Belgians all claim the following: When in a country there are few independent people, then the power
of the state wanes, and the country cannot be preserved. The polity and legal system are all set up with
an eye to fostering the capacity for independence. All strata of society are united in fostering a spirit
of enterprise and setting up independent businesses. Up to 1825 there was not much in the way of
industry, people worked the land and grew crops. The only industry was that of ceramics. Nowadays,
although the population of the country is numerous, almost half of it are independent.