Topic: Dutch Austerity

Adam Curry attempts to teach John C. Dvorak the correct pronunciation of various Dutch names, including Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem. They play a clip of Amy Goodman failing to pronounce the name correctly while reporting on the Greek bailout and austerity demands. The hosts mock the difficulty English speakers have with Dutch phonetics.

The Netherlands is implementing strict austerity measures as a new coalition government takes shape. The Value Added Tax (VAT) has been raised from 19% to 21%, representing a 10% increase in the tax burden on consumers. These changes, along with increased healthcare costs, have sparked a realization among the Dutch public regarding the sustainability of their social welfare system.