Chanting Heya Bea, heya Bea, is possible in the Netherlands
Aalsmeer – Hua Hin. It's April 28, almost Queen's Day. This time the queen is replaced by her son, a king-to-be.
Radio and TV broke out more monarchist programs every day. An official royal song has been composed that should be sung by the people at the same time on April 30 throughout the country. The TV will show it nationwide, synchronized in all the major cities, the people singing.
The song, denounced in every way by linguists and other Dutch scholars, is therefore a failure in advance, but within a day it is at the top of all charts. The people decide.
The VARA broadcasts a miniseries in which Beatrix is portrayed as a lonely, smoking bitch, but also as a kissing, loving, in short, as a human being. Satirical sketches and parody pass by on radio and TV, at times banal; it should be possible this is the Netherlands.
I think of this text this is thailand. Just about everything I've seen and heard in recent weeks would have been banned in Thailand, not aired. All creators would have been arrested and imprisoned for life. Fraud, deceit, swindling and corruption, fine, all at your service, but don't touch the king! Everything and everyone can be bought and bribed, but don't touch the king!
An American journalist has been imprisoned for intercepting two text messages critically written about the king. He received 10 years in prison. A few weeks ago, a discussion program was not broadcast because someone said something that 'might be perceived' as offensive by the king. The producer is under suspicion. A soap opera was cut short, stopped, because of too much realistic politics (corruption).
One negative line about the king in the newspaper is probably equivalent to arrest of the editors and closure of the newspaper. Even on the Dutch Thailand blog, caution is advised for those who live in Thailand. Worship (like animism), despite the superficial appearance of Thailand, is deeply rooted in Thai society and often makes Westerners and Thais far more distant than they realize.
Chanting Heya Bea, heya Bea, is possible in the Netherlands. Heyi Bumi, heyi Bumi is really not possible in Thailand! Long live the queen).
Theo van der Schaaf
This all has to do with the differences in education in Thailand and the Netherlands and the cultural differences between the countries.
In most Thai schools, criticism not only of the monarchy, but of the country itself is considered subversive. Thai students learn from the moment they can walk that Thailand is the best country in the world and that Thais never make mistakes and when they do, it's the fault of a non-Thai. This sounds extreme. but that's how it is.
Especially in Bangkok, a change is currently taking place among teenagers. Through social media, Thai teenagers are starting to realize that the world is a bit more complicated and that Thailand is far from ideal.
In the Netherlands, however, we have made it a sport for decades to look in the mirror and to burn our cold frog country down to the shoelaces from time to time, sometimes rightly so, sometimes not. The Dutch are not chest beaters, except when we beat Germany in a World Cup game. Football is a perfect gauge of our patriotism: “WE” win, and “THEY” lost.
Thailand lags far behind the Netherlands and other European countries when we talk about general development, creative thinking, problem-solving thinking and that is all due to the lousy education system that is deliberately left intact by those in power. Politicians don't like a critical population in these parts.
Very bravely written again. Maybe in 50 years the Thais will wake up. Those are the children of the youth you are now teaching. Our monarchy is still alive but will surely disappear after King Alexander. It is no longer of this time. Just be born and follow your father or mother. Whether you have qualities for it or not.
With us, the newspapers and the media only write positively about the royal family.
We can say almost anything and you don't go behind bars for 15 years or more.
You are then a voice crying in the desert and then we will wake up just like the Thais in 50 years.
Cor van Kampen.
Dear Cor,
Can you explain to me why the monarchy in the Netherlands will cease to exist after Willem-Alexander, ergo the Netherlands will be a republic, or perhaps a province within the US of Europe?
At that moment when a head of state becomes purely ceremonial, there is no real reason for abolishing the monarchy.
Sweden, for example, found out, and is still a monarchy
When I look around republics in Europe and beyond, many presidents are not exactly shining examples of intelligence.
I think that a trajectory of years before someone becomes head of state is better than a head of state who is elected for a few years, and who has been a well-creator before that, for example.
Nonsense?
Yes. but democratically a possibility.
Let's face it, Cor, a country's form of government no longer determines what happens in a country, nor does democratic voting.
Capital, large companies, stock exchanges, speculators, and the like determine what happens in a country and the world.
And simple people like you and me actually have no influence on that at all.
Cor, I'm really not a royalist nor a republican.
I'm a realist.
It doesn't matter if you get bitten by the dog or the cat, you're screwed anyway.
King or president>
Would be a hell of a mess for me.
But then horse sausage!