http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1995772,00.html
Dutch Election: Voters Opt for Austerity
By Leo Cendrowicz / Brussels Thursday, Jun. 10, 2010
While all around Europe citizens are taking to the streets to protest their governments' plans for budget cuts, pledges to curb spending and balance the budget have proven to be vote winners in the Netherlands. In Wednesday's general election, the Dutch gave their strongest support to the pro-business Liberal Party (VVD) and its stark message of austerity.
In the midst of a brutal economic downturn and a bruising market buffeting for the euro, Dutch voters turned away from the traditional hot-button election issue of immigration to focus instead on how candidates proposed to nurse their nation's public finances back into health. The result was a surge in support for the Liberals, led by the telegenic 43-year-old former Unilever executive Mark Rutte, whose belt-tightening mantra was underlined by his having predicted an economic crisis as early as January 2008. On Wednesday night he hailed "a fantastic evening" for his party. "We are the party for everyone who wants to make something of their lives," he said.
But the popularity boost didn't translate into an outright win, and the VVD is now in the process of trying to form a coalition. As leader of the biggest party in the 150-seat Dutch Parliament, Rutte will aim to head up the government, but he still has a way to go before he can become the first Liberal prime minister since the World War I. Wednesday's vote delivered one of the most fractious results in Dutch election history: with 31 seats — 20% of the vote — the Liberals will still need at least two other parties as allies if they are to form a coalition.
The question for Rutte is whether he decides to work with the election's other big winner, Geert Wilders, who heads the Islam-bashing, anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV). The Freedom Party, taking part in only its second national election since being founded by Wilders in 2005, secured 16% of the vote, jumping from 9 to 24 seats. Wilders, the bogeyman of Dutch politics, called it a "glorious day", and demanded to be included in any ruling coalition. "They cannot ignore us. We want to be taken seriously," he said. "One-and-a-half million Dutch voted for us and for more security, less crime and less Islam."
The success of both Rutte and Wilders — and their respective agendas — represents a relatively new phenomenon in Dutch politics, according to Paul Scheffer, professor of urban sociology at Amsterdam University. "Voters feel uncertain and uneasy, and this applies both to economic and cultural issues," Scheffer says. "The Dutch traditionally were able to adapt to the world. But there is a feeling now that they are exposed to globalization and no longer protected by the government."
Given those concerns, it's surprising that the Wilders effect wasn't as strong as many had expected. When the election was called in February, the Freedom Party was riding high in the polls, and Wilders' gripes about Islam and immigration were expected to dominate the campaign. But instead voters stuck to economic issues. "The debate moved from Muslims and headscarves on to more profound and constructive issues like mortgages and tax deductions," says Adriaan Schout, director at the Clingendael Netherlands Institute for International Relations in The Hague. "People realize that the economic situation is much more serious than anyone thought, and there is a large consensus that big cutbacks are needed."
With a budget deficit currently running at 6.6% of GDP, and debt at 62.2%, the Netherlands has one of the European Union's soundest public finances (Greece's deficit, in comparison, is estimated at 13.6% of GDP and its debt is at 115.1%). But the euro crisis has so shaken voters that they have placed austerity at the heart of their concerns. Rutte went further than anyone else in his aggressive cost-cutting promises, saying he would slash public spending by about €45 billion ($54 billion) over the next four years and by €20 billion ($24 billion) each year from 2015. That would mean higher taxes, raising the retirement age, canceling a number of generous social programs, eliminating development aid, reducing the military by half, firing thousands of civil servants and bringing the budget into surplus within two terms.
The most obvious allies for the Liberals for such a drastic program would be the conservative Christian Democrats (CDA), whose leader, Jan Peter Balkenende, was the prime minister in the outgoing coalition. But after eight years of being the largest Dutch party, the CDA suffered a crushing defeating on Wednesday, sliding from 41 seats to 21. Calling the results "very, very disappointing," Balkenende stepped down as a party leader.
The CDA's erstwhile coalition partners, the Labor Party (PvdA) also lost ground, but less dramatically: they fell from 33 to 30, just one MP less than the Liberals. The Labor leader, former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen, represents a more familiar Dutch tradition of tolerance and openness. A Jew who has reached out to orthodox Muslims, he was the first mayor in the world to perform a civil gay marriage in 2001. Cohen has accepted the need for budget cuts, but on Wednesday told supporters he would do all he could to make sure the Netherlands continues to be a social and decent country.
If he rejects Wilders and his Freedom Party, Rutte could work with Labor's Cohen, but he would still need at least one other party to join them. That could be either the CDA under Balkenende's successor, or the left-wing Liberals of D66 and the Greens.
But whatever the solution, it would mean a precarious coalition with fierce in-built tensions. "The political landscape is hugely fragmented, and it is unclear what this election result means," says Rob de Wijk, director of The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS). "The economic crisis has made the country preoccupied with itself, and that is a big problem: if you want to restructure your economy, you have to be outward-looking."
Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Dutch voters boost far-right party of Geert Wilders
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/0610/Dutch-voters-boost-far-right-party-of-Geert-Wilders
Dutch voters boost far-right party of Geert Wilders
Spurred by anxiety over immigration, Islam, and the economy, Dutch voters put the center-right Liberals in the lead in national elections, and gave a strong boost to Geert Wilders's Freedom Party, which proposes banning the Koran and the building of new mosques.
Robert Marquand, Staff Writer / June 10, 2010
The Dutch woke up Thursday morning to a striking new right-leaning political reality after Wednesday’s national elections ratified both a conservative emphasis on austerity and a populist push against immigration and Islam.
It was the first European elections since the Greek debt crisis put the euro in a funk – and results proved so fragmented that forming a ruling Dutch coalition will be difficult and may take months.
The budget-cutting center-right Liberals (conservatives in US parlance) under Mark Rutte gained the most seats, 31. But the center-left Labor Party took 30, led by former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen, who ran on a “bridge-building, hate-busting” campaign.
Mr. Rutte ran on cutting spending by more than $50 billion in coming years. Should the telegenic and youthful politician cobble together a like-minded coalition, it would mark the first conservative Dutch government in a century. He told reporters Thursday that "I would like to see a new cabinet put together as soon as possible because of the seriousness of the economic crisis."
If Mr. Cohen should prevail, he would be the Netherlands' first Jewish prime minister – and would represent a formidable bully pulpit against a growing chauvinist feeling in the country. Cohen is known for bringing calm to Amsterdam after the assassinations of anti-immigrant figure Pim Fortuyn and Theo Van Gogh, whose anti-Muslim film caused a furor, and brought fear and anger to the usually mild city several years ago.
The biggest winner, however, is the flamboyant and extremist politician Geert Wilders, whose Freedom Party platform to ban the Koran and mosque-building defied election polling data and jacked him from 9 to 23 seats. Mr. Wilders’s rise as leader of what is now the No. 3 party in the Netherlands is considered a bellwether of a surlier sentiment in a country traditionally tolerant but now anxious over Muslim minorities.
A straw poll of Dutch junior high and high school students prior to the election showed Wilders actually winning the election among Dutch youths, as reported by DutchNews.
"The Netherlands chose more security, less crime, less immigration, and less Islam," a delighted Wilders told Dutch TV viewers last night. In a post-election rally, he was more colorful: “I say to all the newly elected Freedom Party MPs of our beautiful party, bring battering rams with you, because starting tomorrow, we're going to give them hell!”
Current government's free fall
The biggest loser is Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende. After a bumpy eight-year rule from the center-left, Mr. Balkenende’s Christian Democrats went into free fall, from 41 to 21 seats. The prime minister said he will resign pending a new government.
The Dutch government broke up in February partly over its participation in the Afghan war, but election campaigning was dominated by the economy.
The Netherlands is in far better financial shape than most eurozone states, but voters in the fiscally conservative nation are concerned about negative forecasts as well as higher borrowing costs and bank debt. A 2008 government takeover of the Netherlands' flagship bank, ABN AMRO, cost $35 billion, and is well-remembered.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The world's happiest cities
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/tastefulliving/the-worlds-happiest-cities-508202/
The world's happiest cities
by Forbes.com
Wed Sep 2, 2009
Ever since Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared in the 1933 film Flying Down to Rio, the world has been fascinated with Rio de Janeiro. Popular perception of the city is infused with images of starry-eyed youngsters dancing into the dusk, backed by imposing mountains and dark sea.
That view has propelled Rio to the top of our list of the world's happiest cities. Famous for its annual Carnaval festival (starting Feb. 13 next year), the second-largest metropolis in South America finished first among 50 cities in a recent survey conducted by Simon Anholt, an author and policy adviser.
"Brazil is associated with all these qualities of good humor and good living and Carnaval," says Anholt. "Carnaval is very important--it's the classic image that people have of Rio, and it's an image of happiness."
Next on the list is the top city from Down Under: Sydney, Australia. Known for balmy weather, friendly locals and an iconic opera house, Sydney fared well in Anholt's survey because of its association with a popular brand--Australia.
"It's where everybody would like to go," he says. "Everybody thinks they know Australia because they've seen Crocodile Dundee. There's this image of this nation of people who basically sit around having barbecues."
Rounding out the top five are third-ranked Barcelona, Spain, which Anholt calls "the classic Mediterranean city"; fourth-ranked Amsterdam, Netherlands, because Anholt's young respondents "know you can smoke dope in the bars"; and Melbourne, Australia, which makes the list simply because it's in Australia.
"People know it's in Australia, and that it's full of Australians," says Anholt. "Therefore, it must be fun."
Behind the Numbers
The data Anholt provided for our list is part of his Nation Brands Index, which he developed in 2005. The latest incarnation, the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index, was released in June. The data was compiled from online interviews with 10,000 respondents in 20 countries.
