Mr. Shorto Got It Exactly Right
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/magazine/03european-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=5&em
In his article comparing the Netherlands to the United States, Russell Shorto compares the two countries' approaches to social welfare and taxation with accuracy.
After living here for over two years, most of my apprehensions regarding the downside to living in Holland have really come up short. Most of those apprehensions stemmed from my fear of the healthcare system here, which the Dutch themselves seems to enjoy complaining about. Every time I have had to go to the doctor or a dentist the experience has always been more positive than any experience I had in the U.S., yes, perhaps a bit more rustic, but but holistically better.
To balance the tone of his article he talks about the ubiquitous sameness that is pervasive throughout Dutch society. "Normal is crazy enough." It is a lifestyle you cannot remain blind to--even geographically there are no mountains, hills, or many trees to obscure your view to this fact. But this approach works and if it is a stifling downside, perhaps to leave it is something that this bilingual and highly educated people always has available to them as an option, and that is just one more freedom bestowed upon the Dutch.
He also mentions the annoyance of shops closing too early in the day. That is indeed an annoyance, as is the lack of availability and diversity of product (especially culinary): sometimes you really have to search for something that would be abundant in the U.S. But I'll bet if the stores stayed open until 9:00 or longer like they do in the U.S. most people wouldn't take advantage of it, and the fact that most shops in the center of Amsterdam are located below residences mean that people can enjoy a quiet evening at home without people filtering in and out of the shops below. And besides, the cafes don't close at 6:00. Nor do the clubs and restaurants which makes for a highly social, exciting, and delightful lifestyle. Shops closing early is an annoyance to Americans because shopping is part of our instant gratification culture.
He also refers to conversations with Geert Mak, Dutch historian and excellent writer. Geert mentions that all-too-annoying motto that Americans love to toss about: " The U.S. is the best country in the world." Most people I know who love to say that have never been to any other country. These same people will also say that the U.S. is the most free country in the world. I will not take the time here to list out all the reasons why that statement is laughable and rooted in embarrassing isolationist ignorance.
So yeah, I am feeling cantankerous and antagonistic today. I'll make a sweeping generalization and I'll stand by it. No society is perfect, but at the end of the day, life is better in the Netherlands and I feel incredibly lucky that I get to live here, hard water, rudeness, lousy restaurants and all. The statistics speak for themselves. Dutch adults and their children are happier than Americans, and happiness is sought for nothing higher than itself. And dutch people, you have no idea how good you've got it.
Flame and lambaste me all you want. I'll publish all comments posted to this entry.
