Jim Hoft over at Gateway Pundit has a guest post by Drieu Godefridi that is essentially a follow up to my March 24th, 2016 “Belgium — The Failed State in the Heart of Europe” piece.
It is unsurprisingly titled “Guest Post: More Terrorist Attacks Likely in Failed State of Belgium.”
Please go give Jim Hoft’s site some “linkie love” while checking out the full post, but before you go, this portion of that post bears immediate and close reading —
It is thus obvious that the Belgian government is in a shambolic state at every level, from the local to the federal, and from the executive branch to the judiciary.
Of course none of this would have been possible without the policy, in place now for 30 years, to open Belgian citizenship — and the borders — to hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. This open invitation has been extended mainly to Muslim countries, instigating the creation, ex nihilo, of huge Muslim communities in the cities of Brussels, Antwerp and every other Belgian city. Radicalized or not, fundamentalist of not, peaceful or not, these communities tend, in Belgium as anywhere else, to impose their political-religious credo.
A study by the WZB Social Science Center (Berlin), published last year in the “Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies”, indicates that half the Muslims in Belgium, France and Austria are fundamentalists, i.e. they think that Muslims should return to the roots of their faith; that there is only one interpretation of the Koran; and that Muslim law should supercede civil (or common) law, (“Religious Fundamentalism and Hostility against Out-groups. A Comparison of Muslims and Christians in Western Europe”, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 41, N°1, 33-57). This Weltanschauung (or concept of the world) is irreconcilable with the rudiments of our Western civilization, or for that matter any society which is not strictly Islamic. To assert that Islam—which is much more than simply a religion—has nothing to do with the current spate of terrorist attacks in Europe is a psychotic denial of reality.
Denial of reality is at the heart of the “European Union” project, which has Brussels as its capital.
That is why the “Belgium — The Failed State at the Heart of Europe” meme is spreading. It is obvious to all this will not end well…but end it will.
And its passing will be marked with fire and blood.
Despite this profusion of human and financial means, the Belgian State in all its components seems incapable of furnishing the basic services expected of a government: the protection of the people and application of the penal law. The Belgians, that most productive and entrepreneurial people, have the right to, and should, ask themselves if the famous “social compact” has not become leonine.
This level of incompetence and irresponsibility in Belgium would be almost comical, if there was no blood on the wall. Belgium needs radical reforms.
In “Stalag 17” Colonel von Scherbach says, “Curtains would do wonders for this barrack. You will not get them.”
Belgium will not get radical reform, at least in time.
Belgium is experiencing the iron law of bureaucracies. The larger they get, the less effective they are. That is, unless effectiveness includes protecting your job and evading responsibility.
Conquest’s third law. “The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.”
Some of this is just The Principle Agent Problem.
The principal–agent problem (also known as agency dilemma or theory of agency) occurs when one person or entity (the “agent”) is able to make decisions on behalf of, or that impact, another person or entity: the “principal”. The dilemma exists because sometimes the agent is motivated to act in his own best interests rather than those of the principal. The agent–principal relationship is a useful analytic tool in political science and economics, but may also apply to other areas.
The agent is the bureaucrat in this case.
The problem arises where the two parties have different interests and asymmetric information (the agent having more information), such that the principal cannot directly ensure that the agent is always acting in its (the principal’s) best interests,[2] particularly when activities that are useful to the principal are costly to the agent, and where elements of what the agent does are costly for the principal to observe. Moral hazard and conflict of interest may arise. Indeed, the principal may be sufficiently concerned at the possibility of being exploited by the agent that he chooses not to enter into a transaction at all,
Here we have the origin of the Trump phenomenon in the US.
Europe has different problems and Belgium has the problem that its principal industry is bureaucracy.
In March 1966, France announced its intention to withdraw from NATO’s integrated military command structure and requested the removal of all Allied headquarters from French territory. A new SHAPE Headquarters was established in Casteau, Belgium in March 1967, and NATO HQ moved to Brussels in October of the same year.
