- Every Dutch person (and I mean EVERYONE) has opinions about the world at large. Frequently about places they haven’t even personally visited or experienced first hand. Newspapers columns, blogs, magazines, etc are filled with these opinions. They analyze events and cultures through the lens of their personal experiences. I do not begrudge this, I believe it is part of human nature to want to understand the world around us and yes, we will use subjectivity to analyze it. It is true that, more often than not, this subjectivity will lead us to wrong conclusions. However, and here is the amusing part, these same Dutch folks will claim that non Dutch have no right to speak about The Netherlands because they are not “familiar” with the culture. Even those like me who have lived here for decades. Also, if an outsider dares to say something, they will be shut down for “not knowing how things really are here”. Funny, because that never stopped Dutch people from having opinions about South America, India, Japan, Pakistan, the US, Canada, etc etc etc.
- Part of the problem about discussing racism around these parts seems to also stem from the way racism is taught in schools and general education. People are taught about racism, but always as an individual act of discrimination. From an early age, Dutch children are explained how this individual discrimination works (i.e. “it is wrong to call your Black neighbor the N word”). So, people, tend to only think of racism as this individual act and, as such, it is easy for them to claim not to be racist. There is no society wide address of how institutionalized racism works, how historical processes have always required an “Other”, the role of the Dutch in colonialism and slavery, how unemployment figures and media depictions are related, etc etc. So, if you point to a culture wide phenomenon, you will be met with very strong resistance because well, people are convinced that, since they do not personally use the N word (to give just one example), then they, and by transitive relation their society, cannot possibly be racist.
- I am amazed by this general attitude, across the internet, from commenters who cannot conceive that they might not have their comments approved. This idea that you have the right to an opinion and that opinion should be expressed everywhere and others have the obligation to facilitate you the space to do so. Part of the anger my post has elicited comes from people (sadly, all of them men), who were enraged because we didn’t approve their comments. It’s like they cannot even conceive that someone might prefer to curate discussions in a certain direction and with specific kinds of content. Writing a comment that commands me to forcefully perform a sexual act is bad enough, but that they will get angry when I deny the visibility of this comment is baffling. I am almost certain there is a correlation between this internet culture and rape culture. The sense of entitlement (entitlement to have one’s opinions heard in all spaces and entitlement to the bodies of those they desire) have to be related somehow. One type of violence is rhetoric, the other is physical but I believe both stem from the same kind of toxic forceful imposition.
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