Mabel Criticizes President Bush on AIDS: December 2005

[pollyemma]

hey guys!

the dutch royalty program "blauw bloed" had an item on Mabel and World Aids day. it didnt show her comments about Bush but it does have some other excerpts of her speech and it shows her doing the "white palm print" thing in Amsterdam.

http://www.eo.nl/portals/programs/home.jsp?program=5457689

click on "bekijk de video" and a real player window should open and the episode will begin playing.

the item about mabel begins about 3 minutes into the program.

 

[Maxie]

Thanks for the video, pollyemma! I always watch the programme, but yesterday I wasn't feeling to well, so I was in my bed, working on my French by reading some Emile Zola...

 

[Marengo]

I think Mabel may have been in her right to speak out but if her point was important enough to her organization, she may not have been the best person to deliver it. Americans are going to look at the princess title then maybe her past associations and say, What does she know? when in fact, she may know a lot. Her title could hurt the cause rather than help it.

I don't think Mabels speech was intended to be picked up by americans anyway. The previous week was a week in which money was collected for AIDS foundations in which youngsters were made (more) aware of AIDS. She was asked by the dutch AIDS foundation to hold a speech, which she did. Her speech had the effect they wished for it created media attention (more media attention then when another person would be holding a speech there).

People here wonder if she was using her title or not (she was not) but I would like to stress that it does not matter the least if she uses it or not. She is a private person, HH (not HRH) Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, who is free to do and say what she wants, wherther she uses her title or not. In The Netherlands there is no controversy in her critisizing the Bush administration, I assume that would have been more likely if she had praised that administration.

 

[Roxsteve]

I don't think Mabels speech was intended to be picked up by americans anyway. The previous week was a week in which money was collected for AIDS foundations in which youngsters were made (more) aware of AIDS. She was asked by the dutch AIDS foundation to hold a speech, which she did. Her speech had the effect they wished for it created media attention (more media attention then when another person would be holding a speech there).


People here wonder if she was using her title or not (she was not) but I would like to stress that it does not matter the least if she uses it or not. She is a private person, HH (not HRH) Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, who is free to do and say what she wants, wherther she uses her title or not. In The Netherlands there is no controversy in her critisizing the Bush administration, I assume that would have been more likely if she had praised that administration.

Good for the Dutch people then! I think she is a nobody here or over there. Peer pressure then...if she would have agreed with Bush, she would have been the target so it was better to say what she said? I get it!

 

[Marengo]

I firmly believe that Mabel believes in what she was saying and she did not say it to 'score' with the dutch public. In her carreer she was always very dedicated to her causes and was even listed as one of Europe future leaders (long before Friso was in sight). She worked for Radio Free Europe, was involved in the Dayton agreements, co-founded the dutch branch of the charity organisation war-child etc.

I added the last remark to show that there is NO controversy in her critisizing the american administration here whatsoever, especially as most people here do not hold that administration in a high regard and NOT to imply that Mabl has opportunictic motives (which again I do not believe).

 

[susan alicia]

Mabel only wants to score with herself, she is a career woman

I firmly believe that Mabel believes in what she was saying and she did not say it to 'score' with the dutch public. In her carreer she was always very dedicated to her causes and was even listed as one of Europe future leaders (long before Friso was in sight). She worked for Radio Free Europe, was involved in the Dayton agreements, co-founded the dutch branch of the charity organisation war-child etc.

I added the last remark to show that there is NO controversy in her critisizing the american administration here whatsoever, especially as most people here do not hold that administration in a high regard and NOT to imply that Mabl has opportunictic motives (which again I do not believe).

 

[Smilla]

By the way, many people who are anti-American are also anti-Australian for the same reasons

I can assure you that in all my life I've never ever met a European who was Anti-Australian for the simple reason that Australia is too far away for us to get concerned about it. Until I read your post I even wasn't aware of the concept that one could be "Anti-Australian": this just proves that you learn something new on this forum every day!

 

[Marengo]

Mabel only wants to score with herself, she is a career woman

I fail to see what enhancing effect this speech will have on her carreer.

 

[m67345]

I've never ever met a European who was Anti-Australian for the simple reason that Australia is too far away for us to get concerned about it.

Lol. I wish we could say the same for much of Europe. I didn't really mean that there is an entire anti-Australian phenomenon. Only that if a person resents certain political elements of America, those are likely to exist in Australia too.

 

[Smilla]

Lol. I wish we could say the same for much of Europe. I didn't really mean that there is an entire anti-Australian phenomenon. Only that if a person resents certain political elements of America, those are likely to exist in Australia too.