Happiness is difficult to quantify, and Anholt acknowledges that his data is less an indicator of where local populations are happiest than a reflection of respondents' thinking about where they could imagine themselves happy.
"This is a survey of perception, not a survey of reality," he says. "People write me all the time and say 'that's not true.' It probably isn't true, but it's what people think. The gap between perception and reality is what interests city governments."
The French historian Fernand Braudel wrote that "Happiness, whether in business or private life, leaves very little trace in history." But a perception of happiness leaves a strong trace on the balance sheets of cities that depend on conventions, tourism and an influx of talent.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Anholt notes that the results of his survey reflect the longstanding reputation of Mediterranean and Latin American cities as non-stop party locales.
"It's pretty much the expected bunch," says Anholt. "Though I'm a little surprised about Spain outdoing Italy. It's interesting that the Spanish are perceived as being happier than the Italians--I find the Spanish rather gloomy."
Still, Barcelona--Spain's highest-ranked city--has plenty of supporters.
"The beauty of the city and its environs, along with affordable housing and business opportunities, is the fantastic lifestyle," says Michelle Finkelstein, a vice president at travel agency Our Personal Guest. "There's not the stress of getting a child into the best preschool--the public ones are good and close by. And they have the top soccer team and some of the best weather in Europe."
Other places in the world that lack the metropolitan flair of the cities on this list are often identified with the notion of happiness. "Anyone lucky enough to visit the magical Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan would know that there is no competition: There can be no happier place," says Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. "This small Buddhist nation of incredibly stunning beauty follows a unique guiding philosophy of GNH--Gross National Happiness. You can see it in their open faces--they smile from the heart. Barcelona has nothing on them."
Global rivalries notwithstanding, Anholt notes that his findings more or less support historical trends, with one notable exception.
"The cities on this list would probably be the same if I'd been running this survey in 1890, aside from Sydney and Melbourne," he says. "Australia is kind of a branding miracle."
Not bad for a former penal colony.
Top 5 World's Happiest Cities
1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Barcelona, Spain
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands
5. Melbourne, Australia
The world's happiest cities
by Forbes.com
Wed Sep 2, 2009
Ever since Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared in the 1933 film Flying Down to Rio, the world has been fascinated with Rio de Janeiro. Popular perception of the city is infused with images of starry-eyed youngsters dancing into the dusk, backed by imposing mountains and dark sea.
That view has propelled Rio to the top of our list of the world's happiest cities. Famous for its annual Carnaval festival (starting Feb. 13 next year), the second-largest metropolis in South America finished first among 50 cities in a recent survey conducted by Simon Anholt, an author and policy adviser.
"Brazil is associated with all these qualities of good humor and good living and Carnaval," says Anholt. "Carnaval is very important--it's the classic image that people have of Rio, and it's an image of happiness."
Next on the list is the top city from Down Under: Sydney, Australia. Known for balmy weather, friendly locals and an iconic opera house, Sydney fared well in Anholt's survey because of its association with a popular brand--Australia.
"It's where everybody would like to go," he says. "Everybody thinks they know Australia because they've seen Crocodile Dundee. There's this image of this nation of people who basically sit around having barbecues."
Rounding out the top five are third-ranked Barcelona, Spain, which Anholt calls "the classic Mediterranean city"; fourth-ranked Amsterdam, Netherlands, because Anholt's young respondents "know you can smoke dope in the bars"; and Melbourne, Australia, which makes the list simply because it's in Australia.
"People know it's in Australia, and that it's full of Australians," says Anholt. "Therefore, it must be fun."
Behind the Numbers
The data Anholt provided for our list is part of his Nation Brands Index, which he developed in 2005. The latest incarnation, the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index, was released in June. The data was compiled from online interviews with 10,000 respondents in 20 countries.
Happiness is difficult to quantify, and Anholt acknowledges that his data is less an indicator of where local populations are happiest than a reflection of respondents' thinking about where they could imagine themselves happy.
"This is a survey of perception, not a survey of reality," he says. "People write me all the time and say 'that's not true.' It probably isn't true, but it's what people think. The gap between perception and reality is what interests city governments."
The French historian Fernand Braudel wrote that "Happiness, whether in business or private life, leaves very little trace in history." But a perception of happiness leaves a strong trace on the balance sheets of cities that depend on conventions, tourism and an influx of talent.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Anholt notes that the results of his survey reflect the longstanding reputation of Mediterranean and Latin American cities as non-stop party locales.
"It's pretty much the expected bunch," says Anholt. "Though I'm a little surprised about Spain outdoing Italy. It's interesting that the Spanish are perceived as being happier than the Italians--I find the Spanish rather gloomy."
Still, Barcelona--Spain's highest-ranked city--has plenty of supporters.
"The beauty of the city and its environs, along with affordable housing and business opportunities, is the fantastic lifestyle," says Michelle Finkelstein, a vice president at travel agency Our Personal Guest. "There's not the stress of getting a child into the best preschool--the public ones are good and close by. And they have the top soccer team and some of the best weather in Europe."
