# Resignation of the Dutch Government **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 16, 2002, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resignation-of-the-dutch-government/103952 "2002-04-16T15:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resignation-of-the-dutch-government/103952/1 "2002-04-16T15:13:27Z")
Re the story cited below while the military miscalculation is a tragedy why is it sufficient to bring down an entire government? Granted parlimentary governments can dis-assemble and re-assemble more easily than presidential (ie US) style governments but to take down the government because a mistake in miltary strategy was made? Why? Seems like an excessive “falling on your sword” move. What’s the back story? > **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. > [@](#): > > THE HAGUE, Netherlands, April 16 — The Dutch government announced its resignation Tuesday, bending to pressure after a report blamed political leaders in part for failing to prevent the Serb massacre of Muslims during the 1995 fall of the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resignation-of-the-dutch-government/103952/2 "2002-04-16T15:39:04Z")
Election due soon. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resignation-of-the-dutch-government/103952/3 "2002-04-16T15:41:00Z")
I didn’t get from any of the news articles whether they resigned out of ‘collective guilt’ or anger. **Coldfire**? Anyway, there’s an election coming up on May 15, so it’s not as huge an issue as it could be. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resignation-of-the-dutch-government/103952/4 "2002-04-16T16:12:11Z")
It seems possible to me that this is a fairly symbolic “mea culpa”, and that most, if not all, of the politicos will be re-elected to their old seats, having shed any political baggage attached to the massacre. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resignation-of-the-dutch-government/103952/5 "2002-04-16T16:52:45Z")
Well, despite the implication of hand-washing, it’s still much more than most governments would do. ---
**Author:** ![kase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@kase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kase)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resignation-of-the-dutch-government/103952/6 "2002-04-16T20:27:25Z")
Oh, it was guilt allright. Though not as collective as I wished it would be. The Dutch government send a bunch of cowardly nitwits to Screbernica seven years ago. Just to let the world see: Hey! We Dutch have an army too! \* _blushing_ \* The more important players in this drama go free. [as per usual] Yes, there are elections next month, but our PM; Wim Kok, was quitting politics before this whole mess. Heaven help us when we have to vote for those who didn’t resign. Pim Fortuyn - our own Mussolini - must have the best day of his life. ☹