Responding to your question about the role of the King in a constitutional monarchy. The King cannot voice his own opinion publicly. Everything he says is the responsibility of, wait for it, the prime minister. The King's social media accounts are managed by the Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (I don't know how you would translate that to English). Even the text the King reads at the opening of parliament is prepared by the cabinet. Those are not his own words. The statement you read sounds like it was written at the direction of Schoof and his ilk.
My guess would be that Wilders or Schoof are using the King as their mouthpiece. I'm not sure if the King can refuse to say anything. I'm not envying him. As he lives in the bubble of bubbles, I'm not sure how well-informed he is about the stuff that really happens.
I'm still not sure about Schoof's role. As you said with his resume, I highly doubt that he would lend himself to only play the part of a sock puppet. At the other hand, Wilders seems to do as he pleases, regardless of the official Cabinet position. I read today that he plans to visit colonist settlements on the West Bank after an invitation of a right-wing friend of his (NOS reported on this).
So who is playing who? My gut feeling says Wilders is our shadow prime minister who is really pulling the strings in the background (maybe also the person who conspired with the Israëli government). NSC party is now effectively held hostage, because if they blow up this coalition, they will be the biggest loser (polls say they only have 3 seats left in Parliament). Why VVD's Yesilgöz, a daughter of immigrants, is so tough on immigration is mind baffling to me. Off all people, someone with a Kurdish background should know what systematic oppression and discrimination feels like. The whole coalition doesn't make sense in that respect. Who in his right mind would willing put his head under a political guillotine?
For those able to read Dutch, this piece in 'De Groene Amsterdammer' by Lizzy van Leeuwen, an antropologist and governance expert, explains Wilder's background and gives insight where his ideas and his anti-muslim sentiment are coming from. His grandmother was a Jewish-Indonesian woman. It paints a picture how this a deeply personal matter for him. It's almost akin to a crusade against Muslims, because of the Indonesian independance. https://www.groene.nl/artikel/wreker-van-zijn-indische-grootouders
Benjamin has got the facts right and his questions are totally justified. As a born and raised Amsterdammer I think to it stinks.
The main benificiary is Wilders, whose goal is, as stated in his CPAC speach this summer, that he fights against woke, the left, mainstream powers and the multicultural society.
After the Trump win, this was the first preliminary attack. We can aspect more and must prepare to resist.
I just read that a group of Australian authors have combined to send every Australian member of Parliament five books about the Palestinian situation, fiction and non-fiction, to read during our summer holidays. It includes Ilan Pappe’s A Very Short History of the Israeli Palestine Conflict. I think that’s a fantastic idea. We need more knowledge and wisdom to oppose the bigotry and danger to our civil society posed by people like Wilders.
The irony of that comment doesn't escape me. Looking at the Dutch population, comparing it with Dutch history shows that most Dutch people are in some way or another part of a minority group.
This will affect everyone. A lot of people in this country either cannot or don't want to understand that protecting today's minorities is in their own interest. You can be tomorrow's minority that needs protection.
Responding to your question about the role of the King in a constitutional monarchy. The King cannot voice his own opinion publicly. Everything he says is the responsibility of, wait for it, the prime minister. The King's social media accounts are managed by the Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (I don't know how you would translate that to English). Even the text the King reads at the opening of parliament is prepared by the cabinet. Those are not his own words. The statement you read sounds like it was written at the direction of Schoof and his ilk.
My guess would be that Wilders or Schoof are using the King as their mouthpiece. I'm not sure if the King can refuse to say anything. I'm not envying him. As he lives in the bubble of bubbles, I'm not sure how well-informed he is about the stuff that really happens.
I'm still not sure about Schoof's role. As you said with his resume, I highly doubt that he would lend himself to only play the part of a sock puppet. At the other hand, Wilders seems to do as he pleases, regardless of the official Cabinet position. I read today that he plans to visit colonist settlements on the West Bank after an invitation of a right-wing friend of his (NOS reported on this).
So who is playing who? My gut feeling says Wilders is our shadow prime minister who is really pulling the strings in the background (maybe also the person who conspired with the Israëli government). NSC party is now effectively held hostage, because if they blow up this coalition, they will be the biggest loser (polls say they only have 3 seats left in Parliament). Why VVD's Yesilgöz, a daughter of immigrants, is so tough on immigration is mind baffling to me. Off all people, someone with a Kurdish background should know what systematic oppression and discrimination feels like. The whole coalition doesn't make sense in that respect. Who in his right mind would willing put his head under a political guillotine?
For those able to read Dutch, this piece in 'De Groene Amsterdammer' by Lizzy van Leeuwen, an antropologist and governance expert, explains Wilder's background and gives insight where his ideas and his anti-muslim sentiment are coming from. His grandmother was a Jewish-Indonesian woman. It paints a picture how this a deeply personal matter for him. It's almost akin to a crusade against Muslims, because of the Indonesian independance. https://www.groene.nl/artikel/wreker-van-zijn-indische-grootouders
Benjamin has got the facts right and his questions are totally justified. As a born and raised Amsterdammer I think to it stinks.
The main benificiary is Wilders, whose goal is, as stated in his CPAC speach this summer, that he fights against woke, the left, mainstream powers and the multicultural society.
After the Trump win, this was the first preliminary attack. We can aspect more and must prepare to resist.
I just read that a group of Australian authors have combined to send every Australian member of Parliament five books about the Palestinian situation, fiction and non-fiction, to read during our summer holidays. It includes Ilan Pappe’s A Very Short History of the Israeli Palestine Conflict. I think that’s a fantastic idea. We need more knowledge and wisdom to oppose the bigotry and danger to our civil society posed by people like Wilders.
Get over all this bullshit my friend, life goes on.
If only we could. This shit changes our lives for good, especially if you are a minority in Amsterdam (and not only there).
The irony of that comment doesn't escape me. Looking at the Dutch population, comparing it with Dutch history shows that most Dutch people are in some way or another part of a minority group.
This will affect everyone. A lot of people in this country either cannot or don't want to understand that protecting today's minorities is in their own interest. You can be tomorrow's minority that needs protection.
Thank God where I am we don’t have that problem. Take it easy, things will settle down.
except if you and your family gets extinguished in Gaza...
Which will not be the case, despite some wishing so…