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While visiting both Belgium and The Netherlands during the EURO 2000 football championships I read an article in one of the English newspapers which listed violent crime rates in Western European cities. I was shocked to find that Amsterdam had the highest murder rate (proportionaly to the overall population). It had just surpassed London for this dubious honor.

A few days after reading the article I visited Amsterdam. After dark much of the downtown area was downright frightening. I can still distinctly remember the constant sound of police and ambulance sirens. I thought legalizing all vice was supposed to have the opposite affect.

What would you say is the percentage of Dutch who consider themselves on the political right? 25 or 30 %?

Oh by the way, the anti-American left in The Netherlands must really hate the USA more than ever since we qualified for the World Cup championships (with fifth rate US athletes I might add. Our best athletes play american football, baseball, basketball and hockey). The Dutch, as you are aware, will not be attending. They were knocked out by the vastly superior Irish squad. Better luck next time.

Our best athletes play american football, baseball, basketball and hockey).
It's great our team made the cut, but you've got to admit, we've got a huge talent pool to draw from compared to a country Holland's size--they do awfully well on the world stage--look at the Olympics--great results for such a small country.

A few days after reading the article I visited Amsterdam. After dark much of the downtown area was downright frightening. I can still distinctly remember the constant sound of police and ambulance sirens. I thought legalizing all vice was supposed to have the opposite affect.

I'd still much rather be in downtown Amsterdam at night than virtually most US cities at night....like say, downtown Oakland or downtown Detroit. And their policies are uniform throughout the country, and their country has a much lower murder rate than the US, although they have many policies that need to be reexamined, especially the welfare state that is the country, and most of Europe....

There is this district in Amsterdam, called the Bijlmer (Amsterdam South-East). You can compare it to the Bronx in New York. The chance that you'll get mugged or beaten up (just for being white or if they jsut dno't like you) is just as bad.

I don't know about number of people being right winged, but there is this new right winged party (Leefbaar Nederland, means Livable Nehterlands) who will get a lot of votes in their first elections, just for being "midly anti-muslim". Although many people vote for the VVD (right winged) and CDA (right winged christians, opposition), their total maybe 30-35%, the leftist hold all the real power.