Seriously, GOP? Really?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Any of the lowlanders aspire for a real country. Belgians used to have an affinity for the French but you can only surrender so many times before you acquire a taste for the boot.

[giblets]

Headscarf bans, bans on mosque construction, anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy that puts America to shame, all sorts of anti-Gypsy laws and demagoguery lately. Oh yea, Europe is some paradise. Shall we look at how many race riots Europe has had in the last decade compared to the US?

Which European countries have banned mosque construction?

[Dauphin]

At a guess, it's a reference to the Swiss ban on new minarets.

[Dauphin]

I'm intrigued by the sweeping generalisations with regards to which continent is more racist. Quote a law or event in one country or state and then say it represents the whole continent. Genius. If we follow that logic, the Balkans recent activity wins it for Europe.

[Felch]

There's a minaret ban in Switzerland which was passed by a referendum, and the municipality of Salt has a one year moratorium on mosque construction.

[Hauldren Collider]

I'm intrigued by the sweeping generalisations with regards to which continent is more racist. Quote a law or event in one country or state and then say it represents the whole continent. Genius. If we follow that logic, the Balkans recent activity wins it for Europe.

Well, let this be a lesson for the next time someone makes a thread declaring the United States a backwards third world country because Tennessee allows counties to eschew fire departments.

[regexcellent]

I thought that was the Dutch. Isn't the Dutch language really, really close to German?

Uh, what language do you think the Belgians speak? Belgian?

About half of Belgium speaks Dutch.

[The Mad Monk]

No, mon ami, they speak ze French, like Poirot.

[Fake Boris]

Actually, most of them speak Dutch.

[The Mad Monk]

You are cruel, making Poirot shed ze how you say, tears?

[DaShi]

Ron Paul pulled a respectable fourth.

[dannubis]

I'm quoting this to preserve it for posterity.

My whole floor is laughing at you.

Yes, it is called sarcasm. For the intellectually challenged ones I will use the *wink* more in the future.

[dannubis]

I thought that was the Dutch. Isn't the Dutch language really, really close to German?

Yes, as is Swedish, Norwegian, ... That is why they are called Germanic.

[dannubis]

Actually, most of them speak Dutch.

~60%

[Dinner]

Yes, as is Swedish, Norwegian, ... That is why they are called Germanic.

I meant isn't Dutch much closer to German than other Germanic languages? Almost to the point a Dutch speaker can understand some/most of what a German says? It's far closer than English.