|
Thank you, whoever donated for me!
I am very pleased to be able to search now, that was always the time killer for me while researching – scrolling through endless pages trying to find that elusive link.
Though I am not a citizen of the US, and consequently have no right to participate directly in your democracy – I feel it is important as a global citizen that the Democratic Party takes back the reins of the country back and, we out here in the rest of the world, can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
I'm a Dutch/Canadian in Europe with a lovely Dutch wife along with two wonderful young children and am a huge fan and devotee to not only this site but to the principles of the Democratic Party.
Being a European and a North American, I often see things from two angles and I hope some of my posts help shed light on how life is outside of the dark and often surrealistic world the current administration seems to have imposed on your country and its citizen.
My legs straddle the pond that divides the New World and Old and I feel privileged to watch the political landscape evolve on two sides of the Atlantic, with a sharp perception of North American and European cultures, having experienced and lived in both over the course of my life.
Though I have to admit, it really infuriates me when I see the anti-European movement the Bush government has created littering the American psyche. There is so much hypocrisy involved it is crazy, especially with the French. All these pundits egging on Freedom fries and wine bottle smashing – and using WWII history to try and drag the French through the mud should take a good look at America’s own history and swallow the fact that the French were essential in the defeat of the British and the liberation of the country. The very symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French.
And I sadly see on boards like FR Americans gloating over the death of thousands during the heat wave in France this past summer… what makes people so ugly and cruel as to stoop that low? I don’t know. I guess Bushco needed one ally as a scapegoat and France was the easy target, though its views were by and large the same as Germany, Russia and China’s.
On one side, the land of my birth, Canada is essentially a responsible social democracy that has made a lot of progressive decisions over the years I have been away. I am proud they stood up to the US on Iraq and I think it was important that the Canadian government respected the wishes of the people in not participating in the fake war on terror in Iraq. I fear the ever-increasing power of the right in Canada, which is largely influenced by the right in the US. Hannity, Limbaugh, O’Reilly - Canadians are getting the propaganda as well – the airwaves don’t stop at the border. Our socialized health care is gradually and somewhat inconspicuously being dismantled as our doctors run south for better salaries and costs go up. A new democratic government in America in 2004 is very important for Canada. And I hope the new government will look at making positive reforms in the system to help lead the world in responsible healthcare rather than drag everyone else down into the vortex of de-socialization and polarized societies.
One the other hand, because of Bush’s new slash and burn policies and its effect on the global economy, Germany has axed into its social policies as has Holland recently (my ‘other’ home country). Holland is currently governed by a right wing Christian Democrat government (they are part of the coalition of the willing) which is gnawing at the trade unions, the responsible social welfare (for those who can’t work) and the generous unemployment system which has been a catch net for many during the recent decline in the economy and the shift to contract-based employment over cradle to grave jobs. Fortunately, the Christian Democrats are not having much effect dismantling as the Dutch don’t seem to want a great divide between the wealthy and the poor and are pretty happy with the way things are. Religious groups in Holland (nor in Canada for that matter) do not have the lobbying power like the US, which in my eyes, is a good thing. And we have more than two parties that have significance.
A great example of Dutch mentality is my father in law. He is one of two partners in a rather large architectural firm here in Holland with close to fifty staff. He pays very high taxes (I mean so high, I won’t tell you) and still votes left. He once told me, “The lights work on the streets, I enjoy my work, the garbage gets picked up, my car is new and works well, my house is the right size for my needs, I like my neighbourhood, I take holidays every year… what more do I want?” In a way he symbolizes the Dutch subtle revulsion of showing off your wealth. Netherlanders have never been big on castles and estates like the British, though they are a very wealthy nation with over 500,000 millionaires in a population of 17 million. It’s hard to tell. I am glad my wife inherited her pragmatic approach to life from her father. I am a lucky man – through the thousands of miles we have sailed together (we lived aboard our beloved little sailboat, Golem, for seven years), she has met every crisis with her head up and has never let the ‘small stuff’ get to her.
Financially, and logistically it was complicated for me to donate to DU as we have recently up and moved after eight years in the Dutch Caribbean for a new life in Europe. It was a big decision and one we don’t regret. Though I am underemployed at the moment, I am sure things will kick in soon! I have been a working journalist for over ten years.
Once again, thank you donor!
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
