Fabulous essay, Claire--I especially love this line-"We must limit the spread of harmful ideas—whether it’s fascism, fundamentalist Islam, racism, or something else entirely. We must protect our freedom and democracy." Amen.
Some of my favorite memories took place in Amsterdam in the 90s and early 2000s. I used to have an office in The Hague--many, many moons ago. Rather than weed and sex shops, my interests involved the great jazz heritage --the extraordinary tenor sax player- Ben Webster lived in Amsterdam for 3 years in the 60s. I could (and did) spend hours perusing the vintage/antique shops. Thanks for taking me back....(I loved Amsterdam so fiercely, that a part of my novel takes place there.)
I was watching videos on gardening to learn about weed control. The most fascinating idea to me was that the problems with your soil determine the weeds you'll get because the weeds that flourish will be those that can survive and adapt to that soil. Just plucking weeds doesn't solve the problem. There are thousands of seeds always present in the soil, but only those that can take advantage of the soil conditions present will be the ones that grow. I also learned that the earth hates to be bare and will always find something to cover itself with. So stripping away everything that is on a section of earth is an invitation to weeds more than to whatever it is the gardener hopes to grow.
This is what I thought of when you said, "We must limit the spread of harmful ideas—whether it’s fascism, fundamentalist Islam, racism, or something else entirely. We must protect our freedom and democracy."
If there are problems in the metaphorical soil of a nation, trying to pull out each weed of a negative idea that sprouts won't work. You've got to be honest about the fact that something underlying it all is unhealthy. Let all ideas have their voice because when you have good soil and conditions, the good stuff you plant will grow. Controlling speech isn't the answer; rather, let MORE ideas get heard including ones we don't like. If they are terrible ideas, healthy soil will keep them from taking root. Plus we can start to understand where these terrible ideas came from and fix the conditions causing them to spring up.I think radical unnuanced ideas take hold when there's so much determination to crush every disliked opinion rather than acknowledge differences and nourish understanding of viewpoints so we can actually fix the problematic conditions.
In the end when people disagree, we can't all have what we want. Things swing back and forth just like nature is ever in flux, righting and rebalancing itself. I wish we could have perfection, but we can't.
Still, if you want the best outcome, you have to focus on creating the right conditions to achieve it, not simply stomping out each unpleasant weed. Democracy has no problem with bad ideas, the problem comes from trying to let only a few narrow ideas get through and squelching all unapproved discussion. Because you never get to the heart of what's really going on that way.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your weed and soil metaphor, and I agree with you that there are underlying problems in a society when bad weeds grow.
But I disagree with you when you write “Let all ideas have their voice.”
I won’t stop anyone from spreading their ideas about the best way to arrange healthcare, run the economy, or educate children—even when I think these ideas are bad or harmful.
But when people call for violence against others, it becomes another issue. That, I believe, we should root out. I don’t have enough confidence in the healthiness of our soil to do the work for us.
Has the Netherlands crushed every disliked opinion? Have we failed to acknowledge differences? I don’t think so. I believe there’s quite a lot of understanding for one another. But that didn’t stop the spread of radical violent ideas.
How do we create a healthy and resistent soil? I don’t have the answer, but think it starts with kindness and love and with saying no to its opposite: hate.
I don't know enough about politics there in the Netherlands to know what calls for violence have occurred, so can't speak to that. But I do know that if you tell people not to say what they feel, the feelings don't go away. Those feelings simmer and come to boil. Humans throughout history will go to war at such points, a thing I absolutely hate. But if you find out why people are becoming war-like, perhaps you could calm it down before it reaches that point. To me, tamping down on things people say is like ignoring the brewing problems rather than being a peacemaker. Jesus said, Blessed are the Peacemakers and it's something I believe. By the time people are saying violent things, they have been ignored a lot; they didn't start there. A peacemaker in leadership could have prevented such rhetoric from even coming to people's minds or having power to sprout widely.
I think of my children. They are going to think things whether I know or not, but if I make a way for them to say the things I don't approve of, I can help them find better ways to think about things and manage their feelings. I help them be empathetic toward each other. If they say something in a way that's inappropriate, I would ask them to find a kinder way to say what they mean, but I still want to know the essence of what's going on in their hearts. I think leaders around the world don't want to know what people are struggling with and feeling. The very ignoring and suppressing of all the angst leads people to unreasonableness and frustration.
