that you have it at least as bad as we do. I know this cannot be very comforting, but there you go. It seems it is not only dr. Rupel who’se eternal and it is certainly not a Belgian phenomenon for politicians’ family members to profit from insider information.

It is incredible what language barriers will do to mankind. I HATE BABYLON. I can’t decide whether I hate the people who attempted to build the tower or the power that decided to punish mankind by making it speak different languages.

Your arsehole of a DM is correct in one respect. Blogs can be a dangerous phenomenon. In one sense, they may be building that tower again that upset the higher forces a long time ago.

Communication is key.

Sincerely yours,
dr. fil

PS: I’m truly glad you completed the series despite the temporary halt midway and am hopeful that you’ll be back. As things stand, you will undoubtedly have much material to work with!

But still, I think you should start blogging, even (or especially) if you move to Slovenia. However, under no circumstances should you blog about music. Especially about heavy metal. Should you proceed to do so, you’d soon find out that blogging about politics is a piece of cake compared to that

as far as wisdom is concerned: I suggest we call it a draw and wait for really wise men enter the picture, no?

Af for me returning to the blogging world after this brief stint… That remains to be seen. First off, I’m still not convinced I’m a good blogger (or a consistent one, for that matter) and second : these days it’s very dangerous to blog about Flemish politics and politicians. It can cost you your job; I kid you not! A story that should have been included in this last post : our War Monger and Arrogant Arse Par Excellence, defence minister Pieter De Crem (or He Whose Head Needs To Be Shorn By Professional Australian Sheep Herdsmen), was on a mission in the U.S.A. last week, where he managed to visit a lot of army barracks and such, but also, at the end, the Belgian Café in New York, where his Erseness proceeded to get rather drunk and possibly even more obnoxious than when sober (if that is at all possible). Witness to this was a Dutch exchange student working there as a waitress, who, you guessed it, posted a blog about it. De Crem was not amused - he never is, he just gets permanent erections and delusions of grandeur because he’s our DM now - and managed to have the girl fired over this. Back at The Cremlin (possibly with a bigger hangover than expected), he at first denied any and all involvement in the dismissal of the girl, hiding behind his lengthy itinerary, which he summed up in a parliamentary hearing in order to bore everyone to death and hence deflect the issue. Then a day after that fascinating non-event - which should have been seen to be believed - he admitted that he was involved and went on to say THAT BLOGS ARE A DANGEROUS PHENOMENON.

So there you go : this bit of character assassination of De Crem I just jotted down might just get me fired from my job. Who knows, he might even strip me of my citizenship or have me fed uranium in order to slowly kill me! Perhaps he’ll even send around some of the nation’s troops to ‘teach me a lesson’! I’m shaking in my grey wool winter socks and now I’m REALLY contemplating asylum. Anyone want to take in a Belgian on the run? I’m toilet trained, I assure you, and if needed I can - literally - sing for my supper…

(P.S. : In a surprise move (yeah right) Bert Anciaux left the Vl.Pro last Thursday, going on record as saying ‘he hadn’t seen it coming’. He’s now starting a new ‘left wing, social, Flemish project’, tied closely to SP-a (meaning : he’s basically theirs now but it’ll take him a while to admit it). I told you he’s consistent.)