Ask a Dutchman!

[Tahuti]

The only thing Dutch in that vid is the car. Meaning, it could be a Dutch police car.

Nevermind the police car was from the 1980s or 1970s.

 

[Takhisis]

Your summary is typically Dutch maybe. What was revealed, was that the blackmail played a part. It wasn't the only factor, and thereafter the king repeatedly tried to manipulate different cabinets (there was plenty of room to do so), but parliamentary supremacy remained in place. By the way, the 1848 constitution wasn't a democratic institution - not by a long shot. It was a liberal constitution which left room for democratization, which eventually was implemented early 20th century.

It isn't as if it were the only revolution in 1848.

 

[Agent327]

The 1848 constitution was obviously accepted to prevent such horrible events. Revolution generally hardly provokes enthusiasm among royalty.

 

[Agent327]

Sad:

18 July 2014 Last updated at 06:46 GMT

Malaysia jet crash: Ukraine rebels 'to allow access to site'

Both the Ukrainian government and rebels have denied downing the plane

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are to give international investigators access to the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines jet.

The rebels vowed to secure the site and allow the recovery of bodies, the Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe said.

The plane, carrying 298 people, crashed in rebel-held territory on Thursday.

The two sides in Ukraine's civil conflict have accused each other of shooting the jet down with a missile.

The Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. It fell between Krasni Luch in Luhansk region and Shakhtarsk in the neighbouring region of Donetsk.

Malaysia Airlines said flight MH17 was carrying at least 154 Dutch nationals, 27 Australians, 43 Malaysians (including 15 crew), 12 Indonesians and nine Britons.

Other passengers came from Germany, Belgium, the Philippines and Canada. The dead include world-renowned Dutch researcher Joep Lange who was among a number of passengers en route to an international Aids conference in Australia.

It is the second disaster suffered by Malaysia Airlines this year. Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Malaysia to China in March and has still not been found.
People inspect the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Grabovo, Ukraine, on 17 July 2014 The plane came down near the village of Grabovo in Ukraine on Thursday

'Catastrophe'

In a statement, the OSCE said the separatists had agreed to "close off the site of the catastrophe and allow local authorities to start preparations for the recovery of bodies".

The rebels would also provide "safe access" to international investigators and OSCE monitors and co-operate with Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine has declared the area a no-fly zone, while other airlines have announced they are now setting flight paths to avoid eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko: Crash "an act of terrorism"

US President Barack Obama: "The US will offer any assistance we can"

Describing the disaster as a "tragic day" in a "tragic year", Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak earlier said the investigation "must not be hindered in any way".

The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on the disaster on Friday morning in New York.

US and Ukrainian officials said they believed the plane had been brought down by a missile.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called it an "act of terrorism".

Ukrainian authorities have released what they say are intercepted phone conversations that proved the plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatists.
Upset Malaysian woman (18 July 2014) A Malaysian woman weeps after seeing the name of her daughter on the passenger list
A message of condolence is left among candles and flowers near the Dutch embassy for victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine, in Kiev on 17 July 2014 Flowers have been left to mark those who died at the Dutch embassy in Kiev

But Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the Ukraine government for restarting military operations in the area, where it is trying to regain control from pro-Russian rebels.

"The country in whose airspace this happened bears responsibility for it," he said.

Separatist leader Alexander Borodai accused the Ukrainian government of downing the airliner.

Ukraine's defence ministry issued a statement saying there were no air force jets in the area and no surface-to-air systems being used against the rebels.

Ukraine has accused Russia's military of supplying advanced missiles to the rebels.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian officials blamed the Russian air force for shooting down one of its ground attack jets on Wednesday, and a transport plane on Monday.
BBC map

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28361908

Only heard this at 1:23 this morning... Putin issued his usual cynical comment, not even mentioning the civilian casulaties.

 

[Tahuti]

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called it an "act of terrorism".

But Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the Ukraine government for restarting military operations in the area, where it is trying to regain control from pro-Russian rebels.

"The country in whose airspace this happened bears responsibility for it," he said.

