'I'm a real patriot and proud to be an American so my truck only runs on true American gasoline by Shell!'
First of all: Shell is originally a Dutch company and recently moved its headquarters to England because they got a good tax deal after the Brexit.
Second: the stuff you pour in your gas tank only has the word 'Shell' on the barrels because Donald Trump, as 'predident', basically sold the Saudis the right to use that name (after they bought out Shell), together with the USA's largest refinery (click).
Ever wondered why the USA never intervened and never will when Saudi Arabia bombs civilians in Yemen, chops reporters heads off if they dare speak ill of the country's leaders and gets away with murdering US reporters?
I think it's because Saudi Arabia owns the USA. In the most literal meaning of the word. Starbucks, Microsoft and Zoom are 'real American!' companies? Maybe. But their main shareholders (click) speak Arabic. Even the Arizona ground water is not for US citizens, crop or catle but goes - in unlimited quantities - to grow Alfalfa, a crop that is mostly used to feed catle. In Saudi Arabia (click).
'Yeah, but my Ford truck is a real American product!' So sorry to tell you, but it's not (click). Yes, its headoffice stands in Detroit but the car itself is mostly manufactured in China and Taiwan
while most electronic components come from factories in Germany. Which is also not really the USA. Just as Mexico isn't. Where Ford car parts are assembled. If you're 'A real American patriot!' who refuses to touch anything that's not made in the USA, you should ditch your Ford truck.
They do it with their spouses' offspring, their own, they do it non-consensual, with species of their own kind who are of the same sex, with minors and sometimes even with a dead congener. Yes, necrophilia is just one of their 'hobbbies', just like pedophilia, rape and incest.
I'm speaking of animals, of course. Because humans would never indulge in such activities. Right?
But they do. There's no point in ignoring. But we've become 'civilized'. Therefore 'we' nicely marry our underage niece after we raped her and got her pregnant. Yeah. How nice. Don't believe me? It's true (click). At least in 'the land of the free'.
The Dutch are known for their directness. They say it as it is. Some consider that rude but the Dutch find it mostly practical. Why make a compliment if you don't mean it? Why say 'sorry' if you don't mean it? And why waste time with politeness if it doesn't help to get the job done?
One of my favourite Dutch expressions is 'De goden verzoeken', 'To challenge the gods'. Meaning 'Neem niet teveel hooi op je vork', i.e. literally 'Don't take too much hay on your (pitch)fork', or 'Don't take on a challenge when you know you won't be able to handle it'. Also: 'Don't do or say something if you're not willing to accept the consequences.' In short: Why take a risk when you really don't have to?
I gues the Dutch are - generally speaking of course - a pragmatic people.
It all goes back to the early history of the pin prick on the globe that these days is known as The Netherlands:
Historically people from all over the world came to The Netherlands because the lands are fertile and because of its geographic location. The latter making it a perfect gateway to the Scandinavian and other European countries. As well as to other continents.
Because of those two properties, the country has always been a producing and trading nation. And because of the physical challenges also a country where lots of inventions come from: from windmills to brandy ('Brandewijn', 'burned wine': heating wine to evaporate the water in it and you could transport more barrels, thus making a bigger profit. The Dutch try anything to make a few bucks extra), the telescope, artificial islands, the microscope, the 'Dutch door' (you can open the top side, leaving the lower side closed to keep your children indoors and animals out. Or vice versa, depending on what kind of parent you are)
printing, the sub marine, the stock market, the storm proof umbrella...
All that knowledge combined leads to engineering marvels like the Veluwemeer Aquaduct:
For a large part those inventions came out of the necessity to fight a natural enemy: water.
When a local dike breaks and your farm is in danger of getting flooded, you don't waste time making your neighbour a compliment on the new hairdo of his oldest daughter. Or even say: 'Good morning, my dear neighbour! How are you doing this fine day? Would you mind if I asked you a question?' No, you shout over the fence: 'Yo, I need your help. Now!'
You may not even like your neighbour because he or she has a different religion or skin colour or speaks a different language. But you help. And that goes both ways. You simply help when someone obviously needs it. Being Dutch means that after the breach in the dike is fixed you can buy eachother a drink in the local tavern and hate eachother again for believing in different gods. Or for believing in the same god but in a different way.
Of course also the Dutch are all individuals and I'm speaking in general terms.
What do you think of the Dutch and perhaps you have a favourite Dutch expression you're willing to share?
Although I'm not American, I too watched a former president getting presented before court. As a possible criminal. Quite amusing to see someone who thinks he 's above the law having to answer to the same laws as everybody else. Also amusing: all sane media focused on the court case. But the favourite media outlet from most Trump-fans focused on 'a hot blonde cop'.
Leave it to Fox Fakenews and other magats to not focus on the case details but instead make sexist remarks (click).
And when they don't have arguments - which is always really soon in the discussion - Trump supporters start using ye ol' ad hominem: by calling the opponent 'stupid', 'ugly' or 'fat'. In the case of DA Alvin Bragg: 'Fat Albert'. But Trump supporters calling Alvin Bragg 'fat' is like a bullet naming a bomb 'explosive'.
Donald Trump was indicted for over 30 felonies. All connected to that one time he actually dÃd pay someone for services: pornstar Stormy Daniels. Interesting detail: as her client he called himself Barron. Which is his youngest son's name.
Biggest mistake: next to paying her for...er...the deed...he paid her $130,000 from his campaign money to not tell anyone they had an affair. 1] Legally campaign money may only be used for campaigning. Asking a pornstar to keep her mouth shut for $130,000 after you paid her $300 to open her mouth does not count as 'campaigning'. 2] Stormy and Donald didn't have an affair. One time paid sex does not count as such. So she could legally state they never had an affair. Just sex. 3] Trump ordered his books 'fixed' to hide the payment of the hush money.
Here's the kicker: his current attorney (he's had a few. And some are still agree because Trump still owes them money) who is supposed to proof Trump is innocent in the Stormy Daniels case, is the same guy who stated a few years earlier on live television that Trump is guilty in the Stormy Daniels case.
Donald Trump’s current criminal defense attorney Joe Tacopina went on TV a few years ago and spelled out Trump’s guilt in the Stormy Daniels case. Trump apparently didn’t know about it when he recently hired the guy. This is beyond hilarious!
I'm guessing that because that segment never aired on Fox, OANN or Newsmax, Trump simply didn't know his latest attorney will strenghten his chances of actually going to jail.
'Yeah, but Hunter Biden's laptop!' and 'Trump is the least corrupt president of all time!' the fans of this Great Leader ('Führer' in German) now frantically shout. Sure, bud. Name me one president with more than 3,700 cases of conflict of interest (click) behind his name. I won't wait.
By the way: this is just one single case. Trump's criminal cases concerning money laundering, fraud, collusion with foreign bodies, stealing and selling of State secrets, et cetera are yet to come before court.
