Free Geert Wilders

Didn't Mr. Wilders say that if Mein Kampf is banned for hate speech then the Qur'an should also be banned as hate speech? Why ban one and not the other? Or don't ban either. Something like that.

Can you be Prime Minister from jail in the Netherlands?

Rick is right. It is the double standard Wilders has objected to.

I suppose he could pro-actively pardon himself? Or direct his equivalent of the Justice Minister to drop the case. Which would be a Constitutional crisis all on its own, I expect.

Yes Rick, that IS what he said, and the continued, deliberate, calculated getting-it-wrong by the media really burns my thrusters I have to say.

I can't boycott them any harder than what I already am though, dang it. We have TV here in the place I'm renting, I still don't watch it.

Except for the olympics. That I must admit I have watched a bit of. Ice dancing. :) Artistic, y'unnerstand. Besides, the NHRA Nationals got rained out at Firebird last weekend, if one can imagine such a thing. Had to go shooting instead, and that gets expensive.

I love Arizona. :D

This is the most important trial in the West in probably a hundred years or more - and of course our news (as opposed to opinion) media are completely eliding it. Because we've got to know more about some golfer's mistresses.

A stable Western-European democracy is putting it's most popular politician on trial, and - this is the give-your-head-a-shake part - the prosecution said that it doesn't matter whether what Wilders said is true or not, what matters is that it's illegal.

As Mark Steyn wrote:

"What does it mean when the Ministry of Justice proudly declares that the truth is no defence? When the law stands in explicit opposition to the truth, freeborn peoples should stand in opposition to the law. Because, as the British commentator Pat Condell says, 'When the truth is no defence, there is no defence'—and what we are witnessing is a heresy trial."

When a western liberal democracy tries to legally enforce a social condition wherein *the truth is illegal,* every person should stand up and take note. Regardless of whether Wilders is convicted or not the mere fact that it would ever come to that is disturbing.

EBD, maybe it's just as well. You know as well as I do how they'd spin it.

EBD's comments are to the point. However, the other side of this is that Geert Wilders is making serious hay here. The Dutch legal system is getting him coverage he could never buy, and making his point for him to boot.

Wooden head, wooden shoes, wouldn't listen!!

So now the dutch have a 'caretaker government' for the ailing 'Parliamentary patient'. Geert Wilders may have some stirring opinions, but that doesn't mean he should be able to express them.

Hey, its 'liberal fascism'! Jonah Goldberg was right after all.

You can have all the 'free speech' you want behind bars.

The West has no problem criticising Christianity with merciless abandon, why should Islam get any special treatment?

If one is going to be offensive, then equality demands one be offensive to all.

Ransoming your freedom for a mess of pottage.

50 million die in WWII fighting for freedoms and the spineless elite sell out for a few sharp words. Who would respect these circus clowns?

Yep, 'big tent politics' looks ever more like the Barnum & Bailey circus.

Ah yes, the heresy of not respecting political correctness. My wife is of Dutch origin, she wouldn't put up with this rubbish for two seconds...

Wahnsinnig!

These guys would give the Olympic long distance skaters a run for the gold medal, the way they try to skate around the real issues.

Cheers

Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief

1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North"

Hans @ 7:17 said "50 million die in WWII fighting for freedoms and the spineless elite sell out for a few sharp words". This comment is somewhat similar to what I suggested in an email to the Dutch embassy a few weeks ago. To paraphrase, "my old regiment had many men die to help free your city of Bergen-op-Zoom and your country only to see your country appear to be adopting the practices of those we liberated you from".

Ashleigh McIvor of Canada won the gold medal in the women's ski cross final Tuesday.

I stand corrected the women can SKI circles around the politicians...

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/video/index.html?assetid=6b64f425-285e-49b4-8125-1cbd1ebeef30

Is there an Olympic event for political "cross words"?

Cheers

Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief

1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North"

Kulak - did you get a reply?

Frankly, I've always been disappointed with the mainstream Dutch - "I'm all right, thank you!" seems to be the national motto, no matter what the problem.

kakola, no not yet and I do not expect one.

I am Dutch, since 1965 a Canadian and proud to be so. I find it quite sad that my country of origin, the surrounding countries of Europe and “moderate” Muslims in general continue to bend over and grab their ankles.

Ezra Levant’s Western Standard stood for free right of expression. What did it get him aside from enormous legal costs. I have a copy of the “cartoon” edition and have assisted him with what I could to cover a portion of his monetary cost. Standing up to those that would want criticism stifled, here in Canada is also a concern.

Mark Steyn suffered a similar fate and also defeated the thought police. It seems that in Europe the “Ahla Snackbar” mindset has taken over with all reasoning and justice gone mad.

I wish Geert Wilders all the best in his plight.

Ken (Kulak)@7:45

The political class get into office on a whole gaggle of promises and then once in do pretty much what they want.

If you're not a constituent or citizen the likelihood of a reply would be vanishingly small.

But at least your email shows them that they are being observed.

Meanwhile the Canadians are up 1 - 0 versus the Germans in hockey. The operative word here is "Beer uber alles." Would that be Heineken, Beck's, Canadian, or Obolon?

Cheers

Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief

1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North"

Hans, Great Western Light is great, although I like a Heneken on special occasions.

