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Random thoughts shooting around in my head

Last week has been a splendid autumn week. Sun has been shining all the time.
Like my grandmother has been praying to the gods of the weather, in order to keep me at home, by saying: the sun is shining here too.
She forget to order the temperature…

But the colors are wonderful, autumn colors of orange brow green and yellow.
Which reminds me of a documentary of Michael Moore (he made also ‘Bowling for Colombine’, and wrote this magnificent letter to the president of the USA)
The documentary is on the closing of the General Motors factory in Michigan, in the eighties. (I spare you the links my minds makes to come from autumn to a documentary)
Quite interesting documentary, since in Belgium General Motors decided to fire 3000! people. Which is actually closing down the whole plant…

The same thing happened in ‘97, when Renault closed down. I followed it during several months (published in a book). Strikes, busses going to Paris to demonstrate, policemen trying to stop the destruction passing by.
I guess it was one of the last times we had a big strike, with some violence.

After this big strikes the only big thing happening was the ‘White March’, people wearing white T-shirts and balloons, against the Marc Dutroux-monster and the system that let this happen.
The closure of Sabena had a great impact, not because there were many people striking, but because the people that were striking made the planes not leaving.

The people of Ford Genk didn’t do such big strikes by now.
Only yesterday they had a major thing: a popfestival…
Like we don’t care anymore, or don’t have the strength to go and demonstrate.

That’s why I was surprised to know and to see that last year so many people demonstrated against the war. At least some hope. We didn’t become as passive as we thought we were. (Only a pity it didn’t help)

Queen is singing ‘We are the champions, and we keep on fighting till the end’

I wonder were those champions went…

Yesterday on ‘Nachtwacht’ there was a discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Pretty interesting, although the one person in the panel that might say some interesting things (Rudi Vrancx) was pretty silent.

I went on their website, to read what the watcher had to say on the discussion.
Well, this is the part where it became interesting. And funny.
Useless discussions in which people wanted to say something on a conflict, many of them don’t even know the real context.
Like they say in Dutch ‘De beste stuurlui staan aan wal’.
Maybe they should reconsider the use of forums on sites…

Also yesterday Radio 1 called, asking if I wanted to be in the studio for a ‘year review’ in the end of this year.
Off course (I will have to do some good research though. I am convinced that I know quite some things on the subject now, but still, this thing is so complicated you can study it for 30 years…)
The radio crew is considering coming over to Tel Aviv to make a documentary. Recent news on the situation is scary. And for this reason they doubt.

People I meet don’t understand how I can go again, and my grandmother is starting the same talks as one year ago. ‘And why does your mother let you go?’
I asked her. ‘Because it is no use in saying something to you, you’ll go anyway. Once you made up your mind.’
I had to smile.

And because the 15/20 people dying a month is still 15/20 on an amount of 7 million.
You can count my chances…
After all I still wonder who might be safer: me in Tel Aviv or you in Brussels at night?

One thing is sure: the sun in Tel Aviv is shining warmer. :)

trouwen.jpg
(Image found while driving in Flanders, saying 'Epie, do you want to marry me?'
Only in Belgium...)

Posted on October 19, 2003
in Living in Belgium

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