10-07-2008, 03:58 AM
"Yes, we could learn a great deal from Holland and their liberal, prosperous and free society"
Spending lots of time in Holland, let me add my two cents.
We really do see ourselves a pragmatic culture rather than liberal one. We do not gamble, 'cause we know about risk and reward. As a culture we do not embrace gambling for that reason, rather we work or invest for our stuff - its sure fire!.
Same goes for drugs and prostitution being "tourist" industries. I had some contact with the business side of a brothel, The employees where unionized, had contact with the cops weekly to screen out sexual deviants, be violent with a hooker - expect a call from your local cops - shrink in tow.
When one walks into a "coffee shop" you will find tourist and locals under 20 or so, drug use by adults is rare, viewed as arrested development.
We try to solve our domestic problems in a pragmatic way - free from knee jerk "principles or political views" The solution needs to work - not satisfy some religious or political dogma. We as a nation are looking for solutions to social problems, having learned long ago that a culture can not legislate morality.
My passport opens with --- "Her majesty the queen requests that ...." nice to know the govt is working for me, rather than the other way around, demanded by us pragmatic citizens, It begins by holding the government accountable to the greater good not the lobbyists.
IMHO - Personal freedoms, drugs, gambling, etc requires a greater responsibility of its citizens if it is to work. Look around here in Hawaii - who does best? seems to me the pragmatic self actualized self responsible folks do really well, those who expect "some one else" to fix things, are soon back on a outbound flight.
Gambling, drugs, complete deregulation of vices for Hawaii - sure But lets look into following the "Dutch" model by bringing personal responsibility and pragmatism back to the table first.
Spending lots of time in Holland, let me add my two cents.
We really do see ourselves a pragmatic culture rather than liberal one. We do not gamble, 'cause we know about risk and reward. As a culture we do not embrace gambling for that reason, rather we work or invest for our stuff - its sure fire!.
Same goes for drugs and prostitution being "tourist" industries. I had some contact with the business side of a brothel, The employees where unionized, had contact with the cops weekly to screen out sexual deviants, be violent with a hooker - expect a call from your local cops - shrink in tow.
When one walks into a "coffee shop" you will find tourist and locals under 20 or so, drug use by adults is rare, viewed as arrested development.
We try to solve our domestic problems in a pragmatic way - free from knee jerk "principles or political views" The solution needs to work - not satisfy some religious or political dogma. We as a nation are looking for solutions to social problems, having learned long ago that a culture can not legislate morality.
My passport opens with --- "Her majesty the queen requests that ...." nice to know the govt is working for me, rather than the other way around, demanded by us pragmatic citizens, It begins by holding the government accountable to the greater good not the lobbyists.
IMHO - Personal freedoms, drugs, gambling, etc requires a greater responsibility of its citizens if it is to work. Look around here in Hawaii - who does best? seems to me the pragmatic self actualized self responsible folks do really well, those who expect "some one else" to fix things, are soon back on a outbound flight.
Gambling, drugs, complete deregulation of vices for Hawaii - sure But lets look into following the "Dutch" model by bringing personal responsibility and pragmatism back to the table first.