The colour of a face, The darkness of a place, Staring from behind, I am the one you find, I crash to the ground, and pray, You take my breath away, It’s me today, him tomorrow, You do not stop and have no sorrow, Let the men and women march, Down the avenue, under the […]
Xenophobia
- Internet
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Facebook – 50 Shades Of Grey (Disintegrating) Matter
I don’t want to judge millions of people who absolutely swear by Facebook. I’m not even arguing with those who get a kick out of insulting others they don’t even know. I suppose it’s my fault – I mistook a boy for a girl, and then criticised him because he posted a video saying that […]
Not In Front Of The Adults – The Return Of The “Sint”
It’s that time of year again, when the leaves on the trees have fallen and the time of good will is finally upon us. Just time for one more flutter of humanoid tempers that will eventually dissipate in the never-ending blanket of early morning fog. Off the shores of the Low-Countries, lies a steamboat in […]
- Culture
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Three Colours – Blue, White, Red
And there I was, thinking that all you needed to play football for your national team was (i) citizenship, (ii) more than average skills and, (iii) to be picked by the trainer. Silly me, I must say. It was pretty much obvious that you must also be of the appropriate ethnicity, to avoid cynical remarks […]
How Catholic Conservatism Could Conquer Secular France
Marion Maréchal is the grand-daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the French extreme-right-wing Front National. She wants to implement a political ideology that is soaked in a thick mantle of Catholicism. It is ironic that, in the eyes of many, the return of Catholicism may be the answer to the battle (if battle there is) […]
For Dutch Children, Zwarte Piet Is No Golliwog
Photo: Wikipedia Commoms As always, around this time of year, the arrival on our shores, of Saint-Nicholas, with his band of merry Zwarte Piet’s (Black Peter’s), causes a few people to question the appropriateness of it all. They’re not concerned that he may be burning fossil fuels, in order to propel his steamboat all […]
When Progressive Humanism Meets Terrorism
Islamic attacks on Western democracies pose a deep philosophical and moral problem to anyone sympathising with a progressive humanist vision of society. The Islamic fundamentalists are targeting the very heart of our democracies and, more importantly, our entire way of life. They are trying to drive a wedge between the Islamic community, which they are […]
Tolerance In The Attic
If ever a ranking of ordinary-looking houses that possess a universal value were made, the building situated at 38 Oudezijds Voorburgwal, in the centre of Amsterdam, would probably be near the top of the list. Whereas the Anne Frank House, situated on the nearby Prinsengracht, symbolises all that is bad about human nature, this house epitomises […]
The Moral Landslide: Defying Discrimination
I’ll be honest with you. Before writing this post, I had no idea what a “LGBT person” actually was. “In what sort of world is this guy living?”, I hear you ask. Well, I live in the same world as you, but the meaning of this dreadful label that has been tagged on the shoulders […]