The Weekly Forum - 7 August

It often happens in summer that politicians break off their holidays because of some crisis or other.  The long break Parliaments typically take indeed does not mean that the world stops.  Often, too, these decisions are taken for reasons of P.R. – to give the impression of doing something. Thus, the Dutch Parliament reconvened this week to debate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, also known as genocide. Emotions ran high on both sides of the argument, as they typically do whenever the intractable Middle East conflict is discussed, and higher even than when European or national issues are discussed. By contrast, the same Dutch Parliament refused Thierry Baudet’s request to convene during the summer recess to discuss the EU-US trade deal shoved down Ursula von der Leyen’s throat at Donald Trump’s golf course in Scotland. The other Dutch political parties all prefered to discuss something over which they have no power – Israel – instead of something which concerns them directly and over which they should have power, and would have if they left the EU.

Read Thierry’s letter to the party leaders here

FVD International’s director, John Laughland, was interviewed at length by Jeremy Nell for UK column recently. The video has just been published.  Jeremy Nell is one of John’s two co-hosts, both professional broadcasters, for FVD International’s weekly video podcast, The Forum. On the UK column show, they discussed immigration – or rather the industrially organised process of mass population transfer which has been underway for decades into Europe and which shows no sign of abating. John insisted that this mass migration is being driven by economics, ideology and criminality. Only very significant sums of money can explain this huge logistical exercise which consists in transporting people thousands of kilometres into another country, often illegally and at great danger to their lives.

Watch John’s interview here

Meanwhile, what makes ideas work? Is it their intrinsic worth or are social factors involved? Sid Lukkassen is convinced that anthropology is the key to success. People will admire and follow a person and his ideas if the setting and the perspective are right – if there is the right sort of show or stage. By contrast, they will ignore or miss even great ideas and talents if the anthropological mechanisms are not in place. The key to success, he says, is decorum. The way you present yourself, and the way you think about yourself, is undoubtedly the key to the way others will see and appreciate you.

Read Sid Lukkassen’s article here