Theo Bruinsma -- San Francisco

  There was a song during the eighties by the Scottish rock band, Simple Minds, called “ Promised You a Miracle .” But I always heard it as “Promised You America.”

Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly in High Society (1956)   DALLAS, TEXAS: In October 1986, a significant event took place at the Hilton Anatole Hotel (then called the Loews Anatole): the Princess Grace Foundation gala, and the royal family of Monaco was in attendance. Several days before the event, all staff scheduled to work underwent background checks. Though we waiters were not privy to specific details, we noticed numerous men in suits loitering around and we suspected they were federal agents.

Selon l'article 1 de la Constitution néerlandaise, chaque individu aux Pays-Bas doit être traité de manière égale devant la loi. Cependant, il existe une famille qui est au-dessus de la loi : la supérieure famille royale néerlandaise. Cela représente une énorme contradiction dans la société et la culture néerlandaises. Le législateur néerlandais devrait soit abolir l'article 1, soit la monarchie, et revenir à une république, ce que les Pays-Bas étaient à l'origine.

DALLAS, TEXAS -- 1985-89: Luckily, a new hotel had opened-up in Dallas, and I was able to work some banquet shifts there. It was a 5 star hotel called The Crescent Court Hotel. The banquet manager, Jorge, had previously been an assistant banquet manager at the Anatole under Charles Lorenzi. Originally from Bolivia, Jorge was of medium build with wavy black hair—not bad for a man in his forties. However, his large black mustache and oversized oval head seemed slightly out of proportion with the rest of his body. Before a banquet, Jorge was always nervous and overly serious, but once dessert and coffee were served, he relaxed and became charming. As a banquet waiter, I earned excellent money, and the employee cafeteria food was surprisingly good. I was always grateful when Jorge invited me back for more shifts. The Crescent Court Hotel’s design and architecture exuded traditional European style, as did its upper management. The general manager, a Dutchman, and most of his staff, primar...

DALLAS, TEXAS -- 1985-89 Mon endroit préféré à Dallas, celui où j’allais sans cesse, c’était le Starck Club. Situé dans le vieux quartier de la ville, là où les entrepôts, autrefois vitaux, étaient abandonnés et en ruines, juste après les voies ferrées oubliées de la révolution industrielle. Mais cet entrepôt-là avait été adopté et rénové par l’architecte et designer français, Philippe Starck.

Koning Willem-Alexander geeft de arbeidersklasse een lezing over 'gelijkheid' en 'diversiteit' Volgens Artikel 1 van de Nederlandse Grondwet dient iedereen in Nederland gelijk te worden behandeld onder de wet. Maar er is één familie die boven de wet staat: de superieure koninklijke Nederlandse familie. Dit is een enorme tegenstelling in de Nederlandse samenleving en cultuur. De Nederlandse wetgever zou óf Artikel 1 moeten afschaffen, óf de monarchie moeten opheffen en terugkeren naar een republiek, zoals Nederland oorspronkelijk was. Niet alleen staan de Nederlandse royals boven de wet, ze vertrappen ook de rechten van het Nederlandse volk door hun geld af te pakken. En dan houdt de koning toespraken over "gelijkheid" en "diversiteit", terwijl Nederlandse politici, gekozen door het volk, zwijgend toekijken. In Den Haag noemen ze dat "democratie". Koning Willem-Alexander is een van de rijkste mannen ter wereld. Zijn vermogen wordt geschat o...

King Willem-Alexander and his mother Princess Beatrix smiling at the people who pay for their palaces According to Article 1 of the Dutch Constitution, every individual in the Netherlands should be treated equally under the law. However, there is one family who is above the law: the superior royal Dutch family. This is a huge contradiction in Dutch society and culture. The Dutch legislature should either abolish Article 1 or the monarchy and revert back to a republic, which the Netherlands originally was.

ANGELIQUE ONTMOETEN OP HET STATION IN BUNNIK Het was een typisch Nederlandse grijze dag. Geen regen, geen zon. De trein had net het station van Utrecht verlaten, op weg naar Bunnik. Nog maar een paar minuten verwijderd van mijn weerzien met Angelique. De laatste keer dat ik haar zag, was 25 jaar geleden, toen ze mij bezocht in San Francisco. De laatste keer dat ik in Nederland was, bestond de gulden nog en heerste er Nederlandse vrijheid. Nu, zoveel jaren later terugkerend, was de munt in euro’s en de culturele munt in lockdowns, mondkapjes en QR-codes. De Nederlandse soevereiniteit en vrijheid hadden klappen gekregen, maar dit keer van binnenuit.

  It was a typical Dutch gray day—neither rain nor sun graced the sky. The train had just left Utrecht station, bound for Bunnik. I was now only minutes away from seeing Angelique. The last time I had seen her was 25 years ago when she visited me in San Francisco. My previous visit to the Netherlands had been in the era of the Dutch guilder and a sense of Dutch freedom. Now, returning after so many years, the monetary currency was euros, and the cultural currency was lockdowns, face masks, and QR codes. Dutch sovereignty and freedom had taken a beating—this time from within. When the train stopped in Bunnik, my compartment was the farthest from the platform. As I stepped out, I saw a silhouette in the distance waving at me. It was Angelique, dressed entirely in black, her long raincoat resembling a cape and a wide-brimmed black hat atop her head. For a moment, I felt transported to one of those Zorro-esque Sandeman commercials from my childhood in the Netherlands. The scene was mys...

Getting into the Starck Club wasn’t easy. There was always a long line, and the doormen were highly selective about who they allowed to enter. In my early twenties, with bleached blond hair, I was hip enough to pass. I wore black parachute pants and white leather shoes—very Duran Duran-esque.