LL-L "Language politics" 2008.02.24 (04) [E]

Sun Feb 24 21:42:08 UTC 2008

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 24 February 2008 - Volume 04
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From: M.-L. Lessing <marless at gmx.de>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2008.02.24 (02) [E]

Hello Mike & all,

I think it all is about what is a _nation_. Somewhere deep inside human
nature, a nation is not simply something cultural, with a language and songs
and art, but also something that has, well, an army. And a government. And
borders. As soon as people feel to be a nation, they want all these
things. These feelings must come from the many thousands of decades of stone
age, and unhappily such heritage is not easily eliminated. Hope for as many
years of evolution in peace and harmony, and the successor of human being
then living will wish for no armies anymore! :-)

Marlou

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From: denis dujardin <dujardin at telenet.be>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2008.02.24 (02) [E]

Hi Mike, (Hi Ron)
That is indeed the same situation Belgium is in. I stress upon the fact that
everything which is spread in the world concerning our small country of
10000000 inhabitants, is allways influenced by the French-speaking media ( -
in France -), who generally tend to sympathize with the french speaking
south of this surrealistic country.
I hope my message - in all modesty-  can be spread in order to tell the
world, that the stories being told about the flemish are in many cases
disgusting propaganda
The Flemish have allways been overpowerd by the French speaking minority,
and this minority, backed by a haute-bourgeoisie monarchy still tries to get
hold on the overall power. Belgium will - as far as my opinion is concerned
-  disappear in times to come.
This state where there have been put together two completely different
cultures, has nowadays gigantic problems to create a federal government,
because finally after 177 years , the Flemish claim their rights for
economical autonomy . (The unemployment rate being far higher in Wallonia
than in Flanders). But also here it is a matter of language. Around
Brussels, monolinguistic frenchspeaking upperclass citizens go and live in
flemish speaking villages, and they dont want to adapt to the language
spoken there.  They claim the territory and in certain areas they have
become majority. The opposite is unthinkable. There are areas where there is
a Flemish minority in Wallonia, where they are insulted for being nazi or
facist. This aspect is linked to the fact that in WWII the Germans promised
to provide the Flemish the linguistic rights which they were stolen by the
wealthy overpowering french speaking haute bourgeoisie.
Which means that the Flemish, as soon as they on a democratic electoral base
ask for more cultural or economical independance , they are treated as
extreme right facists.
This is really abhauling. Especially, when one finds out that linguistic
courteoisie was allways reigned in one direction . Flemish are bilingual.
They allmost all speak French as well, whereas, Flemish (Dutch) is
considered by the majority of Walloon and Brussels (which is majority French
spoken) as the language of peasants and is worthless as a language. So if
they go into Flanders they just speak french, regardless of the language of
the terrritory they are on at that moment.
The politician which is called Yves Leterme, who is about to become prime
minister in Belgium (if they succeed in building this government), wondered
in an interview , before last years elections, that - ironically spoken -
the french speaking people who immigrated in the flemish area , perhaps
lacked any intellectual potential to at least learn a second language? He
was booed by all french speaking media, but he was right. French having
longtime been the lingua franca in Europe has lost its importance, but some
people in Belgium still believe they live in the Middle-Ages. To resume. If
in Europe - which is multilingual -you do not even make an effort in
learning at least the language of your neighbours, then I think you are , or
extremely selfish, or you are extremely stupid.
The multilinguist-attitude of the Flemish (most of the younger generations
speak three languages) resulted also in an economical power which is far
more important than the Walloon economy, which have the appearance in cities
like Charleroi and Liege of an industrial cemetry.

I agree with you, Mike, that Europe should be a multicultural-continent
political power, in which cultural independance is far more important than
the 19th century systems of nation-power (like France, who were the
champions in killing minority languages ,such as flemish, breton , catalan
and alsassisch)

Best greetings,

Denis Dujardin
Flanders

•

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