Is there a Belgium? (1999) • Hacker News Board

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#11

Post by NicoJuicy » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 8:23 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #8

Wow there's definitely material here for a board game - play the Socialists, the Catholics or the Liberals, vie for power, influence and wealth! Build your 'pillar' by coalescing local power into regional influence!

I'm from Belgium and even i think it's an awesome idea :p

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#12

Post by dang » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 8:26 PM UTC

As long as we're on about Belgium, here's what Baudelaire had to say: http://harpers.org/archive/2014/08/brussels-spleen/.

But it's more Baudelaire than Belgium.

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#13

Post by WildUtah » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 8:35 PM UTC

On the question of whether there is a Belgium in 2015, consider the adventures of Tintin in Molenbeek:

http://twitpic.com/9sbafs

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#14

Post by philjohn » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 8:39 PM UTC

I was born in Belgium (to ex pat parents) and lived there until I was 18. I loved my time there, but it's definitely an odd place. The strife between the Walloons and Flemings (the roots of which stretch back a long time indeed), the large groups of ex pats working for multinational companies, the European Parliament, SHAPE and NATO.

Did wonders for my language skills having a steady stream of people to converse with in both French and Dutch though.

See also the 2007 political crisis where they went without successfully forming a new government following elections.

Despite being a young(ish) country, there's a wealth of culture from Adolf Sax, Hergé to Magritte and sporting icons such as Eddy Merckx.

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#15

Post by hguant » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 8:41 PM UTC

huac wrote: post #4

lobster_johnson wrote: post #3

For those who don't know the author, this essay is by the great, late British historian Tony Judt. He frequently wrote about post-war European history and, as a former Zionist, was a well-known and sometimes controversial critic of Israel.

half-serious: is there ever a 'non-controversial' critic of anything?

Not to be pendant in, but it depends on what you mean by critic. Max Weber and Erich Fromm were critics of Marx and Freud who agreed with much of what they had to say. Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason" is...well it's many things but it advocates rationality and a marriage of pure reason with experience. Ann Coulter is a critic of the Obama administration and liberalism in general.

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#16

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 8:41 PM UTC

jcranmer wrote: post #2

See also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwHotpl9DA

[deleted]

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#17

Post by NicoJuicy » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 8:52 PM UTC

lobster_johnson wrote: post #9

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #8

Wow there's definitely material here for a board game - play the Socialists, the Catholics or the Liberals, vie for power, influence and wealth! Build your 'pillar' by coalescing local power into regional influence!

That's a great idea. "Belgium: The Board Game". Just be careful with the "Scandals & Corruption" expansion pack, it's pretty NSFW.

That could be the European expansion pack with Karel De Gucht for example ( tax fraud + european commissioner for trade), don't forget electrawinds, tecteo, ...

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#18

Post by kirk21 » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 9:08 PM UTC

lobster_johnson wrote: post #9

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #8

Wow there's definitely material here for a board game - play the Socialists, the Catholics or the Liberals, vie for power, influence and wealth! Build your 'pillar' by coalescing local power into regional influence!

That's a great idea. "Belgium: The Board Game". Just be careful with the "Scandals & Corruption" expansion pack, it's pretty NSFW.

Burning money (Agusta scandal) is my favorite one.

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#19

Post by lobster_johnson » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 9:09 PM UTC

dang wrote: post #12

As long as we're on about Belgium, here's what Baudelaire had to say: http://harpers.org/archive/2014/08/brussels-spleen/ . But it's more Baudelaire than Belgium.

Thanks. Judt actually mentions, and quotes from, Baudelaire several times in his essay.

Re: Is there a Belgium? (1999)

#20

Post by pygy_ » Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 9:40 PM UTC

kirk21 wrote: post #18

lobster_johnson wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a great idea. "Belgium: The Board Game". Just be careful with the "Scandals & Corruption" expansion pack, it's pretty NSFW.

Burning money (Agusta scandal) is my favorite one.

The helicopters were not just more expensive, but in practice useless. When fully equipped, their operating range is IIRC ridiculous.