Other places in the world that lack the metropolitan flair of the cities on this list are often identified with the notion of happiness. "Anyone lucky enough to visit the magical Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan would know that there is no competition: There can be no happier place," says Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. "This small Buddhist nation of incredibly stunning beauty follows a unique guiding philosophy of GNH--Gross National Happiness. You can see it in their open faces--they smile from the heart. Barcelona has nothing on them."
Global rivalries notwithstanding, Anholt notes that his findings more or less support historical trends, with one notable exception.
"The cities on this list would probably be the same if I'd been running this survey in 1890, aside from Sydney and Melbourne," he says. "Australia is kind of a branding miracle."
Not bad for a former penal colony.
Top 5 World's Happiest Cities
1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Barcelona, Spain
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands
5. Melbourne, Australia
Friday, April 24, 2009
Victory Over The Pirate Bay Will Be Short-Lived
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163366/hollywoods_victory_over_the_pirate_bay_will_be_shortlived.html
Hollywood's Victory Over The Pirate Bay Will Be Short-Lived
Daniel Ionescu, PC World
Apr 18, 2009
From Sweden to London to Hollywood, protectors of copyrights are celebrating the conviction of the four men behind the world's most popular torrent tracker The Pirate Bay. The four convicted men behind The Pirate Bay -- Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde, and Carl Lundstrom -- say they can't and won't pay the $3.6 million in damages and promised the site will continue running. So much for Hollywood's sweet victory and happy ending.
Hollywood may have won a battle, but the war against piracy is far from over. Unauthorized file-sharing will continue (and likely intensify), if not through The Pirate Bay, then through dozens of other near-identical swashbuckling Web sites.
Of course, The Pirate Bay's case is nothing new. Eight years ago Napster was shut down after getting sued. It tried a few legal business models, but never managed to even get close to the popularity it had when it was operating illegally. The shutdown of Napster turned its creator, Shawn Fanning, and Napster into a into heroes and martyrs, inspiring others to develop new ways to pirate music.The Pirate Bay site itself is still up and running while the case is appealed.
What Hollywood needs to remember is that sites like The Pirate Bay are like weeds. When you try to kill one, they grow back even stronger. In this case, The Pirate Bay already moved most of its servers to the Netherlands, a change that could keep the site running even if The Pirate Bay loses its appeal.
The bad news for copyright-holders is there is obviously a market demand for this type of content distribution model. And while the entertainment industry seeks compensation via lawsuits, other similar services (which I do not endorse) such as Mininova, Demonoid and Torrentbox to name a few, will continue to thrive. That is, of course, until they get sued into oblivion as well. And then there are always new technologies on the horizon. Hollywood might want to start looking at a budding new peer-to-peer tool called OneSwarm that aims to let file-swappers preserve their privacy by cloaking their IP address.
Hollywood's Victory Over The Pirate Bay Will Be Short-Lived
Daniel Ionescu, PC World
Apr 18, 2009
From Sweden to London to Hollywood, protectors of copyrights are celebrating the conviction of the four men behind the world's most popular torrent tracker The Pirate Bay. The four convicted men behind The Pirate Bay -- Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde, and Carl Lundstrom -- say they can't and won't pay the $3.6 million in damages and promised the site will continue running. So much for Hollywood's sweet victory and happy ending.
Hollywood may have won a battle, but the war against piracy is far from over. Unauthorized file-sharing will continue (and likely intensify), if not through The Pirate Bay, then through dozens of other near-identical swashbuckling Web sites.
Of course, The Pirate Bay's case is nothing new. Eight years ago Napster was shut down after getting sued. It tried a few legal business models, but never managed to even get close to the popularity it had when it was operating illegally. The shutdown of Napster turned its creator, Shawn Fanning, and Napster into a into heroes and martyrs, inspiring others to develop new ways to pirate music.The Pirate Bay site itself is still up and running while the case is appealed.
What Hollywood needs to remember is that sites like The Pirate Bay are like weeds. When you try to kill one, they grow back even stronger. In this case, The Pirate Bay already moved most of its servers to the Netherlands, a change that could keep the site running even if The Pirate Bay loses its appeal.
The bad news for copyright-holders is there is obviously a market demand for this type of content distribution model. And while the entertainment industry seeks compensation via lawsuits, other similar services (which I do not endorse) such as Mininova, Demonoid and Torrentbox to name a few, will continue to thrive. That is, of course, until they get sued into oblivion as well. And then there are always new technologies on the horizon. Hollywood might want to start looking at a budding new peer-to-peer tool called OneSwarm that aims to let file-swappers preserve their privacy by cloaking their IP address.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Dutch TV show exonerates Osama bin Laden
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ie9cf6d4fe9496d052885db4114f0c656
Dutch TV show exonerates Osama bin Laden
'Devil's Advocate' jury finds no proof he was behind Sept. 11
By Scott Roxborough
April 9, 2009
BERLIN -- A Dutch TV jury has found Osama bin Laden not guilty of the Sept. 11 attacks.
