BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Jul 22, 2014 19:40:58 GMT
I've met our Foreign Secretary Frans Timmermans only a few weeks ago. A kind and smart man! His speech at the UN was very good. A man on a mission, both at the UN and the EU. Right now our focus is to bring the victims home, identify and bury them. Tomorrow a plane will land at Eindhoven Airport with the first victims. They will be brought to a military complex where a large team is ready to identify them. But this process can cost months. Oh, it's good to know you have met him and your opinion. Would you believe that when we saw that video here, I said to my daughter that he seemed like a kind and smart man, and a very caring person! Tomorrow isn't going to be an easy one for the Dutch people and my thoughts and prayers will be with you all.
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Deleted
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Oct 5, 2024 17:45:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 20:06:54 GMT
Barbara...
Thank you SO much for your kind words! I know it is inevitable that I will offend people sometimes with what I say, but I try to be respectful of others with different beliefs and viewpoints than me. It just seemed like I couldn't get my thoughts across correctly on this thread, so I thought I'd better quit before I really offended someone.
As far as the socialism moniker... Republican/Libertarian/conservative Americans generally would prefer to have a smaller government with less entitlements and governmental controls over business. That's what causes the tension in our country over the environment, health care, and gun control, to name a few. Europeans and other countries seem to accept big government (socialized medicine, gun control, etc.) much more easily than a big portion of our population does.
I think that's why you see those kinds of comments, and I totally understand why you and Dotty thought that I meant socialism. It never entered my mind, or I would have been more specific about what I meant by world view.
Dutch peas and other countries who lost citizens...y'all are still in my prayers and thoughts. Pjaye, I am glad it worked out that way for the Australians to be able to help so that the tensions weren't made worse, and I hope that as many people as possible can be identified so that their families can have closure.
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Post by juliet on Jul 22, 2014 20:15:16 GMT
You're a good egg Jodster
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Deleted
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Oct 5, 2024 17:45:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 20:39:26 GMT
I echo Barbara's post too Jody.
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Deleted
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Oct 5, 2024 17:45:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 20:51:29 GMT
I don't think it's the fact that we welcome big governments as such Jody, it's more of the fact that we're smaller countries so are able to manage the universal health care easier than for a country as large as the US. If you think that most European countries are no bigger than individual states in the US. If you put Texas and California together they virtually equal the population of the whole of the UK. And we're quite heavily populated in comparison to a lot of other European countries.
The gun control here really has nothing to do with big governments it was the people of the UK that wanted the control and lobbied the government to do something about it after Dunblane.
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Jul 22, 2014 21:36:10 GMT
Barbara... Thank you SO much for your kind words! I know it is inevitable that I will offend people sometimes with what I say, but I try to be respectful of others with different beliefs and viewpoints than me. It just seemed like I couldn't get my thoughts across correctly on this thread, so I thought I'd better quit before I really offended someone. As far as the socialism moniker... Republican/Libertarian/conservative Americans generally would prefer to have a smaller government with less entitlements and governmental controls over business. That's what causes the tension in our country over the environment, health care, and gun control, to name a few. Europeans and other countries seem to accept big government (socialized medicine, gun control, etc.) much more easily than a big portion of our population does. I think that's why you see those kinds of comments, and I totally understand why you and Dotty thought that I meant socialism. It never entered my mind, or I would have been more specific about what I meant by world view. Dutch peas and other countries who lost citizens...y'all are still in my prayers and thoughts. Pjaye, I am glad it worked out that way for the Australians to be able to help so that the tensions weren't made worse, and I hope that as many people as possible can be identified so that their families can have closure. Ok, I understand now that you have explained that Jody! Right, now to head this thread down yet another blind alley for a second! It would seem our political parties aren't actually too far away in beliefs than yours really, we just talk about it in a different way. Our Conservatives in the main would like smaller government with less entitlements and controls over business and the other main party, Labour, are more democratic socialists in many respects. They both agree on medicine, gun control and other things like that though. So some big things are dealt with by central government whilst some things are dealt with by local government with democratically elected members. Our National Health Service (NHS) is officially described as a service which is free at the point of delivery. We do pay health insurance but into a central fund. However we will treat anyone who needs to go for any kind of treatment whether or not they are working and paying into health insurance or not at any GP's surgery, Emergency Department or hospital. The thing that saddens us is hearing an American saying they can't afford to go see a doctor or whoever when they really need to. We do pay a lot of taxes to provide benefits for those less fortunate - and yes, moan about it if we think that is being taken advantage of but we take the view it's better to do that than have people down and out with nothing. I seem to think that quite a few Americans don't like your version of Social Security being taken advantage of too. We also provide a pension for every retired person which isn't taxed at source.....but it isn't a fortune!! However, a lot of people here now also have a private pension or work pension and then all pension income becomes taxable. So, yes, there are differences of course, but there are similarities as well.....and it's always interesting to talk to someone from another country, even if we disagree on some things!!