I really believe violence, while it may come naturally to the psychopath, is not the first choice for ordinary people. And there are far more ordinary people than psychopaths. They won't follow psychopaths in any volume if they experience good compassionate leadership. There can't be many truly wise leaders at the helm in our world right now or this wouldn't be happening. And I don't just mean elected leaders but also the media people who clearly try lead us all.
I've come to see that to truly promote peace, you can't sweep every disagreement under the rug, but when the leaders don't actually care, the easiest thing in the world is to brew resentment by ignoring everything they don't want to bother with. My children truly love each other and I have helped cultivate that by letting them give voice to their frustrations with each other, then helping them work things out. I think it is incredibly powerful! It works on the smallest level and at the highest. Love in the greater world requires doing the hard work of listening and peacemaking. I'd say it is what you were doing when you asked people their viewpoints and tried to make sense of it all.
I explored Amsterdam a few years ago in cold downpours for days and was intrigued and fascinated.
Interesting now how Snoop Dogg, too, no longer is held in esteem. I have often tried to return to places and predominantly have been disappointed. Fortunately, so many places on the planet to see...
Thank you, Janice! I agree that returning to places can be disappointing, unless one returns predominantly to reconnect with the people there, family, friends, locals. Holland will always be a place I will enjoy going to, regardless of how much it will change.
An excellent introduction to the complexities of Amsterdam. I recently wrote about seeing a middle-aged couple wandering through a park in Idaho, wearing traditional wooden shoes. We invited them to join us for conversation and they accepted--admitting that they are indeed from the Netherlands, but also laughing that they only wear the wooden shoes as a way to meet people. In our conversation, I mentioned that I would like to someday visit Amsterdam. They both immediately wrinkled up their noses and asked why. They had very little good to say about the city--overcrowding and multiculturalism gone awry. This post, however, restores my desire to visit.
Wooden shoes! That must have truly been to draw attention. Not sure if I've ever seen a Dutch person wear them. Amsterdam is both overcrowded and still worth visiting. So many small and quiet side streets and canals to admire. And the general vibe remains good.
Good to know! Yes, they laughed about those shoes. She grumbled about how uncomfortable hers are, but they said it works every time when they want to meet people.
A great read! I’m an Australian with ties to the Netherlands for the past 30 plus years. First me as a backpacker using a hostel in Amsterdam as my base( in those days the hostel staff would mind my back pack under the front desk) There were no lockers in those days)
Now my alliance is that my daughter lives in Rotterdam and has done so for the past 5 years. My son was to start art college here in Rotterdam, but declined his offer at the last minute. Maybe the Netherlands isn’t for me.
I can imagine how much it has changed for you over the years! You brought back a sackful of memories! Thank you😊
Thanks for reading and for your kind words! Rotterdam isn't my favorite city in the Netherlands, to say the least. I grew up in its suburbs and always loved The Hague, Amsterdam, and Utrecht more. I hope your son will attend a great (art) college elsewhere. From what I've heard, even the attitude toward foreign students has deteriorated with the new government, so perhaps your son made the right choice.
I think with his sister finishing uni here, he’s not tempted to stay. Very hard to get rental and to get started. Yes there are such prettier places in the Netherlands than Rotterdam 😊🥰
I lived in Den Bosch from 79 - 85. I've visited once since, in 2004. I could never go back, but neither could I go back to England, where I'm originally from.
I think partly what you mentioned - home can never be home again. More specifically, I’ve grown accustomed to more space, including more personal space. I could move again, but it would have to be somewhere new.
Wonderful essay, I could feel it, smell the pot, oh wait that was my neighbor! Your words brought Amsterdam to life for me. I hope to go someday.
I’ve read about the amazing agriculture in Netherlands, the second largest exporter of agriculture. It was very fascinating how a small country built a huge sustainable agricultural industry. I read that after the starvation in the aftermath of WWII the people got together to make sure the people never went hungry again. They have a massive system of greenhouses and it’s done very scientifically. The University of Amsterdam also consults with farmers in Africa to help them with their crops.
Reading about that made me love the Netherlands, and I do hope I can go visit some day. What an amazing place it must be!