Your comment "The political class get into office on a whole gaggle of promises and then once in do pretty much what they want" is bang on. Mulroney, Chretien and McGuinty are prime examples of this.

Actually, I half expected some sort of reaction to my email, but so far nothing. I saw "red" when I read about the upcoming trial of Geert and just had to tell them what I thought.

The west needs a few more men of the calibre of Geert, Lech Walesa of Poland and whats his name David Hannon (sp) of Britain.

This is the equivalent of a heresy trial in that he is a threat to the existing dogma or status quo. He is even more threatening due to his popularity with the Dutch public and the fact that he could very well be elected. All the more reason to criminalise him and imprison him before that happens. I therefore suggest that the enemies within (those pushing this dogma) are a much bigger threat than Islam per se. In a better world they would be tried for treason and sedition and not Wilders.

Could Geert pardon himself if elected? Well the King of the Belgians, who was Catholic, abdicated the throne just long enough for his government to pass a law legalizing abortion. He then reascended the bloody throne; so I don't see why not. Christianity is one of the few religions that is granted the marvelous power of being able to forgive someone their sin against him/her. In fact, it is greatly encouraged. Unfortunately Islam hasn't that adaptability. I think Greet might tone it down a bit though.

Sorry - not Greet but Geert, who comes up with these names?

Here's the likely outcome in the Netherlands. Wilders' party wins the largest share of the votes, but not enough to single-handedly form the government (which is an impossible thing in this type of government).

By rights, he should end up prime-minister. However, a plurality of smaller parties will band together with only their hatred of Wilders to guide them, and block Wilders from governing. This is as it happened in Belgium a few years ago with the Vlaams Blok.

Then we have to wait and see what the Dutch people do. I predict they will sit cowardly sit by and let democracy be denied. And that will be the end of the Netherlands.

At best Wilders may gain enough seats to form part of a coalition and if so it is said the Queen would never invite Wilders to form a government. It is said she does not like him, but would apparently like to keep the liberal leftist utopia that it is, closing her eyes to what the 'newcomers' would do to her given half a chance.

Mandela and Malcolm X would not be a household names if they hadn't spent time in jail. Living martyrs, I suppose. This could work to Wilders' advantage, especially if the media gets in the courtroom.

If it's true that Wilders wants the Qur'an or the burka banned, then he is an anti-freedom hypocrite and a dumbass. Being a dumbass is a human right though. He has as much right to use force to resist his current oppression as a Dutch Muslim would have to resist the (likely) oppression of a Wilders government.

At least poor old Geert has the good fortune to be prosecuted in Country where he will get a fair trial with a real judge. In Canada he would have been hustled off to the HRCs and would be a broken and penniless man by now.

Larben: "who comes up with these names?"
Their parents of course.
I'm born Dutch and my parents named me Froukje, a name I trace back through generations of my ancestors. It's an unfortunate pronunciation for English speakers. I don't use it primarily because of ethnocentric ignoramuses who wonder "who comes up with these names" and yet think Dick is a perfectly good boy's name.

I don't think the Dutch people realize that the world is watching them, they are far too used to being disregarded as an irrelevant little land since their Glory Days of the the 17th Century when their empire encircled the world.
If the Dutch can pull themselves out of this there may be hope for Britain. Frankly I had never considered the role of Queen Beatrix until the writer above. The Dutch love their Queen, her influence may indeed have profound effects on the political outcome.

Larben: "who comes up with these names?"
Their parents of course.
I'm born Dutch and my parents named me Froukje, a name I trace back through generations of my ancestors. It's an unfortunate pronunciation for English speakers. I don't use it primarily because of ethnocentric ignoramuses who wonder "who comes up with these names" and yet think Dick is a perfectly good boy's name.

I don't think the Dutch people realize that the world is watching them, they are far too used to being disregarded as an irrelevant little land since their Glory Days of the the 17th Century when their empire encircled the world.
If the Dutch can pull themselves out of this there may be hope for Britain. Frankly I had never considered the role of Queen Beatrix until the writer above. The Dutch love their Queen, her influence may indeed have profound effects on the political outcome.

I apologize for the double post, I got an error message the first time. ????

Hans-Christian Georg: "The West has no problem criticising Christianity with merciless abandon, why should Islam get any special treatment?"

I guess because Christians don't go around bombing civilians, blowing up planes, and cutting off people's heads, just for starters.

As Kate's masthead says, however, "Pleasing your enemies does not turn them into friends."

But in our mushy society, where everyone-must-have-prizes/rights (Melanie Phillips), where there's no discernment anymore (that's one of the gifts of the Spirit, BTW, which many in the West have trashed) no wonder the bullies win. And they're winning everywhere.

'Time to stand up and be counted. 'Might as well be skinned for a sheep as a lamb.

[my name is] an unfortunate pronunciation for English speakers. ~ Froukje

Could you give us a phonetic hint?

From Reuters: "The Labour party stands for a completely different Holland than the party of Wilders, and for that reason we cannot be in a government with him," a spokeswoman for the Labour party said.

"Timmermans (Labour party minister for European affairs) dared other parties to think the same thing. Do they want to be in a government that segregates people by race and religion?"

Yes indeed, if they would pull their heads out of the desert sand they would see it is the Islamic governments that segregate people by race and religion.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61M08120100223

What the hell's wrong with dick? Asks this ethnocentric ignoramus, whatever that is. Please answer glasnot's query.