Brussels has been the bureaucracy city for Europe since WWII ended. When we were in Brussels in September, we stayed in a hotel near the Grand Place. It was a businessman’s (or bureaucrat’s ) type hotel with parking (Why we stayed there) and was full every day. Every day there were a hundred or more checking in or checking out. The breakfast room was huge and full. That hotel was the one sealed up after the attack.
Why were all those people staying there in what looked to be short stays ? There were many languages and I expect they were related to EU matters. The EU Parliament is there.
The bureaucracy rules Brussels and Belgium and has its own agenda. I doubt security of citizens is high on that list.
Mike, it is more than that. The Flems and Walloons don’t want a central government with enough police power to be a threat to either one of them, for fear that it might be used by one of them against the other. That was the point of the 2005 devolution of power. Each now controls a separate “national” internal security agency, one of which in practice is used by the Flems in Flanders, and the other by the Walloons in Wallonia. The internal security agency assigned to the central area around Brussels has little authority or budget.
That’s the way the Flems and Walloons like it. As long as their own areas are safe (and they have their own internal security agencies to keep those safe), the rest of Belgium can go hang and ditto for Europe. Europe has zero power to force a change in this because of EU rules & regulations.
IMO this will eventually (15-20 years from now) with the formal partition of Belgium between its two most powerful neighbors, which are France and Germany. The Netherlands doesn’t count. That is also when I expect the expulsion of Muslims from Europe.
Millions will be killed in the coming slaughter in Europe.
Jim,
My office elevator has a commercial news feed.
It showed European anti-terrorist authorities exercising a chemical weapon decontamination station for a coming soccer championship.
Of course it showed a scantily clad -wet- young woman going through the station framed by two moon suit covered decontamination workers to deliver the headline.
The following seems to be the reason why, via UK Daily Mail —
============
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3522588/Morocco-spy-chief-warns-ISIS-planning-chemical-attacks-Europe-claims-smashed-25-plots-past-year.html
Morocco spy chief warns ISIS are planning chemical attacks in Europe and claims to have smashed 25 plots in the past year
•Morocco’s counter terror boss warns of growing chemical weapons threat
•Abdelhak Khiame also revealed the details of a plot uncovered in February
•A cell of 10 ISIS operatives smuggled weapons into Morocco from Libya
•The terrorists were planning mustard gas attacks on four different cities
•Mr Khiame warned ISIS would be planning similar style attacks in Europe
By Corey Charlton for MailOnline
Published: 05:23 EST, 4 April 2016 | Updated: 05:29 EST, 4 April 2016
ISIS terrorists have tried to create chemical weapons abroad and are hoping to one day use them to attack Europe, it has been claimed.
Abdelhak Khiame, Morocco’s head of counter terrorism, claims his unit has smashed 25 ISIS plots in his country in the past year alone – including one in February involving mustard gas.
The ISIS cell, which had smuggled in weapons from nearby Libya, was planning chemical attacks on four cities plus a suicide bomber strike.
)snip(
The psychotic denial of reality is also at work here in the US in both political parties and, especially, in the media. Trump, for all his warts–seems to have grasped, or stumbled onto, the connection between Islam and terrorism. Cruz, perhaps, as well. But, in my opinion, Cruz being a politician is hedging his bet on the issue.
Morgan- Islam and the West are two scorpions in a bottle.
Islam is standing on the crumbling edge of an abyss.
Through a combination of religious delusion and cultural arrogance, the islamic world has convinced itself that the rest of the world is a weak and broken shambles, and they can bully their way to dominance by an increasingly violent series of attacks on vulnerable civilian targets.
This is a catastrophic error on a scale with the delusions of the Axis powers in WW2 that their will and superior martial spirit could overcome cultural and industrial power of the Allies.
Western civilization, from its roots in the Grecian phalanx to the legions of Rome through the modern array of air/land/sea combined operations, is the most ruthless and efficient killing machine the world has ever produced.
The various islamic leaders, religious and political, who encourage more and more provocations, in the belief that such actions will cow the west into bowing before them, have been deceived by the multi-culti, PC elites who have been the face of the west for several decades.
