Wednesday, July 07, 2010

What direction are we heading?

It was really awesome to see everyone going completely nuts when the Netherlands reached the finals of the FIFA championship yesterday. One big party on the streets and squares. Everyone was shouting, dancing and singing. Even for a long time after the game had ended.
I wish it could be like that more often. Seeing everyone so happy, feeling the positive energy and euphoria...
We could create wonders together...

I wish I could feel the same about the political situation in the Netherlands on the long term.
Though I think Geert Wilders is having a good time. He eagerly uses the fact that the CDA stands aloof and does not want to join in the negotiations on a cabinet of CDA, VVD and PVV. Now he can crawl into the underdog position.
I think it is a wise decision of the CDA, after loosing so many votes, not to have the arrogance to still want to govern.
It is best for them to go into opposition.
While I certainly am not in favor of Wilders ideas and the way he handles certain subjects, I do believe that he should participate in a new government, given the considerable profits of his party during the recent elections. 

He should not oppress, nor should he be oppressed.


Thus he can show what his party can or ... or just can not achieve.
By participating in the government, he might win support... or he will loose support.
Proclaiming something, is completely different from putting it into practice.
He started off on the wrong foot anyway. A day after the results of the elections, Wilders sacrificed a very important statement (which he absolutely was not going to drop, he promised before) in order to be able to participate in the government. Question mark, question mark.. exclamation mark, EXCLAMATION MARK!

At this moment he is more or less in the underdog position (which he partially provoked himself, slick as he is), which might have the opposite effect that his support will grow, purely on his remarks. This can be a dangerous development. If a new government (without his party) fails in the coming years, his party might grow tremendously without ever having proved that he's the one with the right solutions... or NOT!
I'm very glad that the Netherlands can not be ruled by only one party!

Everyone should face the truth that worldwide all races are mixing up, and we'd better join than fight eachother!

Creating fear is easy, overcoming it is much harder.

If we don't succeed to overcome fear, more contradictions, more radical leaders and more hate will be created. It's action and re-action.

We could learn from the sports. We can do it together. We've just got to believe in - and go for it!
No oppression but confrontation, communication, accepting losses, facing the truth and creating new opportunities.

5 comments:

  1. Joseph CohenJuly 08, 2010

    Esther, were there many Muslims celebrating the Dutch team's victory? How many jihadists and Islamicists were shouting and singing with joy for the glory of the Netherlands?

    I know you cannot answer this question, but I ask it because I wish to illustrate the divided nature of Dutch society.

    You say that Wilders is the underdog at the moment. Have you see the results of a recent opinion poll showing the PVV in the lead with 30 seats and the VVD second with 28? The electorate want a right-wing government for the economy and for the problem of Muslim demography.

    Yet, Queen Beatrix is trying to stop the PVV governing with the VVD and others. She has her royal finger in the dyke of political correctness, but does not realise that the whole dyke is crumbling all along its length.

    If it collapses with her finger still in it, the monarchy may fall or, at least, her son will have a big job on his hands.

    I really don't agree with you about the CDA going into opposition because it should not now be in government. It will be cursed by the electorate, I suggest, if it does not enter government now as the junior of three parties.

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  2. Joseph,
    I can answer your question because I know Muslims who were celebrating for the Dutch team's victory! There were in Germany too (before they lost from Spain)! So were Muslims in other winning countries.
    But I'm not going to start a political discussion here and I'm not saying that I know how to solve all the problems.
    I think you do not completely understand what I'm telling in my blogpost.
    I'm against any form of oppression!!

    To be more clear: I'm against the fact that Queen Beatrix is stopping the PVV from participating in the government, I'm against Wilders oppressing the Muslim women who want to wear headkerchiefs by their own choice, I'm against the husbands who make their Muslim women wear them, I'm against fundamentals like the Taliban oppressing their people by making more rigid rules, I'm against some parts of the Orthodox Jewes oppressing their women while they have to shave their heads and wear wigs...
    I'm against fundamental Christians who oppress their women.
    I'm against the pope saying people should not protect themselves having sex.
    I'm against all people who oppress others in the name of God/Allah/Jaweh/Shiva... etc...
    The only ones who should be oppressed are criminals (and I'm not going to discuss who are and who are not criminals).

    Oppression makes things worse and much bigger/serious etc...
    People get killed for and through it all the time.
    Religious rules (of any religion) can not always be hidden behind the term 'religious legacy' .... It's all about power. The power over other people... This creates a lot of fear, fear which is killing and causes killing.

    We should stop blaming others/other religions, and start taking responsibility for our own actions and reactions. Creating faith... we could if we only would give it a lot of efforts (I know it will not come easy).

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  3. @ Joseph who just sent me another comment:
    I respect your opinion (I sometimes agree, and sometimes don't), but I'm not going to let you use my blogpost as a platform for your religious/political ideas.
    I'm an artist, and I write in my blogposts about what is happening in my professional life as an artist, what inspires me, what drives me, and what worries me (this all together form the fundaments for my paintings). I can not reply to you in private because you didn't leave your email address, so I have to reply you this way. I wish you the best.

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  4. Hi Esther, I guess politics and religion are touchy subjects as always! What comes out of your recent posts including this one is that the strength of your abstract art stems from figurative strength (your purely figurative works from the past)and from the strength of your character! BTW, your other blog made me discover some really great contemporary artists... and I'm forever indebted. Good luck in the face of your multiple upcoming challenges (move, etc...).

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  5. Well thank you Ron.
    Wow, what a nice compliment. And you're right.
    And thank you for the good-luck-wishes.
    About the This-iz-art-blog... I want to continue with it, but I'm too occupied right now, so it has to wait for a while.

    Indeed, there are a lot of great contemporary artists.
    For more great art you could take a look at:
    http://www.dailyartfixx.com
    http://www.booooooom.com/sorted/art/
    http://www.fadwebsite.com/
    and
    http://womenpaintingwomen.blogspot.com/
    (this one should interest you highly because you're a portrait-painter as well!)

    Don't get stuck to your computer though... and go make some new art yourself!
    Have a great time doing that!!!
    Best,
    Esther

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