I suppose it wasn't a question of íf, rather of when I'd get my first anonymous hate-reply. This is, after all, the internet, where everyone can act like a tough guy, sitting safely behind their screens posting as "anonymous". Blogger has a wonderful feature that lets me moderate and even delete replies I don't want to see, but I don't intend to use it.
People who feel the need to spam nonsensical messages filled with cussing and generic verbal abuse tend to fall into two categories:
1, they are insecure, small and unsuccesful people who need to feel good about themselves by dragging others down.
Or 2, baiters. Trying to get an annoyed, perhaps even infuriated response from whoever happens to cross their path. Pretty much everything is fair game to a baiter, and ofcourse the fun is when someone bites and goes off at them. I happen to know this, because I spent some time on a forum as a baiter. So, I'm not going to change the options for posting replies, I'm not going to moderate them and I'm certainly not going to delete any. Any of those actions would mean a baiter gets what he wants. Instead, with this little addition to my blog I acknowledge his presence, and that's where it ends.
Yes, I see you. Yes, I read your comments. No, I don't care.
dinsdag 10 maart 2009
maandag 9 maart 2009
I've done a bit of religion, time for politics?
Politics. It has become a derogatory term over the years, while it is arguably the single most influencing thing in all of our lives. If I were to go into town and ask a hundred random people about their feelings regarding politics, I sincerely doubt I'd get more than 20 positive responses.
Politics have become a joke. A frightening amount of people simply don't care about politics, and therefore don't vote or vote for the person they see on the news who shouts the most things they can relate to. Others simply can't make heads or tails from the circus politics have become.
I can't blame them. Looking at my own country's political environment, I've not been able to take any of it seriously since Wim Kok gave up office. A quick google search tells me that was in 2002. Well over 6 years of politics, and therefore also our country's government, that has been pretty much a joke. Debates which would make a highschool student feel embarrased, so devoid of meaning and childish are they. Inner-party bickering, fought out in public. Backpedalling at a never before seen level. I'm suprised we haven't seen politicians disputing their own names in interviews yet.
I know that alot of these things are inherent to politics and as such will always be a factor. Getting a straight answer out of a politician is harder than getting conclusive proof of the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot having an affair. When something goes wrong, or turns out to be less than ideal, you can bet your entire savings (Provided you still have any, and hadn't put them on in Icelandic account) that the person responsible will backpeddle his or her way out of any blame, as if they were in the Tour. I'm not saying that this is new, that this has cropped up in the last 6 years. I'm saying that it has gotten worse, so much so that it seems to have completely replaced everything else. Politics are in a sad state when not even politicians take it seriously anymore.
Anyone living in the Netherlands, or familiar with foreign politics will know who Geert Wilders is. If you don't, look him up in google images. One look will last a lifetime.
You can say a lot about Geert Wilders. There has been alot said about Geert Wilders, even. I'm not going into the political content, that horse has already been beaten beyond recognition. What I will say is that he is a very clever man. To coin a popular term, he is a populist.
He tells the people what they want to hear. He gives them what they want. And so, they flock to him. His popularity is stupendous, while many of his followers probably don't even know what his agenda is. At times, I doubt he knows what his agenda is, or whether he even has one (A political one that is. I'm quite certain he has an agenda...).
You all probably know the phrase "There is no such thing as bad publicity" or something similar. And exactly for that reason, is why Geert Wilders is brilliant. He is the most talked about politician in ages, at least nationally (and I'm sure he's made some waves abroad at least). Everyone is talking about him. Everyone has an opinion about him. He gets to people. His supporters follow him for what he says, while the rest condemns him for it, finds him loathsome because of it, or thinks he's generally a deranged crackpot. But everyone knows who he is.
The tie that binds this all together, and the point I'm making, is that the current political climate is such that people like Geert Wilders get free reign. Politics are a contest of populism now that convential politics have all but failed. Where will we be in 10 years from now, when our entire government consists of people who shout the loudest, are best at blaming certain parts of the populace (Sound familiar? It should, if you know your history.) but wouldn't know a political agenda from a hole in the ground?
