Bad excuses

Maybe I’m too new to the Netherlands to truly appreciate the ins and outs of local politics, but the government’s refusal to apologize for the Dutch role in slavery looks absolutely asinine to me.

To quote:

The timing  – days before the Keti Koti celebration marking the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colonies on July 1 – would not be appropriate given the farmers’ protests, the war in Ukraine, rising prices and the recent apology for the Dutchbat mission in Srebrenica, the sources said.

Say what? Keti Koti, which marks the end of Slavery in Suriname, seems like the perfect time to apologize. I fail to see what any of the other excuse have to do with apologizing for slavery.

As uncomfortable as these discussion may be for self-righteous Europeans, the topic is still relevant today.

Should Europeans be trading in goods made by outright forced labour, such as in Xinjiang, or in near slavery in many places around the world? The answer is an obvious no, even if that means paying significantly more fore household goods.

Should Europeans be funding heinous regimes around the world in the interests of short-term profits. I’d say this is a qualified no — no place is perfect and there will always be gray areas, but continuing to buy Russian oil and gas in 2022 is funding the killing of innocents.

I’m all for apologizing for past mistakes and building a better future.