The Dutch government continues to come under heavy criticism from lawmakers and the Public over their chaotic handling of the COVID-19 vaccination plan.
Local city health care center when called by people, young and old, are not able to give answers as to the schedules or details (dates) when the vacinations.
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January 18, 2021
January 17, 2021
The Netherlands: "If we reelect Mark Rutte "the Dutch political Houdini" we don't deserve any better" - by Johan Fretz
The fall of the Rutte III cabinet took place in such a slow motion that its impact was spread out over a week. That was precisely Rutte's intention: if you move more slowly towards the ground, the impact will be less hard. Even in his own fall, Rutte remained the merciless strategist. If there was no other option, then only with as little damage to himself as possible.
Earlier this week, he had put on the table a sample of genuine “Rutlet logic”. Before the Christmas holidays, he had pretended that he thought it was all so intense and had to deal with it first. Now, after the holidays, he said that stepping down was a thing of the past. He may have thought we were all stupid and blame him: he has never been punished for anything in ten years. But the dynamics suddenly changed rapidly.
Lodewijk Asscher of thr PVDA labor party, the only one who had said aloud since the beginning that he felt shame and regret about his part in the benefits affair, still resigned. As is so often the case, it is the politicians who prefer integrity over power who pay the highest price, even though Asscher's choice was very justified and inevitable.
In looking back on his years in The Hague, he will have to reflect on the fact that he and his party entered Rutte II so indiscriminately, a cabinet that aimed to develop the public sector and human scale and in which it was established from the outset that such accidents would happen. That is why support for Asscher has crumbled so quickly in recent weeks: the affair reminded many voters how angry they were about this fatal government participation.
Even after Asscher's departure, Rutte continued to stop the fall of his cabinet behind the scenes. After all, it was not necessary from his VVD party viewpoint, and he undoubtedly felt strengthened by the voters behind the forty polled seats, who don't give a damn. But on Friday, Rutte solemnly said at the press conference: “We had to take responsibility,” as if it came from his deep inside. Those who listened more closely heard his cunning again: "Of course, it is always my ultimate responsibility in the end." In other words, I, the Good Samaritan, now fall for other people's sins, but have clean hands myself.What Typical Rutte B.S.
Political reality and public pressure can force a cabinet's resignation, but what they clearly cannot enforce is an inner realization in those responsible that they have failed morally. Mark Rutte does not resign out of regret or shame. He resigns because he had no other option. In doing so he devalues the symbolic value of the fall, which if it had been sincere could have contributed to the healing and the initial restoration of trust in the institutions.
Now our political Houdini PM has again freed himself from the chains underwater and has escaped from the steel box. On March 17 last year, he happily emerges, with that tirelessly cheerful grin that for ten years has kept others from seeing his brutal politics of hollowing out and reckoning behind it. Do we deserve better? If we re-elect him or not ?
Read more in the original Dutch version of "Het Parool" from where this translated version came: Als we Rutte opnieuw herverkiezen, verdienen we niet beter | Het Parool
Earlier this week, he had put on the table a sample of genuine “Rutlet logic”. Before the Christmas holidays, he had pretended that he thought it was all so intense and had to deal with it first. Now, after the holidays, he said that stepping down was a thing of the past. He may have thought we were all stupid and blame him: he has never been punished for anything in ten years. But the dynamics suddenly changed rapidly.
Lodewijk Asscher of thr PVDA labor party, the only one who had said aloud since the beginning that he felt shame and regret about his part in the benefits affair, still resigned. As is so often the case, it is the politicians who prefer integrity over power who pay the highest price, even though Asscher's choice was very justified and inevitable.
In looking back on his years in The Hague, he will have to reflect on the fact that he and his party entered Rutte II so indiscriminately, a cabinet that aimed to develop the public sector and human scale and in which it was established from the outset that such accidents would happen. That is why support for Asscher has crumbled so quickly in recent weeks: the affair reminded many voters how angry they were about this fatal government participation.
Even after Asscher's departure, Rutte continued to stop the fall of his cabinet behind the scenes. After all, it was not necessary from his VVD party viewpoint, and he undoubtedly felt strengthened by the voters behind the forty polled seats, who don't give a damn. But on Friday, Rutte solemnly said at the press conference: “We had to take responsibility,” as if it came from his deep inside. Those who listened more closely heard his cunning again: "Of course, it is always my ultimate responsibility in the end." In other words, I, the Good Samaritan, now fall for other people's sins, but have clean hands myself.What Typical Rutte B.S.
Political reality and public pressure can force a cabinet's resignation, but what they clearly cannot enforce is an inner realization in those responsible that they have failed morally. Mark Rutte does not resign out of regret or shame. He resigns because he had no other option. In doing so he devalues the symbolic value of the fall, which if it had been sincere could have contributed to the healing and the initial restoration of trust in the institutions.
Now our political Houdini PM has again freed himself from the chains underwater and has escaped from the steel box. On March 17 last year, he happily emerges, with that tirelessly cheerful grin that for ten years has kept others from seeing his brutal politics of hollowing out and reckoning behind it. Do we deserve better? If we re-elect him or not ?