They may be the face, but they are not the heart.
Political arguments aside, the military lesson of the Iraq and Afghan wars was very clear—the low tech military organizations of second and third tier tech cultures are virtually helpless against a modern western army employing the forms of combined operations these others can barely imagine, much less fight against with any success.
The true danger of this islamic radicalism is two fold—
First, their increasing attacks will finally provoke a full scale response by the vastly better armed and more competent western military powers, resulting in a terrible slaughter equivalent to the worst days of past wars.
Secondly, the political, economic, and social disruptions caused by a vastly increased war effort will take decades to work through and recover from, not the least of which will be the inevitable period of self-chastisement brought about by our guilt for having descended, once again, into the pit of violence that a major war requires.
There has been an endless parade of talking heads over the past several years trying desperately to figure out what has energized the Tea Party movement, and, more recently, what can possibly be motivating all these Trump supporters.
But the answer is too frightening, so the talking heads hem and haw, and try to dance around the real basis for all this seemingly incomprehensible energy bubbling around in the general citizenry.
Because the answer is much too simple, and yet much too terrifying—a great part of the general public is fed up, and totally pissed off, and are on the very thin edge of taking violent action against the entrenched, corrupt pols, and their endless parade of leftist street thugs, and don’t care much any more about the niceties of civic process.
I don’t live in the bubble of elitist cocktail parties and clubs, academia and think tanks, lobbying groups and wealthy big shots. I have lived my life in the working world, and still have lunch with guys that don’t worry too much about PC codes and multi-culti platitudes.
Some of these islamic types should sit at the next table and just listen.
More rubble, less trouble is the moderate position at my table.
Lurking underneath the surface is a sleeping giant, and to wake him with violence is to fill him with a terrible resolve.
And the only way it will end is when those who have urged the radicals on are finally forced to endure the unendurable.
They will either learn to endure it, or they will cease to exist.
“a great part of the general public is fed up, and totally pissed off, and are on the very thin edge of taking violent action against the entrenched, corrupt pols, and their endless parade of leftist street thugs, and don’t care much any more about the niceties of civic process.”
I see this too and have been hoping a more conventional political figure, sort of a modern Reagan, would see this and take some action. That has not happened.
I am concerned that Trump is a loose cannon but the only thing we have to work with right now is a loose cannon.
Robespierre is waiting to be called.
An interesting view of Trump from a new perspective.
Trump did offer some concessions to the realities of being a political novice, saying that he would not pick an outsider like himself as a vice-presidential running mate, but rather, “somebody that can walk into the Senate and who’s been friendly with these guys for 25 years, and people for 25 years. And can get things done. So I would 95 percent see myself picking a political person as opposed to somebody from the outside.”
In another unprecedented move, Trump said he plans to announce a list of 10 to 12 judges from which he would pick to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court to allay concerns from conservatives that he wouldn’t choose someone to their liking.
“I’m getting names. The Federalist people. Some very good people. The Heritage Foundation,” Trump said. “I’m going to announce that these are the judges, in no particular order, that I’m going to put up. And I’m going to guarantee it. I’m going to tell people. Because people are worried that, oh, maybe he’ll put the wrong judge in.”
And after a series of violent incidents at his rallies between supporters and protesters, Trump acknowledged that, at least for a little while, he has tried to calm things down.
“We’ve purposefully kept the crowds down this past week,” he said. “You know, we’ve gone into small venues and we’re turning away thousands and thousands of people, which I hate, but we didn’t want to have the protest. You know, when you have a room of 2,000 people, you can pretty much keep it without the protesters.”
Trump has a lot of support in Israel.
“I just felt there were so many things going wrong with the country,” Trump said of his thinking at the time. He was frustrated with what he saw as the “stupidity” of trade deals and Iran nuclear negotiations that were “terrible” and dominated by “Persians being great negotiators.”
Trump’s wife, Melania, heard most of his complaints, but was not enthused about him becoming a candidate. “She said, ‘We have such a great life. Why do you want to do this?’ ”
“I said, ‘I sort of have to do it, I think. I really have to do it.’ . . . I could do such a great job.”
