Balkenende IV collapses
I woke up yesterday morning to the news story on Al-Jazeera television that the Dutch cabinet had collapsed
Though we have had the same Prime Minister [2] since 2002 that was the collapse of the fourth coalition cabinet though this one lasted the longest.
The very obvious and challenging thing to realise is the politics of the Netherlands has changed irretrievably over the last decade from the traditions we have all learnt built the Netherlands into a country of global influence and economic clout.
The dyke collapses
Somehow, I am afraid that the thinking that allowed the Dutch to grab land from the sea for form the land mass we now have in the time worn fashion of the Polder Model [3] of consensus and compromise towards agreement has departed.
In political terms, we have had the equivalent of a dyke-break, I cannot find any outward thinking or celebrated act of statesmanship in the political landscape that has caused the collapse of all the four cabinets.
Rather, political infighting to self-destruction on such matters of local import looking for some political advantage in possible elections have bedevilled the system.
An ambiguous electorate
It goes without saying that we have the governments we choose and we have generally elected conservatives balanced by liberals and augmented by populist extremists, the last cabinet however was an uneasy grand-coalition of conservatives, the centre-left and an orthodox religious party – I thought it was a powder-keg, it only had a very long fuse.
In 2002, the cabinet of Wim Kok [4] dissolved in taking the possible responsibility for the Srebrenica massacre, this cabinet fell on the possibility of extending the tenure of Dutch troops in the NATO alliance in Afghanistan – they basically could not agree on the matter.
Our NATO commitment
Just less than 2,000 troops is not necessarily a significant number in Afghanistan and we do have a somewhat quiet existence there as opposed to the South of Afghanistan but we had been promised the troops will return this summer.
Not to mention the erstwhile Secretary General of NATO was Dutch, so we have a significant and influential member of that coalition pulling out with some consequences and hopefully not too damaging.
Generally, many would prefer that the war in Afghanistan come to an end with all our troops back home, which for me also includes the British troops but we cannot afford to leave a quagmire in that region, I am saddened that if that venture does yield results the footnote the Dutch might attain could be closer to ignominious by reason of little-country politics.
However, with the change of tactics in pursuing the war in Afghanistan there was a need to reconsider the pullback as part of the Dutch contribution, between the parliament and the within the coalition partners there was no agreement leading the Labour Party to withdraw from the coalition because they were against the extension.
Some fearful possibilities
Now, Prime Minister Balkenende might have the opportunity of forming another cabinet, the fifth – it really beggars belief, in July 2006, I wrote No to Balkenende III [4], I cannot believe I am looking at a possible Balkenende V.
I would suppose Jan Peter Balkenende does have some political savvy for holding on for so long even though his Calvinist inclinations might well reflect why he is somewhat invisible and some policies are parsimonious – but with another election the only worse thing that could happen is to have people be persuaded by the vitriolic rhetoric of Geert Wilders [6], the fact is he could be the next Prime Minister.
Sources
[1] Al Jazeera English - Europe - Dutch cabinet falls over Afghan row
[2] Jan Peter Balkenende - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[3] Polder Model - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[4] Wim Kok - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[5] No to Balkenende III [akin.blog-city.com]
[6] Geert Wilders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [1] and I was not that surprised.
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Showing posts with label NATO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NATO. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Thursday, 13 October 2005
Globalisation of disaster relief
Weapons of Mass Relief
One could not help but wonder at the complete inadequacies of developed, developing and under-developed countries (used in the context of 3rd-world dialogue) in dealing with the natural disasters that have hit their peoples in the last few months.
To surmise, one can see the sweeping global phenomena of globalisation, trade liberalisation, democracy and eradication of poverty through debt forgiveness and other do-gooder mechanisms have overlooked pertinent issues.
This is made ever so stark from the fact that “so-called” Nuclear powers with hefty defence budgets to defend the realm have forgotten that there would be no realm to defend if the citizenry of the realm have been wiped out and left destitute by natural disaster.
More so, these countries have their military forces pre-occupied with unnecessary wars and disputes that seem to foster more havoc than peace with their presence.
