Posted by Iain1962 on 01/21/09
Last updated 01/21/09

Hello people,

I am Scottish, currently 46 years old and living in the Netherlands.

Why the Netherlands, well the European Union was enforced upon us so I chose the country which seemed to be the most free. However life here has shown me the contrary, the rules are piling up, imagine the country that has the most liberal Marijhuana laws banning smoking in cafes... It's insane.

However there are many things which are good here and in general compared to other countries I have lived in which have been many, I would say that overall Holland is a good place to live.

I discovered Ron Paul about 2 years ago and was instantly a fan, I have never been "for" a politician in my whole life until now, he is the first politician I have ever heard who looks to common sense, speaks the truth, and votes the truth too, he doesn't back off even if he is a lone voice. I respect that greatly and know whenever I hear his measured words that he is speaking the truth instead of trying to sell me some scheme.

The Central banks are evil and are enslaving us, through boom and bust cycles they ensure they are best positioned to take conrol of whatever businesses they feel like, and as we work and pay taxes, they laugh and print money.

This has to stop, not just in the USA but everywhere.

The struggle has begun now in earnest, and I am optimistic that soon Obama will be out, and Ron Paul will be in !

Posted 01/21/09 Tyler in MO Poplar Bluff, MO

Are you happy with the Czech president Vaclav Klaus becoming the new EU president?

Posted 01/21/09 Fu Manchu Belleville, MI

Happy to have you with us! :-)

Posted 01/21/09 Red Devil Richmond, IN

Welcome to the campaign Lain. Faith in REAL liberty is spreading.

Posted 01/21/09 jtfische w, MO

I have also lived in the EU (The Netherlands also ;) for a couple years and will be for another couple for work related reasons. I am American and have found it very interesting living in Europe. While I have enjoyed my time, I find the EU shocking, and also the rules and the bureaucracy in The Netherlands barely tolerable. But I may a bit extreme in terms of my liberties compared to some countries in Europe. Anyway it makes me realize how good a document the U.S. constitution is and how lucky we are too at least have some remnants of it left. Europeans lean way way too close to socialism.

Posted 01/21/09 Haystacks Calhoun NEW YORK, NY

Hello. I don't have much familiarity with EU rules. Which ones are most problematic from a libertarian perspective?

Posted 01/21/09 Iain1962 Oudorp, Netherlands

Hi Guys thanks for the welcome. Tyler, I'm not sure, I didn't vote for him, but then nobody asked me, which is kind of strange for a supposedly democratic union, but well they hold referenda until they get they the result they want and then suddenly stop, so why should we be surprised at having a leader imposed upon us. However that said, he seems a good man and having lived through communist occupation knows well the signs of tyranny, so I am willing to cut him some slack for now. Haystacks; the biggest problem here for me would be the layers of bureaucracy, the council says one thing the region says another, the department says another, the government says another and then Brussels has another view, so you end up shuffling tons of papers about whenever you try to do anything and all these different layers of government are all of course fighting to be the one who is right, and you can find yourself in the centre of a storm over the smallest thing. Also in most countries in the EU it is fair to say that almost everything is more or less forbidden unless you have permit. Basically the total opposite of free markets and allowing people to decide for themselves. The EU is becoming a horrible machine.

Posted 01/22/09 Snorkeler none, TX

Hi Iain1962 and everyone. I live in Holland and I'll just mention a few examples. Taxes are enormous. Pricing cartels are rampant (I mean "price fixing agreements" between the providers of goods and services so that no one will charge less than the other). As for the Dutch Government it largely controls the pricing of housing and keeps it artificially low. It controls the distribution of it too. The result is "bread lines" for rental housing stretching more than 12 years and widespread corruption in the housing sector. Further check this out: this month a new system is IN PLACE that if you want to go ANYWHERE on public transportation (which is very important here) you will have to carry a newly created card and constantly wave it in front of scanner machines. Information in that card includes your Dutch social security number and all your personal info including financial. Therefore the government is able know who you are and where you have gone. A viable proposal in Parliament at this time: they want to tax us by how much we use the roads. The proposal as I understand it is for every vehicle to have a transmitter in it which is tracked by satellites. I'm not kidding. There has been some protest but little. I'm sorry to be cynical but surely like they always do they'll just wait a while until any protest falls off. Here's another one, perhaps it's in the U.S. too: It used to be that when you came or went at the airport they would look at your passport and that was it. Now they scan it into a computer. Therefore the Government knows when you have come and gone. Oh yes, I almost forgot, the Government is buying banks.

Posted 04/22/09 Elysiumboy Billericay, United Kingdom

Hello Iain 1962, the European Union was a disaster waiting to happen before it started. I have looked up and down the list several times and it just simply is too one sided to ever work. Take Britain's example; the pound sterling has long been a strong currency in world markets, but with our lax immigration laws it is also a magnet for businesses and personal individuals that are likely to be top of their respected trades, creating a national market that is so competitive that nationality is lost in amongst the mire. Add that to the fact that most economies run at the corporate level and that automatically means your economy is part of greater (not necessarily good) schemes because the average citizen is then subject to corporate law rather than national law and all those horrid tasting cherries to go with it on top. The E.U is either a disaster waiting to happen or part of a larger global conglomerate that will soon make its move. Whatever happened to organisations like the Monopolies commission or competition commission as I think it is called now and why isn't there a world body of independents investigating this s--t?

Posted by Iain1962 on 02/06/09

Time to evict Paulson and the cronies, having Ron Paul holding the purse strings would change a lot ! We can't wait till 2012.

How about a campaign to get the man who really understands economics in charge of the Treasury?