this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2024
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This is Belgium, it's a great example of what we call "koterijen"
What does koterij roughly mean in English (or German)?
It refers to the annexes you see growing out of the back of the house. People used to (and sometimes still do) start with a modest house, and then as time went on and money came in, build out into the yard, adding a new kitchen, toilet, shed, veranda, etc.
It has since also come to refer to things that get extended and patched up over time without a lot of coherence or forethought, like our tax codes (they just add rules, bonuses, penalties, etc. on top of the baseline instead of doing a thorough tax reform)
Is modularity then kind of a thing in Belgian society?
Well, we have 6 governments, does that count?