| Even though The Netherlands is the is the largest producer of roses in the world, |  |
 | ...still I'd like to send that country a couple dozen more along with a nice note, |
...that reads, thank you, thank you, thank you for not electing as your Prime Minister Geert Wilders,
| ...also know as "The Dutch Donald Trump," |  |
...not only for similarities in their carefully styled and colorized hairdos,
 |  |
...but for the ability of each to grab and dominate the public stage and for their shared credo of extreme right-wing nationalism, isolationism, racism, Islamophobia, and hate-mongering.
A few months before the Dutch general election, which took place last Wednesday, Wilders was far in the lead ahead of the other candidates for Prime Minister. People were taken by his outspokenness, his disdain for political correctness, and his promise to shake up the Dutch political system. Some latched onto his promise to reinstate the dominance of the Christian cultural heritage in The Netherlands and his emphasis on "family values." Others shared his belief that The Netherlands should not only ban all Muslim immigration but that the country should rid itself of Muslims altogether. Still others liked the idea of change that Wilders represented. And some were just angry.
When Donald Trump won the American election Geert Wilders benefited from a surge in popularity in the Dutch polls. Shortly after Trump's inauguration Wilders enjoyed another bump and appeared to be on his way to a landslide win.
But then in the weeks that followed, as the world watched the comedy of errors that the government of the United States was thrown into, and continues to be thrown into, under Donald Trump's terrible policies and choices, his dangerously impulsive, irresponsible, behavior, and his overall ineptitude, the majority of Dutch citizens decided they really didn't want a Donald Trump of their own after all.
A few months before the Dutch general election, which took place last Wednesday, Wilders was far in the lead ahead of the other candidates for Prime Minister. People were taken by his outspokenness, his disdain for political correctness, and his promise to shake up the Dutch political system. Some latched onto his promise to reinstate the dominance of the Christian cultural heritage in The Netherlands and his emphasis on "family values." Others shared his belief that The Netherlands should not only ban all Muslim immigration but that the country should rid itself of Muslims altogether. Still others liked the idea of change that Wilders represented. And some were just angry.
When Donald Trump won the American election Geert Wilders benefited from a surge in popularity in the Dutch polls. Shortly after Trump's inauguration Wilders enjoyed another bump and appeared to be on his way to a landslide win.
But then in the weeks that followed, as the world watched the comedy of errors that the government of the United States was thrown into, and continues to be thrown into, under Donald Trump's terrible policies and choices, his dangerously impulsive, irresponsible, behavior, and his overall ineptitude, the majority of Dutch citizens decided they really didn't want a Donald Trump of their own after all.
| The Netherlands voted overwhelmingly to keep their incumbent center-right-but-reasonable Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, |  |
Maybe The Netherlands should be sending us roses and a thank-you note.
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/15/world/europe/geert-wilders-netherlands-far-right-vote.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/16/520376715/geert-wilders-dutch-donald-trump-takes-second-place-in-closely-watched-election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Wilders
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/01/25/510413349/for-dutch-donald-trump-a-surge-in-popularity-before-march-elections
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/15/world/europe/geert-wilders-netherlands-far-right-vote.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/16/520376715/geert-wilders-dutch-donald-trump-takes-second-place-in-closely-watched-election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Wilders
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/01/25/510413349/for-dutch-donald-trump-a-surge-in-popularity-before-march-elections
RSS Feed