The sun was shining brightly in my window this morning, and I looked forward to a warm spring day. But when I stepped out the door, I had to shiver from the cold: the temperature was just above freezing.
Made me think of all the contradictions in the air these days.
The ultra-capitalist government of the US of A is throwing gobs of money at everything, while most of the typically socialist-leaning countries of western Europe urge a go-slow approach.
Nobody’s going slower than the Netherlands, where the government is negotiating new emergency measures. In most countries, the government calls for one thing (say, more spending), and the opposition wants to do the other (say, cut the budget). The Netherlands is so efficient that the governing coalition embraces both views. That’s why it’s taking so long to agree on what to do.
It would help if cabinet members played their usual roles. The Finance Minister typically guards against too much spending, while the Social Affairs Minister generally advocates getting more money out to the people. Right now, those tables are turned. Labour Party leader Wouter Bos, the current Finance Minister, says the crisis calls for more spending. Piet Hein Donner, the Christian Democrat Social Affairs Minister, is the one counting the pennies.
Something most people do agree on is the urgency of the situation. See my previous blog, Laying an Egg, or this article on the Radio Netherlands website, “We, the people, are paying for the super rich” (www.radionetherlands.nl).
But “most people” doesn’t appear to include the current government. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has been uncharacteristically loose and witty of late. And at the press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting, Wouter Bos was relaxed and radiated an air of unhurried deliberateness.
Spring is here, and the temperature will soon start to rise. That’s at least something I can count on.
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