Just for the hell of it, more comments from the gentlefolk who read Holland's most popular newspaper (De Telegraaf).
I found the following underneath an article about a lawsuit involving a monkey.
"Gelukkig hoeven Amerikanen zelf niet na te denken, zijn ze te dom voor. "
Translation: 'Fortunately Americans do not have to think themselves, they're too dumb for that'.
[Kaatje, Helmond 20:23 05.11.09
http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/5249953/__Vrouw_blind_na_aanval_chimpansee__.html?p=31,2 ]
"Maar ja in Amerika worden meeste mensen rijk door de Staat, City, of enorm grote bedrijven te dagvaarden en dan een enorme grote som geld vragen. Over rechtspraak gesproken in Nederland.....in Amerika is het helemaal niks."
Translation: 'But anyhow, in America most people get rich by suing the Governement, City, or enormously large corporations, and demanding huge amounts of money. Speaking of justice in the Netherlands .... in America it is completely ridiculous.'
[dieren liefhebber, in Nederland 15:29 05.11.09
http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/5249953/__Vrouw_blind_na_aanval_chimpansee__.html?p=31,2 ]
"Typisch Amerikaans, ik doe dom en stel een ander aansprakelijk.....hoe simpel is dat volk eigenlijk??"
Translation: 'Typically American - I'll act stupid and hold someone else responsible..... how dumb is that populace anyway??'
[Thomas, Terneuzen 12:51 05.11.09
http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/5249953/__Vrouw_blind_na_aanval_chimpansee__.html?p=31,2 ]
"Dit is weer zoiets wat mijn hekel aan amerikanen doet groeien, voor zover dat nog kan tenminste."
Translation: 'This is one of those things that increase my loathing for Americans, insofar as that is still possible'.
[Broodje nuchter, Amsterdam 11:17 05.11.09
http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/5249953/__Vrouw_blind_na_aanval_chimpansee__.html?p=31,2 ]
There were tons of other unpleasant reactions underneath the article. Perhaps that is somewhat understandable, as it dealt with a lawsuit.
Lawsuits are not the most loveable aspect of our civilization.
[Two women, a pet chimpanzee, and a fight with both ladies which the chimpanzee won hands down. Whereupon police shot the beast, and one of the women decided to sue the state of Connecticut. ]
On the other hand, the comments underneath an article about Rodell Vereen in South Carolina being sentenced to three years in prison for repeatedly raping a horse were full of praise for the American justice system. The readers were delighted that sex with animals is illegal in the United States and fervently wish that their own government would also outlaw it.
Except, of course, for one person....
"Nou hij is in ieder geval trouw aan zijn vlam."
Translation: 'Well in any case, he's true to his love.'
[Haha, Dixie 18:19 05.11.09
http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/5254188/__Drie_jaar_cel_voor_seks_met_paard__.html?p=12,1 ]
It should be noted that Rodell Vereen had already gotten into legal trouble for 'courting' the same horse earlier....
AND ON YET THE THIRD HAND...
As regards comparisons of the justice systems in the Netherlands and America, many Dutch look longingly at our rigorous sentencing habits, judging by the comments underneath this article:
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5250771/__Nederlanders__rechters__te_soft___.html?p=37,1
There are over 250 comments underneath the piece. Most agree with the premise of the article that Dutch judges are too soft, and the laws not harsh enough.
They hate our justice system...... They passionately admire our justice system.
I never even knew our justice system was capable of arousing such interest.
Except among criminals, of course.
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AFTERWORD
It should be noted that comments underneath newspaper articles are almost entirely without significance. So I shan't generalize, other than to say that if an article appeals to the America-haters among the Dutch many of the reactions will be venomously bigoted, and if an article criticizes the Dutch government or Dutch society, it will get many more comments...... most of them vehemently agreeing with the criticism.
The only possible conclusion is that many Dutch hate America. And despise their own government and society even more. Much much more.
It's a phenomenon which could be called 'operational schizophrenia' - an essential survival skill in the Netherlands.
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ADDENDUM TO THE AFTERWORD
The eye-popping title of this post ('casual sex with horses and monkeys etc.') snarkily refers to the lacuna in Dutch laws as regards intercourse with animals - still legal, despite some notorious recent cases. Apparently the only codes that apply are the ones about cruelty. If the animal evinces pain or discomfort, or will testify that it caused grave psychological problems or mental anguish, then and only then will the Dutch authorities seriously pursue the matter.
Though sometimes they do step in when having sex with the animal can be construed as robbery or a public nuisance.
The title is ALSO a flagrantly opportunistic attempt to draw in readers. You see, the Telegraaf will show links to blogposts that reference their stuff. That also explains why I mention three articles - just spreading the manure in a wider arc, as it were.
A post named 'casual sex with horses and monkeys still permitted' is far more likely to attract flies than something named 'not really relevant observations regarding the readers of some of the articles in a foreign publication', don't you think?
In any case, welcome! Glad you read this far.
No animals were harmed or exploited in the writing of this post.
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2 comments:
There is always the Sudan solution:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4748292.stm
A Sudanese man has been forced to take a goat as his "wife", after he was caught having sex with the animal.
The goat's owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders.
They ordered the man, Mr Tombe, to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars ($50) to Mr Alifi.
"We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together," Mr Alifi said.
Mr Alifi, of Hai Malakal in Upper Nile State, told the Juba Post newspaper that he heard a loud noise around midnight on 13 February and immediately rushed outside to find Mr Tombe with his goat.
Now, the nightmare scenario that that brings up is the prospect of mister Tombe engendering an entire brood of little Sudanese.....
Who would then all have to respect his first wife (the goat) and call her mommy.
That's the kind of family dysfunctionality that eventually leads to emigration.
A goat momma can be very demanding. Or so I am given to understand. By several of my 'friends'.
Please note: no goats were harmed in writing this comment. And everything which might have hurt or caused pain to a Pakistani (or a Sudanese) was carefully edited out. I truly value the tender feelings of Pakistanis (and Sudanese). Truly.
Pakistanis are the Sudanese of the Bay Area, in case you were wondering at their inclusion in this comment - we have Pakistanis IN LIEU of Sudanese.
Maybe Sudanese would have been better, but we weren't given a choice. There are far more Pakistanis than Sudanese. Someone else probably got all of our Sudanese, so we're stuck with the Pakistanis. Shit.
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