In the conclusion Wednesday night to the show "Devil's Advocate" on Dutch public broadcaster Nederland 2, the jury of two men and three women, along with the studio audience, ruled there was no proof bin Laden was the mastermind behind the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.
The Netherlands, home to "Big Brother" creator Endemol, is known for being on the cutting edge of format-based television. But even for Dutch standards, "Devil's Advocate," from Amsterdam production house AVRO, pushes the envelope.
The show features star defense attorney Gerard Spong standing up for some of the world's worst criminals.
In the latest show, Spong was able to convince the jury that bin Laden's connection to Sept. 11 was a product of "Western propaganda." The jury also ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove bin Laden was the real head of terrorist network al-Qaida. However, the jury did rule that bin Laden is a "terrorist who has misused Islam."
The show is certain to provide further ammunition in the already heated Dutch debate over immigration and the country's large Muslim minority. The Netherlands saw a sharp rise in anti-immigration and anti-Islamic sentiment after the 2004 murder of Dutch director Theo Van Gogh by a Muslim extremist.
Spong has been at the center of the debate, supporting legal action against anti-immigrant politician Geert Wilders.
Dutch TV show exonerates Osama bin Laden
'Devil's Advocate' jury finds no proof he was behind Sept. 11
By Scott Roxborough
April 9, 2009
BERLIN -- A Dutch TV jury has found Osama bin Laden not guilty of the Sept. 11 attacks.
In the conclusion Wednesday night to the show "Devil's Advocate" on Dutch public broadcaster Nederland 2, the jury of two men and three women, along with the studio audience, ruled there was no proof bin Laden was the mastermind behind the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.
The Netherlands, home to "Big Brother" creator Endemol, is known for being on the cutting edge of format-based television. But even for Dutch standards, "Devil's Advocate," from Amsterdam production house AVRO, pushes the envelope.
The show features star defense attorney Gerard Spong standing up for some of the world's worst criminals.
In the latest show, Spong was able to convince the jury that bin Laden's connection to Sept. 11 was a product of "Western propaganda." The jury also ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove bin Laden was the real head of terrorist network al-Qaida. However, the jury did rule that bin Laden is a "terrorist who has misused Islam."
The show is certain to provide further ammunition in the already heated Dutch debate over immigration and the country's large Muslim minority. The Netherlands saw a sharp rise in anti-immigration and anti-Islamic sentiment after the 2004 murder of Dutch director Theo Van Gogh by a Muslim extremist.
Spong has been at the center of the debate, supporting legal action against anti-immigrant politician Geert Wilders.
Monday, December 22, 2008
US balks at backing condemnation of anti-gay laws
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1rNjQnbi3UUwYn7JGfk4pLIO6DgD955IQK80
US balks at backing condemnation of anti-gay laws
By DAVID CRARY
12-19-8
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Alone among major Western nations, the United States has refused to sign a declaration presented Thursday at the United Nations calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.
In all, 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the nonbinding declaration — which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with any-gay discrimination. More than 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality, and in several of them homosexual acts can be punished by execution.
Co-sponsored by France and the Netherlands, the declaration was signed by all 27 European Union members, as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries. There was broad opposition from Muslim nations, and the United States refused to sign, indicating that some parts of the declaration raised legal questions that needed further review.
"It's disappointing," said Rama Yade, France's human rights minister, of the U.S. position — which she described as in contradiction with America's long tradition as a defender of human rights.
According to some of the declaration's backers, U.S. officials expressed concern in private talks that some parts of the declaration might be problematic in committing the federal government on matters that fall under state jurisdiction. In numerous states, landlords and private employers are allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; on the federal level, gays are not allowed to serve openly in the military.
Carolyn Vadino, a spokeswoman for the U.S. mission to the U.N., stressed that the United States — despite its unwillingness to sign — condemned any human rights violations related to sexual orientation.
Gay rights activists nonetheless were angered by the U.S. position.
"It's an appalling stance — to not join with other countries that are standing up and calling for decriminalization of homosexuality," said Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
She expressed hope that the U.S. position might change after President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.
Also denouncing the U.S. stance was Richard Grenell, who until two months ago had been the chief spokesman for the U.S. mission to the U.N.
"It is ridiculous to suggest that there are legal reasons why we can't support this resolution — common sense says we should be the leader in making sure other governments are granting more freedoms for their people, not less," said Grenell, who described himself as a gay Republican. "The U.S. lack of support on this issue only dims our once bright beacon of hope and freedom for those who are persecuted and oppressed."
More than 50 countries opposed to the declaration, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, issued a joint statement Thursday criticizing the initiative as an unwarranted attempt to give special prominence to gays and lesbians. The statement suggested that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest.
The declaration also has been opposed by the Vatican, a stance which prompted a protest in Rome earlier this month.