We need sensible, strong leaders if we are to have a decent future. We need our politicians to stop acting like spoiled 12-year old clowns, and to start taking, and making, politics serious again.
If they don't, it will mean we keep seeing Geert Wilders' and Pim Fortuyns, and they will keep getting votes, because people rather get told what they want to hear, than see our nation's leaders bickering like children.
Politics have become a joke. A frightening amount of people simply don't care about politics, and therefore don't vote or vote for the person they see on the news who shouts the most things they can relate to. Others simply can't make heads or tails from the circus politics have become.
I can't blame them. Looking at my own country's political environment, I've not been able to take any of it seriously since Wim Kok gave up office. A quick google search tells me that was in 2002. Well over 6 years of politics, and therefore also our country's government, that has been pretty much a joke. Debates which would make a highschool student feel embarrased, so devoid of meaning and childish are they. Inner-party bickering, fought out in public. Backpedalling at a never before seen level. I'm suprised we haven't seen politicians disputing their own names in interviews yet.
I know that alot of these things are inherent to politics and as such will always be a factor. Getting a straight answer out of a politician is harder than getting conclusive proof of the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot having an affair. When something goes wrong, or turns out to be less than ideal, you can bet your entire savings (Provided you still have any, and hadn't put them on in Icelandic account) that the person responsible will backpeddle his or her way out of any blame, as if they were in the Tour. I'm not saying that this is new, that this has cropped up in the last 6 years. I'm saying that it has gotten worse, so much so that it seems to have completely replaced everything else. Politics are in a sad state when not even politicians take it seriously anymore.
Anyone living in the Netherlands, or familiar with foreign politics will know who Geert Wilders is. If you don't, look him up in google images. One look will last a lifetime.
You can say a lot about Geert Wilders. There has been alot said about Geert Wilders, even. I'm not going into the political content, that horse has already been beaten beyond recognition. What I will say is that he is a very clever man. To coin a popular term, he is a populist.
He tells the people what they want to hear. He gives them what they want. And so, they flock to him. His popularity is stupendous, while many of his followers probably don't even know what his agenda is. At times, I doubt he knows what his agenda is, or whether he even has one (A political one that is. I'm quite certain he has an agenda...).
You all probably know the phrase "There is no such thing as bad publicity" or something similar. And exactly for that reason, is why Geert Wilders is brilliant. He is the most talked about politician in ages, at least nationally (and I'm sure he's made some waves abroad at least). Everyone is talking about him. Everyone has an opinion about him. He gets to people. His supporters follow him for what he says, while the rest condemns him for it, finds him loathsome because of it, or thinks he's generally a deranged crackpot. But everyone knows who he is.
The tie that binds this all together, and the point I'm making, is that the current political climate is such that people like Geert Wilders get free reign. Politics are a contest of populism now that convential politics have all but failed. Where will we be in 10 years from now, when our entire government consists of people who shout the loudest, are best at blaming certain parts of the populace (Sound familiar? It should, if you know your history.) but wouldn't know a political agenda from a hole in the ground?
We need sensible, strong leaders if we are to have a decent future. We need our politicians to stop acting like spoiled 12-year old clowns, and to start taking, and making, politics serious again.
If they don't, it will mean we keep seeing Geert Wilders' and Pim Fortuyns, and they will keep getting votes, because people rather get told what they want to hear, than see our nation's leaders bickering like children.
maandag 2 maart 2009
I bought a Qor'aan today
The title is rather self-explanatory, but just a title makes for a lousy addition to a blog, so allow me to expand on it a little.
I don't consider myself a religious man. I don't reject religion, or the idea of an omnipotent being, but I don't believe it as such. I don't know whether there is a God or not, and the chances of me finding out during my lifetime are exceedingly small. As such, I've accepted that, barring divine intervention, I'm never going to know for sure. As I do consider myself a man of science, I can only believe in what I know to be true, otherwise for me it isn't believing. So, I don't believe, nor do I disbelieve. I simply don't know, and am open to both sides.
