Posted on 05/06/2002 11:13:57 AM PDT by crystalk
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Dutch rightist Fortuyn shot dead
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) --Maverick Dutch right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn has been shot dead, police have told CNN.
Fortuyn, 54, was shot in the head at least three times at close range as he was going to a Dutch national radio station in Hilversum, the Associated Press reported.
Opinion polls had shown that Fortuyn and his party, running on an anti-immigration platform, were scheduled to win a large block in the country's parliament in May 15 elections.
A man who was believed to have been carrying a gun is reported to have been arrested outside the Media Park in Hilversum, 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Amsterdam.
Journalist Sander Van Hoorn told CNN: "Fortuyn was shot in the head, just behind his left ear, and in his neck and chest.
"Police have been searching for a single gunman, who was wearing a baseball cap. A police helicopter joined the search.
"People witnessed the gunman open fire and four people are reported to have chased after him."
Fortuyn's rise mirrors a right-wing resurgence in several European countries, lately highlighted by the far right-winger Jean Marie Le Pen's surprise showing in the first round of French presidential elections. Le Pen was soundly defeated in Sunday's run-off vote by incumbent Jacques Chirac.
CNN's European political editor Robin Oakley said: "Fortuyn was part of a new wave of Dutch politicians. He ran on an anti-immigration platform, but insisted he was not like Le Pen.
"He said he wanted nothing to do with Le Pen, but said the Netherlands was 'full up' with 16 million people. Although he said he did not want to deport immigrants, he was critical of Muslims for not joining in Dutch life, and wanted to restrict benefits to people who can speak Dutch.
"His party Leefbaar Nederland won over 30 % of votes in Rotterdam elections and it could have been the third or fourth biggest party in general elections next month.
"If the right toppled the socialists, Fortuyn could have become part of the coalition government."
Oakley said that Fortuyn was a former Marxist and sociology professor and newspaper columnist and was 'out of the staid style of Dutch politics. He was homosexual and drove around in a car with blacked out windows'.
Fortuyn's platform seemed out of place in the Netherlands, which has a reputation for liberalism.
It was the first country to legalise gay marriages, regulate prostitution, approve and control euthanasia, and tolerate the over-the-counter sale of marijuana in hundreds of "coffee shops."
Though tolerant of such subcultures, Fortuyn's popularity has exposed a deep vein of suspicion of immigrants in Europe's most densely populated country, about two million of whose 16 million people are not native Dutch. About 800,000 are Muslims.
He was founder of Leefbaar Nederland, which stunned the Netherlands in March when it won 35 percent of the vote for city council seats in Rotterdam, the second-largest city, The Associated Press reports.
Fortuyn advocates a ban on immigration and has criticised Islam as a "backward culture."
Although he no longer leads the party, polls project that it could win 24 seats in the 150-member parliament in May 15 national elections.
Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/05/06/fortuyn.shooting/index.html
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This is GOING TO HAPPEN no matter what neither you, nor I, nor President Bush, nor President Fox, nor Fidel Castro do to stop it.
It can turn into a very good thing, IMHO. Living in South America (in Chile) I can see first hand that these people have a great deal to contribute to the U.S. and will in the end continue the American dream, not end it. They are in general MUCH more religious and of higher moral character than many or even most Americans.
There is a selection effect w/ respect to the immigrants (or at least there used to be). Only the ones willing to make the effort to leave their own country and make a go of it in the U.S. would show up, and these were very hardworking and resourceful.
That has changed a lot now thanks to the People's Republic of Kalifornia welfare rules. Sigh...
Anyway, I have NO DOUBT that Islam will end the European dream (a self-styled 'culturally superior', and in no small way racist Social Democrat cradle to grave paradise), or co-opt it into a Islamic Socialist Empire extending from Scotland to Malaysia...
Why stip with Muslims? Lets kick out all middle easterners.
Amen.
I agree with your comments.
This is where Buchanan is exposed as a racist.
He goes on and on in his book The Death of the West lamenting about Europe's low birthrate. Irregardless of whether Europe is populated by white people, it is the values and politics which are anathema to us conservatives.
Whereas, as you point out, the immigrants from Latin countries to the south are religious and pro-family and long term may be conservative as they prosper.
It's just that there are too many immigrants to assimilate well at this point, and the multicultural emphasis is not indoctrinating either the immigrants or the next generation of Americans about the uniqueness and importance of American values.
This needs to be addressed in light of what is happening in Europe.
We shouldn't be concerned over what color this country turns out to be, as long as it is based on the heritage we received from our America forefathers.
No one is working on him at all, he doesn't even have an I.V. started, which is standard here.
They must do emergency medicine in a different way in Europe.
Reports of Fortuyn's death provoked joy in some quarters. A black teen-ager on a train to Hilversum shouted jubilantly: "Pim Fortuyn is dead, Pim Fortuyn is dead."
There's future of European democracy - just like Africa's.
As for Azatlan, all I have to say is .338.
The next couple of years is critical to determine what the population in Europe is doing about the welfare state and many obvious flaws.
If they don't take drastic actions to remedy their problems, then Europe is finished for good!
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