What's wrong with your country? (12 Viewers)

Bjerknes

"Top Economist"
Mar 16, 2004
116,151
++ [ originally posted by Geof ] ++


typical :rolleyes:
I am not sure if you mean typical as in typical of the Americans you see everyday, however every single person I have met knows or must know that Belgium is indeed a country, and I have met a hell of a lot of Americans.

But that is particulary sad indeed.
 
OP
Kaiser Franco
Dec 27, 2003
1,982
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread Starter #131
    ++ [ originally posted by Geof ] ++
    I agree with most of that.

    When I said that Brussels would be shithole without EU and NATO, I meant it on international level. Of course I realize that it's a very nice city. Plus, as one said to me, it's a big capital at human size, unlike Paris or London.

    True on the image of the Eurocrats too. But they coud spend most of their easy-earned money in Brussels, and we have to exploit that more. And of course there is the housing problem. Living in the city centre is too expensive for a normal human being, even the Marolles are becoming a posh place to live. Which is a pity. We're losing the popular side of the city. The real Brusseleers can't afford to live in their own city anymore.
    Who's to blame for that? The EU for paying them too much? The Eurocrats for their mentality? The city council, which seems to do nothing against it? Can't really blame the owners who accept the highest bid...
    But this problem is the same in every major city isnt'it?
    Yes but it affects a city like Brussels far more than, say, the UN in New York or even in Geneva (them Swiss are already stinky rich anyway:groan:).

    The solution is quite simple I think : make them pay taxes!

    Of course their salaries would have to remain relatively high in order for them to still want to work here, so let's say a 25/30 % taxation.

    That would constitute a nice little amount of money you could directly invest in other things, while the housing market and the cost of living would stop soaring like they currently are.

    Unfortunately this is all theoretical, as the Belgian gov't has not much to say in this, and the day it enforces such measures on the EU they'll probably just move elsewhere. Change has to come from the inside, so this is likely to take a long time.

    Oh yeah and that ridiculous retirement scheme needs to be scrapped as well. When a EU civil servant retires and goes back to his country of origin, his pension is calculated according to the cost of living in the CAPITAL of said country.

    Brussels' cost of living is used as a reference (100). This means that if you are, say, a British civil servant who decides to move back to the UK after retirement, you will receive something like a 60% bonus besides your already very generous pension (since London is the most expensive capital in Europe), no matter where in the UK you actually go live.

    So what do these guys actually do? They buy a flat in Grimsby and officially claim to be living there, while in fact spending 11 months out of 12 in their fat house in Brussels.

    While the Commission is supposed to supervise this, very few controls are actually implemented, and the Franco-British lobby (for once working together, as Paris comes second in terms of living costs) is refusing to change the system.

    On the other hand, if you are a retired Greek and want to move back to Greece, you will receive less than the 100% reference. So they will do the opposite, i.e. claim to still live here in order to get the 100% while being de facto back in Greece.

    Ever noticed how many over 60 Brits and French there are in Brussels while their Portuguese and Greek counterparts are nowhere to be seen?
     

    Juve89

    The Farmer
    May 27, 2004
    3,420
    Justice: In Norway we have a maximum sentance on 21 years in jail, and that means that rapers and murderers will not have to serve so many years in prison.....The subject was discussed here in Norway two or three years ago, but obviiously nothing changed:(

    The Weather: In Norway, Espacially in Bergen we have alot of rain al year around.
    '
    Elders: Norways elders is treated very badly. It is a constant subject that needs to be discussed, because people who work with elders often seems to not care.(from what is beeing said in the media)
     

    ali-P

    Junior Member
    Aug 6, 2005
    156
    ++ [ originally posted by Geof ] ++


    wowow Turkey is a very nice country but you can't say there is nothing wrong there. some examples

    1. What about the Kurds?
    2. The Turkish police and jails have quite a bad reputation. Human rights aren't a priority.
    3. Millions of Turks emigrated to Europe to work there. That isn't a very good sign for a country, is it?
    4. Ecology doesn't seem to be an issue either. The government build these huge dams on the Euphrates, and totally changed the climate of a region, bringing new ilnesses with it. Meanwhile, Syria and northern Irak are now dependent on Turkey for their water supply.
    5. More than 80 years after the massacre of the Armenians by the Early Turks, it still doesn't exist officially in Turkish history. Let alone some attempt of excuse...

    Turkey is marvellous but you can't asy there are no problems.
    1kurds are our friends they sometimes make troubles but still they are friends
    2now is changing we have democrasy
    3i know very poor people in turkiye but we are improving our economy
    4i don't know about this
    5it is lie
    every country has good and bad i love my country
     

    mikhail

    Senior Member
    Jan 24, 2003
    9,576
    ++ [ originally posted by Geof ] ++
    Seven introduced it a bit. But I'll give it a try:

    BELGIUM:

    ...Oh, and we have Jean-Claude Van Damme...
    Man, there's a lot wrong with my country, but I can't top that. Belgium sucks. ;)
     

    cuore

    Junior Member
    Aug 10, 2005
    170
    Most of the stuff about Canadas already been said. For me the worst thing is the seperation of English and Frecnh Canada. It makes me so angry to hear french people (who don't speak a word of english) get mad at english people who can't speak french. The same can be said about the english. The shit I hear said by english people towards the french is disgusting. They think that black racism is the only type of racism meanwhile they talk shit about any french person they meet.

    I don't know if people living in english Canada feel the same way about this as me. But in Montreal its a huge problem. It's surprising to me seeing as Montreal is such a cosmopolitan city which is known for welcoming people of all backgrounds.
     

    nedved34

    Senior Member
    Oct 3, 2002
    3,919
    ++ [ originally posted by ali-P ] ++

    1kurds are our friends they sometimes make troubles but still they are friends
    2now is changing we have democrasy
    3i know very poor people in turkiye but we are improving our economy
    4i don't know about this
    5it is lie
    every country has good and bad i love my country
    :mad:
     

    Dan

    Back & Quack
    Mar 9, 2004
    9,290
    ++ [ originally posted by ali-P ] ++

    1kurds are our friends they sometimes make troubles but still they are friends
    2now is changing we have democrasy
    3i know very poor people in turkiye but we are improving our economy
    4i don't know about this
    5it is lie every country has good and bad i love my country

    :rofl:
     

    Max

    Senior Member
    Jul 15, 2003
    4,828
    ++ [ originally posted by cuore ] ++
    Most of the stuff about Canadas already been said. For me the worst thing is the seperation of English and Frecnh Canada. It makes me so angry to hear french people (who don't speak a word of english) get mad at english people who can't speak french. The same can be said about the english. The shit I hear said by english people towards the french is disgusting. They think that black racism is the only type of racism meanwhile they talk shit about any french person they meet.

    I don't know if people living in english Canada feel the same way about this as me. But in Montreal its a huge problem. It's surprising to me seeing as Montreal is such a cosmopolitan city which is known for welcoming people of all backgrounds.
    I'm with you, man. Everyone ignores the French in English Canada, and it pisses me off. There's loads of stereotyping and it pisses me off just as much as it does to you. I swear, whenever Québec threatens to separate, I get so scared because Canada would be loosing a huge part of our country. There has always been that isolation from English Canada towards the Québecois and the Natives, and vice versa. I don't understand why we can't just be one united country with one identity: CANADIAN!
     

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