How two Russian researchers view the Netherlands.

[verbcn]

We're kinda full. I think we should be highly selective at the gate and we're just as selective for non-Russian migrants. It's just that our government is selective in its application of the law and this is exactly my problem with the whole situation: its application is selective and when you apply a law selectively, you have no law but just arbitrariness. I have a problem with that since you cannot maintain standards when you act arbitrarily.

I believe the dutch people love living in that situation as the same party has been ruling the country for 11 years. Those somalis must be something special

[The Lawspeaker]

I believe the dutch people love living in that situation as the same party has been ruling the country for 11 years. Those somalis must be something special

Nah.. You need to look at Dutch history for that: the 2000s were a very unstable period with lots of different coalitions. To the Dutch (and Germans have that same mentality) there is nothing worse than political instability.

The list is in Dutch - 4 cabinets in 8 years. It was un-Dutch so this is just the natural response.

• Kabinet-Balkenende I (2002-2003)
• Kabinet-Balkenende II (2003-2006)
• Kabinet-Balkenende III (2006-2007)
• Kabinet-Balkenende IV (2007-2010)

[verbcn]

Nah.. You need to look at Dutch history for that: the 2000s were a very unstable period with lots of different coalitions. To the Dutch (and Germans have that same mentality) there is nothing worse than political instability.

Only weak people go by other peoples terms.

[The Lawspeaker]

Exactly and thus we set the term that we want stable governments even if we hate them because instability is worse. It's a cultural feature and we're nearing the end of that reaction period which usually lasts around 10 years or so (we have seen the same in the 1980s after the 1970s) and Dutch politics is, again, in uproar. It may not mean that there will be political instability but it may mean that other parties may not necessarily end up in a coalition governments and others may end up entering it but that will be quite gradual.

When you look at it over a longer period of time - we may just as well see politics moving from what is, essentially, the Left (1970s), to the Center (1980s), back to the center-Left ... while there is an undercurrent pulling it to the Right (mainly cultural conservatism, the migrant situation and some more deep-rooted problems ever since the 1980s which was ignored by the Left and we're seeing that things you couldn't talk about 20 years ago (migration in any conceivable way) are now being openly discussed in Parliament with the Center and Left trying to shout it down while this new movement is growing and evolving.

[verbcn]

Exactly and thus we set the term that we want stable governments even if we hate them because instability is worse. It's a cultural feature and we're nearing the end of that reaction period which usually lasts around 10 years or so (we have seen the same in the 1980s after the 1970s) and Dutch politics is, again, in uproar.

Well then, sorry i guess. It was nice meeting the dutch people, pretty beautiful country, went there when i was kid and you had some really good cheese and pretty beautiful cozy villages. I hope i have enough time to visit you guys again before it's too late

[Zmey Gorynych]

Their comparison is skewed. In Russia they probably lived in a big city (if they're researchers that means they have higher education which they most likely acquired in a big city), in Holland they live in what seems to be a rather small city or town. I don't think I have to explain the difference between a big agglomeration of people and a quite little town.

[The Lawspeaker]

Their comparison is skewed. In Russia they probably lived in a big city (if they're researchers that means they have higher education which they most likely acquired in a big city), in Holland they live in what seems to be rather small city or town. I don't think I have to explain the difference between a big agglomeration of people and a quite little town.

Wageningen isn't too big, no. 50.000 or so people ?

[The Lawspeaker]

Well then, sorry i guess. It was nice meeting the dutch people, pretty beautiful country, went there when i was kid and you had some really good cheese and pretty beautiful cozy villages. I hope i have enough time to visit you guys again before it's too late

It will be just fine. The 2020s are going to be very interesting from a political point of view.

[The Lawspeaker]

(I mean.. I don't see why they are so elated about Wageningen. It's just a bum fuck town which happens to be designated a university town). It's like thirteen in a dozen. We have so many of these towns here. Apart from it having a university, it's just like any satellite town back home. It just looks more maintained but it's just as boring. The only thing of any note is right here: as that's the exact building where the Germans surrendered back in 1945.

[verbcn]

It will be just fine. The 2020s are going to be very interesting from a political point of view.

I hope you guys have fun,