Monday, March 20, 2017

Cognitive Dissonance in Europe

It had to be galling. Geert Wilders, a member of Dutch Parliament, was found guilty three months ago of “inciting discrimination against Dutch Moroccans” — the very people who have been trying to kill him since at least 2003. Newsweek reported that he has to go around, “wearing a bulletproof vest and being shuttled between safe houses to avoid assassination. ‘I’m not in prison,’ he says. ‘But I’m not free, either. You don’t have to pity me, but I haven’t had personal freedom now for 10 years. I can’t set one foot out of my house or anywhere in the world without security.’” 
The Wilders trial perfectly illustrates Europe’s state of cognitive dissonance. In many European Union countries, one is charged with “hate speech” for criticizing Muslims who are terrorizing the entire continent. France’s Marine Le Pen has also been charged in France, along with Brigitte Bardot.
Bardot and Le Pen

It was interesting to watch media spin last Wednesday’s Dutch election results as Geert Wilders’ PVV Party, which they always call “far right,” gained five seats (33%), yet he was “defeated.” Prime Minister Rutte’s VVD Party lost eight seats (-20%), but he won a “great victory.” Prime Minister Rutte’s governing partner in the ruling coalition, the Labour Party, lost nineteen seats (-75%). How is this a victory? Because Wilders didn’t thump him as badly as polls suggested he might.
Wilders is tall. I'm 5'10"

I met Geert Wilders seven years ago at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC. He was surrounded by large, shaven-headed, tough-looking, unsmiling, body guards with ear pieces who were constantly looking around at the rest of us in the hotel function room. He cannot go anywhere without them and it’ll be that way for the rest of his life. Why? Because he’s “far-right”? No, it’s because he has dared to criticize Islam, comparing the Koran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf as both advocate slaughtering Jews. For that, Muslims put a fatwa on his head. That means Muslims are obligated to kill him whenever they get the chance.
Bodyguards check me out

He’s been living like this since he came to the defense of a fellow member of Parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who was a Somali immigrant. Hirsi Ali got off a plane in Holland rather than go on toward Canada where her family had arranged she be married to an aging relative. She was granted asylum and then got elected to Parliament. Hirsi Ali’s Muslim parents had forced her to undergo a genital mutilation procedure when she was a girl. 
Hirsi Ali and Wilders at The Hague

Together with filmmaker Theo Van Gogh (great-grandnephew of the famous painter) Hirsi Ali made a short film called “Submission” depicting Muslim treatment of women. For his effort, Van Gogh was shot and stabbed on the street in broad daylight by a Muslim immigrant. Pinned to his body with a knife was a note declaring that Hirsi Ali was next. In 2003, Muslims staged an hour-long grenade assault on a building in The Hague where Ali and Geert Wilders were working in an effort to kill both. In spite of all this, it’s still criminal to criticize the “Religion of Peace” in Europe.
Angela Merkel and other European leaders said the Dutch election last week was a “good day for democracy” and for Europe because Wilders wants to lead Holland out of the European Union. All across Europe, however, there’s rising opposition to the EU’s open-borders policy of accepting millions Muslim “refugees” in spite of what millions of native-born citizens want. That’s one of the factors propelling the rise other conservative leaders in France, Austria, Germany, Italy, and other EU countries.
Meanwhile, Turkey is threatening to release 15,000 more Muslim “refugees” a month to “blow the mind” of Europe. The Turkish foreign minister said, “Soon, religious wars will begin in Europe.” President Obama’s good buddy, President Erdogan of Turkey urged Muslims living in Europe to have at least five children. It’s part of the Islamic concept of hijrah, which Islam historian Robert Spencer calls “jihad by emigration.”
If you ask ordinary Dutch, French, German, and British people, they’d say the religious wars are already underway and have been for years. Every day there’s a stabbing, a rape, a bomb, a truck attack, or some other Muslim terrorist incident somewhere in Europe, yet Merkel alone let over a million Muslims into Germany just last year. She’s up for re-election in September.
The left in Europe has for decades been pushing for ever more centralized government through the EU and the UN — and for open borders. To pave the way, they’ve attempted to indoctrinate the populace with the multicultural myth that all cultures are equal. Dutch, French, British, German, or any other European culture is no better than Muslim culture. All should be able to live together in harmony. Ordinary Europeans, however, aren’t buying it.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

If pretending that loser Geert Wilders was a "winner" makes you feel better, have at it, but the fact that his measly 4 seat gain was less than half the 41 seats he was slated to win at the height of his poll popularity not so long ago, speaks for itself. I guess Hillary would have been a "winner" in your eyes had her party picked up a few seats in congress despite her losing the White House.

