We will answer all things faithfully - The Merchant of Venice, Act V, scene i
Viglius
(English below)
Toen ik vandaag mijn PC opstartte, had ik niet verwacht te zien te krijgen wat ik zag: een opgeblazen debat over een non-issue. Normaal gesproken zou ik gewoon gereageerd hebben in de comments onder een artikel, maar dit is moeilijk, zo niet onmogelijk gemaakt door het onlangs door Konrad Neumann gepubliceerde artikel. Naast de interessante meningen van Neumann, trekt het artikel namelijk publiekelijk zowel mijn integriteit als mijn motieven in twijfel, zonder basis en zonder consultatie methet leidend voorwerp, dat wil zeggen, mijzelf.
Ik voel me daarom gedwongen nog een artikel te schrijven, om de opzettelijke insinuaties uit het Neumann-artikel te weerspreken. Maar voor ik dat doe, wil ik één ding graag heel duidelijk stellen: als mijn eerste artikel beoordeelt was op wat er letterlijk in staat, was dit allemaal onnodig geweest.
Om te beginnen: de titel van Neumann's stuk. Bestuurlijke ongehoorzaamheid. Deze uitdrukking ben ik nooit eerder tegengekomen. Burgerlijke ongehoorzaamheid ken ik, maar wat is bestuurlijke ongehoorzaamheid? Gelukkig begint Neumann zijn artikel met een soort van samenvatting. Bestuurlijke ongehoorzaamheid is blijkbaar wat ik tentoon heb gespreid, en dit is dan alleen toegestaan als je:
- Dit niet beledigend of agressief doet.
- Dit is gebaseerd op de uitgangspunten en belangen van je achterban.
- De onrechtvaardigheid rechtstreeks aan de kaak stelt.
- Alle gangbare manieren om dit onrecht binnen de betreffende instantie aan de kaak te stellen uitgeput zijn.
Nu zou ik door kunnen gaan door met argumenten tegen dit alles te komen, maar de meeste zijn al genoemd in de reacties onder Neumann’s artikel. Deze ga ik niet herhalen, vooral omdat ik geen reden tot argumenteren zie. Neumann heeft een mening, en dat is precies wat zijn artikel laat zien, en niets meer. En zoals jullie allemaal weten, hou ik van mensen die een eigen mening hebben.
Wat ik wel nadrukkelijk verwerp in dit artikel, is de manier waarop de mening van één persoon wordt gebracht als feit en universele waarheid ineen. Wat ik wel verafschuw, is de manier waarop Neumann zijn eigen mening niet alleen gebruikt om zijn eigen visie voor het voetlicht te brengen, maar ook om mijn artikel volledig uit context te halen. Zelfs daar had ik nog prima mee kunnen leven, als hij professioneel genoeg was geweest om zijn mening te vormen na hoor en wederhoor toegepast te hebben. Dit heeft hij duidelijk niet gedaan, resulterend in dit debat over niets.
Er zijn meer dingen waar ik niet vrolijk van wordt, zoals de veroordelende, zelf bevooroordeelde toon van het geheel, maar dat is een kwestie van smaak en dus niet betwistbaar. Dat laat mij ook de ruimte om uit te leggen waarom ik gehandeld heb zoals ik heb gedaan.
Toen Garmr mij vroeg om, als hij de verkiezingen zou winnen, adviseur van de regering wilde worden, heb ik ja gezegd. Ik voelde me vereerd, en zag totaal geen reden om er iet mee in te stemmen. Nog geen twee dagen geleden echter werd het kabinet gepresenteerd, en zag ik een probleem. Dit kabinet bestaat voornamelijk uit burgers met buitenlandse in-game nationaliteiten, iets waartegen ik me vol overtuiging heb verzet in het recente verleden. Ik werd daardoor met een moeilijke kwestie opgescheept: hoe zou ik naar eer en geweten een regering kunnen adviseren die is gestoeld op een principe wat ik niet onderschrijf? Ik heb toen besloten dat ik dat niet kan. Niet alleen omdat het voor mij onmogelijk zou zijn, maar ook omdat het de regering voor paal zou zetten. Dat is de reden waarom ik heb besloten terug te treden, en dat is ook exact de tekst van zowel mijn e-mail aan de president als van mijn eerdere artikel.