A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the Roman Catholic Church opposed the death penalty and other harsh repression of gays and lesbians, but he expressed concern that the declaration would be used as pressure against those who believe marriage rights should not be extended to gays.
A new Vatican statement, issued Thursday, endorsed the call to end criminal penalties against gays, but said that overall the declaration "gives rise to uncertainty in the law and challenges existing human norms."
The European nations backing the declaration waged their campaign in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Dutch foreign affairs minister, Maxime Verhagen, said countries that endorsed that 1948 document had no right to carve out exceptions based on religion or culture that allowed discrimination against gays.
"Human rights apply to all people in all places at all times," he said. "I will not accept any excuse."
He acknowledged that the new declaration had only symbolic import, but said it marked the first time such a large number of nations had raised the cause of gay rights in the context of General Assembly proceedings.
"This statement aims to make debate commonplace," he said. "It is not meant to be a source of division, but to eliminate the taboo that surrounds the issue."
US balks at backing condemnation of anti-gay laws
By DAVID CRARY
12-19-8
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Alone among major Western nations, the United States has refused to sign a declaration presented Thursday at the United Nations calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.
In all, 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the nonbinding declaration — which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with any-gay discrimination. More than 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality, and in several of them homosexual acts can be punished by execution.
Co-sponsored by France and the Netherlands, the declaration was signed by all 27 European Union members, as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries. There was broad opposition from Muslim nations, and the United States refused to sign, indicating that some parts of the declaration raised legal questions that needed further review.
"It's disappointing," said Rama Yade, France's human rights minister, of the U.S. position — which she described as in contradiction with America's long tradition as a defender of human rights.
According to some of the declaration's backers, U.S. officials expressed concern in private talks that some parts of the declaration might be problematic in committing the federal government on matters that fall under state jurisdiction. In numerous states, landlords and private employers are allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; on the federal level, gays are not allowed to serve openly in the military.
Carolyn Vadino, a spokeswoman for the U.S. mission to the U.N., stressed that the United States — despite its unwillingness to sign — condemned any human rights violations related to sexual orientation.
Gay rights activists nonetheless were angered by the U.S. position.
"It's an appalling stance — to not join with other countries that are standing up and calling for decriminalization of homosexuality," said Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
She expressed hope that the U.S. position might change after President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.
Also denouncing the U.S. stance was Richard Grenell, who until two months ago had been the chief spokesman for the U.S. mission to the U.N.
"It is ridiculous to suggest that there are legal reasons why we can't support this resolution — common sense says we should be the leader in making sure other governments are granting more freedoms for their people, not less," said Grenell, who described himself as a gay Republican. "The U.S. lack of support on this issue only dims our once bright beacon of hope and freedom for those who are persecuted and oppressed."
More than 50 countries opposed to the declaration, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, issued a joint statement Thursday criticizing the initiative as an unwarranted attempt to give special prominence to gays and lesbians. The statement suggested that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest.
The declaration also has been opposed by the Vatican, a stance which prompted a protest in Rome earlier this month.
A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the Roman Catholic Church opposed the death penalty and other harsh repression of gays and lesbians, but he expressed concern that the declaration would be used as pressure against those who believe marriage rights should not be extended to gays.
A new Vatican statement, issued Thursday, endorsed the call to end criminal penalties against gays, but said that overall the declaration "gives rise to uncertainty in the law and challenges existing human norms."
The European nations backing the declaration waged their campaign in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Dutch foreign affairs minister, Maxime Verhagen, said countries that endorsed that 1948 document had no right to carve out exceptions based on religion or culture that allowed discrimination against gays.
"Human rights apply to all people in all places at all times," he said. "I will not accept any excuse."
He acknowledged that the new declaration had only symbolic import, but said it marked the first time such a large number of nations had raised the cause of gay rights in the context of General Assembly proceedings.
"This statement aims to make debate commonplace," he said. "It is not meant to be a source of division, but to eliminate the taboo that surrounds the issue."
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
End for Amsterdam’s magic mushrooms
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5254351.ece
November 29, 2008
End of a good spell for Amsterdam’s magic mushrooms
Farmers face ruin as Amsterdam alters image
David Charter, Europe Correspondent
It was mind-expanding for many while it lasted, but the trip is finally over: a last-minute attempt to stop a ban on magic mushrooms failed yesterday as the Netherlands sought to reverse its reputation for hedonism, which attracts drug tourists from around the world.
City authorities in Amsterdam are bracing themselves for a weekend of hallucinogenic bingeing as dozens of so-called “smart shops” that specialise in fresh psychedelic mushrooms sell off their stock before the trade becomes illegal on Monday.
The Dutch Government has adopted a stricter stance on issues such as soft drugs and prostitution, as well as immigration, since the elections in 2006, which were held amid a backlash against tolerant attitudes.
The demise of the magic mushroom follows plans in Amsterdam to close 40 cannabis cafés – known as coffee shops – because they are too close to schools and to shut scores of prostitute shop windows.
