After all the criticism: reworking the chapter on the most underrated period in recent history: the years 1960-1966.
Stuck between the fifties-myth (good old family life, no worries) and the sixties revolution that started halfway through the decade. A Winter-timeframe: the silence before the storm. Every institute in Holland was busy reflecting on its values (the churches then decided on the oecumene to join forces for the future, for instance). The first few years of the sixties were also the years Holland finally gave up its dream of keeping its colonial power, by handing over New Guinea to Indonesia. And immediately we replaced it with a new 'national identity': accepting we were nothing more than a province of international developments and becoming the biggest fans of the European community.
This brought on some interesting decisions: it was based on the thought that Dutch culture would melt into something bigger European and finally disappear, that we chose to subtitle all our television programs (instead of synchronizing it with Dutch voices) and make English a major part of the school curriculum. A unique decision in Europe, from which we still profit in international business (and in writing blogs)
Stuck between the fifties-myth (good old family life, no worries) and the sixties revolution that started halfway through the decade. A Winter-timeframe: the silence before the storm. Every institute in Holland was busy reflecting on its values (the churches then decided on the oecumene to join forces for the future, for instance). The first few years of the sixties were also the years Holland finally gave up its dream of keeping its colonial power, by handing over New Guinea to Indonesia. And immediately we replaced it with a new 'national identity': accepting we were nothing more than a province of international developments and becoming the biggest fans of the European community. 
This brought on some interesting decisions: it was based on the thought that Dutch culture would melt into something bigger European and finally disappear, that we chose to subtitle all our television programs (instead of synchronizing it with Dutch voices) and make English a major part of the school curriculum. A unique decision in Europe, from which we still profit in international business (and in writing blogs)
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