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Deleted
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Oct 5, 2024 17:45:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2014 1:25:56 GMT
Oh phooey. I spent all this time writing a post, and then our WiFi messed up and I lost it because it didn't go through. First, thanks Juliet. Also, Dotty and Barbara, thanks for taking the time to explain all of that to me. I agree with you about the size issue when it comes to universal health care. I am fascinated by your parliamentary system, and recently watched 2/3 of the "House of Cards" mini series from the 90s just to see a little bit about how your legislature works.
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Jul 23, 2014 9:01:42 GMT
Oh phooey. I spent all this time writing a post, and then our WiFi messed up and I lost it because it didn't go through. First, thanks Juliet. Also, Dotty and Barbara, thanks for taking the time to explain all of that to me. I agree with you about the size issue when it comes to universal health care. I am fascinated by your parliamentary system, and recently watched 2/3 of the "House of Cards" mini series from the 90s just to see a little bit about how your legislature works. That happened to me too the other day Jody - not our wifi but I managed to hit the 'right' combo of keys by mistake to disappear everything when just wanting to insert a letter in a word! Aggravating!! Argggggh, please don't tell me that the 'I couldn't possibly comment' is going to be used in the States now 'House of Cards' is available there! It swept this country and has now become part of the language. There seems to be quite a lot of movement in the past few hours in the Malaysian Airlines tragedy regarding positive things happening looking through the news here this morning. Some of the bodies are well on their way to being repatriated - though it is going to be a very sad and stressful day for all who lost people in the incident though. The Dutch have got the black boxes and have now handed them over to the UK's specialised aircraft investigation facility for analysis. And the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Washington are saying that judging by the evidence the shooting down of the plane wasn't done on purpose by the rebels and that's there is no evidence of direct involvement by Russia. So, some concrete details appear to be emerging now and hopefully more will follow as the work of the investigation team on the ground in Ukraine goes on. Taking rumour and speculation out of the equation can only help surely?!
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Post by juliet on Jul 23, 2014 16:49:03 GMT
The first 40 victims are home. Let's hope the others will follow soon.
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duopenotti
Junior Member
Posts: 70
Location: The Netherlands..the real Orange Country
Jun 30, 2014 15:02:10 GMT
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Post by duopenotti on Jul 23, 2014 17:37:07 GMT
I am so glad the first victims are home. What an emotional day! I watched the ceremony with my co-workers (I work for our government). It gave me chills. Every time new victims will come home, a member of the government will be at the airport.
Right now I am watching the tv, the hearses are almost in Hilversum. So many people are standing next to the roads! I have seen so many flags hang low!
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Jul 23, 2014 17:48:16 GMT
The first 40 victims are home. Let's hope the others will follow soon. Yes, I am sure they will follow very soon now that your country has brought the first 40 home. The Netherlands have shown a depth of feeling and respect for the victims that must help the hurt of relatives a little. Your country has shown itself to be both strong and caring today Juliet and it seems that you intend to carry on doing that until all of the victims are home. I am so glad the first victims are home. What an emotional day! I watched the ceremony with my co-workers (I work for our government). It gave me chills. Every time new victims will come home, a member of the government will be at the airport. Right now I am watching the tv, the hearses are almost in Hilversum. So many people are standing next to the roads! I have seen so many flags hang low! It has been a really emotional day! Even here we have Dutch flags flying at half mast alongside the British flag.
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Post by juliet on Jul 23, 2014 18:17:12 GMT
Tomorrow the next 74 victims will arrive. And OVSE is finally starting their research. What a ness
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Deleted
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Oct 5, 2024 17:45:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2014 18:28:29 GMT
A very emotional day and carried out with the greatest of dignity.
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