Maar waarom heb ik dit dan openbaar gemaakt? Om eerlijk te zijn: juist om een situatie als deze te voorkomen. Ik wilde de regering niet beschadigen met geruchten – zonder uitleg – over mijn vertrek die de ronde zouden kunnen gaan doen. Ik wilde er voor zorgen dat meteen duidelijk zou zijn dat mijn handelen niet stoelt op een gebrek aan vertrouwen , maar op mijn eigen principes. Dit was een persoonlijk keuze, geen politieke, en zeker niet bedoeld om even makkelijk te scoren. Mensen die dit denken, kennen mij slecht. Het zij zo.
Kortom, ik denk wel dat er mensen zijn die hun excuses zouden kunnen aanbieden, maar ik reken mijzelf niet tot deze groep. Voor de toekomst heb ik de hoop dat auteurs van blijkbaar gevoelig liggende artikelen als deze, hun bronnen nagaan voordat zij oordelen of de motieven van de betrokken personen proberen te doorgronden. Of ligt de lat dan te hoog?
Congreslid voor DemNL
When I checked in on my PC today, I did not expect to see what I did see: a full-blown discussion on something basically unimportant. Normally, I would just have commented on the reactions in the comments below, but that has been made impossible, or at the very least, difficult, because of this article published by Konrad Neumann. Besides the interesting opinions Neumann has, it publically questions both my integrity and my motives, without any base and without asking the direct object, that is, me.
I therefore feel forced to write another article, to repudiate the intentional wrong assumptions made in the Neumann article. But before I do so, let’s be perfectly clear on one thing: had my first article been taken on face value, all this would have been unnecessary.
To begin with: the title of this piece. Administrative disobedience. I have never seen this expression before. Civil disobedience is something I know, but what is administrative disobedience? Luckily, Neumann begins with a definition. Administrative disobedience is what I demonstrated, apparently, and this would only be allowed if you:
- Act non-violently (as in non-insulting or combative).
- Act based on the ideals and interests of the constituency you serve.
- Direct your challenge against the injustice.
- Have exhausted all normal means to protest this injustice within institution you are working in.
I might continue this article by coming with arguments against this, but most have already been noted in the comments underneath the Neumann article. I will not restate those, mainly because I see nothing to argue about. Neumann has an opinion, and that’s what his article is, and nothing more. And as you all know, I like people to have an opinion of their own.
What I do vehemently reject in this article, is the way in which the opinion of one person is brought as both fact and universal truth. What I do loath is the way in which Neumann uses his own opinion to not only make his own view come across, but to put my whole article out of context. And even that would have been all right with me, if he had been professional enough to form his own opinion after having heard both sides. He did not, obviously, resulting in a huge debate about nothing.
There are other things in it I do not like, like the judgmental, partisan tone of it, but that’s matter of taste and thus non-arguable. That leaves me some room to explain why I did do things like I did.
When I was asked by Garmr to become an advisor to his government if he were to win the elections, I said yes. I felt honoured by it, and I saw no reason whatsoever to say no. Only two days ago, when the cabinet was presented, I saw a problem. This cabinet is filled with people with in-game foreign citizenship, something I have argued against extensively in the recent past. I then faced a very difficult problem: how could I faithfully advise a government founded on a principle I reject? I decided I could not. Not only because it would be impossible for me, but because it would look ridiculous for the government. That is why I decided to step down, and that is exactly the text of my e-mail to the President and in my previous article.
But why did I publish it, then? To tell you the truth: to forestall the fuss we have found ourselves in right now. I did not want to damage the government in any way by having rumours about my sudden departure – without any explanation – skulking through our community. I wanted to make sure that it was known that it is not a trust issue, but a matter of personal principle. This was a personal decision, not a political one, and certainly not something to score points with. People who think I would do that, do not know me very well. So be it.