Well, since both states have their roots in English history, there are bound to be similarities. I hope I haven't offended you Australians - it's a shame that we can ignore the fact that there is a whole continent out there, unless we want to go there on holiday.

 

[ysbel]

I think some Americans exaggerate anti-Americanism. I lived abroad for a year and most people were very pleasant to this American regardless of their political leanings.

A lot of political leaders get heavily criticized by citizens of their own country. Its an occupational hazard. I'm not so naive to believe that someone critical of Bush is by default anti-American.

I never heard of an anti-Australian phenomenon except when asking a New Zealander.

 

[Warren]

I never heard of an anti-Australian phenomenon...

Ysbel, I think they are still getting us confused with those troublesome Austrians.

 

[Smilla]

I think some Americans exaggerate anti-Americanism.

I think it's something the American administration uses to get the people to side with them against all those evil foreigners who dare to criticize the American government.

 

[ysbel]

I think it's something the American administration uses to get the people to side with them against all those evil foreigners who dare to criticize the American government.

Nah, I think its mostly because most Americans don't have a lot of contact with non-Americans. Its a pretty big country and unlike Europe, its unusual for Americans to speak a foreign language or travel abroad to the extent that Europeans do.

My European friends travel quite frequently to other European countries, sometimes for vacation, sometimes for business, and sometimes for family. Even the teenagers go on a lot of school field trips to other countries. That's just not practical in America.

An American isn't likely to hear a lot of anti-American sentiment in their daily life among other Americans so when any foreigner newscast is critical about something in the U.S., it takes them by surprise. Of course, we all know, that bad news sells newspapers so its no wonder that most Americans are not going to hear what foreigners like about the U.S.

 

[Alexandria]

Mabel only wants to score with herself, she is a career woman

At least Mabel is trying to further a career with a good cause behind it. Mabel didn't make a contentious speech that could've potentially damaged the Dutch royal family's reputation or Dutch/American relations to further a career that would say increase her personal wealth or for other much more selfish reasons.

I don't imagine that people working for such social organizations make a lot of money, not as much as say CEOs or multinationals. So if Mabel is trying to further her career, I hope that with it she brings great attention to the cause of AIDS and brings in greater funding for research or resources to help those living with AIDS.

 

[Maxie]

Nah, I think its mostly because most Americans don't have a lot of contact with non-Americans. Its a pretty big country and unlike Europe, its unusual for Americans to speak a foreign language or travel abroad to the extent that Europeans do.

My European friends travel quite frequently to other European countries, sometimes for vacation, sometimes for business, and sometimes for family. Even the teenagers go on a lot of school field trips to other countries. That's just not practical in America.

An American isn't likely to hear a lot of anti-American sentiment in their daily life among other Americans so when any foreigner newscast is critical about something in the U.S., it takes them by surprise. Of course, we all know, that bad news sells newspapers so its no wonder that most Americans are not going to hear what foreigners like about the U.S.

I was thinking exactly the same thing earlier when reading some of the messages in this thread. I was born just six miles from the belgian border and just one from the german. I always consider myself as being a real european girl and as a matter of fact i think i really grew up in three countries when it comes to that. From an early age in made various trips into the neighbourhood and very soon I learnt there were others out there who had different ways of life and different visions (and different languages, of course). You won't believe how different the same piece of earth can get within 45 miles. For me that's what Europe about, so many different countries and some many different visions to which you adopt at an very early age. You make jokes about the other countries and the other countries make the same jokes about you. And after some time (when you grow older) you come to realise that some of these jokes actually consist of some thruths, whether you like it or not. And that people who make those jokes or have something to say about your goverment and it's policies are not necessarily 'anti-yourcountry'. I think that's the main ground why I have been so supportive of Mabel's venturing her opinion (next to the fact that I feel everybody has a right to venturing his or her opinion): it's just another voice of an European crowd who is doing what we're doing over here for centuries: talk too much and meddling in eachother's business. By which I don't mean to offense anyone, btw. I just love the variaty of so many different people on one message board.

 

[semisquare]

i have to say just one thing of the subject of americans traveling to europe. it is easier for an american to travel here in american because its much cheaper to drive to another state vs flying over the ocean to visit europe. im sure its just as cheap to drive to another country in europe than to travel to american, i think.

 

[pollyemma]

i have to say just one thing of the subject of americans traveling to europe. it is easier for an american to travel here in american because its much cheaper to drive to another state vs flying over the ocean to visit europe. im sure its just as cheap to drive to another country in europe than to travel to american, i think.

sad but true. only 5 percent of americans have passports.

 

[Smilla]

Ysbel, I think they are still getting us confused with those troublesome Austrians.

Yeah, genuinely a part of the axis of evil, those troublesome Austrians. Always trying for world domination...