Are Chocolate, Beer & Women's Tennis Enough?

Belgians, Adrift and Split, Sense Their Nation Is Fading -Will the Flemish, robust of build, yet nonetheless lithe and agile, and the Walloons, known for their powerful yet accurate backhands, go the way of the Czechs and the Slovaks? The Flemish Christian Democrats won a plurality in an election held June 10 but have not been able to put together a majority coalition, in part because the party leader has slighted the French speaking Walloons, who are the majority in the South of Belgium. The result - no new prime minister or cabinet, a non-functioning parliament, and a nation that is reexamining the premise of its own existence. Existing government departments continue to provide basic services, the crisis seems to be largely emotional. Best quote, from Filip Dewinter, leader of the xenophobic Flemish Bloc Party:

We are two different nations, an artificial state created as a buffer between
big powers, and we have nothing in common except a king, chocolate and beer.It’s
‘bye-bye, Belgium’ time.

Problems with best quote:

- you forgot women's tennis (Walloon Justine Henin and Flemish Kim Clijsters).

- a government that provides all basic services but is so paralyzed that it can't make any mistakes, and you want to throw that away? Shame on you, Mr. Dewinter, you have Eden, the government that governs least.

-don't sneer at chocolate and beer - it's more than Texas and New York have in common.

As Good As News wishes Belgium all the best, whatever that may be. By the way, things are very slow in Turkmenistan (because the #$%^&* NY Times won't cover anything - and then it has the nerve to call the Turkmen reclusive). So, Kingdom of Wallonia, if Belgium splits look no further for your official blog. We see absolutely no conflict of interest with Turkmenistan and have more than enough time for the dual role.