Going Dutch

[Pandagirl!]

What have your thoughts been on living in America, Galleleo?

That the Dutch are better at anything and everything

Punk rock can back me up on this one

[gran guerrero]

the difference is the weed and hoes

[Displaced]

I'm from Finland, our "welfare state" sucks... tyvm.

[Nycle]

I just don't understand how people are happy living with a system of government like this.

You are basically mowing your governments lawn for your allowance each week.

There is just a fundamental difference in thought and culture between the US and the Netherlands, and Europe in general. The US is simply more focused on individual well-being, whereas Europe cares more for the well-being of the collective. Once you assume any of these values it is extremely difficult to understand the other one, so I'm not at all surprised why you can't fathom the fact that anyone could be happy with "super high socialist taxes" that are used to provide for people other than yourself. Just like we can't wrap our minds around what it would be like to have hospital bills, let alone not being able to pay them off.

[kthx]

I just don't understand how people are happy living with a system of government like this.

You are basically mowing your governments lawn for your allowance each week.

[Nycle]

socialism isn't hard when the population really is a mob of mindless atoms who require shaping by positivist hands. no offense or anything - though these enlightened dutch are far past selfish feelings like self-worth.

Nah, although it's still probably harder than the laissez-faire approach which has worked so well for us.

[PaulOakenfold]

What have your thoughts been on living in America, Galleleo?

[Jerome Scuggs]

socialism isn't hard when the population really is a mob of mindless atoms who require shaping by positivist hands. no offense or anything - though these enlightened dutch are far past selfish feelings like self-worth.

[gran guerrero]

I thought this thread was about dutch masters blunt

[Scoop]

I just read the article and I have to say that it seemed extremely biased towards the Dutch way of life. I'd like to read something that actually did give both sides of the story other than the only bad thing about that system is "what do i do with my life," and "oh em gee stores aren't open past 6."



Not worth the read in my opinion...

[kthx]

Alright I read the entire article but no matter how eloquently this guy writes about socialism I just can't get passed the part that you basically pay over half of your income into a federal bank account, and that in return it gives you money back for things. Why can't people just be better fiscally with the money they earn to pay for things like school supplies, or their children, or any of the things mentioned in the article. I don't think it is a better system, I think it is a system that basically forced a nation to rely on their government for handouts to get through their life, and that I can't agree with even if it is the way America is headed.

Sure it is nice for him but what about other people who don't have children, and don't reap the benefits that come along with many things that you have money accredited back into your account for. This is no different then in America where my tax dollars are sent to lazy dickheads on welfare who don't want to get jobs, they really want to just sit on their asses and watch television all day with no responsibilities. That is where the system fails, that is why communism has failed, that is why socialism will eventually fail, because nobody really wants to be equal to everyone else, if you work harder, study more, or do whatever you do better than someone you want to see the benefits of it.

Anyways I see this as a huge setback for mankind, it turns us into puppets with someone other than ourselves telling us how we should lead our lives, it takes away our free will. There is a reason why America is at least for now the most powerful nation on the planet, it is because my grandparents, and parents worked hard for it, they wanted to succeed, they wanted to see the nation succeed, they didn't ask for four week paid vacations, all they wanted was to go in and put in a days work and make enough money to put food on the table with it. Anyways I personally don't intend to live somewhere that this happens because when will it stop? Why doesn't the government just take all of your income and put money into your account once a week for your allotted spending money, this is how much you have to eat with, to go drink with, to play golf with. I was happy when I started making my own money because I could do with it what I wanted, I pay my bills, I save money, I have fun with friends and I don't need a government to tell me how and when to do so. Wake up and see this for what it is, it is a government treating adults like children when all that needs to happen is for adults to just be adults.

[Galleleo]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/ma...l?pagewanted=1

I thought that this was a pretty interesting read, it is an American living in Amsterdam and comparing the two systems.

I would say he gets it pretty much right.