I agree that the Netherlands gets a lot of things right, but we also have many problems because over overproduction. The Netherlands has a high density of factory farms, for example—we produce the pigs for most Italian and Spanish hams—and our air and ground water is polluted. Greener policies seemed to be on the way, but with the new right-wing government all plans of curbing the production have been stalled.
That said, the Netherlands is still a country worth visiting, of course. I just wanted to add some nuance.
I lived in Amsterdam in 1971-1976 at various times. I finally went back for a visit in 2012. I ended up staying with a friend in Delft. The inner city was so different. I visited all my old places, and of course, I expected changes. I had changed and Amsterdam had changed. It will never be the magical place it was again.
Great post Claire. I love Amsterdam. There used to be a direct flight on Martin Air from Cancun to Amsterdam where we have friends, so when heading to EU, it was great to be there, hang out w/ our pals, see your former fair city and just have fun. Loved your details. (and i too was sad about the political turn). Our friend, a psychiatrist, had worked in health for the city and would have to evaluate people brought in by authorities to determine if they were either mentally disturbed or high out of their minds. She said it was quite a job. She lasted about 5 years, and now strictly does her art. A kinder, gentler profession ):
Thanks, Jeanine! When I walk through a city, I often wonder how it’s like for the people working there. But I never imagined that this would be a healthcare worker’s job, to decide whether someone needs urgent care or just some time off to come back down.
Amazing, yes. Oddly, she’d never done any drugs at all. She’s whip smart, very situationally aware, and observant as all get out. Her main goal was to not detain someone who’d just gone on a binge and didn’t know how to stop or maybe deal with what they’d taken. She’s a second generation physician so she probably had some help in the genetic department. Eventually it was tiring and draining. Art suits her better.
Fabulous essay, Claire--I especially love this line-"We must limit the spread of harmful ideas—whether it’s fascism, fundamentalist Islam, racism, or something else entirely. We must protect our freedom and democracy." Amen.
Some of my favorite memories took place in Amsterdam in the 90s and early 2000s. I used to have an office in The Hague--many, many moons ago. Rather than weed and sex shops, my interests involved the great jazz heritage --the extraordinary tenor sax player- Ben Webster lived in Amsterdam for 3 years in the 60s. I could (and did) spend hours perusing the vintage/antique shops. Thanks for taking me back....(I loved Amsterdam so fiercely, that a part of my novel takes place there.)
Thank you, Diana! I love The Hague as much as Amsterdam. I’m not familiar with the history of jazz in the Netherlands, but now I’m intrigued.
I was watching videos on gardening to learn about weed control. The most fascinating idea to me was that the problems with your soil determine the weeds you'll get because the weeds that flourish will be those that can survive and adapt to that soil. Just plucking weeds doesn't solve the problem. There are thousands of seeds always present in the soil, but only those that can take advantage of the soil conditions present will be the ones that grow. I also learned that the earth hates to be bare and will always find something to cover itself with. So stripping away everything that is on a section of earth is an invitation to weeds more than to whatever it is the gardener hopes to grow.
This is what I thought of when you said, "We must limit the spread of harmful ideas—whether it’s fascism, fundamentalist Islam, racism, or something else entirely. We must protect our freedom and democracy."
If there are problems in the metaphorical soil of a nation, trying to pull out each weed of a negative idea that sprouts won't work. You've got to be honest about the fact that something underlying it all is unhealthy. Let all ideas have their voice because when you have good soil and conditions, the good stuff you plant will grow. Controlling speech isn't the answer; rather, let MORE ideas get heard including ones we don't like. If they are terrible ideas, healthy soil will keep them from taking root. Plus we can start to understand where these terrible ideas came from and fix the conditions causing them to spring up.I think radical unnuanced ideas take hold when there's so much determination to crush every disliked opinion rather than acknowledge differences and nourish understanding of viewpoints so we can actually fix the problematic conditions.
In the end when people disagree, we can't all have what we want. Things swing back and forth just like nature is ever in flux, righting and rebalancing itself. I wish we could have perfection, but we can't.
