I met another nice Dutch couple and asked them what was good about being Dutch. They answered without any hesitation. “It’s the Polder mentality. That’s what’s at the heart of our character. To reclaim the land from the sea is a huge undertaking so we have to gain the support of everyone – farmers, industrialists, politicians and everyday people.
“That means a lot of discussion to reach a consensus. But it is worth it because the result of what we decide is going to have an impact for many years. So consensus is in our nature. Our history has taught us to unite against a common opponent – in this case the sea. It’s also the basis of our industrial relations – to seek compromise rather than being antagonistic. It is the Rhineland approach, different from the Anglo-American model, and it works well for us”. It makes me wonder whether our aggressive approach in politics and the media in the UK is really so productive.
No comments:
Post a Comment