Henk Middelkoop
I saw the general considerations of our parliament last week, and what I say that there were just a few politicians who really uses their emotions and the emotional feelings of others to bring their story. The rest of them were just watching (their phones) and looking bored. If you compare that to the British parliament, then our politicians are just impassive machines, throwing up their story every time.
History has shown that using the emotions of people can lead to big happenings. What Hitler did was terrible and disgusting, but his way of presenting his ideas was stimulating. He uses the emotions of the people who were sick of the economic malaise and the condescension to the rest of the world after World War II. Vladimir Putin is doing the same. It’s a cruel man but he gives the Russians their self-esteem back, by setting them off against the Western countries, namely the United States. It is all about looking what people want and using that for a goal.
With that, I don’t mean that we have to do it like them, but in a time where our safety isn’t that much secure anymore, the government has to take into account the emotions of the citizens. When safety is at stake, it is not a good sign to the people that we, in the end, save on our Defence, despite of a little growth in the Defence budget. Also the quarrel with the police force about their salary isn’t a good way of giving the people the idea that we care about national safety and maintenance.
Because of that, the government should take into account the concerns of the people. In these days, everyone benefits from a clear vision which incorporates the thoughts of the people, not just calculated decisions. In a multiform land as The Netherlands, we have a lot of different people and cultures, and we have to take all of them serious. We always want to keep our heads cool, but emotions can lead to faster and more convincing decision making.
I should say, let the politicians start by really listening to each other during a very important political event for the whole country, like the general considerations!