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[wormpaul]

@ stroggy and other belgium people..

What is exactly happening with vlaams blok/belang at the moment??

Are they going for victory or just a "long" hype with all the problems at the moment??

[Stroggy]

I think that at the moment they are the second most popular party (next to the ruling party)
They would have won the previous elections if it wasn't for the Cordon Sanitair.

[Nyerguds]

That wouldn't have been a bad thing. The whole cordon is stupid.

If they'd won once, andd ppl would SEE they're just a bunch of sorry misfits, that would've been the end of it. The Cordon Sanitaire stresses the fact it exists... and that they're being treated as being 'bad'. The party abused that and said they were not being heard, and thus gained a lot of sympathy from the voters.

[Kon-Tiki]

Then again, those that're currently ruling're a bunch of misfits too, yet they can't seem to be gotten rid of, so that argument's quite dubious.

[Stroggy]

I agree, like with the Austrian right winger (I already forgot his name) after he got in power people saw how they were a bunch of misfits.
By imposing this entire cordon the Vlaams Belang is getting attention aswell as votes, I also think it is highly undemocratic. However the Vlaams Belang has its uses, people are showing the government that the situation as it is now can't continue. I know my mother had to close her shop because the street it was located in (which was once the most expensive and popular street in Antwerp) had fallen into dispair. Youth gangs (composed mostly of young immigrants) mugged old ladies and even the police was often scared to come there. And what did the government do? The government built even more social housing so all the immigrants could come there.
As a result of both prejudice and grounded fear people started avoiding the neighbourhood and the street spiraled into decay. And thus the people showed their discontent at the Government's lax policy by supporting the Vlaams Blok.
But by this time the government still hasn't changed much.

[another_guest]

What annoys me most about the Cordon Sanitaire, is the reason why the other political parties created it in the first place. Not because they were worried about an undemocratic party seizing power (besides, though I don't agree with most of their ideas, how undemocratic would they be when they were elected? :crazy: ). The main reason was that they wanted to keep Vlaams Blok (as it was called back then) out as much as possible, afraid of losing their own seats.

There are hardly any politicians left, either left or right wingers, who I would respect. Like Stroggy said, the ones currently in power are a bunch of complete idiots (though those are my words ), caring more about how to fill their pockets and petty political manoeuvres than anything else.
I also think a lot of the Vlaams Blok/ Vlaams Belang votes could be taken from them by a party -whether left or right- that put more effort into solving those problems.
People in Belgium, especially most politicians, are too afraid of sounding/looking like a right winger. Just look at some Scandinavian countries for example, while they have a strict immigration policy, they send a lot of financial help to poor countries, to help preventing the unbridled immigration.

As for Wormpaul's question, who knows? I *think* they're trying to gain enough votes to get a mayor somewhere (probably Antwerp), though they could as well continue like they've always done. Because indeed, it's easier to criticize from the side line (enough "targets" to find!) than to do things right yourself. Though I keep saying, the currently ruling parties are total fools, it would in fact be hard to do things worse than them. :ranting:

[Stroggy]

Originally posted by another_guest@Mar 13 2005, 02:56 PM
besides, though I don't agree with most of their ideas, how undemocratic would they be when they were elected?

Well I do agree with some of their views but as an example: recently DeWinter said government should stop funding artists (painters, writers, actors...) because they say its no longer art. Now I do agree that art these days can hardly be called art and the fact that the government gives millions to people who tape bugshells to a ceiling can be upsetting, but a political party can't go around saying what is and what isn't art, you can hardly create a Ministry of Art which decides what is and what isn't art since art is subjective. Anyway, while the Vlaams Belang has some good points about that subject what they're trying to do is undemocratic.

[another_guest]

Originally posted by Stroggy@Mar 13 2005, 03:13 PM
Now I do agree that art these days can hardly be called art and the fact that the government gives millions to people who tape bugshells to a ceiling can be upsetting, but a political party can't go around saying what is and what isn't art, you can hardly create a Ministry of Art which decides what is and what isn't art since art is subjective.

Agreed. Though there will always be a subjective element in choosing which artists will get funding. If you happen to have friends in the right places, it doesn't matter how crappy your "art" is.
And yes, most modern art in Belgium, especially that sponsored in any way by the government, is pure crap. I admire the Irish for their modern art...
Ah well, such funding will always be "unfair" in some way. So many other promising artists who'll never receive any help at all from the government, but then who'll say if they are promising or even artists?

[TaloN]

polictics is frankly messed up.

the whole farce in Britian with the anti terrorism bill got right on my tits