Putin arguably speaks more the truth here than Poroshenko, though ideological fetishes prevent this from becoming accepted. On the other hand, I personally think the international airline associations are perhaps most to blame; Airlines like Qantas have been avoiding the area for months and rightly so, so why didn't they do it?

 

[Paul in Saudi]

The Dutch government has ordered flags on government buildings to be flown at half-mast.

 

[Agent327]

Yes, I didn't want to quote Dutch news sources. Our PM has returned prematurely from vacation following news of the tragedy.

Putin arguably speaks more the truth here than Poroshenko, though ideological fetishes prevent this from becoming accepted. On the other hand, I personally think the international airline associations are perhaps most to blame; Airlines like Qantas have been avoiding the area for months and rightly so, so why didn't they do it?

Actually, that specific altitude was considered safe until last evening, being typical cruising altitude for commercial airliners. I don't see how this is relevant, however. If you can't identify a plane, why shoot it down?

And how does Putin speak the 'truth' after Crimea? It seems if it serves his purpose matters are either an internal Ukrainian affair or they are not. They only truth in that is political. And it can hardly be argued that the annexation of Crimea had no effect on Eastern Ukrainian separatism. Mr Poroshenko I have not heard make a cynical comment: he stated no air-to-ground missile systems were being used against the separatists and condemned the attack as terrorism. I don't see how anyone can rightfully call it anything else.

 

[Tahuti]

And how does Putin speak the 'truth' after Crimea? It seems if it serves his purpose matters are either an internal Ukrainian affair or they are not. They only truth in that is political.

To be perfectly honest, Poroshenko called it a 'terrorist act'. As if the rebels purposefully shot the plane doing, playing their typical rôle of evil R'ssians.

 

[Agent327]

I don't understand your problem: our Dutch 'national' newspaper de Telegraaf called it a terrorist act. Which, as far as I know, shooting down a commercial airliner is, no matter who does it or why.

 

[Winner]

My condolences to the Dutch people (and others who lost their citizens/friends on that plane).

 

[Tahuti]

I don't understand your problem: our Dutch 'national' newspaper de Telegraaf called it a terrorist act. Which, as far as I know, shooting down a commercial airliner is, no matter who does it or why.

De Telegraaf is a populist rag that comes with sensationalist headlines over and over again that it isn't funny anymore.

My condolences to the Dutch people (and others who lost their citizens/friends on that plane).

Thanks, that is appreciated. A roommate who works at Schiphol actually saw the very people who took the damned flight departing.

 

[Agent327]

Thanks so much for your sympathy.

One of the passengers actually posted a picture of it on his facebook page 'in case it disappeared'...

Anyway, I think we can agree it was a terrorist act then.

 

[dutchfire]

My condolences to all the families.

News is reporting that PvdA Senator Witteveen was on the plane

 

[Takhisis]

To be perfectly honest, Poroshenko called it a 'terrorist act'. As if the rebels purposefully shot the plane doing, playing their typical rôle of evil R'ssians.

And what magnanimous intentions could someone shooting down a plane have? Russian media have claimed it was a failed attempt on President Putin.

 

[Kyriakos]

Do they still have that horrible district in Amsterdam where semi-naked women pose behind glass screens for the 'gentlemen' to view? :\

 

[Jan H]

yes, it' s called "de Walletjes"

 

[Agent327]

Do they still have that horrible district in Amsterdam where semi-naked women pose behind glass screens for the 'gentlemen' to view? :\

As Jan H mentioned, it's called 'de Walletjes', a famous prostitution zone. (What you are specifically referring to is a peep show.) I'm not sure what is supposed to be horrible about it. Prostitution is legal work, essentially - at least in the Netherlands. Horrible is trying to ignore the fact that prostitution has existed at least since antiquity.

 

[Kyriakos]

^I agree that prostitution exists and has for a very long time, but that area is in the central bit of Amsterdam, and it is quite rare to have humans be walking around- or sitting- behind a glass window visible from the steet, so as to expose themselves as sex-objects to be rented.

 

[Arwon]

Why are your feelings that?

 

[Kyriakos]

Why are your feelings that?

It's not meta enough, dr. Sigmund.