Done with it!
I’m completely done with it! What an unbelievable mess we’ve made together. It’s honestly shameful. How am I ever supposed to explain this to my daughter, who’s starting secondary school in September? And what have I actually done to make things better? Because despite all my good intentions, my contribution feels more and more like a tiny drop on a blazing hot plate. I’m starting to lose hope. Hence this blog post. Partly to lift myself up through writing. Partly as a cry for help.
Trust in politics
First of all, I’m completely fed up with the chaos in The Hague. My trust in politics has never been lower. Apparently, the formation of the most right-wing government in Dutch history was the ultimate goal. Now that it’s here, they’re failing to get anything done—aside from infighting and bickering, of course. One of the most heartbreaking issues to me is the nitrogen crisis. Nature and biodiversity in the Netherlands are rapidly declining, and we’ve known for decades the role livestock farming, heavy industry, and air, road, and water traffic play in that. Yet the only symbolic measure they’ve managed is lowering the speed limit on highways.
If politicians truly want to move the country forward, they need to make bold, decisive choices. But this current generation of politicians seems focused solely on optics, having completely lost sight of substance. But what do I know? I no longer have accounts on X, Instagram or Facebook, so I miss most of the permanent campaign mode many politicians seem to live in.
Power-hungry autocrats
I’m also completely done with the power-hungry autocrats of this world. Vladimir Putin first and foremost, closely followed by Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. The constant threat of escalation—whether it’s the war between Russia and Ukraine, the war in Israel, or the recently unleashed global trade war—feeds fear and uncertainty. The fact that our own government is urging people to keep a 72-hour emergency supply at home says more than enough, if you ask me.
Leadership
Personally, I’m finding it harder and harder to maintain balance in my daily life. On the one hand, I’d love to pretend nothing is going on, that all this chaos is temporary. But I fear we’ve entered a downward spiral from which escape is becoming nearly impossible. All warning lights are flashing red, and more than anything, I’m craving leadership. Please, tell me things will be okay. Show me—not just in words, but through actions—that we can find our way back up. But let’s do it democratically, and with respect for the rule of law.
The health industry
I’m also done with how we’re throwing our very existence under the bus. Take our health, for example. Billions flow through the health industry. But as long as that industry continues to focus on symptom management instead of prevention, we’re just bailing out a sinking ship with a thimble. We live in a highly toxic environment. The quality of our soil, air, and water is appalling. And don’t even get me started on the so-called “quality” of our food. As long as the government refuses to step in, ‘Big Food’ and ‘Big Pharma’ will continue to reign. Our health has been visibly deteriorating for decades. Sure, we live longer than we did fifty years ago. But most people now spend more of those years in poor health. Why is that?
The dopamine hit
Human beings are driven primarily by what feels good, not by what is good for them. Like true junkies, we’re constantly chasing the next dopamine hit. Living healthily takes way more effort than living unhealthily. But humans weren’t made to sit on a couch all day with a screen and a bag of chips. Humanity had to fight for survival for over 300,000 years. Like wild animals, we spent most of our day gathering food. We had to work for it—it didn’t just fall into our laps. That all changed dramatically in the last fifty years. Finding food now takes zero effort. And the abundance and temptations are so overwhelming, we basically eat all day long.
Progress
If you ask me, human evolution has completely gone off the rails. And no one seems to care. I’m deeply worried about where we’re headed. Take AI, for instance. There are plenty of meaningful applications for artificial intelligence that can make our lives easier. But I fear that, from an evolutionary standpoint, it will only make us spiral further out of control. Can we even put the genie back in the bottle? Maybe instead of striving to make life easier, we should aim to make it more challenging. Because growth and development inevitably involve friction. And without friction, there’s no shine.