There are a few things I’ll be sure to do if I ever ruled this country.
Prohibit any form of bio industry. The way animals are treated in the food industry is simply appaling; the fact we, as the human race, allow this to happen right in front of our eyes, just shows how barbarian we all are.
The bio industry will have two years to convert to sustainable, animal-friendly farms, as set out by a set of strict guidelines (to be determined by vetenarians and other scientists). Any company that refused to comply within said two years, will be demolished, the animals set free, and the owners, as well as the employees, will face prisonment sentences of up to 10 years.
De Biesbos, Utrechtse Heuvelrug, De Veluwe, all the way up to the Waddenzee and its islands will become one, huge national park, where cars and other poluting things are not allowed above-ground. Highways crossing this area will become tunnels over a timespan of several decades. Living inside this park will be allowed, but only if you comply by a set of strict rules. Within this area, nature is free to reclaim the land as it wishes.
As a long-term plan, new homes and buildings must be built under ground, the first step towards the entirity of our nation moving underground, to solve the problem our country faces more than any other country in Europe (overcrowding) while at the same time allowing our country’s nature to heal.
When children turn 18, they must either join the militairy draft, or do community service (the same system as Germany), in order to learn values and morals as society deems nescesary.
Any political or war refugee will be welcome in our country, sans exception; however, economic refugees are not, whether they come from Uganda, or the US. They can get a temporary work visum, but that’s it.
Taida Pasic, as well as any family member she wishes, will be brought back to The Netherlands (if she still wants to) to set an example: I will not allow extremists such as Geert Wilders or Rita Verdonk to ever again get a single say over this fine nation.
Economic and diplomatic ties with Israel and Palestine will be severed until sustainable peace has been reached, with Jerusalem receiving a similar status to The Vatican. Until this has been reached, neither states’ sovereignty will be recognised.
The Dutch Antilles will be brought back closer to The Crown, in order to clean up the economic mess over there. As soon as they have proven to be capable of autonumous control, they might get it again.
Anybody with financial problems, i.e. debts should be able to come to The Crown for help. Taxes will be simplified, as well as raised, to finance the above plans. Obviously, taxes will still be adapted to income.
Public transport will be ‘unprivatised’ in order to clean up the mess the free market has made in this portion of the economy. As soon as public tranport is at least similar to Japan’s punctial and near-perfect, I will be pleased.
Our succesful drug policy will be expanded. The farming and selling of Marihuana will be institutionalised; only the state will be allowed to grow and sell the crap, in our already state-approved coffeeshops, at the edge of towns. Anybody selling/smoking the crap near a school will be subject to severe penalty.
That’s a start.
Politics | 
>When children turn 18, they must either join the militairy draft, or do >community service (the same system as Germany), in order to learn >values and morals as society deems nescesary.
Sorry, but this is the job of the school and parenting, not the military’s or physical work. There is absolutely no reason why a kid with an IQ of 160 and inclination towards math must go and clean roads.
You see, I have lived in Greece. ALL men must go to serve as soldiers for 21 months. Many of them go there normal and come out FAT and BORED TO DEATH. People who were in university and were very intelligent, come out from there and all they want is to find an easy job and not do research or help the country’s technology. They just lose their hunger for life and dreams.
So no, I am against any military or community service work, unless is volunteered. You are for it because you haven’t lived its consequenses. I have.
Comment by Eugenia — August 29, 2006 @ 9:46 pm
You don’t get it. Community service means, in the German system, working for elderly homes, in hospitals, at schoosl. It does NOT entail cleaning roads.
Comment by Administrator — August 29, 2006 @ 10:05 pm
IMO, one of the best things that could be done, is allowing citizens to decide how a certain percentage of their tax money is spent. Obviously it’s unrealistic that they decide where the entirety goes because there are critical areas where there can be no debate. Education and National defense for example.
I’d rather my tax money wasn’t spend on a “safe injection site” though those that wish to could decide to check off that particular box or make private donations.
99% of the money would probably be spent maintaing such a system of course, so there wouldn’t be much to go around :)
As for some of your suggestions.
-Privatization fixed our transport system. Privatization doesn’t fix a thing though if it basically lives off of corporate welfare.
-Mandatory service whither military or civil is akin to slavery. I’m completely serious. If you’re going to go down that route, a better method would be to withhold certain benefits unless you’ve done either. A better method would be not to go down that route at all.
-I like your Israel / Palestine suggestion. I’d take it a better further and include non-democratic states in there too though. (Entirely unrealistic / even dangerous in reality).
- I feel you’re over generalizing “bio-industry” and it comes across that you support collective punishment.
- I agree with you on political, war, refugees but would include economic ones as well.
Comment by Linda — August 30, 2006 @ 1:17 am
I love your idea for Israel. Great idea. :)
Comment by harper — August 30, 2006 @ 4:31 am
Mandatory military and/or community service only teaches something if yer willing to accept the message. Besides, who decides what society deems as being ‘good’ morals and values? Community service and military service are two completely different things, I don’t see how they would teach the same morals and values.
People with financial problems/debts in the Netherlands can already go to governmental organisations to deal with these problems. This does not mean the government takes over debt, obviously, and it shouldn’t, ever.
How would moving everybody in the Netherlands underground solve the issue of the high population density? How would you deal with the obvious financial, logistical, engineering and psychological problems that this implies, just to name a few?
I agree that the bio-industry needs to be removed altogether. But the bio-industry is a symptom of our current society, not a cause, penalizing those who work in it does nothing to deal with the cause. Raising awareness and educating people should be a big part of this process.
Comment by Edwin — August 30, 2006 @ 10:01 am
You know the Vatican is just very small part of Rome, all it’s “citizens” are clergy from from the same religion and total population just a few hundreds.
Unless your’re talking about just the holy places in Jerusalem it would never work, and even then who would be in control of your little “Vatirusalem”? Some sort of Pope?
Comment by Hugo — August 30, 2006 @ 2:02 pm