cannabisnews.com: Dutch Drug Trade, Attitudes Disturb Souder 





Dutch Drug Trade, Attitudes Disturb Souder 
Posted by FoM on November 15, 2001 at 13:18:09 PT
By Sylvia A. Smith, Washington Editor
Source: Journal Gazette 
Holland's liberal drug laws have led to a surge of a synthetic amphetamine Ecstasy being exported to the United States, Rep. Mark Souder, R-4th, said Tuesday, but there's no need to punish the Dutch with tougher trade rules or other sanctions."I think they want to figure out how to respect our laws," he said. "If they want to have regulated free pot and free prostitution and gambling and porn videos all over the place, that's their business."
But when Holland's internal policies start affecting the United States, Souder said, that's another matter.Souder returned Tuesday after a trip to Holland, France and Italy with three other members of Congress. Discussing the export of Ecstasy to the United States from Holland was high on their agenda.He said Dutch officials tried to convince the congressional delegation that U.S. drug laws are too restrictive."I found their arguments non-compelling," said Souder, whose legislative career has included extensive work on tightening drug laws."I believe they are trying to do the right thing," he said of Dutch officials, "but there is a huge difference in how we approach issues. We have a more moral base; they don't have a moral base."For example, he said, less than 20 percent of the Dutch population attends church regularly."They don't believe that there's anything wrong with having full plate-glass windows with women in their lingerie basically becoming a meat market for guys who want to hire them. Some do 40 tricks a day," he said.He said the attitude is the same with drugs. Marijuana, though regulated, is legal.Souder said that although Ecstasy is illegal, "it's a wink, wink if you have three pills or less." Souder said what is worrisome for the United States is that 80 percent of imported Ecstasy comes from Holland.Newshawk: irokSource: Journal Gazette (IN)Author: Sylvia A. Smith, Washington EditorPublished: November 14, 2001Copyright: 2001 Journal GazetteContact: mroeger jg.netWebsite: http://www.journalgazette.net/Related Articles:Pragmatic Dutch Tolerate Ecstasy Use http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9374.shtmlFor The Dutch, Ecstasy Just The Latest Fad http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8677.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by lookinside on November 16, 2001 at 04:34:37 PT:
religion...
an organized religion, at it's best, teaches us how to live with ourselves and with our neighbors...it helps us deal with our mortality...it instills hope and peace...over 30 years ago, i realized that that kind of church was gone...(long story)...maybe, in truth, they never existed...
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Comment #10 posted by johnrambo on November 15, 2001 at 21:00:54 PT
Changes . . . CHANGE
why does the US take so damn long to change it's cultural base? i know why, but god damn it seems that throughout history it has taken some phenomenal act of violence to get anything changed. it seems that the prohibitionists will accept nothing less of a John Brown-like incedent before changing their twisted views. Well . . . who knows anymore. they've really managed to bring hell to millions w/ out knowing it. 
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 15, 2001 at 20:32:36 PT
Spirituality Versus Church Going People
I couldn't think what to call Church going people except Church going people. Church is a social thing. I know I spent much of my life involved in a church. Their intentions are to make everyone act better ( by their standards ) and live in a constant state of denial of fun type things ( except eating which is a big thing no pun intended ) I do my best to not be a judgmental person. People who judge others should spend more time looking inside themselves and they might be surprised at what they find.
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Comment #8 posted by Sam Adams on November 15, 2001 at 20:03:53 PT
bastards
I don't know which makes me more sad, being in a country where someone like Souder is in the government controlling me, or having to share a flag and country with the people that elected him.........I really try to respect people's religious beliefs, I really do. But people like this make me want to agree with Jesse the Body....maybe religion IS for the weak-minded. 
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on November 15, 2001 at 18:56:24 PT
If regular church attendance
makes you "more" moral, then I guess Bill Clinton was a man of great "moral" character. Apparently none of Mr. Souder's Sunday School teachers were able to teach him that arrogance and self-righteousness are not virtues.
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Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on November 15, 2001 at 16:36:00 PT
He doesn't understand European history at all
The whole reason why Amsterdam was able to survive as a business and financial center during the long period of violent religious warfare between the regular churchgoers of Europe is because they adopted the policy of tolerance.Jews, Muslims, Catholics, and Protestants were able to build Amsterdam into a powerful center of finance and enterprise that was instrumental in the financing of the American colonies from which America grew as a nation.They did all this while the regular churchgoers of Europe were killing each other by the thousands in bloody religious warfare.And that bloody religious warfare and horrific religious intolerance by the regular moral churchgoers of Europe is why Americans decided to opt for a country where religion and state are separated by a Constitution and a Bill of Rights.
