RSSThe Netherlands Tries to Crack Down on Crime … Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen, “We Only Want to Get Rid of Some of the Prostitution”
Amsterdam: Prostitution + Drugs = Crime
What a novel conclusion that the Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, has come to after all this time. Prostitution and the sale of drugs has an underlying criminal element. No S%#t Sherlock! Really? Thus, Amsterdam is looking to take a bite out of crime and close down many of the attractions that made its “RED LIGHT” district an attraction to many. But are they really? How does one only take a little bite out of crime in fear of harming tourism? Sound familiar?
Amsterdam is set to lose a large chunk of its red light district, after the forced sale of a third of the buildings currently used for prostitution.
With its scantily-clad prostitutes posing in brothel windows and coffee shops oozing the pungent aroma of cannabis smoke, the red light district’s seediness has always been part of its attraction.
But the district is a magnet for petty criminals and, authorities believe, human traffickers, drug lords and mobsters – who take advantage of the situation to launder money.
Talk about wanting your cake and eating it too. Mayor Job Cohen only wishes to get rid of the criminality and not all of the prostitution, only some of it. Who exactly decides what prostitution is OK and what is not? It would appear that Mayor Cohen is stuck between that proverbial rock. He wants to get rid of some crime and prostitution, yet tourism from prostitution and liberal drug use is a booming business. After all, Amsterdam is known for is Red Light district and prostitutes. Hell, they gave a prostitutes a statue.
“What we do want is to get rid of the underlying criminality,” said Cohen.
He insisted however that he didn’t want to get rid of prostitution entirely, since it is part of the area’s history and a major tourist draw for the city.
What does one think will happen when they make prostitution legal and the sale and use of drugs OK? Do not let anyone ever tell you that the legalization of prostitution and drugs is a good thing. All it does it legitimize crime and bring an even seedier element into the main stream.
Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, and coffee shops are licensed to sell small amounts of marijuana.
Prostitutes’ rights organizations have generally been indifferent to the crackdown, arguing that pimps are the main source of problems, not landlords. (Daily Mail)
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39 Responses to “The Netherlands Tries to Crack Down on Crime … Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen, “We Only Want to Get Rid of Some of the Prostitution””
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Which is more important, tourism or crime, if it’s like Aruba, we know the answer.
Is it just me or does it seem that a lot of these people have the same last names? Cohen? Wasnt a Cohen involved in the Aruba case?
Nice place to visit on a family vacation…Geez….!
Nice Post, Maggie!!!
#2: Mayor Job Cohen is Jewish.
#3: Amsterdam has a lot more to offer: canal tour with thousands of historical houses, Anne Frank house, Rembrandt, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum, Artis zoo, Madame Tussaud’s, Royal palace, Amsterdam Historical Museum,Stedelijk Museum.
You may want to visit Amsterdam and skip the red light district (trust me, it’s just a tiny spot on the map).
Since Aruba is referred to as a protectorate of the Netherlands, what the hell more can we possibly expect from the savages who inhabit the DRUG INFESTED, POVERTY STRICKEN, THIRD WORLD ISLE OF ARUBA??? Like I’ve stated so many times before, the “anything goes attitude” of the Dutch is widely practiced in Aruba as well.
BOYCOTT ARUBA AND HOLLAND UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER OR UNTIL THEY PRODUCE NATALEE!!
JUSTICE FOR NATALEE
# Susan on September 23rd, 2007 11:28 am
I think all you people over there, in the “Land of the Free”, should have more understanding and sympathy for the quest The Netherlands and Amsterdam are on. It’s a quest for individual freedom, personal liberties!
Ever since the end of the middle ages we’re on a mission to explore and protect peoples personal freedoms. We for a long time were the capitol of the free world. The nickname of Amsterdam for instance, is “Mokum” which is a derivation of the jewish word “makom”. It pointed to the status of Amsterdam as a place of refuge for the Jews that were persecuted everywhere in Europe those days. But not only Jews. All kinds of different protestant groups as well that were haunted in a for the large part Roman Catholic Europe. Amongst those…. YOUR FOUNDING FATHERS! They lived in The Netherlands for some years as well before they headed for the New World, because of the great liberties here.
And I think that most Dutch are proud that we could hand over the tourch of our mission for personal freedoms to the new Capitol of the Free World: New York (not coïncidentaly named “New Amsterdam” untill 1664!)
And about criminality: that’s everywhere. Especially in free places like Amsterdam; unfortunatly when you open the door for guests, scum sometimes slips through…
# Comment of me on September 23rd, 2007 1:05 pm
Ooops…. Little mistake. I wrote that the Founding Fathers of the US lived in the Netherlands for some time. WRONG. I meant the “Pilgrims” of course.
