Monday, 13th June 2005

A usual boring Monday, but with lots of news. Let's start at the home front.
Producers of soap series see no problem in cash for influence: the Dutch Muslim Broadcasting Club (or whatever they call themselves) is going to participate financially in the production, so as to secure influence on the content in an "advisory" role. How ordinary fidels look like in the real world and so on.

The police has made it known they are going to undermine their own authority once again by doning silly hats in demonstrations for a better salary. They haven't had a raise in two years, which amounts to sheer exploitation!

Apparently they're surprised about their lack of authority! The same holds true for other occupations and vocations of a certain standing, like doctors and paramedics: they're being bashed about by the public who by now have no respect left for them whatsover.

Once again a dangerous criminal is on the loose: the psychiatric ward apparently let him visit his elderly mom and at the train station he absconded from his guard (singular). The Ministry of Justice initially refused to inform the public who, as a result, was not on their guard for any danger. This is how serious the Dutch government is taking their number one duty, the protection of its citizens. They prefer to protect dangerous criminals instead. The Lower House is up in arms, not for the first time, as Breaking News, he's murdered an old man on a boat. This is a developing story ...

In another incident in a rural area, a weekend mob have encouraged a would-be suicide to jump off a building. Who'd require any more proof of the depravity of this country, consider yourselves hereby served.

The EU ministers and/or secretaries of Foreign Affairs are debating the new budget. Propped up by a resounding Dutch (and French) NO against the proposed E.U. constitution our minister is playing hard ball. The time is apparently over that it was normal in this country to buy foreign influence and/or positions with development and/or defence money and/or assets (read Srebrenica, U.N., World Bank posts, etc.).

Participation in the Italian referendum on IVF has remained under 50 percent. The Vatican can rest peacefully tonight (bless Pope Benedict and all of his cats!).

The Baghdad Tribunal has released recent pictures of Saddam. The government is pressing the tribunal to get on with it. But they are an independent court (contrary to the Saddam days) and pressure works contraproductive. Last week another mass grave has been opened, but this is of course hardly mentioned in the press, who are only interested in one thing and one thing only: to make the coalition look as bad as possible and blame George B. for everything: apparently he has now even given democracy a bad name (democracy: so overrated!). The Left as always show their ability of distinguishing good from bad, by aligning themselves and defending the worst dictators in human history, rather than to allow George Bush some credit. This, is nothing new in the history of right-wing American presidents and The Left, who are: against fascism (long live dear Uncle Joe!), against Vietnam (long live the VC!), against cruise missiles (long live the Polit Bureau!), against nukes (long live Pol Pot!), against apartheid (long live Mao!), the list is endless ...