Lance Knobel: "Idiosyncratic, reactionary politics"

Friday, May 10, 2002 by Dave Winer.

Counter-point 

Lance Knobel: "Step away from the horror of the killing and look at Fortuyn's declared policies: halt immigration, integrate existing immigrants, re-erect Dutch border controls, sack 25% of civil servants, reduce Dutch payments to the EU, end the system of consensus politics.

"This is idiosyncratic, reactionary politics. And however he dressed up his immigration policy, it appealed in part to some of the worst sentiments in the populace."

Comments 

Like Adam, Lance is a personal friend; and also like Adam, is an American living in Europe, in London, where he works for the British government. I got to know him through Scripting News, when he was the editor of the World Economic Forum's WorldLink magazine.

While both my friends share the horror of the death of Mr. Fortuyn, they have opposing but balanced views, and between them, provide a framework for the truth. Fortuyn was both a person and a leader. Adam talks about the person. Lance asks who he was leading Whoever they are, they are still there, the question is still open, as is the future of the Netherlands.

Dave Winer