So, that being said, let's continue.
Religion, regardless of your personal opinion of it, is and always has been an important part of our existence. Off the top of my head I can't think of any culture or people not influenced by religion.
As such, you're bound to come into contact with it sooner or later. For all you know, the man/woman you fall madly in love with might be religious. You might become friends with a new guy at work, who happens to be religious. My point is, it's not something you can hide from. You might not like it, you might not believe it yourself, you might even go so far as to (think you) despise it... But it is a part of society, and as such having knowledge of religion in all its aspects can only be beneficial, both for yourself and those around you.
Hell (Bad term to use in a religion blogmessage, but it's what I'd normally use in this kind of sentence, so I felt it should stay), simply the fact that it actually is an interesting read makes it worth your time to just pick up a bible or any other holy scripture and just read it!
Back to the title. I bought a Qor'aan today. I was in the city shopping for a birthday present for my mother, when on an impulse I entered a bookstore. Not a fancy bookstore mind, the dingy cheapskate kind that is always on a 'total-clearance-sale' where you find ugly, kitsch calendars, books about kittens and such. What I found near the back of the store, tucked away in a corner, was the Qor'aan, translated to Dutch, for 7 euro's. Who knows, it might have been Providence...
Why did I buy it? If you bothered to read the above, you should be able to guess, but what fun would it be if I didn't just tell you. It is a blog afterall.
I bought the Qor'aan, because our country is increasingly influenced by the Muslim people, society and culture. As such, understanding the people and their religion better helps me understand the world I live in better. It helps me understand the people I live with better.
For better or worse, we're stuck with one another on this planet, and understanding eachother goes a long way towards making our stay here enjoyable.
I don't consider myself a religious man. I don't reject religion, or the idea of an omnipotent being, but I don't believe it as such. I don't know whether there is a God or not, and the chances of me finding out during my lifetime are exceedingly small. As such, I've accepted that, barring divine intervention, I'm never going to know for sure. As I do consider myself a man of science, I can only believe in what I know to be true, otherwise for me it isn't believing. So, I don't believe, nor do I disbelieve. I simply don't know, and am open to both sides.
So, that being said, let's continue.
Religion, regardless of your personal opinion of it, is and always has been an important part of our existence. Off the top of my head I can't think of any culture or people not influenced by religion.
As such, you're bound to come into contact with it sooner or later. For all you know, the man/woman you fall madly in love with might be religious. You might become friends with a new guy at work, who happens to be religious. My point is, it's not something you can hide from. You might not like it, you might not believe it yourself, you might even go so far as to (think you) despise it... But it is a part of society, and as such having knowledge of religion in all its aspects can only be beneficial, both for yourself and those around you.
Hell (Bad term to use in a religion blogmessage, but it's what I'd normally use in this kind of sentence, so I felt it should stay), simply the fact that it actually is an interesting read makes it worth your time to just pick up a bible or any other holy scripture and just read it!
Back to the title. I bought a Qor'aan today. I was in the city shopping for a birthday present for my mother, when on an impulse I entered a bookstore. Not a fancy bookstore mind, the dingy cheapskate kind that is always on a 'total-clearance-sale' where you find ugly, kitsch calendars, books about kittens and such. What I found near the back of the store, tucked away in a corner, was the Qor'aan, translated to Dutch, for 7 euro's. Who knows, it might have been Providence...
Why did I buy it? If you bothered to read the above, you should be able to guess, but what fun would it be if I didn't just tell you. It is a blog afterall.
I bought the Qor'aan, because our country is increasingly influenced by the Muslim people, society and culture. As such, understanding the people and their religion better helps me understand the world I live in better. It helps me understand the people I live with better.
For better or worse, we're stuck with one another on this planet, and understanding eachother goes a long way towards making our stay here enjoyable.
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