Is it the end of the Duch liberal experiment

The Times (of London) ^ | February 14, 2004 | By Anthony Browne

[alnitak]

Such is the seismic shift in the political landscape that even left-wing politicians often support ?the new politics?. When a government commission declared last month that multiculturalism in the Netherlands had been a failure despite some successes, it was condemned from Left and Right for being too positive.

Sounds like a tipping point to me. Interesting. I wonder how long it will take for things to reach this point here in the UK...

[Tijeras_Slim]

ping

[Coroner]

The tide is turning!!!!

[EternalVigilance]

Holland

*enter on long list of failed socialist experiments

[jocon307]

"It now has the toughest immigration laws in Europe, and has been adopting powerful law-and-order policies. A compulsory ID card is being introduced for everyone over the age of 12. Cannabis cafés are being closed by the hundreds. Prostitutes are being cleared off the streets, the generous benefits system severely curtailed, and even free contraception has been abolished for everyone except teenagers. Longer sentences mean prisons are so full that for the first time inmates are being forced to share cells."

It seems the Dutch have relocated their former ability to be ruthless. GOOD FOR THEM! This is the best news I've read since we drugged Sadam out of his hole. Fortuyn didn't die in vain.

Let these Iranians, etc. go back to their homelands and make those nations better, instead of ruining their adopted lands.

Holland is small, the US is big, I wonder if we can learn from them. The big difference I think is that we always had an underclass, in Holland they foolishly imported one from abroad, just in time to support them all with socialism. At least they have finally woken up and smelled the tulips on this one.

[tdadams]

Random thoughts... I think there ought to be some compassion for people who legitimately fear for their life in their home country, but they should still integrate into their adopted country and apply for citizenship.

Those who fall into the above category are a very, very miniscule pecentage of immigrants.

Europe, as well as the US, needs to regain firm control over immigration. Officials in both have looked the other way for too long. Illegal immigration is now seen as impossible to contain, and deporting illegals is seen as heartless.

[Consort]

The tide is turning!!!!

Bad choice of words about a country below sea level.

[Prodigal Son]

Now, because of the socialism, it has become full of social, ethnic and political problems.?

That's worth repeating.

[dirtboy]

People who live below sea level shouldn't open floodgates...

[drc43]

"How can you do this to a human being? It is not democracy,? said Talin. "

Wrong. A pure democracy (rule of the mob) has NO protections for those in the minority.

[agrarianlady]

Random thoughts... I think there ought to be some compassion for people who legitimately fear for their life in their home country, but they should still integrate into their adopted country and apply for citizenship.

I have several people in my life - folks from my church, my hairdresser -- who are Iranian. I really like them a lot. They do not practice Islam. In fact, they are Christians. I can't understand sending them back to Iran. They fit it very well with our locale and are model upper-middle-class citizens.

[alnitak]

I think there ought to be some compassion for people who legitimately fear for their life in their home country, but they should still integrate into their adopted country and apply for citizenship.

I am in complete agreement. However, the immigration situation in Europe has become farcical. I see no reason why we should take in people from Afghanistan (say), because they will have travelled through a dozen countries before they get here.

[angkor]

I was talking with a Dutch fellow while overseas recently. His anti-Islamic fervor was surprising, and he was 100 percent supportive of the American WOT, saying (to paraphrase) that the jihadis "should all be killed."

He was a little less supportive of the war in Iraq, though not entirely against it.

[angkor]

Iranian .... They do not practice Islam. In fact, they are Christians. I can't understand sending them back to Iran.

My wife worked with a few Iranians, refugees from the fall of the Shah who'd been in the U.S. for 20+ years.

IIRC, they were Muslims, but thought the burka-clad practitioners were primitive and pathetic. They always made jokes about them.

[King Prout]

I just find it slightly amusing that they are calling Pym Fortune - a very gay, very leftist politician - a "right winger" or "conservative" simply because he dared point out an obvious problem.

[William Terrell]

They grew up with freedom of thought and speech. They could not go back to Iran, they would be arrested for having bad thoughts.?

I slipped on the pool of tears that accumulated at my feet and hurt any compassion I might have had for these people.

Get up off your ass and change your country if you don't like it.

[DC native]

I agree with you that compassion is in order in certain circumstances.

I am firmly convinced that the gubbmint is allowing the influx of aliens because they see them as the next base of support for social security and other entitlement programs.

[TheGeezer]

Diversity is a disaster. The liberofascists here in the U.S. use diversity to create multiple protected classes for class warfare politics. Will we learn from the Dutch experience?

[EternalVigilance]

People who live below sea level shouldn't open floodgates...

Quote of the Day!

[Capriole]

...the Government is planning to demand that any non-EU immigrants learn Dutch before being allowed to enter.

Not a bad idea--and one that is going to minimize the number of immigrants, since Dutch is a notoriously difficult language to learn! In order to pronounce it properly you must first stick a herring down your throat and choke on it. I don't see these Muslim immigrants tackling that; where, anyway, would they find someone to teach them Dutch in advance of going to the Netherlands?

Good for the Dutch. I love the country but for years have been disgusted with the left-wing views of the Dutch people and government. Looks like they've begun to change their collective mind.