Comments on: Belgium’s gay hope

By: DN

DN — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:53:12 +0000

Here’s all you need to know about Belgium:

It’s a nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit there :)

I’ve never been to a more friendly country.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:30:25 +0000

Thanks for the clarification about Belgian socialism. You’ll have to forgive my ignorance.

Europeans readers sometimes marvel at the bizarre peculiarities of American politics. And rightly so. Our “American way” of doing things can certainly easily lend itself to mockery. Political buffoonery is almost a cherished national tradition.

But I think I’m entitled to chuckle at the notion of a nation that crafted a constitution, decided that it would like to be a monarchy, and then set out to shop for a monarch. “Duke of Nemours, would you like to be king? No? Okay, how about you, Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. You were raised in Germany, your wife was next in line in Britain ’til she died, and you’ve turned down the throne of Greece, why don’t you be King of the Belgians?”

So why ever should I expect Belgian Socialists favor socialism? Not a necessity I suppose. American Republicans certainly love uniformity when it comes to social policy and American Democrats can get decidedly dismissive of the majority at times.

But, nevertheless, I’m certain that if the centrist socialist monarchy of Belgium is in the midst of a civil war, it will be a most civil one. We are talking about Belgians, after all.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:53:20 +0000

‘Socialism’ is indeed left of center here in Europe. He heads a coalition of right wing and left wing parties from the northern part and the southern part… so his policies will be… as usual central…

Two good things: his homosexuality is not an issue, on neither side of the linguistic border…and he has made policies towards LGBT safety a key priority (in law complete equality has already be achieved).

On another note: hardly a civil war going on here… much less than in certain area’s of the worlds biggest cities…really an overhyped tabloid like statement like seems to be in fashion these days…

By: Charles

Charles — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:59:42 +0000

I don’t know the man’s politics or the issue that dominate Belgium. I applaud that he is running for Prime Minister, but don’t know whether I would support him. I am not going to support him just because he is gay.

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:04:33 +0000

“Socialism” in the European political sense means social democratic or ‘left-of-centre’.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:24:36 +0000

and, of course, the all important question is: if Belgium splits, will Albert II be King of the Flemings or King of the Walloons.

By: tavdy79

tavdy79 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:41:56 +0000

I doubt merely wishing Elio well will be enough. Praying for a miracle might be more helpful, because to lead a country like Belgium – which isn’t so much a nation as a civil war without weapons – a miracle is what Elio will need.

I’ve long since given up wondering if the country will split, and am now only wondering when, and what will happen when it does.