Right-wing politician gunned down in our country

[DutchMaster]

CNN report:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe...ing/index.html

Our country is in shock. Although the right-winger had many people against him, nobody had thought that somebody like him gets killed because of his statements and ideas. This is a country that supports democratcy, that even a guy with his ideas gets the chance to get ellected. Unfortunately it can't

[Angela]

What a terrible thing to have happen!! Regardless of what one thinks of someone's politics, such actions never solve anything, they make things worse.

[Germ]

That's awful! And I'm really surprised it could happen in The Netherlands.

[MegalosSkylaki]

Quite truthfully, I don't like the worldwide drift of things.

Reminds me of the breakdown of of European social structure in the twenties and thirties when --in what Sociologists call anomie --the sense of belongingness and the amity between neighbors collapsed.

Are we entering a new period of chaos and drift ?
People need a frame of reference to live.
What is that today ?

The Le Pen situation in France where the Socialists were no longer perceived as the opposition part, the baleful "success" of Jorge Heiders pseudo-populistsparty in Austria--running on an anti-immigration and anti-crime non-issue in a Country with one of the lowest immigration and crime rates in Europe, all have contributed to this.

One of the things I learned in History is that the Nation-State is "psychologically satisfying" in Modern times. Perhaps that is no longer the case. Or that the "States" as constituted no longer suffice.

Perhaps Europe is psychologically not ready for the Euro and the free-crossing of labor. With the collapse of the unifying threat of Soviet Communism, like the poet Cavafy wrote, "What will become of us without Barbarians ?"

MegalosSkylaki

And of course I would condemn political assassination [ if, indeed, that's what it was]. Or any assassination.

[ClubMed]

Frankly the world is an ever so slightly better place with one less ignorant racist.

[MegalosSkylaki]

Be careful with that sentiment.

That's how the Spanish poet/playwright Frederico Garcia Lorca got whacked--reputedly.

As retaliation for the assassination of a of a Phalangist intellectual.

As US Supreme Court Justice William o. Douglas observed, "It is hard to recall the DooGs [?] of political repression, once they've been released"

Hate to see things devolve down to a round of political assassinations. The French took care of Le Pen at the Polls.
The Austrians seem to be doing the same with Heider's mis-begotten Party.

Too bad People need to toy with such people...

DOOOOOG

Errr...think he meant Humanoids.

[ClubMed]

What I meant is that I really dont care, I have been following Fortuyn's comments and I can find no reason to care about his assasination.

I understand what you say though Megalos. Maybe what I am trying to say is that when someone plays with fire they should be aware that they might get burnt.

[DutchMaster]

Originally posted by clubmed
What I meant is that I really dont care, I have been following Fortuyn's comments and I can find no reason to care about his assasination.

I understand what you say though Megalos. Maybe what I am trying to say is that when someone plays with fire they should be aware that they might get burnt.

Yes his comments were extreme and I don't agree with all of them. But we live in a democratic country where the people decide who gets control of our country. If somebody who has the right to speaks his mind and gets killed by that, means that what we call democraticy is at stake. IMO its not to mourn that much about this politician, then more over the democraticy and freedom of speech that has been attacked.

BTW the elections next week will take place as scheduled. I am curious about the results.

[Graham]

Like his opinions or not, he had, in a democracy, a right to voice them, especially in a society as laid back and liberal as the Nederlands.
It will be a worrying day when a european election is decided at the point of a gun like they are in some countries.

We should not treat any death of this type lightly, it strikes at the very core of democracy.

Comiserations to you and your countrymen DM, even if you were not his supporter politically.
I heard his party was pretty much a one man affair, do you think there will be much of a sympathy vote?

G

[Barney]

This guy was going to be our prime minister in a couple of weeks! While I don't agree with the way they got rid of him, I'm glad they did. The last thing I would want to happen is to have racist/fascist leading our country.