I felt it was totally sick when many, many people in the UK conveniently forgot that Maggie Thatcher was a staunch supporter of apartheid (I am Dutch, and I am thoroughly ashamed that this is probably the best-known Dutch word world-wide). Among many of the important things you mention in your post above, I think this should be emphasized (with a lot of other things).
My father (may he R.I.P.), travelled to apartheid-era South Africa for his day job. At that time, I was too young to understand. But my mother reminds me (my father died in 1985) that he quit that job early, as he couldn't stand the way the black people were treated (our family is white). It disturbed him so much he literally got sick.
One of the many things I regret in life is the fact that my father did not live to see the end of apartheid (he died in 1985). He would have cried tears of joy when Nelson Mandela became President in 1994.
Sometimes, when I think things (should) have hit rock bottom, in a humanitarian way, then they deteriorate even further.
(Alleged) Abu Ghraib tortures suing their victims is one of such cases. It appalls me beyond belief. These torturers should be brought to justice at the International Court of Justice in (my home country's) The Hague.
Unfortunately, in the extremely unlikely case that would happen, the US would indeed invade The Netherlands, as Bruce Sterling wryly and satirically depicted in his novel "Distraction".
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I felt it was totally sick when many, many people in the UK conveniently forgot that Maggie Thatcher was a staunch supporter of apartheid (I am Dutch, and I am thoroughly ashamed that this is probably the best-known Dutch word world-wide). Among many of the important things you mention in your post above, I think this should be emphasized (with a lot of other things).
My father (may he R.I.P.), travelled to apartheid-era South Africa for his day job. At that time, I was too young to understand. But my mother reminds me (my father died in 1985) that he quit that job early, as he couldn't stand the way the black people were treated (our family is white). It disturbed him so much he literally got sick.
One of the many things I regret in life is the fact that my father did not live to see the end of apartheid (he died in 1985). He would have cried tears of joy when Nelson Mandela became President in 1994.
I did.
Sometimes, when I think things (should) have hit rock bottom, in a humanitarian way, then they deteriorate even further.
(Alleged) Abu Ghraib tortures suing their victims is one of such cases. It appalls me beyond belief. These torturers should be brought to justice at the International Court of Justice in (my home country's) The Hague.
Unfortunately, in the extremely unlikely case that would happen, the US would indeed invade The Netherlands, as Bruce Sterling wryly and satirically depicted in his novel "Distraction".