And this was a year when Wilders favorite issues — immigration and Islam were front and center.

Have fun sucking on that sweet consolation prize of 4 seats!





Erik said...

This is certainly not the column Tom was hoping to write after seeing Geert Wilders with a clear lead in the polls. The column would have been one fawning over this big, blonde, blue-eyed hero, elected to conquer the less cultured hordes of brown invaders.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure why (ie)this particular issue of cognitive dissonance, and "The BIG lie", is limited to the current EU.
I read a story once, about a big, hollow, wooden, horse, on wheels...
I've personally SEEN the entryism, after the ACTUAL heavy lifting was done of course,
at insufferable in-house "progress" meetings, "volunteer" org. bylaws,and disingenuous citations -almost scripted- of "precedence" and non-existant "rights", in legislative debate.
My own similar early logic concerning cookies and ice cream as lunch, and raccoons as pets, didn't go so well.
CaptDMO

Anonymous said...

A big part of me is hoping that the train wreck of a health care plan gets passed, forcing the GOP to own the disastrous results come next election. The ACA can then be restored with some needed tweeks. Just imagine how bad this new plan must be for Trump not to want his name associated with it - he likes his name on everything! Everything of quality that is.

I love how even the Wall Street Journal is now calling out Trump for his never-ending lies, saying that he is in danger of being considered a "fake president". A clown show was expected when he got elected, but who could have predicted it would be on a scale as big as this!

Anonymous said...

Seems nobody is interested in some runner-up in a Dutch election, so on to the jokes.

Why would anybody have a need to spy on Trump? Just follow his Twitter. The NSA revealed they are working on Trump-canceling earphones to hear Trump less, not more. And Trump says Obama is sick to "tapp" his phones. How is he going to take on a two-term president if he can't even handle a three-letter word?

Right now we are this close to Trump putting tin foil on his head and shouting 'Try reading my thoughts now Obama,"

From Colbert: Staffers tried to put Trump in a better mood by talking about his updated travel ban. "Oooo, look at this shiny travel ban, said Colbert," dangling his keys like he was talking to a baby. "Does the big angry man want to split up some Muslim families? I see a smile."

Ah, such easy fun to ridicule Russia's little man-child. The look, the actions, the words...the complete comedic package!!

Anonymous said...

And to think that we would never get an easier comedy target than dubya!

Anonymous said...

Word is that Putin is getting worried that his puppets are nowhere near smart enough to pull off his plans.

Brian said...

Seven YEARS these GOP jokers have had to come up with a replacement plan for health care, and we get this bungling clown show? What the frick! They control the house, senate and White House and they are too unprepared/incompetent to do anything. Trump blustered continuously during the campaign, promising a great, great plan that would cover everybody and be affordable. Most people realized that was just more BS coming from his mouth, but his supporters believed him. And this from the self-proclaimed deal-maker! Now he says he is ready to give up and move on as he blames everybody but himself. The buck definitely does not stop with this fake president.

They say how bad Obamacare is yet can't do better themselves. Typical.

Anonymous said...

Seems that the party that is so good at criticizing, heckling, and obstructing is not so good at DOING.

Brian said...

I hear that Trump's next book will be "The Art of Quitting (on the American People)"

There promises to be lots of fun chapters!

Ch. 1: Throwing Up Your Hands".. This chapter talks about how when things are difficult, throw up your hands and say "I tried!"

Ch 2.: "Passing the Buck": This chapter teaches to never admit blame, there are always scapegoats to be had.

Ch.3: "Sour Grapes": No matter how bad you talked about wanting something, and bragged about being able to do it, if you fail, just say "This is what is best"

Ch 4. "Be a Vindicative A-hole": since you didn't get your way, try to make things as bad as you can for everyone. Don't try and help Americans in any way - take your ball and go home and hope it all explodes.

Brian said...

In Trump's talk after his big failure, he actually said that he never promised to repeal and replace quickly!!!! He said go check his campaign speeches!!!!

C'mon, who out there can still not admit that the man is delusional/crazy or that his lying is WAY out of control?!?

The Faker had many, many instances of saying he would repeal Obama care immediately, and several times when he even claimed it would be on day one! How can he deny this???

And more importantly, how can his supporters be ok with this?

Anonymous said...

I have a feeling this is not the first time Trump pulled out of something prematurely to the relief of those getting screwed.

Anonymous said...

Home Depot just replaced firewood with copies of "Art of the Deal."

Anonymous said...

C'mon, don't be so hard on Trump. Has done everything possible to repeal Obamacare including 5 visits to Mar-a-lago, 9 trips to the golf course & sitting in a big truck