Sail

The war on terror had been gaining a new dimension as Sail Amsterdam was approaching in the Netherlands, August 17, 2005. Statements were given by the authorities that the event could be a target of a new terrorist-attack. The Netherlands was one of the American allies in the war on terrorism initiated by US president George W. Bush of Dutch descent, in Iraq and elsewhere, mainly in the Middle East, which more or less inaugurated the 21st century.
Sail is a manifestation of sailing-ships from around the world, in the port of Amsterdam, quite near a replica of an old VOC-ship, the Amsterdam, situated next to the Netherlands Maritime Museum. This ship, an employment-project turned into a tourist-attraction, was built by the initiative of the same municipality which had decided to expand the Anne Frank House into a more general minorities-museum at the time.
The VOC (Dutch United East India Company) was one of the first multinationals on earth, at the peak of its power in the 17th century, and the ship, the Amsterdam, is seen by many as a symbol of colonialism and even contemporary capitalism and globalisation.
To be able to build the Anne Frank Museum, many student-apartments had to be torn down, which caused a certain controversy. The mayor of Amsterdam at the time was also known to be unfriendly to the squatters-movement. And in this way (the plan to build) such a museum was seen as a hypocritical manoeuvre by many people. The decision to build it anyway was made in the 1990s, shortly before an El Al-airplane crashed in the middle of a densely populated living-area in Amsterdam South East, where many minorities lived.
The accident is still seen by some as a precedent of the terrorist-attacks on New York City, years later, as it has possibly inspired a group of alienated Arab men in the West to imitate such a catastrophe. The September 11, 2001 attacks consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist suicide attacks by Islamic extremists on the United States of America.
All people imitate to some extent.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower, resulting in the collapse of both buildings and irreparable damage to nearby buildings. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers; that plane crashed into a field near the town of Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In addition to the 19 hijackers, 2,973 people died; another 24 are missing and presumed dead. The victims were predominantly civilians.
Other terrorist-attacks followed in Madrid, 2004, and London, 2005, after a bloody war on terrorism had started.
In cafes in Amsterdam speculations have been going round if the city would be as famous as London or Madrid or even New York City now getting some sort of attack.
A few days before, in the morning, a loud thunderclap was heard from the sky, before it began to rain heavily, and someone at the flea market had asked: "Have they already begun?"

Our special reporter in the Netherlands has been to the south-western part of the country, Zealand, and wrote that this area has commercialised tremendously. In a familiar beach-tent with a view over the sea, near the village of Renesse, he often used to visit to get some peace of mind, this year, for the first time, a large quantity of parasols was found on its terrace. These had been installed because the local middle class, trying to live off tourism around the beach, suddenly became oriented to receive more so quiet and decent families than loud but especially poor teenagers, it was suggested.
To the same effect and to also further promote so-called norms and values, large and serial bungalow-parks have been built in or near natural areas in increasing number, despite all resistance. The rules are that these bungalows are not really allowed to be inhabited more than half of the year, so that they are not transformed into ordinary living-space. But they still bring a good income to the local population. And as environmentalists, developers, local and national authorities and Europe all have a say, agricultural areas have been artificially reshaped into pseudo-natural areas this way, serving the interests of mainly absent tourists.
Renesse was one of the first to be called a European municipality.
If only the squatters knew of all this!
The parasols were partially associated with the war on terror. They give a sense of security and protection, one of the waitresses had said. The unique view over the sea from our beach-tent was totally gone although.
Our reporter sat next to a couple in bathing suits, who had come from near the German border. They were eating hamburgers and had a glass of beer, but little sunshine on that sunny day.
The male had tried to touch the leg of his wife (or girlfriend) with one foot. But she had replied: "No, not now, Jan, tonight… on the couch!"
This report was given, as if pertaining to the Euro or even globalisation itself.
We are still trying to correctly interpret this message from our special correspondent.
There are various applications.
We are still trying to correctly interpret this message from our special correspondent.
There are various applications.