Transcription
A.D. Dirkzwager
Oranje Nassaulaan 38
3161BC Rhoon
2 februari 1992
J.W.S.Cook
"Lower Farm House"
HAMBLDON GU 84HE
Engeland
In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate, Stuart, I greet you.
I love to receive wishes from the Chairman of the Board. Sir Jeremy is conspicuous absent in sending the Dirkzwager's Season Greetings. If I only get respect from Monsieur Damshidi, there is a good chance that Dirkzwager will turn into an Al Haji. Joking apart , I am not all that Macho that 4 wives is appealing to me. I just can manage one.
But I am still concerned about the situation in Algeria. If the people vote for a Muslim government after 23 years of disastrous Western-style democracy, they should get it. Possibly a less harsh Muslim society would want to please the many Western-educated people in Algeria. However, it is short-sighted to simply destroy a country's democratic voting rights.
I agree with you that the entire Western world is very unstable due to an international financial mess.
Every country needs financial help and no specific country, except Japan, is in a position to set up a comprehensive aid program. For example, the Netherlands has a debt burden of NLG 335 billion, i.e. NLG 22,000 per capita. The Dutch State has to pay NLG 25 billion in interest every year. That is the largest item in our national budget. Approximately the same amount paid must be refinanced. This is the reason why we were forged to the DM with our Gulden. If the Dutch guilder would become less attractive in the capital markets, then we are not able to refinance our indebtedness, than we are broke. Also the US has become a victim of their huge State debt, which financed the the popular reign of Reagan. By the way, our former Minister of Finance, Mr Onno Ruding, will earn USD 800,000 per year as a board member of Cty Bank in America.
Different topic. My mother, Vera and a cousin and I are planning to spend a week exploring Siena and the surrounding area. At the end of April/beginning of May we try to capture the minds of the people of the Renaissance. What prompted them to cause a 'Beaux Arts' eruption. How is it possible that the artist of the past, in a cultural sense, has such an influence on the minds of today's citizens?
Last week we visited the Rembrandt exhibition in the Rijksmuseum, attended an IBSEN play in the theater and in January I read "Le rouge et noir" by Stendahl. Curious, right?
Love, also to Ursula, from Vera & Adriaan.