Later, Melania said, “I hope you don’t do it, but if you run, you’ll win,” according to Trump.
Now, more than a year later and with the Republican nomination in sight, Trump’s family is giving him different advice. “My family said to me – and Don [Jr.] has said this, and Ivanka, and my wife has said this – ‘Be more presidential.’ ”
Trump said he is getting similar guidance from close friends. He had a story to share. A couple weeks ago, a friend, a famous athlete, called. This was right after Trump beat Sen. Marco Rubio in Florida, the senator’s home state. “That was a big beating. Don’t forget, he was the face of the Republican Party. He was the future of the Republican Party.
So [the athlete] called me up. And he said, ‘Hey Donald, could you do us all a favor? We love you. Don’t kill everybody. Because you may need them on the way back.’ “
I still expect him to pivot and take Cruz as VP. They will both be stabbed in the back by the GOPe and I hope Cruz sees it.
As the Southern border remains wide open, Border Patrol being told that: “they can look for work elsewhere” if they are troubled by the ingresse, I think it’s more than just denial. (although in some cases, it most certainly is) I think it’s more a matter of just how hard do you want to pull the cobra’s tail.
You may use the term “immigration” to describe what’s happening here and abroad, and bandy that back and forth like a shuttlecock. But I think that if one were to say “Radical leftist’s in concert with jihadists are importing their soldiers to affect hope n’ change” that would guarantee a strike. I think they all know just what the hell is going on, it’s just a matter of who is going to have the balls to say it publicly. And, given that the Nobel was mysteriously awarded prior to service, suggests to me a “global” effort.
>> And, given that the Nobel was mysteriously awarded prior to service, suggests to me a “global” effort.
That’s a conspiratorial but interesting thought. But why tip your hand? Hmmmm.
Veryretired,
This is not a conflict that is determined by force ratios, GDP, population or past generational strengths. They have recognized our weak political class, erosion of moral fiber and obsession with personal peace (leave me alone) and entitlement to affluence.
Since we have a one-world progressive class in control of the political power in this country, and it has and will hamstring the great military capability they inherited and you will get the results we have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. No matter how “mad as hell” the heart gets, it will likely witness that capability turned against it rather than to battle the jihadists.
The military’s command structure has been co-opted over the past couple of decades so that they now mirror their progressive mentors. In turn they have conditioned their service members to accept and support any and all progressive social programs, rules of engagement and even the idea that it might be necessary for them to “fight domestic terrorism.” That part especially includes any popular unrest or violence directed toward the governmental entities. “…protect and defend the constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic….” If they can redefine the meaning of “is”, we can expect they will not hesitate to rule through military power. The only military I believe might defect would be some of national guard units. Over the past 20 years, much of the heavy weapons and offensive capability has been moved out of the guard units.
So let’s say the OWS, BLM, et al. show up big time at Cleveland with the intent to “occupy” a political convention in the interest of promoting “social justice.” Will the local authorities prevent this? Will they ruthlessly end it? If they don’t, what will the formally “to busy to get involved” but now “mad as hell” folks do? Well, if they make this the moment to take matters into their own hands in sufficient numbers to run the occupiers out of town or into the river, what will the local authorities and national authorities do? What will their priority for protection be? My guess is the the OWS, BLM, et al. get the protection and a pass (as usual) and the “right wing, racist, domestic terrorists” get the jack boot. This could be the opening skirmish of a escalating conflict. It could provide the justification for marshal law, increased domestic surveillance, repeal of Posse Comitatus Act…. I can’t see how this turns out OK.
Death6
Jim & Death6, it looks more and more like the you know what is about to hit the fan. I think we are on the doorstep of nasty times ahead. And when those times arrive Islam in the US will show its true colors and those that proclaim Islam is a peaceful religion will be exposed as the fools they are.
Our main enemy is clearly the political class. If they were replaced with good people, the muslims would be dealt with in a few afternoons.
