Thoughts on the Game State in Belgium

Day 5,039, 15:12 • Published in Belgium Belgium • by Chuck Button

As a newer resident of Belgium, and by new I mean I've been here less than a year, I've become quite disillusioned with the government and the way my fellow Belgians interact with one another.

I left my last country because I could no longer counsel the bigotry, homophobia and sexism that was rife within the ranks of government, the leadership of the military units and of the several political parties. My avatar at the time was of a black man, and I felt genuine offense to many things that were said about black people specifically.

So finally, after several years of trying to ignore the banter, I just left. I moved a couple of places and applied for citizenship at one. A player from Belgium apparently saw my application to the other country and asked me to come to Belgium. He didn't ask me to join his military unit or his party. He just asked me to check out Belgium.

I arrived and was gratified to see a country that was funcitoning without discriminating against its citizens. The players I met were fun, and I was happy enough that I applied for citizenship and was accepted.

I don't think I joined a party or a military unit for about a month. And when I finally joined one, I did it for particular reason other than to have an identity and to be around enjoyable people. I applied to run for Congress, and that same month the Dictatorship began. I didn't know the history between the two leading parties, and I had no idea what the friction was all about. I finally got tired of it, the bickering, the back and forth, the failure of the electoral system, that I left my party for another that I thought would make a difference.

I ended up being elected to Congress for 6 terms for Belgium. I have never, however, had the privilege of casting a vote for a law, for a decision, for anything. I have never spent a day in my Congressional office. That is 6 terms in Congress with nothing to show for it. A feckless Member of Congress with 6 trophies on my mantle but not one law to my name.

Where I am at now, I don't care about either of the two leading parties. I abhor the Dictatorship. I can't stand the barbs thrown back and forth by the two leading parties at each other. This isn't the way I want to play this game. This isn't a healthy direction for anyone involved. I want to see honest debate and free elections. The Dictatorship, no matter how well-meaning, must end. Voting must take on meaning again. We have destroyed one of the modules of the games, and I say "we" because it is apparent neither of the leading parties wishes to acknowledge the good in the other and work together for Belgium rather than against the other side.

It doesn't have to be this way. Not having a vote that counts is no fun. Reading articles with comments about how the writer is a degenerate is no fun. I find myself asking, what's the purpose of even being here anymore? Why should I log in? I guess it's just hoping one election day I'll log in and I'll be able to cast a vote that decides more than who gets the trophy that month.