The political landscape is both littered and cluttered with intransigence and belligerence that make the Middle Ages seem rather tame.
What has happened to the civilisation of humanity that puts these quests for military aggrandisement over the welfare of its peoples?
We have come to cross-roads, is it weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the powerful or weapons of mass relief from the powerful to the weak?
I hear no leaders speaking up for this.
In the end, the global co-operation needed for attending to natural disasters should involve allocating part of the defence budgets to relief where Africa hosts relief materials for immediate despatch to Asia and Europe, Asia for America and Europe, Europe for America and Africa and so on.
This under the co-ordination of the UN or some other International body like NATO should despatch with immediate effect when disaster strikes at their support areas.
Military weaponry as drones, satellites, recognition and surveillance systems should come in to play to identify the worst affected places and assets brought to bear.
That would be global progress very much in the light of the establishment of the UN.
Thursday, 24 February 2005
Clearasil Total Control in Mainz
The Visit
One could not help but watch with amusement the visit of Mr George W. Bush to Europe, starting with meeting the Belgian royals, the government, then the EU Commission, NATO and then off to a city 2000 years old founded by the Romans called Mainz
The symbolism of the whole event is not lost on keen observers of the event and history.
However, the title is to illustrate the proverbial situation where presumably the leopard - Dubbiyew - has lost his spots in declaring extreme friendship and unity with the European cause as partners in liberty, freedom, justice and that most uniting divisor - Iraq
Clearasil
Clearasil [2] happens to be most common commercial cosmetic used to deal with spots, acne, blemishes and unseemly colours, but it would be disingenuous of me to suggest that all that had happened was cosmetic, but why are the protesters still out there?
Now, one can understand the master-stroke of genius that informed replacing a dour gentleman of gravitas in the person of Colin Powell; who at times looked so much at odds with the cards he was dealt that you almost felt great sympathy for him.
With Dr Condolezza Rice [3] whose charm offensive hardly 2 weeks ago in her whirlwind tour of the American "friendly" states, especially France Europe .
There is no doubt that Clearasil and its effects are either obvious or desired as a thing of the mind, just as Regaine [5] allegedly portends to offer hair to those who struggle to come to terms with male pattern baldness, I know of one instance where it put more hair on a person's back than you will find on a sheep in mid-winter in New Zealand.
Total
Borrowing a cliché, gone are the days when the crowds in the streets of Germany would welcome with such fanfare a president of the United States like John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan who both did profound and probably mad-hatter things in Berlin that have become staples of 20th Century history.
Even Bill Clinton did attract an audience at the Brandenburg Gate in July 1994 [6]. That probably was the last time an American president had the world stage looking to Berlin and Germany Berlin
How times have changed, a whole city of Mainz
Wonderfully ironic it is that main home page of the City of Mainz
Control
Even that now begins to speak for itself, crowd control, protest control, shops closed, schools closed and the serious vetting of select members of the Young Leaders almost reminds one of the great prospects of the Hilter Jungen - perish the thought! Maybe it is all Pest Control.
Rumour has it that on one of the streets that was to accommodate the presidential motorcade a funereal shop specialising in memorial stones was advised to move the stones out of town, just in case some exuberant youth broke into the shop and picked up a 100-kilogram stone and pelted the motorcade - you can never accuse the Polizei of lacking such vivid imagination even with these carefully weighted words.
In Mainz
This is where the symbolism is complete when contrasted with America, definitely this was a city of Old Europe being over 2000 years old means it evokes history, culture, heritage, values and architecture of mind-boggling proportions.
It also happens to be the city of Johanes Gutenberg
Then there was sailing down the river Rhein, it makes one wonder if the fish were asked to stay home. [9]
References
[1] Mainz
[2] Clearasil Total Control
[3] MSNBC - Rice charms in first diplomatic dance
[4] Sir Walter Raleigh: A Who2 Profile
[5] Hair loss products - Regaine UK
[6] "Berlin Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
[7] News Analysis: Bush sealed off from Germans in Mainz
[8] Mainz Online: Gutenberg
[9] Much Ado About Bush | Germany