'Murder is normal'

A Muslim from Amsterdam explains his position on the murder of Van Gogh. Footage courtesy of local tv station AT5. If anyone feels the need to prepare a Dutch translation, it would be appreciated. To summarize: he agrees with the murderer. The guy is married to a Dutch woman and has five children.

Update 23.48: Reader Iwan was kind enough to provide a translation. You can read it by clicking 'Lees verder'.

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19:49

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Moron of the week

Apparently, an anti-nuclear activist has lost his legs after a train in Avricourt drove over them. He had tried to stop the train by chaining himself to the tracks. Are there any partial Darwin Awards too?

Update 17.37: Turns out the guy just bit the dust. I guess nuclear energy is dangerous after all...

16:28

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Bravo, Mr. Frits Bolkestein

Soon to be former EU commissioner Mr. Frits Bolkestein, one of the most well-educated men in Dutch politics, compared the climate of fear to express oneself that is being created by silly moves such as banning a mural, with that under the Nazi occupation in World War II. He did so in Buitenhof, one of the best news shows on Dutch television. I am a big fan of Godwin's Law, but usually these kind of comparisons are made from a left-wing point of view, rather than a libertarian. (Mr. Bolkestein is a member of the Dutch Liberal Party, which is liberal in the literal, not leftist sense.) Rob Trip, one of the best interviewers Dutch PBS has (I'm wondering he still works there), immediately asked him if this was a proper comparison. To which Mr. Bolkestein rebutted: 'I was born in 1933, so I think I know a little bit about it.' Mr. Bolkestein caused great furor in the Netherlands in the early nineties when he warned about the problems integrating immigrants into the Dutch society. At that time, he was severely criticized for bringing the subject up, and comparisons between Mr. Bolkestein and Nazism were rife. I guess today was payback time.

14:05

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Can we have this in the Netherlands, please?

From Wikipedia:

Freedom of speech in United States is generally protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. (...) In its free speech jurisprudence, the U.S. Supreme Court has favored allowing as much expression as possible. The public policy of the U.S. has been to cultivate a "marketplace of ideas." Rather than let people simmer with rage or wander around with their blind ignorance, it is thought that they should be encouraged to express their ideas and hopefully good ideas will triumph over the bad. (...) This is why people can criticize the government in all kinds of ways in the U.S., with both language fair and foul, and can even advocate unpopular ideas (for example, racism) which most people would find distasteful or against public policy. They cross the line only when they advocate imminent violent action against particular persons (the Brandenburg rule).'

I'd settle.

1:23

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Angry

I've written the essay below chastising Duch PBS, I've emptied nearly a bottle of (non-French) wine, and I am still mad as hell. How can anyone even suggest Mr. Van Gogh went too far using his freedom of expression? Even if he did, there are courts and judges to determine that, not radical Islamists slitting throaths. (I checked our Constitution and there's no mention of Jihadi law enforcement. Trust me on this.) It is extremely unsavoury to hold such a debate after such a horrific murder, thereby suggesting a connection between the two (granted, from a freedom of speech point of view it is warranted).
Besides, there's only one way to abuse freedom of expression: by trying to diminish someone else's right to use his. Mr. Van Gogh didn't do anything like this - you could even argue that by angering so many people, he actually propagated freedom of speech, as they tended to voice their criticism. The murderer of Mr. Van Gogh however did threaten Mr. Van Gogh's freedom of speech, and that of the entire nation, to the extent that tv stations are now employing self-censorship in not airing Mr. Van Gogh's movie.

But of course, Dutch PBS has to argue on and on trying to find self-blame somewhere hidden in this mess.

It is sickening. Really.

Did I mention I am really, really angry?

(American jellybeans always make me happy. Please send them to... No, just kidding.)

0:55

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