Terrorist attack in Manchester

Terrorist attack in Manchester

Percijn van Haeringen, A4B, Mr. Van Erve, SOC

 

On May 22 a terrorist attack occurred in the Manchester stadium, England. The attack took place in the evening (around 22:30) when the famous artist Ariana Grande was performing her songs. The attacker, who blew himself up was identified as Salman Ramadan Abedi, a 22 year old British Muslim. When the event was done and the spectators walked towards the exit, he blew himself up. He used a shrapnel-laden improvised explosive device for this. In total, there were more than 116 people injured and twenty three adults and children died including Abedi himself. Since Abedi was expected to cooperate and work together with a terrorist network, more people were arrested as they were suspected to have a part in the accident. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in the whole of England since the 7 July 2005 London bombings, which was already 12 years ago. In total 21,000 people attended the so-called Dangerous woman tour by Ariana Grande.

 

The people involved were at first the victims that got (heavily) injured or even died. Also involved are the family of the victims. Salman Ramadan Abedi, the cause of the attack was involved of course, just as the terrorist networks he worked together with and the people that got arrested as they are suspected to be involved in the bombing as well. Too involved, are the people that were working at the stadium at the time of the bombing.

 

I think what happened is terrible. The idea that some Muslims think they should blow themselves up for whatever reason, is totally wrong. I feel very sad for the victims and the family of the victims. I recently talked about what happened at home and we came to the conclusion that it is easy for us to talk about it, because we were not there. I think that a country like the Netherlands will not be bombed as fast as somewhere in England. The tough thing is just that it is very hard to stop this, since it can happen all over the world, by anyone in the world but I am convinced it would be a smart move to get all of the big countries and European union together to make an end to the big bases of the IS. We should stop talking and undertake more action. With Trump in power in America now, this might even be easier than it was before.

 

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June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

Trump clashes with EU leaders in challenging meeting

Percijn van Haeringen, A4B, Mr. Van Erve, SOC

 

Trump clashes with EU leaders in challenging meeting

 

The President of the United states, Donald Trump clashed with western allies about the trade and climate change discussion last Friday. One of the EU leaders, described this meeting as one of the most important meeting of the G7 for years. The meeting was held because he lambasted NATO allies for not spending more money on defense. Because of Trumps several remarks in Brussels, against the German leaders during the two-day summit in Taormina. You could say there was a very sharp disagreement between Trump and the other members of the G-7 on a range of very important issues. One of the big differences in opinion between Trump and the other leaders, is about his treat to bail out the 2015 Paris agreement on facing and solving climate change since he does not believe in the climate change and warming up of the earth at all. As white house economic adviser Gary Cohn stated: ‘We will have a very robust discussion on trade and we will be talking about what free and open means.’ The summit will kick off with a ceremony at an ancient Greek theater looking over the sea with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the united states where will be talked about the stopping of terrorism ( Because of the Manchester terrorist attack lately for example), Syria, North Korea and the global economy.

 

The people involved in this are all the leaders and the people going to this meeting. So this includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the united states of America. Depending of what will come out of these discussions there can be several people involved. If they for example decide to try to take down IS in Syria, all Syrian citizens and The IS organization will be involved as well. This depends on what will be agreed on in the G-7 meeting.

 

I think it is important this meeting is held to tackle recent and huge problems like terrorism. I also am convinced Trump should be more open to new ideas and not only think about what he and America wants for now, but also look at the future and what the rest of the world needs. A great example of this is that he still does not believe in the climate change. I really hope the meeting will have success and come to a final decision about for example the topic terrorism.

June 6, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

Terrorist attack in Manchester

Terrorist attack in Manchester

Percijn van Haeringen, A4B, Mr. Van Erve, SOC

 

On May 22 a terrorist attack occurred in the Manchester stadium, England. The attack took place in the evening (around 22:30) when the famous artist Ariana Grande was performing her songs. The attacker, who blew himself up was identified as Salman Ramadan Abedi, a 22 year old British Muslim. When the event was done and the spectators walked towards the exit, he blew himself up. He used a shrapnel-laden improvised explosive device for this. In total, there were more than 116 people injured and twenty three adults and children died including Abedi himself. Since Abedi was expected to cooperate and work together with a terrorist network, more people were arrested as they were suspected to have a part in the accident. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in the whole of England since the 7 July 2005 London bombings, which was already 12 years ago. In total 21,000 people attended the so-called Dangerous woman tour by Ariana Grande.

 

The people involved were at first the victims that got (heavily) injured or even died. Also involved are the family of the victims. Salman Ramadan Abedi, the cause of the attack was involved of course, just as the terrorist networks he worked together with and the people that got arrested as they are suspected to be involved in the bombing as well. Too involved, are the people that were working at the stadium at the time of the bombing.