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Comment #5 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on November 15, 2001 at 16:13:58 PT
Oh...Now the Truth comes out......
First of all, this would be a grand article to dissect totlally and respond to sentence by sentence. Prohibitionists control the American Media and can release this mindless poots of propaganda, while activists, like me, have to become needlessly wordy...at times...This is because of the Facade of Authority. Souder gets to say, essentially, 5 sentences, but there is volumes to be footnoted to what he has said.1) He said Dutch officials tried to convince the congressional delegation that U.S. drug laws are too restrictive."I found their arguments non-compelling," said Souder, whose legislative career has included extensive work on tightening drug laws.Well, duh. His livilhood is Prohibition so why would one think he'd actually listen to reason?2)**"I believe they are trying to do the right thing," he said of Dutch officials, "but there is a huge difference in how we approach issues. We have a more moral base; they don't have a moral base."For example, he said, less than 20 percent of the Dutch population attends church regularly.**Point # 2 is the truth coming out: This IS a Moral Holy war. It is grossly irresponsible for Souder to make such a statement, but America has been letting the Federal Government get away with VICIOUS lies about the Netherlands for years.3) My point is that this piece has underscored the pseudo-morality that possesses the republican party, that causes them to feel maorally superior to everybody else and creates that smug attitude I have written about elsewhere.What is obscured is the issue of personal autonomy and sovereignty. The lady turning "40 tricks a day", however reprehensible to some, is free to do so, is she not? Itys a regulated environment and vastly safer than American prostitution.Prostitutes here in America might do the same thing, but it's a whole LOT more dangerous and many of them may not be execizing personal choice. They might be drug-addicts, they might be in bondage to someone, or otherwise forced to do what they are doing.This is about personal Sovereignty aand Liberty, but souder, and the rest of the prohibitionists and right-wingers want to lie cheat and steal our freedoms away from us, put us in jail, browbeat us. It's the flipside of smug, a "fix" for those who have to feel superior to others at any cost. These are the same people who used to lynch black men in public to keep the other blacks from "bein uppity".The Netherlands, on the other hand has pioneered a more advanced society in that they tolerate diversity productively. Thier crime rate is lower, their heroin use is lower, their kids do better in school than american kids and they smoke less pot. And....their policies are being voluntarily adopted by much of europe. Contrast that with the US who is always strongarming people to believe what we believe. We have the Moral obligation to do so, being morally superior, ya know.and finally, filed under HUGE things left unsaid, The Netherlands, despite this headline about the netherlands exporting all their Exstacy to us, did not get put on the Bush List of Drug-Supplying countries! Why is that??It's because of the Dutch Antilles, in the carribean ocean.... We might want to use the airbases there.....Thus Mr. Souder has turned his own trick, cozying up to a drug-producing country in order to bomb others from their nice island airbases.Freakin' hypocritsFREEDOM ENDURES
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Comment #4 posted by mayan on November 15, 2001 at 15:49:17 PT
Progress
The Dutch simply refuse to fight asinine wars they cannot win. They are truly a progressive people. Americans,for the most part, are too. Unfortunately, American leaders don't represent their people. If "pro" is the opposite of "con", then "congress" must be the opposite of "progress"!!!
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Comment #3 posted by goneposthole on November 15, 2001 at 15:47:56 PT
Save the children
from congresscoward Souder. Children act more adult than he does."We have a moral base; they don't have a moral base." How convienent. It is immoral to impose your morality on others.The most intelligent people are the first to admit how dumb we really are. He wins the race.You left your home state for Washington, D.C.; now please leave the country for good.L-eagle eyes
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Comment #2 posted by Zero_G on November 15, 2001 at 14:05:51 PT:
The trials of being a Congressperson
Poor Congressman Souder, forced to visit with those European heathens, and listen to policy discussions.He brings us relevent statistics to back his views. He tells us:For example, he said, less than 20 percent of the Dutch population attends church regularly.
 
andThey don't believe that there's anything wrong with having full plate-glass windows with women in their lingerie basically becoming a meat market for guys who want to hire them. Some do 40 tricks a dayOf course, as to drug use rates, incarceration rates, health statistics, and any other meaningful data he is silent.Wonder who he was winking at?
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on November 15, 2001 at 13:24:55 PT:
The Other Foot
I am anxious what the Dutch have to say about this incident. Most Americans who have been there greatly admire the Dutch attitude and policies. Some of us apologize for the arrogance and ignorance of our politicians.
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