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Private Notes
What does the hijacking of a French aircraft in 1994 have to do with the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001? Could 9/11 have been predicted if we had paid better attention? A search for the omens and the impact of terror by Muslim extremists.
Was the cult of leader around Putin foreseeable? The ban on the extremely popular satirical puppet series Koekli, in which Putin was frequently caricatured, was at least a clue.
Was the misery caused by cowboy capitalism in 2008 foreseeable? Icelandic bankers dragged European savers and their fellow islanders into their downfall. The Icelanders didn't accept it. They were the only country in the world to send the bankers to jail.
Although the war ended in 1995, Bosnia is hopelessly stuck in the past. War criminals sit comfortably on their governing seats and the masses remain silent. When will the silence be broken and can we finally start writing history?
While everyone is looking at Hungary and Poland, Denmark has taken a path of populism and protectionism much earlier. Even the Social Democrats, who saw their supporters shrink, support anti-migration policies. And this policy also has repercussions on Danes with a non-Western background. How did it get so far in Denmark?
It can no longer be denied: we have a major climate problem. The earth is getting warmer and warmer and drastic measures are needed to do something about it. Couldn't we have seen that coming sooner?
Poland has only been a truly independent modern democracy for about thirty years. In search of their own identity, many Poles are seeking guidance in a black-and-white picture of their history. After all, Poles were always heroes or victims. Anyone who wants to add nuance to this image must feel strong in their position.
In 2017 Jeroen Dijsselbloem managed to take on the anger of the Southern European countries with one remark. What is true about his stereotyping of the southerner? Comedian Nuno Duarte investigates the Portuguese psyche. Portugal's economy is growing like cabbage. It is the only European country that is actively bringing in refugees. Because so many Portuguese have sought refuge abroad during the crisis, it could make good use of the labour force. But if things are going so well, why don't refugees and residents want to stay? Furthermore, a portrait of a first Syrian refugee family that was personally brought to Portugal. And a portrait of two friendly nurses. One decided to stay, the other left for England and became nurse of the year in no time. How do they look to the future of this country that was hit hard by the 2008 crisis and now miraculously seems to be recovering?
At one time, boat refugees in distress were helped and received hospitably on the European mainland. Those times are over. Now, thanks to European money, the Libyan coastguard plays gatekeeper on the Mediterranean Sea and deliberately causes people to drown. Captains who do lend a helping hand are regularly taken to court for human smuggling. In this episode Captain Stefan Schmidt, who was arrested in 2004 to his astonishment when he tried to dock in Italy with 37 African drowners. At the time, Abdul Aziz was one of 37 migrants who had saved Captain Schmidt from drowning. Abdul's European adventure disappointed him so much that he now, back in Ghana, visits schools to imprint children that they should stay at home. And Pia Klemp, a young captain of rescue organization Sea Watch, who did not shy away from a strong confrontation with the Libyan coastguard, but is now forced to stay at home. She is facing twenty years in prison for helping her with illegal migration.
Liberated dancing bears dancing for food, a metaphor for how many people died after the fall of communism? After Bulgaria's accession to the EU in 2007, the old tradition of keeping dancing bears was banned by law. The bears went to a brand new bear park, but were not happy with their freedom. They kept dancing in front of the visitors, hoping for a piece of bread. The Polish writer Witold Szablowski saw in the fate of the bears a metaphor for how many people died after the fall of communism. And Roman Janiszak used to be a proud Polish miner. Since the closing of the mines in the nineties he had little left but a longing for the past. The money that Radi, an old Bulgarian bear tamer, got for his bear was quickly depleted. Now he misses the beast. His wife has died, his five children have gone abroad, his grandchildren don't speak his language.