 

I think what happened is terrible. The idea that some Muslims think they should blow themselves up for whatever reason, is totally wrong. I feel very sad for the victims and the family of the victims. I recently talked about what happened at home and we came to the conclusion that it is easy for us to talk about it, because we were not there. I think that a country like the Netherlands will not be bombed as fast as somewhere in England. The tough thing is just that it is very hard to stop this, since it can happen all over the world, by anyone in the world but I am convinced it would be a smart move to get all of the big countries and European union together to make an end to the big bases of the IS. We should stop talking and undertake more action. With Trump in power in America now, this might even be easier than it was before.

June 6, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

The welfare state

How welfare and jobs can coexist

Which system do i prefer the most?

Honestly, I prefer the Rhineland system the most. In my opinion, the rhineland model is a good middle way. Both, the scandinavian model and the Anglo saxon model have there disadvantages and so does the Rhineland model. The reason I prefer the rhineland model is because the government does give a sufficient amount of support and the taks bill isn’t as high. According to the article, someone in Denmark who joins the labor force loses 86 per cent of their earnings. In the United states, this number is significantly lower, but there us a way larger unemployment rate. The employment rate in Denmark is about 82 per cent while the employment rate in the United states is about 73 per cent, this means that there is 27 per cent of the citizens in the United States, is unemployed. Although there is olnly a small number in Denmark that face with unemployment, the effective tax rate is way to high.

Here is why I chose the Rhineland model. The rhineland model provides a strictly contained free market and the employees are well protected from dissmissal or illness. The anglo saxon model causes a larger number of unemployment because the wages are determined by market forces and a flexible labour market gives impulses to unemployment, wich can cause massive problems for the people that unfortunately drop out.

I think that the Rhineland model is a good middle way that combines tbe two models together.

 

Daan van gils – VWO 4

June 1, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

Article Assignment SOC Blog

Article Assignment SOC Blog 

Ward Beerens – Da4b

Out of the 3 models of the Welfare State, the Scandinavian model speaks to me the most. Because I think that education and healthcare are the things that you need most in life. If your education wasn’t good, chances are that your future won’t be bright. You need the healthcare so you can get better again and can go to work and make a living again.

This is why I tend to lean to the Scandinavian Model, but I also think it has it’s downsides. Such as the heavy tax burden. Which is of course necessary if you want to provide the free healthcare and education. But that is a thing you should be willing to give up. Because if you do not have free healthcare, you would lose almost the same amount of that what you pay to the government for healthcare (in the Scandinavian Model) to a healthcare insurance company. So I think it shouldn’t be that big of a problem.

Another pro of the Scandinavian model for me is the Unemployment System. The fact when you are unemployment, the government helps you searching for a job is really cool. But this also has I downside I think. Some people tend to be lazy, and let the government do all the work instead of the unemployed doing it themselves. A solution for this problem is that the government only helps you for a certain time, if the time is expired, you have to do it yourself.

The Rhineland model is my 2nd choice, because the social factors are goodly regulated as well. But that of the Scandinavian Model is a bit better, and seems better for the people.

May 30, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

Models welfare state

A welfare state falls somewhere between the planned economy and the free-market. Yet, not all welfare states are the same. We distinguish three models: The Scandinavian model, The Anglo-Saxon model and The Rhineland model.

The Scandinavian model is mainly used in the Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Finland and Denmark. In this model, there is a combination of a flexible labour market and a strong security system. A flexible labour market allows easy dismissal of employees but on the other hand, ensures that people can find another job without much trouble. If this fails, and people still cannot find a job in a long period of time, the people are given training courses. This ensures that only a small percentage is unemployed for any length of time. The negative side of The Scandinavian model is that the countries have a heavy collective tax burden. This is due to the high costs and efforts in the field of child care and education.

The Anglo-Saxon model is a model especially used in England and the United States. The government in such countries give their priority to a good entrepreneurial climate. This means that wages are determined by market forces and a flexible labour market gives impulses to the employment with many problems for those who drop out. On the other hand, the government plays a modest role in healthcare and education. Healthcare and education are considered to be facilities that people should pay for themselves. This also causes a society where there is a clear division between the poor, people within the mid-class and the elite.  The benefits in The Anglo-Saxon model are just in short term. Next to that, you need to meet many conditions to be eligible for the benefits.

Lastly, the Rhineland model. The Rhineland model is a combination of the two models mentioned above; Anglo-Saxon model and the Scandinavian model. The free market is strictly contained by well a developed collective sector. Social security is very important in the Rhineland model. Next to that, employees are well protected against the risk of dismissal or illness. On the other hand, in the Rhineland model, education and child care aren’t regulated well.

