Greater Netherlands

[The Lawspeaker]

Suppose if Flanders and Wallonia would join our ranks again. Flanders would be able to cope well: it is wealthy, the infrastructure is reasonable but would need some major adjustment over the coming years but it is Wallonia that we should be worried about;

Other people may think that Wallonia looks like this:





Unfortunately: that is not the whole story... there is more to it:







Particularly the area around Lidje (Luik) and Tchålerwè (Charleroi) has a problem. Particularly the area known as Borinage has a problem. It was once "Belgian's" version of the Black Country. Very heavily industrialised this is where the money was - unfortunately when the mines closed so did the industry (that was during the 1960s and nothing has happened ever since). But... all the more reason to look into the area and see what can be done. - it would indeed need a lot of structuurplannen. While the Flemish only see corruption and decay and only have their ancient hatreds for the Walloons we of the North are maybe a bit more neutral here and we can see chances.

The area around Lidje has been industrialised since the Middle Ages - it is an area where indeed Dutch industrial history was written. Think of Cockerill. With the technological know-how that is now focussed in and around Lidje we could bring the steelworks back to life and build trains there, cars, watches, if necessary weapons. All this produced by people who can be brought back from their slumbers and get paid a Dutch wage, a good wage and can be proud of themselves again. But first we would need a lenghtly inquiry into the causes of political trouble there.

The Borinage is a different story: the question is-- what can be done for these people ? The mines are closed -- that story is over (like in Limburg).

But first things first: these people need decent houses with modern facilities:





It may be the same boring crap as we have but at least it will work.

They are going to need new public transport, new motorways.. new everything (basically)... an expensive job but a worthy one.

[Crossbow]

Other reasons (acording to Flemish writer/journalist G. van Istendael):


-The Netherlands would transform into a state with 27 million inhabitants, so we would be an important nation in Europe;
-A rich country: in the past this was reflected in the combined activities of industry (Wallonia), agriculture (Flanders) and a trading fleet plus colonies (Holland);
-Trilingual United Netherlands: Dutch, French and German, a valuable capital;
-Less influence of a powerful Roman Catholic Church, at the same time less dominance of calvinist elements;
-A richer composition of regional languages.
-More creativity in matters of architecture, due to southern influence, with the benefits of northern organization.

You could think of more reasons, van Istendael says he cannot find a single
disadvantage.

[The Lawspeaker]

In order to create jobs in Wallonia some sacrifices will have to be made by Brussels (which will still improve their quality of life), Kortrijk, Antwerp, Maastricht and Eindhoven as no less then five airports will be closed down.

The international airport of Brussels will be moved to Brussels South Charleroi -- which is the airport of Charleroi where the current airport should be completely rebuild in order to accommodate the current number of passengers as well as those that come into the country via Kortrijk, Brussels and to an extent Antwerp. It should be linked to Brussels by high-speed train that can be boarded directly at the airport and from there on to Antwerp and elsewhere in the North or South. It should become as important to the Netherlands as Amsterdam Schiphol so it should be beautifully designed. We could learn something from Liège- Guillemins (station) or from the gardens on Singapore-Changi.

Maastricht- Aachen (once known as Vliegveld Beek) will also be closed down and it's functions transferred to a new international airport which can be build out of the existing Liège- Bierset which can be linked to Antwerp, Maastricht and Brussels by a fast intercity train.

Whereas Liège- Bierset will not become as important as let's say Schiphol-Amsterdam it should still be able to handle a lot of traffic in case one of the other airports is too busy so it may need new runways and a new terminal. Which will create jobs which can be filled in by people from the area as well as from Maastricht which will fuel the creation of a new bi-lingual metropolitan area: Liège- Maastricht.

Then Antwerp and Eindhoven.. both need a good airport but the trouble is that the existing airports are too close to the actual cities so the search is on for the location for a new airport.

What needs to happen next is the re-vamping of the infrastructure, mainly in Wallonia, this can both be relatively cheap and become very expensive. The fact is that we as the Netherlands simply don't have the experience in dealing with hilly landscapes when it comes to planning infrastructure.

This is maybe where local expertise will come in handy - particularly in the Ardennes but the motorways will get the same look and the same quality as the latest versions in the Netherlands. They will get the same lighting, the same markings, the same traffic signs as those in use in the Netherlands but what's on it will be in Belgian French only (while in the Flanders everything will of course be in Dutch).

LED's at the A44.

It can be a bit cheaper when it comes to electricity when we don't fuel the "Belgian" obsession with lighting up the entire stretch of motorway -- even in rural areas. The initial investment will be expensive as a lot needs to be done and we can switch the lighting that will be there (on bridges, at exits, at road junctions and in more urban areas) to LED and add cat's eyes no the asphalt.

Of course the numbering system in both North and South need to be re-done from scratch so that also could be a very costly investment.

[The Lawspeaker]

Other reasons (acording to Flemish writer/journalist G. van Istendael):


-The Netherlands would transform into a state with 27 million inhabitants, so we would be an important nation in Europe;
-A rich country: in the past this was reflected in the combined activities of industry (Wallonia), agriculture (Flanders) and a trading fleet plus colonies (Holland);
-Trilingual United Netherlands: Dutch, French and German, a valuable capital;
-Less influence of a powerful Roman Catholic Church, at the same time less dominance of calvinist elements;
-A richer composition of regional languages.
-More creativity in matters of architecture, due to southern influence, with the benefits of northern organization.

You could think of more reasons, van Istendael says he cannot find a single
disadvantage.

And neither can I. It will take us some investments, some adjustments and we could loose some of those 27 million but in the end it will pay off handsomely.

[Crossbow]

And neither can I. It will take us some investments, some adjustments and we could loose some of those 27 million but in the end it will pay off handsomely.

Definitely, the loss of some of those 27 millions will release (a part of) the money required for these investments.

[The Lawspeaker]

Definitely, the loss of some of those 27 millions will release (a part of) the money required for these investments.

Not just the immigrants. I definitely wouldn't mind if some people from North AND South left the country for America or Canada. We need the space.

[Crossbow]

Not just the immigrants. I definitely wouldn't mind if some people from North AND South left the country for America or Canada. We need the space.

Allright, but when the number of immigrants is reduced to an insignificant rate, many nationals won't be willing to leave. One of the reasons why peope have been leaving (not the only one, to be sure) in the last decade has somehting to do with immigration and its consequences.
Perhaps its more likely that it will incite people who have been abroad, to return and settle here again.

[Peasant]

[FONT="Georgia"]

Is it wierd I find this first image more pleasing to my eye than the new buildings? Theres something I find really crappy and tacky about new housing developments.

[The Lawspeaker]

Is it wierd I find this first image more pleasing to my eye than the new buildings? Theres something I find really crappy and tacky about new housing developments.

Maybe because there is a lot of that in England too. Too my Dutch eyes it only has one meaning: big effing explosion and build something clean, efficient and modern for the people living in it.

Allright, but when the number of immigrants is reduced to an insignificant rate, many nationals won't be willing to leave. One of the reasons why peope have been leaving (not the only one, to be sure) in the last decade has somehting to do with immigration and its consequences.
Perhaps its more likely that it will incite people who have been abroad, to return and settle here again.

I surely hope not. We lack the space.. no it should be slowly encouraged to start leaving when you're looking for space and have acquired skills from which we have no shortage in this country while such skills may be needed in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand --- they can file applications looking for European workers like during the 1950s and we will see who steps forward.

[Crossbow]

Is it wierd I find this first image more pleasing to my eye than the new buildings? Theres something I find really crappy and tacky about new housing developments.

To be honest, me too.