“will hamstring the great military capability they inherited and you will get the results we have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. ”
We just got home from seeing “Eye in the Sky” with Helen Mirren. It is excellent but frustrating as the story is about the fantastic capability we have to see and strike at individuals with drones. The story takes place in Kenya and the British are running the operation using US technology run from Las Vegas. The technology is the star of the movie but the story shows what happens when lawyers run the ROE.
I remember the stories about commanders in Vietnam running operations from helicopters and getting in the way of small unit commanders on the ground. Just imagine Lyndon Johnson with a satellite view of the battle and the ability to see the faces of the bad guys or, more importantly, the “collateral damage.”
I don’t know the solution but it is going on like that right now. US pilots in Syria, in the few sorties we run, come back with 75% of the ordnance unused.
We were not allowed to run ops at night in Afghanistan.
I told my wife to read Dakota Meyer’s book Into The Fire about how they were in an ambush and were denied artillery support because some junior officer wouldn’t release the arty without a higher command approval and that took hours.
The…stuff…is getting real in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels.
A local Belgian anti-Muslim activist ran down a Muslim woman, stopped and took a selfie with the victim, See —
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3520777/Muslim-woman-mown-grinning-far-right-activist-stops-PICTURE-anti-Islam-rally-troubled-Brussels-district-Molenbeek.html
And shortly later local Muslim men attacked an Italian female news reporter on-air —
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3523726/TV-journalist-harassed-LIVE-air-reporting-violent-protests-troubled-Molenbeek-region-Belgium.html
It will get ugly as the “mainstream” people are sitting it out.
Anon—while I understand your frustration and pessimism, I do not share it.
As I have said here previously, I think the country is near the fundamental disagreements that characterized the 1850’s, and the world in general is very similar to the societal breakdowns that were widespread in the 1930’s.
When China collapses due to its endless corruption and incompetent authoritarianism, the economic conditions will be eerily similar as well.
The solution to economic, political, and other social problems is a rebirth of individual freedom here, and it’s spread to other areas where it would be a new, and invigorating experience.
None of this can possibly happen if our attitude is that all is lost, the opposition holds all the cards, so just give in.
I don’t give up because losing would be much more than just another failed election campaign.
We are facing a threat from inside as well as outside. We must be willing, and prepared, to meet and defeat both.
Just an update on the Muslim woman hit by a car. The local news has identified the two car occupants. Their rules do not allow full ID, but the two are named as:
>>>>” [Update: the drivers of the car have been reported as Molenbeek residents Redouane D. and Mohamed B. Both are thought to have taken turns driving during Saturday’s incident, Redouane before the collision with the victim, and Mohamed after. Reports indicate that both drugs and alcohol may have been a factor, according to La Libre.]”<<<<
Note the Molenbeek is a Sharia-controlled area outside government control. Redouane is an Arabic male name, frequently used in Morocco. Mohamed is one of those names that Western governments cannot figure out. The article below originally followed the party line about it being anti-Muslim activists, but in an update reflected the the new information. It was impaired Muslim on Muslim violence.
http://www.inquisitr.com/2956252/molenbeek-anti-islam-protestors-run-down-muslim-woman-in-street/#0Tjs7LIjfXzk8cby.99
Thanks for that update. I was wondering why Belgian nationals would be looking for trouble at an anti-Islam rally. The drivers being Muslim makes more sense.
Subotai Bahadu,
Thanks for the update.
And then there’s Maggie:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/11099143/Iron-Maggie-tipped-to-become-Belgiums-first-female-Prime-Minister.html
Wasn’t it Hunter Thompson that said that “when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro”?
She’s not a normal politician, at least:
“… recently caused a stir after taking part in a handbag-throwing competition.”
If you know little about the EU, I’d recommend watching the following item on YouTube as it demonstrates how the EU began life as a seemingly harmless trade agreement and mutated over time into a totalitarian nightmare of unelected bureaucrats. It really puts the NAFTA and the TPP agreements into focus for Americans:
The Real Face of the European Union
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBo7Ug_1M8k