Above you see the pictures belonging to my last posting (see below) in reverse sequence, make it from "least grand" to "grandest" if one wants to attach a "grandeur-factor" to them. So the top is the skyline of Shanghai, then the buttplug-dwarf, then the bridge near the prison end as last but not least the art piece in front of our school's entrance. I still don't know why the picture-posting succeeded now and failed a couple of hours ago. I think I didn't have enoughh patience, sometimes it takes a little time before you see the picture appearing on your posting after you pressed the "done" button. This afternoon my computer is really slow, maybe because it's saturday afternoon.

By the way, I couldn't help respond to Caroline again, I hope we will have a great debate about the differences and similarities between the USA and Europe. These are topics that keep our minds busy. Read her comments. We both agree, I think, that our parliamentary democracies are first priority and that we have common religious roots. We (at this moment, at least) differ in the way how these values must be defended against jeopardizing threats such as fundamentalist Islam. I also believe that within our own cultures threats are also present: drugs, unlimited sex behaviour, drinking, loss of authority of parents and teachers over youngsters - educated or non-educated by these same parents and teachers, mutual offending under the cover of "freedom of speech", etc. These threats are used by outside-attackers of our democratic systems as proofs of the inferiority of Western culture. I think we agree on that.

Who wants to join us? Don't be afraid of clashing opinions, I "ended" my discussion but fortunately Caroline continued it. I am asking questions, I don't know the absolute answer. Caroline has made a point in saying that the Nazis didn't debate. What I want to say is that the Nazism as a system is the deepest bottom where a human can sink, but that we are not allowed to condemn people who fell that deeply, as humans I mean. Even Hitler was a human.My example of the soldier who stole food for a baby is to illustrate that many Dutchmen collaborating with the enemy were at least as deeply sunk as this soldier who was urged by his system to take part in it. The movie "Zwartboek" shows that some Dutchmen sunk deeper: their only aim was gaining profit by the holocaust, not bothering about anything else: human lives, helping or not helping the underground movement, helping or not helping the Germans, they simply manipulated these parties to gain dollars and jewels. What I also find is that one cannot compare the Nazis with the muslims as a whole, maybe some fundamentalist groups are comparable to fascist movements. The Nazis upgraded sadism and torturing to an "art", in a way I didn't notice yet with any Muslim movement. On the other hand, what I do know is that after W.W. II justified questions have been asked about the bombardments on Dresden and Hamburg, whether they really have been necessary for winning the war. The idea of Nazism, its ideology, is in itself criminal, it encourages ethnic cleansing formally, it is in itself full of lies and cheating, that's how a demonic war found its source. Islam is a religion with the intention to lead people in honesty and respect for each other, but, just as there are in the Bible, in the Koran there are places from which one can derive a mission to use violence against non-believers. It is a sad fact that it is a minority that lures young people to be "martyrs" in helping Allah, as if he would need any help! The problem is that the West attacking Muslim nations and "helping" Israel also helps these fascist movements. I am a friend of Israel, let it be well understood. But their almost desperate attempts to defend themselves and attack the "poor" Palestines is giving food to movements such as hamas and other West-hating movements in the Middle East. I hope it's not too late. I also regret the hanging of Sadam because it can all too easily be interpreted as a political trial. Or am I wrong?