In the following article: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/upshot/nordic-nations-show-that-big-safety-net-can-allow-for-leap-in-employment-rate-.html?_r=1

the researchers are mainly talking about countries with high rates of participation in the labour force. In the first paragraph, they say the following: ”Some of the highest employment rates in the advanced world are in places with the highest taxes and most generous welfare systems, namely Scandinavian countries. The United States and many other nations with relatively low taxes and a smaller social safety net actually have substantially lower rates of employment.”

In my opionion, the best model is the Scandinavian model. The Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, etc.) are consistently rated the best places to live – and they are, perhaps, the most Socialist countries out there right now. For instance, Sweden takes about 51% of the average citizen’s income, yet Swedish citizens are arguably more content and happy with their lives than we are. I think a low unemployment rate will not only be beneficial for the economy but also for the society itself. If only a low percentage of a country is unemployment, everyone works and everyone knows from each other that they work for their bread. Next to that the idea that people are given courses in case they cannot find any work, is amazing. Currently, in the Netherlands the demand for architects is very low, so what happens if you get a degree in architecture and cannot find a job? The demand for engineers, especially ICT engineers is very high! If someone cannot find a job, he can get e.g. a course in computer science and learn how to program. Once the person has the basic programming skills, he will be able to find a job easily.

 

Mehrag Faiz

May 30, 2017May 31, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

Political feud between Turkey and the Netherlands

Lately, the Turkish president, Erdogan, called out a referendum in which he would earn a massive amount of power and he doesn’t let people refuse it. Now, the Turkish minister wants the Turkish citizens in the Netherlands to vote on Erdogan. But, the Netherlands refuses and doesn’t want the Turkish minister landing in the Netherlands. This has created a big feud between the two countries. Even the Turkish minister called out that the Netherlands is the last thing that is remained of Nazism.

This is a social problem because a lot of people are involved. The Dutch government is involved, the Turkish government is involved and the European union might even get involved. There is also small chaos in the Netherlands because of Turkish citizens rioting on the streets why the Netherlands won’t allow these inhabitants to participate in the referendum. If this goes on for to long, the European Union might get involved and this small political argument can turn out way bigger than planned.

Honestly, I think that the Netherlands has made the right decision. Why would you want to have a say in a country that you don’t live in, and then even start to riot in the Netherlands. I think that this is absolutely unacceptable. Also, the Turkish minister named the Netherlands the last thing that has remained of Nazi-Germany. Not only is this a massive insult to the Dutch Government, because the Netherlands had majorly suffered during the second world war and a whole city even managed to get bombed. But also, Turkey is turning into a big dictatorship with Erdogan ruling it. I can definitely say that the upcoming Turkish dictatorship is way closer to the national socialist ideology then the Dutch monarchy. I also think that it is nonsense that the citizens in the Netherlands with a Turkish background want to have an influence on the political circumstances in Turkey. Your parents or you chose to be a part of a different country. In my opinion, your from the Netherlands, or you are from Turkey. If you chose that you want to be a Turkish citizen, then what is the point of you living in the Netherlands. If you have a Turkish background, but you want to be a Dutch Citizen, then you should be able to take this opportunity and become a part of a different society. The situation might even have an influence on the elections in the Netherlands. I think more people will start voting for the PVV after this small feud.

Simply, I think the Netherlands made the right decision.

April 20, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

Imprisonment required on Christian governor in Jakarta

Indonesian prosecutors have required a imprisonment for a Christian governor in Jakarta. He is seen guilty for blasphemy. Ahok, the Christian governor, mentioned that the Indonesian population is being deceived by his enemies in parliament. He mentioned that the other governors claim that Muslims that live by the Koran shouldn’t have a non-Muslim leader. A lot of Muslims reacted very angrily to his statement and this even led to a year imprisonment for the Christian governor.

There are quite a lot of people involved in this case. Of course the other governors in parliament but also the Indonesian population. Although more than 80 per cent of the Indonesian population is actually Muslim, there still is a small group directed more towards the south eastern part of Indonesia that are Christian. And I would definitely understand why they would be furious at this moment. The only Christian governor in parliament has now been imprisoned for basically just telling his opinion on the other governors.

I definitely think that Ahok didn’t deserve this imprisonment. And a few values actually collide in this whole situation. He didn’t discriminate anyone, he didn’t insult any one in my opinion, the Indonesian population might have a different opinion about it, but, he just mentioned his opinion and what he thinks. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest decision to claim that all Muslims that live according to the Koran can’t have a leader that is a non-Muslim, but in my opinion, this is not an insult. This is just what he sees and what he thinks. So imprisonment was definitely not deserved in this situation. I thought freedom of opinion counted for everyone living in Indonesia but clearly it didn’t to Ahok.