For the mushroom growers and vendors who failed to get an injunction against the Government yesterday, a whole way of life will be lost.
Freddy Schaap, 36, who grows 25 tonnes of “shrooms” a year at a farm in Tiel, in central Netherlands, said that he faced financial ruin. “For 30 years we have had this liberal way of doing things here but this Government just wants to ban everything,” he said. “We sell fresh mushrooms that you can recognise, that you can get information about. But if you have to buy from a dealer in the street, nobody Schaap is chairman of the industry association VLOS, which said that there were six growers in the Netherlands, 180 smart shops and a few hundred employees in an industry with an annual turnover of about €20 million (£16 million). The industry grew rapidly after 2002 when a Dutch court banned the sale of dried mushrooms but confirmed the legal status of the freshly grown product because of a loophole. While the active ingredient, psilocybin, was illegal, it could not be measured in the fresh fungi.
Smart shops sell 189 varieties, for €20m €12 to €15, mostly to British tourists. knows what they are getting.” Mr “The use of mushrooms gives you insight, it should be part of growing up. It is a nice experience,” said Mr Schaap. “People experience it positively – it is something you should do two or three times in your life.”
The Government cracked down after a 17-year-old French girl jumped to her death from a window last year while suffering hallucinations. Her parents blamed magic mushrooms, although she was also known to have had psychiatric problems.
The industry argues that the case has been unfairly used to target them, since many more people die from the effects of alcohol and cigarettes. Ab Klink, the Dutch Heath Minister, confirmed the ban, saying that hallucinogenic mushrooms “can lead to unpredictable and risky behaviour”.
Bart, 45, the owner of three smart shops, including the long-established Kokopelli in Amsterdam’s red-light district, said that he would try to adjust by selling more herbal remedies and supplements – but he was not optimistic. “This is a disaster,” he said. “The shops are quite big, with lots of products, but the thing that makes a smart shop a smart shop is lots of mushrooms.”
November 29, 2008
End of a good spell for Amsterdam’s magic mushrooms
Farmers face ruin as Amsterdam alters image
David Charter, Europe Correspondent
It was mind-expanding for many while it lasted, but the trip is finally over: a last-minute attempt to stop a ban on magic mushrooms failed yesterday as the Netherlands sought to reverse its reputation for hedonism, which attracts drug tourists from around the world.
City authorities in Amsterdam are bracing themselves for a weekend of hallucinogenic bingeing as dozens of so-called “smart shops” that specialise in fresh psychedelic mushrooms sell off their stock before the trade becomes illegal on Monday.
The Dutch Government has adopted a stricter stance on issues such as soft drugs and prostitution, as well as immigration, since the elections in 2006, which were held amid a backlash against tolerant attitudes.
The demise of the magic mushroom follows plans in Amsterdam to close 40 cannabis cafés – known as coffee shops – because they are too close to schools and to shut scores of prostitute shop windows.
For the mushroom growers and vendors who failed to get an injunction against the Government yesterday, a whole way of life will be lost.
Freddy Schaap, 36, who grows 25 tonnes of “shrooms” a year at a farm in Tiel, in central Netherlands, said that he faced financial ruin. “For 30 years we have had this liberal way of doing things here but this Government just wants to ban everything,” he said. “We sell fresh mushrooms that you can recognise, that you can get information about. But if you have to buy from a dealer in the street, nobody Schaap is chairman of the industry association VLOS, which said that there were six growers in the Netherlands, 180 smart shops and a few hundred employees in an industry with an annual turnover of about €20 million (£16 million). The industry grew rapidly after 2002 when a Dutch court banned the sale of dried mushrooms but confirmed the legal status of the freshly grown product because of a loophole. While the active ingredient, psilocybin, was illegal, it could not be measured in the fresh fungi.
Smart shops sell 189 varieties, for €20m €12 to €15, mostly to British tourists. knows what they are getting.” Mr “The use of mushrooms gives you insight, it should be part of growing up. It is a nice experience,” said Mr Schaap. “People experience it positively – it is something you should do two or three times in your life.”
The Government cracked down after a 17-year-old French girl jumped to her death from a window last year while suffering hallucinations. Her parents blamed magic mushrooms, although she was also known to have had psychiatric problems.
The industry argues that the case has been unfairly used to target them, since many more people die from the effects of alcohol and cigarettes. Ab Klink, the Dutch Heath Minister, confirmed the ban, saying that hallucinogenic mushrooms “can lead to unpredictable and risky behaviour”.
Bart, 45, the owner of three smart shops, including the long-established Kokopelli in Amsterdam’s red-light district, said that he would try to adjust by selling more herbal remedies and supplements – but he was not optimistic. “This is a disaster,” he said. “The shops are quite big, with lots of products, but the thing that makes a smart shop a smart shop is lots of mushrooms.”
