Delusion: The Myth of Belgium

Day 1,579, 15:23 • Published in Netherlands Belgium • by Konrad Neumann


There is something fundamentally wrong with the Belgian culture of public policy and administration. Fundamentally, they create a facade which they called neutrality in hopes that their neighbors would not attack them. They also lack the basic understanding of neutrality as well as the basics of foreign policy. It is for this reason, they built this eBE bubble. While other nations are expanding contacts and engagement with the world, eBE retreats within continuing the eBelgian delusion of a warped understanding neutrality and governance.

There are many small countries in this game. I am currently in the neighboring country called the Netherlands. The Netherlands shared many characteristics with its Belgian neighbors. It is a small country with a relatively low population. They share similar cultures in RL and the Dutch face more threats due to more valuable resources. But yet, the Belgians are in worst shape.

The fundamental problem with Belgium is that they create a myth for themselves. The myth of Belgium believes that their country is neutral and their system is progressive and ideal. The myth also suggest that their structures are just and that eBE is an utopia. They hug each other and act very innocent. They evoke hollow moralistic language with little to no meaning to them. The more things go wrong, the more they retreat into the bubble and the Myth of Belgium. In the end they might no thy enemy but they do not know thyself.

As discussed in my past article eGermany is Liberal, eNL is Moderate, eBelgium is Oppressive... their political structure is flawed. It is designed in a way that only favors the powerful parties and silences the oppositions. The congress voted for the 3 Justices who will rule in the Supreme Court. The oppositions have to win both congress and SC to get anything done. With the SC being voted in by congress, the likelihood of the opposition to pass anything is low if the big parties are against it due to the relationship of the congress and the court. The court is not a real court but an upper house of parliament with veto powers. The Dutch and German system is a lot more efficient. It is a lot more democratic and fair as there is no upper house with veto powers at all. Despite this, the Belgians retreat to their "superior" political system. The opposition does not have the means to break free from this oligarchical as the Myth of Belgian is ingrained in the minds of most Belgians.

The Myth of Belgian continues to foreign policy. Whereas the Netherlands explored other cultures and systems, the Belgians believes in Belgian exceptionalism. Both the Dutch and the Belgians have to rely on soft power to survive. Their low population and low damage counts does not make it possible for them to rely solely on military power. The Dutch are extremely smart. They are a flexible people that moves to different countries. They engage with the world. Garmr was once the MoD of the eUS. In the days of PHX, Frerk (when he was still Dutch) was the Security General of the alliance. Dutch soft power became Dutch hard power. The Belgians are the opposite. They do not engage the world itself. In my days in eBE, they talk of Belgian greatness and power. They seek an Belgian Empire on German soil. They lack of understanding of their own capability is evident as they believe they could take on the Germans in war.

Yet, they retreat back to Belgian neutrality. They claim that they are neutral since they sign MPPs with both sides of the conflicts. They claim they fight on both sides of the war and somehow that cancels out. That is not neutrality. Neutrality means you are neutral. You are out of the way and do not interfere in any ways. Actively sending eBE army in key important wars at any time is not neutral. Fighting for both sides does not mean you are neutral but to the alliance, eBelgium is a jerk. How dare you claim neutrality when you are meddling with our affairs (even if it benefits me). This warped view of neutrality problematic for the Belgians. They act like they are a friend to all. However, a friend to all is a friend to none. The myth they created for themselves only create distrust and suspicions for its neighbors.

There is naivety in the Belgian Weltanschauung. Like in the current war, they continue to claim neutrality. What they do not understand is that no one respects weak and small countries. Other countries only respects power. Whereas the Dutch solved this problem by using soft power to get hard power via alliances, the Belgians do not understand his concept. Former Dutch but now eBelgian, Boklevski, stated in the eBE forums, "We're an all nice, neighbour loving and huggable folks, and those greedy pigs dare to invade us after we send back their 300 GOLD?" Soft power without hard power does not make any country secure. My reply to that comment was not viewed favorably:

Loves and hugs are meaningless. Power or the perception of power is what matters. No one gives a crap about your feelings or your hugs etc. If you have power in which case military power, people will respect you. If not, they will do a cost benefit analysis and to see if crushing eBE or leaving it alone would be more ideal etc. eBE does not have any power. Hugs and kisses will not be factored in in the decision making calculus of the decision makers. In the case for Auggy, it is a great political move (domestic) for him as it brings fun etc. For your allies, their benefit in aiding the Belgians is Geo-stragetic purposes. It is not because you did the "right thing" or of your loves and kisses. Until you have power, eBE would continue to be marginalized or mocked. It will continue to be in the paths of empires and alliance. Your "good deeds" might work for propaganda but not really part of the decision maker's cost benefit analysis calculations.

Karakoran who is relatively new in the BCP replied No one is going to support an unlawful invasion of eBelgium. Especially when the goal is nothing more than to unlawfully invade eBelgium. What laws are there? There is no international laws at all. The Belgian political culture that everything has to use moralistic and legal terms is problematic as it shows the lack of understanding of the international system. It also builds on the bubble and the Myth of Belgian as it is always the other people's fault. The blame and the burden to the Belgians are never within but always without.

The moralistic language continues even if they are doing well in the war. Like when they take Southern Netherlands, their CP claims it is not imperialistic or revenge but to better secure their home regions. Why? Why use moralistic language. Take your war loot and feed on it. Build momentum with it. In the end, no matter what you say, it is imperialistic but why use the vernacular negative connotation of imperialism. They should be more like ChewChewShoe and run with it. Feed on it and get people more active and excited.

In the end, the Belgians are living on a different planet. They are playing a different game from most other countries. Instead of expanding outwards, they always look within. I am not saying that they have to follow the Realist tradition of International Relations but the Myth of Belgium prevents change and self reflection. If things go well, they cite and evoke the Myth. When things go wrong, they retreat to the Myth of Belgium. In the end, they have no understanding or grasp of foreign affairs and international politics. Blind luck is the only thing that guides their policy. Luck does run out eventually.

Konrad Neumann
-German President x3
-Officer of Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw (Political dedication and service)
-Knight of Orde van Oranje Nassau (Societal dedication and service)
-19 time congressman
-Advisor to the Raidoh Administration
-Former Minister of Interior of Netherlands
-Former Minister Foreign Affairs of Netherlands
-Former Party President of Green Liberal Democrats [GLD]
-Former Party President of Open Minded Germany [OMG]
-Retired Emeritus of the now defunct Phoenix
-Co-Author of the Frankfurt Treaty
-One of the negotiator, author of the Phoenix alliance under then President Donnie Bronco
-Vice/MoFA of eGermany from August to January
-Former eGerman ambassador to eAustralia, eUK, and UNL