[Marxism] Don't you know Flemish, miss? (Juventud Rebelde)

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(A look at how some of the language and cultural differences are playing
out in the heart of Europe where forces pressing for separation oppose
others favoring participation in a common national and regional state.)
=========================================================================

JUVENTUD REBELDE

Don't you know Flemish, miss?
By: Luis Luque Álvarez 
Email: luque@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
December 20, 2007 00:00:56 GMT


http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs1699.html 
A CubaNews translation by Ana Portela.
Edited by Walter Lippmann. Original:
http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/opinion/2007-12-20/no-sabe-flamenco-senorita/ 

She is blond and slender; beautiful in summary. She speaks English
and Czech as well as French, her native language. But, terrible
mistake: she does not speak Flemish. (Dutch)?

When a television presenter asked her a question in that language,
Miss Belgium asked it repeated in French. And that started the
whistles and boos from the public that I suspect must have
embarrassed her.

It happened on Saturday in Ambers, the port city of Flanders, to the
north. It was "expected" that the young lady from the French speaking
southern region of Wallonia would know how to speak Dutch. That is
why she was booed.

Whoever is unaware of the current political crisis of Belgium would
be surprised that the heavens fell for so little. After all, if we
make comparisons, in Spain not many Catalonians know Galician nor
have many in Galicia learned Basque; nor do many English have to know
Gaelic, the Celtic language used sometimes in Scotland, one of the
nations of the United Kingdom.

However, criticisms rained down on twenty-year-old Alizée Poulicek
for not knowing Dutch. I must explain that I don't care a whit about
these contests, chock full of fatuousness and mercantilism. I target
the ever-growing intransigent concern of certain political sectors in
Flanders who push the common people toward a socio-linguistic
diversity in Belgium and the main emphasis is on the possible
division of the country to break off the unindustrialized
French-speaking Wallonia.

In fact, 190 days after elections, disagreements between the Dutch
and Wallonian parties have prevented forming a government because,
since the former want greater competence in jobs, justice, taxes,
health, telecommunications, etc. the latter believe that, in effect,
that widens the breach between both regions and paves the road
towards a partition of the country.

And that is what is behind boos for the blunder committed by the
beautiful Miss Belgium. That is the reason behind the fuss. The rich
wanting separation from the less rich while, ironically the European
Union - with its seat in Brussels, the capital of Belgium - calls for
greater economic and common policies?

All well and good, if the issue is to prepare for division while some
French speaking sectors warn of a possible scenario: association with
France. How is that? For deputy Daniel Ducarme, father of the idea, a
completely autonomous Wallonia would not be viable in a Europe where
the large states set the lines and, thus, it would be convenient to
become associated with Paris which would have the reins of foreign
policy and defense. The rest would be done from home.

Does the plan prosper? Would it be a redress for the four million in
Wallonia who are spurned by the politicians of Flanders? Whatever
happens it would not be today. Obviously Miss Belgium and her
paisanos continue to endure other absences of comprehension in the
very bosom of a cultured Europe.


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