Week 16 Politics and Religion

Week 16

Google Photos now has the ability to make collages.....my first, showing the water and my first mowing day of 2016...

Politics and Religion

I must start off by saying that Mum told me from an early age that I "shouldn't talk politics or religion". Presumably because you'd never change anybody's mind and would probably end up in a fight or at least have bad feelings.

So, having said that, I wanted to share a few things that have been worrying me about changes that have been occurring here and which impact us. The religious one is on a lighter note so please forgive me.

Politics 1. 

Obviously, the cutbacks to the "care" system which are affecting us directly. I have always thought that the system here (the part that we are involved with) could well be the "model" for all so-called "affluent" societies. That is to say, the Dutch Government should be holding it up as something to be proud of instead of cutting it back. The help that has been afforded to people is being eroded so that the only result can be increased hardship for those people (who presumably needed the help in the first place).

From an "outsider's" point of view,and before the cutbacks, I have thought "well, OK, that's what we pay our high taxes for, so fair enough". When I first came here the highest rate of income tax was 60%, which has now come down to 52%. There's BTW (GST) at 21% and a tax on savings over €20,000. Again, as an outsider with a fairly limited view I felt that I could see a strong sense of community and "we're all in this together" mentality. Sadly, the already disadvantaged are going to be even more so.

Politics 2. Student Loans .

 

Here we are in a better situation because Ben was just in time to take advantage of the system. The system that assists with the financial side of his education (and later contribution to this community). We (and in particular, Ben) don't have to pay the finance back IF he is successful - this applies to University fees, travel (free public transport either during the week OR weekends) and assistance with accommodation if required. Again, I see the relationship between high taxes and something tangible (and extremely valuable to the society). That is to say something that could also be a "model" for the rest of the world. However, the current Government have scrapped this system and any financing has to be paid back when (if) the person gets a job. This has already led to a decline in people seeking higher qualifications and the Minister concerned has come under attack for being particularly "uncaring" about the decline. Again, disadvantaged people will be even more so! (Not to mention the loss of the obvious (and perhaps not so obvious) benefits of having a better educated community/country).

Politics 3. 

After WW II (I'm told) the Government made it possible for the interest on Housing Loans to be tax deductible. So, many people maintain a mortgage as a "matter of course". Contrast with my Australian kids who seem to do whatever they can to pay it all off as soon as they can. This one affected us recently when we wanted an increase on our business mortgage for the new apartment. The Bank explained that the "Government have introduced very strong restrictions" to limit the amount of borrowing - so we had to pay for the apartment ourselves (gulp!). They will probably remove the tax deductibility soon as well.....

I should also note that this "breaking" of the social contract (my interpretation) makes no mention of lowering taxes in return!

Religion

I get a visit from a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses about once a month. Due to my natural diffidence, I find it hard to tell them to just go away and leave me alone! The main guy even brings an English version of their material..... anyway, the last time they were here, I saw them park in our driveway, so I locked the front door and sneaked out to the back where our kids were having a drink break in front of the fire - a "cosy Sunday afternoon". I thought I would just sit there with them until "the coast was clear"....... then I heard a "yoo hoo" from the big kitchen door..... oh no, I thought, they've found me! This this is where they can "get" someone like me - I feel obliged to at least be polite.... so I invited them in and offered them a cuppa in front of the fire - the whole time feeling uncomfortable in front of the kids and our employee, Josien. 
I can laugh about it now, but poor Josien was following the (in English) discussion with some bemusement!

This time there was a new OLD guy - (at least as OLD as me!). I told them they were wasting their time with me - I'm too old, too far gone, beyond redemption, etc., etc. and somehow I managed to drop in "you know in America there are even some people, including politicians who believe that the world is only 4 or 6 thousand years old" (I think I was trying to say that it is all OK but, like my Mum said, they should keep their stuff to themselves). But lo and behold, the old guy said "yes. that's right".  I mumbled something about science, fossils and skeletons and showed them to the door!

Sheep in our paddock again.

One of our nephews is a motor mechanic and he has sheep as a hobby. During the summer he keeps them at our place - which saves me a bit of mowing! It's not something I would contemplate doing - too much time involved (I'd rather be on the boat) and then there's the veterinary costs and the paperwork - they all have to be registered. I'm pretty sure there should be some paperwork involved in having them at our place - to do with tracing outbreaks of disease.

Last of the moving.....

Pots and tubs from the old house

In about 1992 I went with Merv to a Bunnings show where they had a demo of a Triton Workbench (saw table). I went to the the Triton factory and bought a slightly damaged model at a discount. Fitted with a huge Makita saw, it is still going strong, although the table itself is mostly used as a router table, now. One of my first "how to " learning pieces was a wooden front end loader (later for Ben and other grandkids and later still as a pot plant holder for Janny's parents) Still in one piece, 19 years later!

Ben

Ben belongs to a student club in Zwolle. This weekend was a "mystery" weekend away.... they came to Friesland!

Toss up between bookkeeping and paving.......

paving wins! .............easily!

(I can only do a few square metres in a day - but I'm getting there!).

With Ben away and the kids gone home - we thought we'd earned a dinner out somewhere - first in a few months since we've been so busy.

A new "Egyptian/Mediterranean" called Marhaba, in Drachten - had a good write-up so that was it....

(next thing you know, I'll be doing cat photos......).

Vitamin B deficiency

Janny and her three sisters all have been diagnosed as having Vitamin B deficiency. Something going on there.... so one of the sisters decided to investigate further. Apparently, there is a "famous" doctor here who has specialised in this. Ankie has made an appointment to see him......... but there is a 12 months waiting list!

Related to this. I heard a podcast recently about the importance of Vitamin D (which is not really a vitamin) and in particular where lack of sunlight plays a role (here, for example!). We have been taking the capsules for  a couple of months now, but I have to say I can't really notice any difference.....yet.