Ahok will also not be rechosen as the governor for the Christian party in Indonesia. So he won’t only be imprisoned, he won’t get his job back. As expected, he lost the battle to his Islamic enemies.

Basically I think that Ahok’s imprisonment is far from deserved. All he did was mention his opinion about his Islamic opponents in parliament. This happens all the time. If you would take a look at the debates in the Netherlands, you could see that all the ministers have a clear opinion about each other and these opinions are rarely ever positive.

Daan van Gils

April 20, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

Overbooked United flight gets physical

On Sunday, one of the United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville, a passenger who refused to give up his seat on the overbooked flight got into some problems.

The man from Asian decent was on his way to a surgery when he was forced to leave the plane because it was “too full”. Of course the man refused and wanted to stay on and make it to the appointment on time. But the United crew didn’t accept it and dragged the man out of the plane. Some passengers filmed the incident and posted it on social media, it went viral within hours and caused quite some commotion. On the video you can see the man being dragged through the aisle screaming. Later some photo’s appeared of the man being wounded on his face.

Dragging a man off a plane, which he paid $500 for, is nonsense. The way the United Crew reacted to this is just off the rails. The job of those people is to make the flight as comfortable as possible, not the opposite.

The victim has already sued United for this incident and will probably win. In the procedure his lawyers demanded the use of security footage of both the plane and airport against the case which will be held at the court of Illinois.

United apologized Wednesday and said that all passengers will get a refund. This followed the public excuse of chief Oscar Munoz: ‘I want to make up for it’.

The incident sparked criticism of a system that allows airlines to involuntarily boot passengers from flights. United was acting within their rights and following policy. Then, the situation turned physical. United asked passengers to give up their seats voluntarily for compensation. Four crew members needed to get on the flight in order to work another one in Louisville or else that flight would be cancelled. When no one volunteered, the airline was forced into an “involuntary de-boarding situation”. Passenger Tyler Bridges said the request for volunteers came after everyone had boarded. It was easy to understand why no one responded: it was Sunday night and the next flight was not until Monday afternoon he said.

Two officers tried to calmly talk the man out of his seat before a third approached him in an aggressive manner. The officer told him he had to get off the plane, and when he resisted, the officer grabbed him out of his seat and carried him out with the other officers.

The man hit his head on an armrest. He yelled that he was a doctor and that he was being profiled for being Chinese. The scene left everyone unsettled, including children who started crying.

 

Ward Beerens

Da4b

April 13, 2017 by gottacatchthenews

‘Toxic gas attack’ in Syria kills at least 58 people

At least 58 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town in north-western Syria, a monitoring group says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that strikes on Khan Sheikhoun by the Syrian government or Russian jets had caused many people to choke. Later, aircraft fired rockets at local clinics treating survivors, medics and activists said. A Syrian military source denied the government had used any such weapons. Russia’s defence ministry meanwhile insisted it had not carried out any air strikes in the vicinity. If confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest chemical attacks in Syria’s civil war.

The warplanes are reported to have attacked Khan Sheikhoun, about 50km (30 miles) south of the city of Idlib, early on Tuesday, when many people were asleep.

Hussein Kayal, a photographer for the Edlib Media Center (EMC), told the Associated Press that he was awoken by the sound of an explosion at about 06:30.

When he went outside to see what exactly happened, there was no smell, he said. He found people lying on the floor, unable to move and with constricted pupils, he added.

Mohammed Rasoul, the head of a charity ambulance service, told the BBC that his medics had found people, many of them children, choking in the street.

The Syrian Observatory quoted medics as saying that they had been treating people with symptoms including fainting, vomiting and foaming at the mouth.

The journalist also reported that the same facility was hit by a rocket on Tuesday afternoon, bringing down rubble on top of doctors treating the injured.

The source of the projectile was not clear, but the EMC and the opposition Local Co-ordination Committees network said warplanes had targeted several clinics.

The SOHR put the death toll at 58, including 11 children, but Mr Rasoul reported that 67 people had been killed and that 300 were injured.

All by all,  you can say that this event yet again caused the death of many innocent people. The Syrian Civil war is ongoing since 2011 and yearly the number of deaths are increasing more and more. Journalists in Syria are still analyzing things regarding number of deaths, the cause and what it has damaged.

Mehrag Faiz

 

April 4, 2017April 4, 2017 by gottacatchthenews