Still, if you want the best outcome, you have to focus on creating the right conditions to achieve it, not simply stomping out each unpleasant weed. Democracy has no problem with bad ideas, the problem comes from trying to let only a few narrow ideas get through and squelching all unapproved discussion. Because you never get to the heart of what's really going on that way.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your weed and soil metaphor, and I agree with you that there are underlying problems in a society when bad weeds grow.
But I disagree with you when you write “Let all ideas have their voice.”
I won’t stop anyone from spreading their ideas about the best way to arrange healthcare, run the economy, or educate children—even when I think these ideas are bad or harmful.
But when people call for violence against others, it becomes another issue. That, I believe, we should root out. I don’t have enough confidence in the healthiness of our soil to do the work for us.
Has the Netherlands crushed every disliked opinion? Have we failed to acknowledge differences? I don’t think so. I believe there’s quite a lot of understanding for one another. But that didn’t stop the spread of radical violent ideas.
How do we create a healthy and resistent soil? I don’t have the answer, but think it starts with kindness and love and with saying no to its opposite: hate.
Thanks so much for engaging with my comment!
I don't know enough about politics there in the Netherlands to know what calls for violence have occurred, so can't speak to that. But I do know that if you tell people not to say what they feel, the feelings don't go away. Those feelings simmer and come to boil. Humans throughout history will go to war at such points, a thing I absolutely hate. But if you find out why people are becoming war-like, perhaps you could calm it down before it reaches that point. To me, tamping down on things people say is like ignoring the brewing problems rather than being a peacemaker. Jesus said, Blessed are the Peacemakers and it's something I believe. By the time people are saying violent things, they have been ignored a lot; they didn't start there. A peacemaker in leadership could have prevented such rhetoric from even coming to people's minds or having power to sprout widely.
I think of my children. They are going to think things whether I know or not, but if I make a way for them to say the things I don't approve of, I can help them find better ways to think about things and manage their feelings. I help them be empathetic toward each other. If they say something in a way that's inappropriate, I would ask them to find a kinder way to say what they mean, but I still want to know the essence of what's going on in their hearts. I think leaders around the world don't want to know what people are struggling with and feeling. The very ignoring and suppressing of all the angst leads people to unreasonableness and frustration.
I really believe violence, while it may come naturally to the psychopath, is not the first choice for ordinary people. And there are far more ordinary people than psychopaths. They won't follow psychopaths in any volume if they experience good compassionate leadership. There can't be many truly wise leaders at the helm in our world right now or this wouldn't be happening. And I don't just mean elected leaders but also the media people who clearly try lead us all.
I've come to see that to truly promote peace, you can't sweep every disagreement under the rug, but when the leaders don't actually care, the easiest thing in the world is to brew resentment by ignoring everything they don't want to bother with. My children truly love each other and I have helped cultivate that by letting them give voice to their frustrations with each other, then helping them work things out. I think it is incredibly powerful! It works on the smallest level and at the highest. Love in the greater world requires doing the hard work of listening and peacemaking. I'd say it is what you were doing when you asked people their viewpoints and tried to make sense of it all.
I explored Amsterdam a few years ago in cold downpours for days and was intrigued and fascinated.
Interesting now how Snoop Dogg, too, no longer is held in esteem. I have often tried to return to places and predominantly have been disappointed. Fortunately, so many places on the planet to see...
Excellent writing! Enjoy the wander.
Thank you, Janice! I agree that returning to places can be disappointing, unless one returns predominantly to reconnect with the people there, family, friends, locals. Holland will always be a place I will enjoy going to, regardless of how much it will change.
An excellent introduction to the complexities of Amsterdam. I recently wrote about seeing a middle-aged couple wandering through a park in Idaho, wearing traditional wooden shoes. We invited them to join us for conversation and they accepted--admitting that they are indeed from the Netherlands, but also laughing that they only wear the wooden shoes as a way to meet people. In our conversation, I mentioned that I would like to someday visit Amsterdam. They both immediately wrinkled up their noses and asked why. They had very little good to say about the city--overcrowding and multiculturalism gone awry. This post, however, restores my desire to visit.
Wooden shoes! That must have truly been to draw attention. Not sure if I've ever seen a Dutch person wear them. Amsterdam is both overcrowded and still worth visiting. So many small and quiet side streets and canals to admire. And the general vibe remains good.