In short, I think there might be some people who ought to apologize, but I do not count myself among them. For the future, I hope writers of articles with an apparently sensitive subject like this one, check their sources before they judge or try to analyze the motives of the persons involved. Or is this to ambitious a goal?
Member of Congress for DemNL
Comments
Voted
voted.
mooie uitleg
Again: hooray for principles!
nice 🙂
It is you that is making a political statement. Even now, you are making a political statement. You can resign quietly instead of creating a scene about people of foreign CS and etc. No need to shout your links promoting your personal agenda in articles that is in favor of views. In the end, this shows you are not a team player and I do not think you should be trusted in any future government post. You violate the gov's trust.
If you are in an institution like the gov, you need to try to address this in house first. This is also your personal opinion and you do not need to advertise your reason of resign and making a huge political statement. Your actions was selfish and overall an unprofessional government member. Address the issue in house first. If you are still unhappy and it is a PERSONAL reason (since Garmr did not violate any laws etc) resign quietly first, then protest as a free citizen.
All you are doing, at least what many people thinks, is you taking cheap shots. You do not like Garmr's policies and you and your coalition is now using the momentum of your resignation to protest as well as to tarnish Garmr's gov and his policies. You can believe in your ideals etc, but the way you did it was wrong and ethically questionable. What I see is like the French football team in the 2010 World Cup. You going public when it should not. I think you should apologize to Garmr personally
Konrad, you clearly do not entirely understand the eDutch politics module. Everything here happens to be seen for the larger crowd. But consider this; Hindrik is a man (I personally) consider to be a man to have a firm believe for his own point of view. If he was not told all the ministers were to be foreigners, I can understand he leaves and just adresses this to the crowd, before I&W can make a cheap blow. Also, remember how half the ministers left after the vote buying scandal?
het is natuurlijk jammer dat er een adviseur uit de regering stapt.
maar op basis van de argumenten die hindrik geeft is het op zich wel begrijpelijk.
je gaat niet zo gauw met iets samenwerken waar je je eerst tegen verzet.
wel jammer is dat hier een hele discussie overkomt o.a door konrad.
dit schaadt namelijk zowel hindrik als de regering.
@Cure: I am in eNL before you were even eActive. What I said above is true in all countries eRep or RL.No one is questioning his right to his views but as a team player he should leave the team and then after a day or so do this thing. He should not do a political resignation. It really is not that complicated. So was the French football team ok to go to the media? Why have team in the first place then.With what you support, do we need gov to be single party now? It is the only way to avoid this
@Konra😛 The only things I see in both your article and in your comments are your personal opinions. I respect your opinions, but that does not mean that I play by your book. You may think your way superior, I think otherwise. I care shit what 'many' people think, because the 'many' you are talking about are not willing to see it any other way. If this explanation fails to persuade you, I rest my case. I think I have acted both correctly and graciously, and I will not change that view.
@Hindrik: Is it so hard to wait a day or something? Do you have to do a political resignation? What about being a team player? You can resign yes but why make it political? That is my problem. It is not about your vision but the way you did it. In the end you did stab the gov in the back. Seeing your attitudes about it, we are at an impasse. On a personal note, base on this action, I do not think you should be in future government for how can anyone trust you to be in a team in the future?
ik ben gestopt met lezen na "(English below)".
''Konrad, you clearly do not entirely understand the eDutch politics module.''
He actually did play in the eDutch political module before most of you were born. It could be the other way around.
Hindrik, you suck! I don't like you. You are an idiot.
I really do not see why it is so hard to accept Hindrik's explanation of his actions, which seem reasonable and logical to me. Principles really are important to some of us, more important than politics. Live with it.
Cunemous, thank you for your usefull contribution
When in RL an political figure resigns, it is not considered stabbing the team in the back, it is considered leaving the team, nothing more. Maybe he should have talked things through with the rest of the gov first. Then again he was an advisor not a minister, and is this really worth the fuss? is this really worth chassing new players away who we so desperately need and now think this is a game where people fight over non-issues in non-RL politics
People! It's just a game...
