The US has some good comedians, cartoons … but this is really not one of them …
The author is clearly a victim of the sub-par US education system … doesn’t know geography, history … no clue about Belgian culture or cuisine … really bad drawings for a 28 year old … art class wasn’t his major I guess.
I think I’m gonna dream something up about Americans. :fume: :raspberry:
Ignore the meth heads. They will all be victims of Darwin soon enough, anyway.
And also, many thanks for the great beers and fries and waffles. 
That Belgian only has three fingers. Other than that, it seems fine to me.
Belgium is my third favourite country. Don’t ever try the eels, though (paling?). They really are shite.
OK, so he could have made a cartoon about eels … (I like them tho, in green herbs or sour eel, yummy!) … not about waffles making you sick … did he have a bad waffle, a beer that made him sick?
I never had a puppy dog … too fresh!
If we took over America we wouldn’t need a government, we are doing fine without one for a year now …
Do you seriously not get the point of this thing?
[quote=“Belgian Pie”]The US has some good comedians, cartoons … but this is really not one of them …
The author is clearly a victim of the sub-par US education system … doesn’t know geography, history … no clue about Belgian culture or cuisine … really bad drawings for a 28 year old … art class wasn’t his major I guess.
I think I’m gonna dream something up about Americans. :fume: :raspberry:[/quote]
Oh, man, the beer :lick: . They also have fantastic architecture that for some reason survived repeated world wars 
, mussels with thin chips and salad cream, plus they aren’t afraid to sport big moustaches. What’s not to like?
The idea behind this is how hatred for a group is propagandized. It satirizes anti-semitic (etc.) propaganda that has been actually used.
Why Belgium? Because Belgium is mostly a quiet, benign, non-threatening country (and perhaps with a nod toward Douglas Adams and Monty Python). He could have picked San Marino.
[quote=“Chris”]The idea behind this is how hatred for a group is propagandized. It satirizes anti-semitic (etc.) propaganda that has been actually used.
[/quote]I agree that this is the point of the cartoon.
[quote]
Why Belgium? Because Belgium is mostly a quiet, benign, non-threatening country (and perhaps with a nod toward Douglas Adams and Monty Python). He could have picked San Marino.[/quote]
Ironic, though, if you have ever read what they did to the Congo.
That was a century ago, though. A long-ass time.
And the effects seem to be lingering on.
Mike Myers got that ball rolling I think.
Link to original?
Belgium is a “special” place.
For more on Belgium see the wonderful movie In Bruges.
Colin Farrell: What is Belgium famous for?
[quote=“bababa”][quote=“Chris”]The idea behind this is how hatred for a group is propagandized. It satirizes anti-semitic (etc.) propaganda that has been actually used.
[/quote]I agree that this is the point of the cartoon.
[quote]
Why Belgium? Because Belgium is mostly a quiet, benign, non-threatening country (and perhaps with a nod toward Douglas Adams and Monty Python). He could have picked San Marino.[/quote]
Ironic, though, if you have ever read what they did to the Congo.[/quote]
Or the Jews in WW2.
Not to state the obvious, but for anyone living in the US right now, it’s obvious that this is intended to criticize the US policy of bombing Muslim countries back to the Stone Age.
[quote=“GuyInTaiwan”][quote=“bababa”][quote=“Chris”]The idea behind this is how hatred for a group is propagandized. It satirizes anti-semitic (etc.) propaganda that has been actually used.
[/quote]I agree that this is the point of the cartoon.
[quote]
Why Belgium? Because Belgium is mostly a quiet, benign, non-threatening country (and perhaps with a nod toward Douglas Adams and Monty Python). He could have picked San Marino.[/quote]
Ironic, though, if you have ever read what they did to the Congo.[/quote]
Or the Jews in WW2.[/quote]
or Rwanda and their legacy of colonialism which led to the genocide in the '90’s.
Well, first let me give some background as to the type of person I am before I comment. I have BA in International Relations, wrote my thesis on Post-Conflict societies, ex-Prez of our Amnesty chapter at school, and have extensively studied genocide issues and reconciliation in the UN. And I love Leffe Brown.
Now… I must say, that cartoon thing is really fucking funny (if its a joke, of course).
Like come on… “If you don’t have a puppy, he’ll buy you one and then eat it.” COMEON! That’s hysterical
Maybe its just the humor Americans have developed. We grow up watching South Park and Family Guy lmao
Im much quicker to find the humor in something ridiculous like this then start a rant about how awful and inappropriate adn out-of-line and uneducated and blah blah blah be boring like that.
The guy obviously is making a joke!
I’d like to hear some specifics on this, please. How is the Belgian colonization responsible for the Congo’s present troubles?
I’d like to hear some specifics on this, please. How is the Belgian colonization responsible for the Congo’s present troubles?[/quote]
Well, there are a number of reasons.
Economic:
1)The Belgian practice of extracting resources led the country to become extraordinarily dependent on natural resources, leaving them dependent on the whim of market price flucuations.
2)As the state became more dependent on natural resource extraction, industries that otherwise would’ve developed and perhaps matured where neglected, thus create a cycle of extraction-dependent income.
3)Because, again, the state was highly extract-oriented, the physical infrastructure of the country catered to the needs of mining. The only useful infrastructure built (railroads, roads, bridges, tunnels) were linked directly from the mines, to the closest river, and then to the coast to be sent to Europe. Thus, villages that were in need of transportation were neglected and economic activity could only occur near the infrastructure built by the Belgians. This served to perpetuate the extract-oriented cycle.
Societal:
1)Because mining is controlled by the few (government or top top business people), after the Belgians left, the mines were left in the hands of those who could get them. This served to create HUGE stratifications between the ultra-rich who controlled the only means of production (see cycle^) and those dependent on those jobs created by the mining business.
Hence above and beyond under-development and social conflict in the Congo.