Read more in the original Dutch version of "Het Parool" from where this translated version came: Als we Rutte opnieuw herverkiezen, verdienen we niet beter | Het Parool
January 15, 2021
The Netherlands: Dutch government quits over 'colossal stain' of tax subsidy scandal - by Stephanie van den Berg
Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government resigned on Friday, accepting responsibility for wrongful accusations of fraud by the tax authorities that drove thousands of families to financial ruin, often on the basis of ethnicity.
Read more at: Dutch government quits over 'colossal stain' of tax subsidy scandal | Reuters
Read more at: Dutch government quits over 'colossal stain' of tax subsidy scandal | Reuters
Covid - will vaccinations work with different variants of Covid: How worrying are the UK, South Africa, and Brazil coronavirus variants? - by Michelle Roberts
New variants of coronavirus are emerging that are more infectious than the original one that started the pandemic.
Scientists are urgently studying these mutated versions to understand what threat they pose.
The current vaccines were designed around earlier variants, but scientists are confident that they should still work against the new ones, although perhaps not quite as well.
Lab studies are underway to check this.
Vaccines train the body to attack several parts of the virus, however, not just these sections of the spike protein.
Variants could emerge in the future that are more different again.
Read more: .Covid: How worrying are the UK, South Africa, and Brazil coronavirus variants? - BBC News
Scientists are urgently studying these mutated versions to understand what threat they pose.
The current vaccines were designed around earlier variants, but scientists are confident that they should still work against the new ones, although perhaps not quite as well.
Lab studies are underway to check this.
Vaccines train the body to attack several parts of the virus, however, not just these sections of the spike protein.
Variants could emerge in the future that are more different again.
Read more: .Covid: How worrying are the UK, South Africa, and Brazil coronavirus variants? - BBC News
January 14, 2021
The Netherlands: Shell cuts 900 jobs in the Netherlands as part of global restructuring
Shell is cutting some 900 jobs in the Netherlands as part of its earlier announced global reorganisation, website Nu.nl and the Financieele Dagblad said on Wednesday. The job losses, which do not include people working at petrol stations, will cut the company’s workforce in the Netherlands by some 10%, Nu.nl said.
Read more at: Shell cuts 900 jobs in the Netherlands as part of global restructuring - DutchNews.nl
Read more at: Shell cuts 900 jobs in the Netherlands as part of global restructuring - DutchNews.nl
The Netherlands: Dutch lockdown extended: Curfew under consideration, Schools could open early; PM: Don’t Travel - A confused message, also no clarity on vaccination schedules
The hard lockdown approach in the Netherlands since December 15 to combat the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus will continue until at least February 9. Further, the ruling Dutch Cabinet will definitely consider the option of imposing a curfew in the Netherlands to make a deeper dent in the number of new coronavirus infections in the country, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a nationally televisies press conference on Tuesday night.
“A curfew is a drastic measure that no one is hoping for,” Rutte said. He said that the Outbreak Management Team has said the curfew could have a favorable impact, but the Cabinet must also take into account the difficulty of the current lockdown situation for many people. “That is why there is a lot to be said for getting the maximum effect. We are going to ask the OMT for urgent advice on what a curfew can bring us."
Read more at: Dutch lockdown extended: Curfew under consideration, Schools could open early; PM: Don’t Travel | NL Times
“A curfew is a drastic measure that no one is hoping for,” Rutte said. He said that the Outbreak Management Team has said the curfew could have a favorable impact, but the Cabinet must also take into account the difficulty of the current lockdown situation for many people. “That is why there is a lot to be said for getting the maximum effect. We are going to ask the OMT for urgent advice on what a curfew can bring us."
Read more at: Dutch lockdown extended: Curfew under consideration, Schools could open early; PM: Don’t Travel | NL Times
January 13, 2021
USA: What saved American democracy? – By Bo Rothstein
Democracy is a fragile form of government. History has shown democracies can be undermined in several ways. It can happen quickly, as in a coup, but democracies can also erode more slowly, as is now taking place in Poland and Hungary.
Based on research on how democracies have collapsed, political science has highlighted what to be especially wary about. If political leaders do not unequivocally take a stand against political violence, do not respect the democratic rights of their opponents and refrain from promising to respect an election result that goes against them, then democracy is in danger.
During his election campaign and even more during his time as president, Donald Trump undoubtedly violated these three principles. His many false claims that the election was rigged, and that he actually won, his support for his Republican party colleagues’ efforts to impede minority turnout and his incitement to the mob that forcibly broke into Congress on January 6th were clear examples.
Read more at: What saved American democracy? – Bo Rothstein
Based on research on how democracies have collapsed, political science has highlighted what to be especially wary about. If political leaders do not unequivocally take a stand against political violence, do not respect the democratic rights of their opponents and refrain from promising to respect an election result that goes against them, then democracy is in danger.
During his election campaign and even more during his time as president, Donald Trump undoubtedly violated these three principles. His many false claims that the election was rigged, and that he actually won, his support for his Republican party colleagues’ efforts to impede minority turnout and his incitement to the mob that forcibly broke into Congress on January 6th were clear examples.
Read more at: What saved American democracy? – Bo Rothstein
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