Comments on: What do SUVs and luxury cars have in common?

By: Hattie

Hattie — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:59:49 +0000

The Dutch are pragmatic. Rational. They understand the nasty side of human nature. But they keep the nastiness in its place. They are very orderly.
Best society in the world.

By: Uncle Jeffy

Uncle Jeffy — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:30:03 +0000

Damn! The perfect economic stimulus package! Put a few hundred of these in every US city. The Federal government can pay the construction costs and state and local governments can split the parking fees.

Now, does anyone know where “Focus on the Family” is headquartered?

By: Uncle Jeffy

Uncle Jeffy — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:24:15 +0000

Damn! The perfect stimulus package for the US! We’ll put a few hundred of these things in every US city of any size – the Federal government can pay for the construction costs, and state/local governments can split the parking fees.

Now, does anyone know where “Focus on the Family” is headquartered?

By: Grand Moff Texan

Grand Moff Texan — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:40:30 +0000

Spitzer prosecuted prostitution rings but is not going to be prosecuted for his criminal actions. That should tell us all we need to know about such laws.

Spitzer was not so targeted until he blew the whistle on the OCC. Then, the charges were dropped as soon as the election was over.

I would not be wearing this tinfoil hat were it not for the fact that the issue in question was such a big part of the polemic of those in charge of the prosecutors.

[takes tinfoil hat off]
.

By: Jacob Christensen

Jacob Christensen — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:14:25 +0000

There ought to be a number of articles written about the regulation of prostitution and soft drugs in the NL and other countries from a decision ethical (or whatever it is called) perspective.

Somehow Dutch policies appear to be based on the argument “these phenomena may or may not be desirable in themselves, but as they are unavoidable, we ought to choose the regulation with the highest utility to all parties involved”. (Please note that I’m trying to reconstruct an argument, I am not defending either prostitution or the use of soft drugs)

The contrast could be Sweden where the official attitude to soft drugs and prostitution can be summarised as “these phenomena are bad in principle and should therefore be banned”. Applied Kant, if you like – but then again, Sweden is a veeery Lutheran country, despite secularisation. On the other hand, Systembolaget could be seen as a Swedish (alcoholic) parallel to the afwerkplekken.

But yes, the Dutch are a curious bunch. On the one hand, my impression is that they can be very principled and buttoned-up. On the other hand, they can be amazingly utalitarian.

Denmark? Oh, the country’s largest tabloid makes its living from publishing “massage” adverts…

By: Praisegod Barebones

Praisegod Barebones — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:56:37 +0000

‘Laws that are selectively prosecuted must be abolished, to allow them to survive on the books is corrosive to public order.’

Do you feel the same way about plea-bargaining? Or the prosecution of war crimes? (inevitably selective, I reckon)

By: reason

reason — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:20:11 +0000

No need to apologise for thinking. Its healthy and natural.-)

By: sorry for this one

sorry for this one — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:50:36 +0000

I think it’s a marvellous opportunity to force drivers into smaller and more economical vehicles.

True, those Magnum-sized condoms are such an obnoxious waste of latex…

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:50:32 +0000

…I think. Sorry

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:43:03 +0000

– wondering whether this is really something the government should be concerened about?

It think it’s a marvellous opportunity to force drivers into smaller and more economical vehicles.

By: PHB

PHB — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:02:07 +0000

You have to just love how the Car number plate ‘DN1 455’ is fuzzed out so you know that failing to mask the identity of the punter was deliberate and not an accidental oversight.

Spitzer prosecuted prostitution rings but is not going to be prosecuted for his criminal actions. That should tell us all we need to know about such laws. Laws that are selectively prosecuted must be abolished, to allow them to survive on the books is corrosive to public order.

The prostitution laws do little to protect the women and do much to cause them harm. Criminalizing prostitution makes the women more vulnerable to exploitation by pimps and corrupt law enforcement. Sex for pay is never going to be a completely safe occupation but the prostitution laws make it much more dangerous for the women. Girls working alone will always be at greater risk than girls working in a legalized brothel with a security staff on tap.

We had this issue in the UK. One of the reasons that Police have changed their enforcement policy in the UK was a series of murders of working girls.

By: richard

richard — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:02:59 +0000

I’ve been thinking this over, in the light of the ongoing underground war on prostitutes (in the name of saving them) that’s been waged in the UK for as long as anyone cares to remember. These prostitutes are protesting the inadequacy of the facilities set up for them, they’re asking for better healthcare, they’re engaged citizens demanding service from their government. Excellent.

By: Mitchell Rowe

Mitchell Rowe — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:51:27 +0000

I guess in Holland the sign of a faithful man is a big SUV…

By: Zamfir

Zamfir — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:48:20 +0000

Is it true that on the Dutch version of Big Brother, the producers asked the contestants to stop having sex so much because it was boring the viewers?

No, not as far as know.

By: Ginger Yellow

Ginger Yellow — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:24:54 +0000

“Japan has love hotels. Glorious things! ”

Did you know that at the height of the credit boom there were even securitisations of love hotels?