Anti-Vlaams Belang party in Belgium protests U.S. Embassy’s treatment of Vlaams Belang

A Belgian correspondent writes: “This is an open letter from Cassandra, the think tank of the LDD party, to the U.S. Ambassador in Belgium. LDD, the party of Jean-Marie Dedecker, is opposed to the VB. Dedecker used to belong to the Liberal Party but started his own party because the Liberal Party became too leftist. Dedecker is, however, one of the most outspoken opponents of Israel in Belgium and a supporter of the Palestinians.”

Dear Mister Ambassador,

We hear the American Embassy has revoked its invitations to Vlaams Belang to join you in the embassy to watch the inauguration of President Obama. Allow us to express our amazement about this somewhat peculiar invitation policy.

In order to immediately dispel any misunderstanding: our organization, Cassandra, is by no means a supporter of the Vlaams Belang. As an internationally-minded think tank with strong Atlantic sympathies , we consider the Vlaams Belang to be a party completely turned inwards and incapable of formulating constructive policy ideas.

They are however not be regarded as the local chapter of the KKK. Their representatives are democratically appointed in fair and free elections, and enjoy the support of a (dwindling) part of the Flemish population. Neither do they harbor any negative feelings towards the USA. Something which certainly cannot be said of some of your other distinguished guests, Groen!, the Parti Socialiste , and Ecolo, who over the last years haven been competing in the vilification of the U.S. with often grotesque allegations of American “facism,” “racism” and -that evergreen- “imperialism.”

We do hope this sudden revoking of invitations has not been caused by discreet phone-calls from the current government. It is no secret that the traditional political families in this country tend to be irritable towards competitors. Embassies, however, are not supposed to intervene in the political house-holds of their hosts. Unfortunately, this incident seems to indicate that you have.

The leaders of Vlaams Belang have neglected the need to moderate and broaden the limited ideological basis of their party over the last years, so they currently seek the “underdog position”: the last chance for their political survival. Any sign, hint or demonstration of different treatment towards them is hereby embraced as a proof of foul play and provides them with an additional ground to hide behind a shield of carefully nurtured martyrdom, rather then to seriously debate the issues.

We urge you therefore to remain neutral, as politics are meant to be conducted with well-developed arguments, in a clean fight, without victimization yet also without discrimination. Please treat their representatives with the respect and courtesy they unconditionally deserve as representatives of part of the Flemish population.

After all, if the ideas of Thomas Jefferson about equality and equal treatment had been only partly implemented in the great nation of the USA, the American population could not have hailed today its very first black president. Equal treatment is indivisible—or fraud.

Kind Regards,
Kristof Van der Cruysse Prof. Boudewijn Bouckaert
Algemeen Secretaris Cassandra Voorzitter Denktank Cassandra
Met vriendelijke groet,
Kristof Van der Cruysse,
Algemeen Secretaris Denktank Cassandra,
Voorzitter Werkgroep “Europa & BZ”
Pol. Sec. LDD Brussels Gewest,

Bezoek ook de website van Denktank Cassandra op www.cassandra.be

Posted by Lawrence Auster at January 21, 2009 10:51 AM | Send