Poirot Would've Been Proud.

The fact that Belgium hasn't had a proper government formed for 249 days after the last election is both fascinating and instructive. Deep cultural divisions, at bottom, have kept Belgians from coming together in a compromise to govern themselves. And yet, for all its trouble and possible division into two countries, surprisingly little has happened by way of disruption of daily life. It seems that Belgians have taken all of this in stride, sort of bemused by their country's predicament.

In other parts of the world, such a situation would've exploded into violence in the streets or the military taking over, but Belgium has handled it with the delicate touch with which one would handle its beautiful lace after eating its wonderful chocolate.

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