Good to know! Yes, they laughed about those shoes. She grumbled about how uncomfortable hers are, but they said it works every time when they want to meet people.
Thanks Claire
A great read! I’m an Australian with ties to the Netherlands for the past 30 plus years. First me as a backpacker using a hostel in Amsterdam as my base( in those days the hostel staff would mind my back pack under the front desk) There were no lockers in those days)
Now my alliance is that my daughter lives in Rotterdam and has done so for the past 5 years. My son was to start art college here in Rotterdam, but declined his offer at the last minute. Maybe the Netherlands isn’t for me.
I can imagine how much it has changed for you over the years! You brought back a sackful of memories! Thank you😊
Thanks for reading and for your kind words! Rotterdam isn't my favorite city in the Netherlands, to say the least. I grew up in its suburbs and always loved The Hague, Amsterdam, and Utrecht more. I hope your son will attend a great (art) college elsewhere. From what I've heard, even the attitude toward foreign students has deteriorated with the new government, so perhaps your son made the right choice.
I think with his sister finishing uni here, he’s not tempted to stay. Very hard to get rental and to get started. Yes there are such prettier places in the Netherlands than Rotterdam 😊🥰
Thanks Claire,
I lived in Den Bosch from 79 - 85. I've visited once since, in 2004. I could never go back, but neither could I go back to England, where I'm originally from.
Much to think about.
Thanks, John!
Why is it that you could not go back?
I think partly what you mentioned - home can never be home again. More specifically, I’ve grown accustomed to more space, including more personal space. I could move again, but it would have to be somewhere new.
I think I understand. I like being at a distance from what I know, being the stranger. This makes it easier for me to write more freely.
Wonderful essay, I could feel it, smell the pot, oh wait that was my neighbor! Your words brought Amsterdam to life for me. I hope to go someday.
I’ve read about the amazing agriculture in Netherlands, the second largest exporter of agriculture. It was very fascinating how a small country built a huge sustainable agricultural industry. I read that after the starvation in the aftermath of WWII the people got together to make sure the people never went hungry again. They have a massive system of greenhouses and it’s done very scientifically. The University of Amsterdam also consults with farmers in Africa to help them with their crops.
Reading about that made me love the Netherlands, and I do hope I can go visit some day. What an amazing place it must be!
Thank you, Susan!
I agree that the Netherlands gets a lot of things right, but we also have many problems because over overproduction. The Netherlands has a high density of factory farms, for example—we produce the pigs for most Italian and Spanish hams—and our air and ground water is polluted. Greener policies seemed to be on the way, but with the new right-wing government all plans of curbing the production have been stalled.
That said, the Netherlands is still a country worth visiting, of course. I just wanted to add some nuance.
I lived in Amsterdam in 1971-1976 at various times. I finally went back for a visit in 2012. I ended up staying with a friend in Delft. The inner city was so different. I visited all my old places, and of course, I expected changes. I had changed and Amsterdam had changed. It will never be the magical place it was again.
I fear this is the case for so many places. Once we leave, we can never return and find it the same.
Great post Claire. I love Amsterdam. There used to be a direct flight on Martin Air from Cancun to Amsterdam where we have friends, so when heading to EU, it was great to be there, hang out w/ our pals, see your former fair city and just have fun. Loved your details. (and i too was sad about the political turn). Our friend, a psychiatrist, had worked in health for the city and would have to evaluate people brought in by authorities to determine if they were either mentally disturbed or high out of their minds. She said it was quite a job. She lasted about 5 years, and now strictly does her art. A kinder, gentler profession ):
Thanks, Jeanine! When I walk through a city, I often wonder how it’s like for the people working there. But I never imagined that this would be a healthcare worker’s job, to decide whether someone needs urgent care or just some time off to come back down.
Amazing, yes. Oddly, she’d never done any drugs at all. She’s whip smart, very situationally aware, and observant as all get out. Her main goal was to not detain someone who’d just gone on a binge and didn’t know how to stop or maybe deal with what they’d taken. She’s a second generation physician so she probably had some help in the genetic department. Eventually it was tiring and draining. Art suits her better.
She will make a very interesting character for a novel!
Hmmm. Actually, she would. She’s quirky, super smart, oddball sense of humor. And obviously she has stories to tell!!