Wide acclaim?

Submitted by Syarikat (Netherlands), Oct 11, 2007 at 11:28

Last month, for example, the Netherlands' Princess Máxima, wife to the heir to the throne, announced to wide acclaim that "The Dutch identity does not exist."

Wide acclaim? I don't think so. Yes the goverment has endorsed the comments, and so have some other members of the political and journalistic elite. But the remarks have also drawn much criticsm - including from monarchist groups and a heated debate in the print and online media.

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/Article/Detail.aspx?articleid=HJ1IC8L6_1

http://www.hln.be/hlns/cache/det/art_606959.html?wt.bron=RSS

http://www.wereldomroep.nl/actua/nl/samenleving/071008_maxima

http://www.depers.nl/binnenland/105895/Máxima-Nederland-is-één-koekje-bij-de-koffie.html

http://www.elsevier.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/asp/artnr/173550/rss/true/index.html

http://www.hetvrijevolk.com/?pagina=4511&titel=Maxima_schaft_Nederlandse_identiteit_af

http://forum.fok.nl/topic/1079822

etc.

But yes the political elite is trying to stamp out any sense of national identity in many Western countries. Who needs enemies with leaders like that?

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