"In my head I wrote a business plan for a service that would hire out protesters that would go against type and thus catch people's eyes. Can you imagine the impact of an anti-Bush rally populated by young buff men in NASCAR T-shirts and stylish businesswomen?"

That's kind of what Protest Warrior does, although they have been moribund of late.

Thanks for mentioning me. I still can't find my notes, and I would love to find a podcast or transcript. PEN has some up from last year, so maybe they will be posted eventually.

Bravo. Very well said.

"... When the knock on the door came in the middle of the night at their neighbors' houses in 1942, they closed their eyes tighter and pulled the covers around them tighter and pretended to sleep ...

This is precisely the reaction that cannot be repeated. The Blogosphere (h/t Bill Quick) can not let this happen.

As our voices grow, I pray that our combined wisdom keep people informed of both the score and what is at stake in this global game.

I remember the aftershock week that followed Sept. 11. .... Nobody knew what was happening, or what was going to happen next. There were stories of physical attacks on anyone who looked vaguely Islamic; there were fears of how law enforcement would react.

....Those of us with Middle Eastern neighbors kept an eye on the[m], always asked how they were doing, if they needed anything. Just in case.

I remember two small moments after 9/11 morning with shining clarity.

One was at an Oakland gas station, where a middle aged black woman and I exchanged Need anything? We're in this together glances without even being fully conscious of it. Then we both glanced over at the of-middle-eastern-extraction station manager and walked over to greet him as our cars' tanks filled. Not some big deal. Just a "know your neighbor" moment... in a heightened-tension atmosphere.

Two days later, I was at a neighborhood convenience store that's run by Sikhs. The turbaned fellow behind the counter noticed I was carrying some American flag stickers I'd just bought down the street. He shyly asked me if he could buy one from me. I said "No way!" as I handed him two. We both knew why he wanted them. For both reasons, I gave them to him.

And I spent the next few minutes talking to him, letting him know I knew a little about the Khalsas, and that I was sure it was a proud thing to be a Sikh.

Again, not exactly earth-shaking. Just neighborly, is all. And I made sure to shop there every day for the next month.

Actually, the Netherlands did quite well during the "knocks on the door" period and showed a lot of civic courage. A hell of a lot, actually.

As for the war phase, they were up against a vastly superior enemy that outmanoevered the allied expeditionary force, drove them out, then crushed the Dutch. Until the mid-1950s, all you had to say was "Rotterdam" and people knew what you were talking about - it was a template for the terror-bombing of cities. No shame there.

Watching what they've fallen to is sad on so very many levels.

(The French, on the other hand, who had more tanks than the Germans did... not so proud - not before, not during, not after. And of course France's Left played a major role in helping the Nazis, with acts that extended all the way to physical sabotage during the conflict phase.)

The Netherlands went to both extremes, Joe. They had a very effective resistance but also supplied a large number of recruits to the SS.

The Dutch possesed 1 squadron of fighters that were outdated in the severest. The Bombing of Holland, broke the governments back and they capitulated within 5 days. There was no shame in saving those not killed already by the bombings. The strong young men who were able and lucky enough fled to England and were prominent in Dutch only brigades and air squadrons. The Dutch merchant navy played important roles in the supply lines to Russia. Those who were left behind (men) were drafted into the German army, where many would end up in the SS (much against popular belief) not a voluntary force. It's the SS officers that were the real evil in that force.

There were indeed a handfull of Dutch people that sided with the Germans, but few in numbers indeed.

Even to this date, there is still a strong feelings against the German population in Holland, and though they are renowned to be liberal, can get very verbal when Germans are discussed.

Now onto the eviction of Miss Ali;
She was evicted from a very busy apartment block in a very wealthy area of The Hague. Majority of the residents will have been alive during the WWII, and by no means can these people be labeled as cowards. After she made the news in Holland with her views and speeches, she was moved to an army barracks in Holland with round the clock security for her own protection. Not a bad idea, if you consider the large population of muslims, and the death-threats that had been made to her.
She was very unhappy there however (as you can imagine, being alone in an old army barrack) and asked to move to The Hague (close to parliament). The Dutch goverment, without consulting the neighbours moved her into the apartment in question. With that came a twenty fold number undercover security personnel, who in doing their difficult job, made regular checks and regularly set up road blocks. Residents have championed Hrisi for her outspoken views, but have not appreciated the loss of freedom in their own property (several people have been unable to enter their own apartment overnight due to security concerns.

Miss Ali deserves her recognition and credit for talking out against much of the negative aspects of her own religion. Very few of her neighbours argue that (if any). It's never as good when it happens on your own doorstep.

I personally wouldn't have reacted in that way (although if the police stopped me from going into my own house, I'd be pretty annoyed about it), and it seems most of you here writing negatively about the Dutch would either. But being liberal, doesn't that mean we should also consider the other side's point ?