So why bother?

I know that I'm authentic and original. Someone who makes up his own mind regardless of authorities, titles, holy books, fat words or todays trending topics in my country or on planet Earth. Hot news of today is always old news tomorrow. So why bother?

How did I became the man I'm today? Someone who is always working on at least 3 projects. Bizzy with reading. Checking out thoughts, presuppositions and allegations. Always on the road. Never steady ground. Never afraid to enter a completely unknown subject.

The truth is I don't really know. Since I left primary school I was always on my own. My parents were not able to help me with my homework. I had to figure it out on my own way. At the university I was never impressed by all the professors I met. Just human beings too. With their strong points, flaws, jealousy etc. Most of them specialist's specialist.

I guess above all because I like to read books. Books make me feel alive.

I know that I'm authentic and original. How about you. Are you too?

Invoice

Five years before the Iron Curtain fell down I visited Auschwitz concentration camp (polski 'Oświęcim') in Poland. It was a strange place to visit. Rain. Green grass. Dust. Lots of rust iron. How bizarre to enter the old gas chambers. Pretty small.

What shocked me most was an invoice of Zyklon B. Couple of thousand kilo's. Price? Can't remember. One invoice of probably many. Apparently someone did the bookkeeping. I realised that the killing of the Jews in World War II wasn't done in a whirl. It must have been a gigantic logistical operation. Gather people (raids), transportation over thousands of km, selection (to the right meant labor, to the left meant to the gas chambers), killing (Zyklon B), burning of the death and get rid of the ashes. Bills that had to be paid. There must have been a bookkeeper who knew the answer to the question 'Avarage cost of Zyklon B for 1 Jew?'. 

Question: did he (or she?) calculate too the costs of razzia's, transportation, crematorium, food for gards and workforce? Were costs for environment e.g. Carbon dioxide (CO2) an externality?

P.s. I'll try to find a better and readable copy of this invoice.

Newspeak

Laat me de namen van des lands Ministeries zien en ik zal je zeggen wat voor een land je bent. Of positiever geformuleerd: kernachtig wordt in de namen van Ministeries de speerpunten van landen getoond.

Met veel genot kijk ik naar de namen van de Ministeries in Nederland van 1850, 1900, 1950 en 2000.

Ik heb vooral veel vragen:

• Waarom was er in 1850 een apart Ministerie voor Rooms-Katholieken (RK)? De meeste Nederlanders waren destijds toch Protestant? Het had mij meer logisch geleken als er een Ministerie voor Protestanten geweest was en een Ministerie voor RK en andere Erediensten. Kennelijk destijds een gevoelig puntje.
• Grappig dat ergens na 1950 het Ministerie van Oorlog omgedoopt wordt tot Defensie. Zegt dat ook iets over onze strategie en hoe we erin zitten?
• Grappig de verschuiving van Koloniën naar Gebiedsdelen en daarna naar "Zaken".
• Vreemd dat ergens na 1900 Landbouw en Visserij losgeweekt zijn van Economische zaken. Het zijn toch ook economische activiteiten?
• Na 1950 zijn Milieu, Kunst, Cultuur en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking kennelijk 'hot' geworden. Maar ook weer niet zo 'hot' dat ze ieder een heel apart Ministerie gekregen hebben voor dat ene speerpunt.
• Waarom hebben ze Verkeer bij Waterstaat gedaan? Volgens mij gaat de fileproblematiek sneller opgelost worden - als het opgelost moet worden -  als ze het onderbrengen bij Economische zaken. 

Heel benieuwd hoe morgen de speerpunten van kabinet Rutten-Verhagen I gaan luiden. Wedden dat we iets krijgen met "Immigratie"? Deze namen zullen het wel niet halen: "Alle buitenlanders eruit. Nederlanders eerst. Nederland schoon. Alleen buitenlanders van voldoende toegevoegde waarde." Waarmee maar weer eens aangetoond wordt dat ook 's lands speerpunten newspeak zijn.

Not on Tanja Nijmeijer (FARC). Or is it too?

Some time ago I read this quote: "We spend money we do not have, to buy stuff we don't need, to impress people we don't like". A lot of people despise this kind of behavior. I don't.

This quote poped up yesterday when I re-read a bookreview on David Hazony's book 'The Ten Commandments'. The 2nd commandment reads 'You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol.' David's interpretation of this commandment: smash the narcissistic idols of wealth and fashion. Mark that David tries to (re)find the wisdom of the 10 commandments beneath, above or beyond all the religious controversies. His set of 10 commandments is a complete blueprint for individuals and society as a whole. It's a guideline to improve or change the world. To make a better world. To make all of us more caring. Regardless of our religion.

Look at Fidel Castro (Washington 1959) wearing his militairy green. Always in "casual" green in order not not get distracted what to wear next and to be equal to his compañeros. Question: Did (better: does) Fidel smash his idols of wealth and fashion?

What's my opinion on all this? A dream of a fashionless, equal world for all people is an illusion. It's a dream. I believe above all that we are apes. Selfish apes fighting for our personal survival and the group(s) we live in. Showing wealth, good health and good taste is something that individual apes need to gain a partner to get procreated.  Show off and impress other apes is relevant for the peck order and our survival to be fit. It's competition. Sharing is no big deal in a world of plenty but when there is not enough ...

• we will crush or stampedes others in moments of panic at religious pilgrimages, professional sporting or music events
• we will eat other human beings (taste like chicken) when our plane is crashed on a remote spot 
• we will be selfish like Ingrid Betancourt on her "trip" with the FARC

This blog is not on Tanja Nijmeijer (FARC). Or is it too?