Netherlands immigrants get screen test

Associated Press ^ | March 16 2006 | Bruce Mutsvairo

[twippo]

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands · The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture.

[rovenstinez]

Lot of otherwise decent people would take offense, even some of us who have Dutch ancestry.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[Bigh4u2]

"even some of us who have Dutch ancestry."

You got that right.

My grandparents (on my father's side) came to the U.S. during the 30's and if they were alive today, they would be appalled at what's going on in the Netherlands.

[Bigh4u2]

"during the 30's "

Oooops!

Sorry, I was just corrected!

"Whaa? you mean it was the 1890's and not the 1930's? Ohh! Ok!" (talking to my older sister!)

[ClaireSolt]

I had a Dutch visitor has month and they have just about had it. They are closing their doors.

[twippo]

Had it with the decadence or had it with immigration?

[twippo]

I was taught in church that the British Pilgrims had settled in Holland, but left because they saw the Dutch culture as corrupting their children.

[ClaireSolt]

They have had it with immigrants who don't like Dutch culture. They are more tolerant than decadent, I think. Their liberalism is much exaggerted. In many ways it is a conservative society and now has a conservative government.

[fzx12345]

Now I know why my ancestors left.

[Question_Assumptions]

That's actually pretty cool. Toss in a free speech component (the infamous cartoons, perhaps) and it sounds like a good test for sorting out the moderates from the fanatics.

[Question_Assumptions]

Please note that those images would likely give me a reason not to want to move there (I'm not approving of the specific images as a good thing) but they have every right to encourage like-minded people and discourage people who want to change things on them. I think the general idea behind this could be adapted for almost any culture, even Muslim ones. Show Westerners looking to move to the Middle East what will be expected of them, too.

[BJClinton]

two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach.

Make it two girls kissing in the park and I'd immigrate.

[wolfcreek]

Wonder how this would play for someone thinking of moving to Kansas?

[twippo]

"Their liberalism is much exaggerted"

Is it really? IIRC, they do have legalized euthanasia and same-sex marriage. Now, I would make a distinction if that has always been their culture, in contrast to the United States, where our cultural libertinism is very recent in history.

My cousins are raising small children 7 mos. to 2.25 years old, and they are not as "tolerant" as they used to be before having kids. They never see movies other than G-rated and listen to nothing but Christian music. I don't even have kids, and I fully sympathize with their plight.
Of course, they aren't violent towards people who live differently.

If they want to be welcome in democratic countries, Muslims should simply shield their children from the trash the law-abiding way, following the example of the Orthodox Jews, among others.

[ClaireSolt]

Is it really? IIRC, they do have legalized euthanasia and same-sex marriage. They say that they have set laws for practices that were solely dr's discretion and, of course, gay marriage only applies to a tiny group. So you could be there with families and not be affected by any of it.

[Sir Gawain]

Taking the exam costs $420

ROTFL

[Born Conservative]

If you have asked to be added to this list, and haven’t been receiving the pings, please let me know. I’ve had a problem with my file synchronization between my home and work computer, and apparently have lost some names on the list. I think I have the problem fixed, and will gladly re-add your name.

[twippo]

Gay marriage is really an issue of principle than of percentage. I know I'm the millionth person to say this, but if gay marriage is legal, why not incestous marriage, polygamy, etc.? Isn't their age of consent for sex quite low too?

[twippo]

Check out this link for "Voor een verloren soldaat" (1992)
a mainstream Dutch film that romanticizes man/boy sex.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0108504/