- Because it banned ritual slaughter not because of any REAL reasons, but because of Islamophobia.
- Because hate speech is okay, as long as you’re a politician.
- Because fear of foreigners is understandable: they might carry icky diseases.
- Because people with actual power believe it’s okay to redefine the definition of allochtoon (non-native); they’re all criminals anyway. (More on the autochotoon/allochtoon split in Flavia’s post at Racialious)
- Because the government’s budget cuts are hurting those with the weakest voices (people with disabilities, asylum seekers, immigrants) or those who preoccupy themselves with “elitist” activities such as higher education or culture.
This is a pretty good summary of our current state of disarray. I would also add a general one (not linked to a specific event):
The absence of ideals and idealism in contemporary Dutch politics. Our politicians have become reactive to the agenda that Geert Wilders sets and they have abandoned all pretension of doing the right thing for its own sake. Wilders is not part of the government (officially, although he has pledged to support the current coalition as long as their values are in line with his) and, as a result, Wilders sets the public agenda in this country.
Also, there isn’t one single politician in The Netherlands who puts the rights of minorities at the forefront of their platform. Not.A.Single.One. Their lukewarm reactions to whatever hate Wilders spits out seem to be only a formality, sort of “mandatory if you are progressive”, however, never strong enough to potentially alienate an increasingly polarized voter base. Sure, they will shake their heads on TV and dispense the usual pearl clutching but not a single one of them pro-actively addresses the many forms of discrimination and institutionalized racism that minorities are subject to in the country.
The Netherlands once became the home of Rene Descartes and the Spinoza family, both escaping a form of oppression directed at minorities and free thinkers. These days, the country has, collectively, decided that minorities and foreigners are disposable tokens to be traded for votes.
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