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Dutch ban famed hallucinatory mushrooms
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071012/ap_on_re_eu/netherlands_magic_mushrooms
Dutch ban famed hallucinatory mushrooms
By TOBY STERLING, Associated Press Writer
10-12-7
The Dutch government said Friday that it will ban the sale of hallucinatory mushrooms, rolling back one element of the country's permissive drug policy after a series of high-profile negative incidents.
The decision will go into effect within several months and doesn't need parliamentary approval, Justice Ministry spokesman Wim van der Weegen said.
"We intend to forbid the sale of 'magic' mushrooms," he said. "That means shops caught doing so will be closed."
Under the country's famed tolerance policy, marijuana and hashish are technically illegal but police don't bother to prosecute people for possession of small amounts, and they are sold openly in designated cafes.
Possession of "hard" drugs like cocaine and Ecstasy is illegal.
Psilocybin, the main active chemical in the mushrooms, has been illegal under international law since 1971. However, mushrooms that are fresh and unprocessed in any way have continued to be sold legally in the Netherlands, on the theory that it was impossible to determine how much of the naturally occurring substance any given mushroom contains.
Mushrooms will fall somewhere in the middle of the Dutch legality scale.
"We're not talking about a non-prosecution policy, but we'll be targeting sellers," Van der Weegen said.
Van der Weegen said that, in the end, that was also the reason the policy proved unworkable.
"The problem with mushrooms is that their effect is unpredictable. It's impossible to estimate what amount will have what effect."
Calls for a re-evaluation arose after a French 17-year-old, Gaelle Caroff, jumped from a building after eating psychedelic mushrooms while on a school visit to Amsterdam.
Caroff's parents blamed her death on hallucinations brought on by the mushrooms, though the teenager had suffered from psychiatric problems in the past. Her photographs was splashed across newspapers around the country.
Since Caroff's death, other dramatic stories involving mushrooms have been reported in the Dutch press, though mushroom vendors complained that each of the cases involved tourists who were using other drugs and alcohol at the same time — against their usage instructions for mushrooms.
The users include:
• A British tourist, 22, who ran amok in a hotel, breaking his window and slicing his hand badly.
• An Icelandic tourist, 19, who thought he was being chased and jumped from a balcony, breaking both his legs.
• A Danish tourist, 29, who drove his car wildly through a campground, narrowly missing people sleeping in their tents.
Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen had suggested a 3-day "cooling off" period between ordering them and using them. Most mushrooms sold in Amsterdam are sold to tourists, and the city's reputation for liberal drug policies and legalized prostitution are major tourist attractions.
Dutch ban famed hallucinatory mushrooms
By TOBY STERLING, Associated Press Writer
10-12-7
The Dutch government said Friday that it will ban the sale of hallucinatory mushrooms, rolling back one element of the country's permissive drug policy after a series of high-profile negative incidents.
The decision will go into effect within several months and doesn't need parliamentary approval, Justice Ministry spokesman Wim van der Weegen said.
"We intend to forbid the sale of 'magic' mushrooms," he said. "That means shops caught doing so will be closed."
Under the country's famed tolerance policy, marijuana and hashish are technically illegal but police don't bother to prosecute people for possession of small amounts, and they are sold openly in designated cafes.
Possession of "hard" drugs like cocaine and Ecstasy is illegal.
Psilocybin, the main active chemical in the mushrooms, has been illegal under international law since 1971. However, mushrooms that are fresh and unprocessed in any way have continued to be sold legally in the Netherlands, on the theory that it was impossible to determine how much of the naturally occurring substance any given mushroom contains.
Mushrooms will fall somewhere in the middle of the Dutch legality scale.
"We're not talking about a non-prosecution policy, but we'll be targeting sellers," Van der Weegen said.
Van der Weegen said that, in the end, that was also the reason the policy proved unworkable.
"The problem with mushrooms is that their effect is unpredictable. It's impossible to estimate what amount will have what effect."
Calls for a re-evaluation arose after a French 17-year-old, Gaelle Caroff, jumped from a building after eating psychedelic mushrooms while on a school visit to Amsterdam.
Caroff's parents blamed her death on hallucinations brought on by the mushrooms, though the teenager had suffered from psychiatric problems in the past. Her photographs was splashed across newspapers around the country.
Since Caroff's death, other dramatic stories involving mushrooms have been reported in the Dutch press, though mushroom vendors complained that each of the cases involved tourists who were using other drugs and alcohol at the same time — against their usage instructions for mushrooms.
The users include:
• A British tourist, 22, who ran amok in a hotel, breaking his window and slicing his hand badly.
• An Icelandic tourist, 19, who thought he was being chased and jumped from a balcony, breaking both his legs.
• A Danish tourist, 29, who drove his car wildly through a campground, narrowly missing people sleeping in their tents.
Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen had suggested a 3-day "cooling off" period between ordering them and using them. Most mushrooms sold in Amsterdam are sold to tourists, and the city's reputation for liberal drug policies and legalized prostitution are major tourist attractions.
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