Confronting Ignorance in the Face of Reality
April 15, 2024
We are ignorant of the facts, and we deny the facts we do have. No one is pushing to finally publish the figures from the 2023 census. However, even the figure of 31% living below the poverty line was contested. Until Alexandra van Huffelen said on TV that 70% live below the poverty line, even that was disputed. We don't want to acknowledge that 65% of people are in debt. And we don't want to know about domestic or relational violence, either.
We know very little about the consequences of the climate crisis, while, for example, Bonaire knows that 1/5th of the island will disappear underwater and the Netherlands is already offering assistance. Aruba and Bonaire know they exceed the island's carrying capacity regarding tourism development. Bonaire now aims to minimize tourism growth. We know, but we do not want to know, that our population has shrunk to 148,000. We do not want to know how many people have emigrated. We know that 30 schools must close because too few children are born. Due to all of this, the retirement age must be raised. We know that all SVB funds are experiencing structural deficits and are unsustainable due to our aging population. We know that our healthcare is becoming unaffordable.
Those who dare to speak about these issues are not just dismissed, they are labeled as negative and are expected to come up with solutions. We are not just burying our heads in the sand, we are actively discouraging any discussion about these pressing matters.
Miguel Goede