@Konra😛 Is it so hard for you to accept that there are people with opinions and priciples that don't match yours? You are adding more and more baseless accusations in your attempt to discredit Hindrik which clearly indicates that you already know that you have lost this discussion.
Everybody would've forgotten about this already hadn't Konrad written an article about it.
It's like blowing air into a bullshit balloon
I think Hindrik was entirely right in his actions, motivations and intentions. I haven't seen any real government members (advisors excluded) expressing their pain of being stabbed in the back, which leads me to think it isn't a big deal, further augmented by the fact that the president himself issued a statement to that very effect.
And if the honorable adviser and lead criticaster of my dear brother wants to discuss this any further, optionally supported by the unexpectedly foul-mouthed Cunemous, please oblige the entire community by restricting your futile attempts at forcing your particular and obviously superior world view upon others to a private discussion. Thank you. 😁
Voted
@FrankieL 😕OL, you really? It seems you are the one that is baseless here. What I say is not difficult. First you resign and then as a private citizen he can do what he want. Unlike his political resignation in which he spams links of his articles and posting lots of comments about his resignation due to politics. If you have experience, the government is a team, It is not congress in which party politics runs rampant. The government needs to act as one and trust is vital. This is basic Gov101
Anyone can believe in whatever they do but this issue is not vital for that a breach of that trust to be warranted. He also never consult the team. What is shocking is that people only focus on Hindrik the individual but never at the precedence he caused. Maybe you are an idealistic lot, but if you support Hindrik of his actions, then the only way gov will work is a single party gov system. Do you really want a winner takes all political system?
@Konra😛 What doom-mongering nonsense is this? Trust is indeed vital, and the main reason behind my resignation. What kind of trust is it to stay on when you cannot support a team? What kind of teamwork is it to resign without stating the reason, so all kinds of rumours can spread? And political resignation and spamming? Give me a break! You seem unwilling to trust in my sincerity. But should that be my problem? Both the government and you are being damaged now... by your actions. Thank you!
Kinderen, hou is op!
@Konra😛
"It seems you are the one that is baseless here. What I say is not difficult. First you resign and then as a private citizen he can do what he want."
Which is exactly what Hindrik did.
So who is the one who has a hard time understanding the facts?
@Frankie: you are incorrect. He did a political resignation in which he publicize and advertise his resignation and drawing attention to a political issue. He used his resignation as a medium to promote his agenda.
@Hindrik: Your actions only show what is wrong with you and we know better that you are not a team player and you are not to be trusted. You used your resignation as a political tool for your agenda, we now better now...
Would like to know why you, Konrad, would think he used his resignation for his own agenda, if you know something about Hindrik in this sense you should post it.
@Konra😛 So something is wrong with me, I'm not a teamplayer, I cannot be trusted and I used my resignation for my own agenda? You are a very special person, able to read minds and capable of knowing a person inside out because of one step he takes. What I would also like to know, is what my agenda is. You seem omniscient, so please tell!
Although I think it is a shame you think al these things, I cannot really care anymore. Your dreary personal attacks show just what you are about. How sad!
Oh, and while I'm at it: Konrad, could you start reacting to my and other people's arguments instead of copy-pasting your own delusional theories for the 27th time? I'm sure everyone would highly appreciate that. 😁
@Hindrik, I should say that for yourself. I answered your questions and you keep repeating yourself. If you do not understand what a team is, that is not my problem.
@Dream: Hindrik is always trying to change laws against ministers that are NLers but with different CS. He should not have joined the gov in the first place. He made a huge deal with Piet Valken. While there might be no collaboration, he did advertise and spread the fire on an issue that concerns only themselves.
He is trying to change laws against ministers that are NLers but with different CS? Now that is a huge assumption. Did he litterly say that? I would appreciate sticking to the facts.
Yes, I, too, would appreciate that. 'Always trying' and a 'huge deal'? You, mister, are a mudthrowing troll. Had our positions been reversed, the entire country would have fallen over my behaviour, and with good reason. Shame!