#7, are you talking about the Puritans? The ones who believe(d) females are lustful sluts by nature and who should be subservient to men?
I think they moved to Aruba.
Robert, no offense,, but too me prostitution if one of the most disgusting careers to me. I would rather wait tables for a few dollars.. at least I would feel good about myself at days end, then just “entertain” what ever man walks in a room for his fun.
# disgustedmom on September 23rd, 2007 7:31 pm & Maggie on September 23rd, 2007 8:03 pm
Well, the discussion about prostitution is a very difficult one because there are the issues involved of sexslavery, womentrafficing, violence against women, women who are forced to go into prostitution by men or by poverty, women who are abused in the past and have low selfesteem. And so on.
But there are women or in general people who like to comfort other people or who like to have sex with other people (however you may think about that). Or women/men who rather work one hour as a prostitute than as a cassiere in a supermarket…
I think in principle that should be their own decission.
I’ve been to Amsterdam and I agree with the one poster who said it correctly, “the red light district is just a tiny spot on the map.” That city is one of the best cities in the world. It’s a very cool place to visit.
It used to be assumed that an official red-light district (we all understand what that means, I trust) would automatically cut down on crime.
By legalizing prostitution (for those who want to make a living that way), the crime groups would no longer be able to profit, the theory went. There was a parallel to what some think about the drug trade: make heroin, etc., legal, under the aegis of the government, and the crime groups would be unable to profit. The women involved would also be safer, the thinking went.
I recently read that authorities have learned that even with a heavy police presence in the area, the violence is such that they can’t protect the women. So yet again, the theoretical basis on which the philosophy is based has been shattered.
Robert, glad that you’re still with us here.
Hi Richard,
Yes I’m still around; I guess I won’t leave untill JvdS is behind bars for a substantial number of years. So I regularly check for news on the Scared Monkeys-site.
You’re right about the prostitution-experiment: reality often is much less managgeable than theory. It’s not easy to get rid of all the criminals (the pimps, the dealers and others) in the red-light-world. But we’ll keep trying I guess. I think a totaly illegal prostitution isn’t the answer either. Than the women would be left without any protection and support and suffer even more.
#11, Robert, your second paragraph is disgusting!
Just because some people can make more in an hour selling sex than they can as a cashier in a supermarket (or some other minimum wage job) does not make it a respectable choice, and no one should ever be proud of making such a choice, either in buying or selling sex.
Robert,
I have no sympathy for a country who condones LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION and DRUGS, so bite me
Quest my arse…it’s a tourist attraction, a way of life (and not a very good one at that) remember??? As the old saying goes, “Like father (THE NETHERLANDS), like son (ARUBA)”.
Thank God none of my ancestors came from the Netherlands (Holland)
BOYCOTT ARUBA AND THE NETHERLANDS TIL HELL FREEZES OVER!!
JUSTICE FOR NATALEE
Remember, though, that there are some counties in Nevada where prostitution also is legal. This used to be the case, anyway, or so I have read.
Well, I’ve been to Amsterdam and saw the historical buildings, museums, homes, visited with owners of their small little shops, strolled down the canal but I don’t think the red light district belonged at all in the vicinity of history. It it needs to be anywhere put it some place off the canal. Families are their tourists and it was very distasteful and looked completely out of place.
# disgustedmom on September 24th, 2007 11:38 am & Susan on September 24th, 2007 12:57 pm
Well, it’s not my personal conviction to sleep around etc. But when people are sane they are supposed to be able to make their own choices as long as they don’t hurt other people. (Poster John Statton – nr. 14 – at this topic put it somewhat better than I can: http://scaredmonkeys.com/2007/06/09/pot-smoking-coffee-shops-in-amsterdam-up-in-smoke/ ) What I do know concerning sexual attitudes is that there are many other cultures where there is a totaly different attitude on sex than the traditional “western” one. Japan, the old China, the old India, the old Greece and so on. And I vaguely can remember a story where the sailors on an English boat where welcomed by the native population of an island with serious “hugs”. (One of the Captain Cook stories?)
# richard on September 24th, 2007 1:30 pm: You’re right; if I’m correct there’s even a weekly show on a Dutch tv-network about a brothel somewhere in the US. Besides all the other soft- and hardcore porn that comes from the US……….
…Hi Richard…been to Vegas also..but that is certainly not a place for a family vacation, the only history there was the beginning of gambling and the freedom of being a prostitute….but the canal in Amsterdam offered so much more than a red light district, I just think it’s belongs somewhere else in the background, if it so has to exist. The literature given out on the streets of Vegas I think has become very limited. Although, it is definitely still around. It’s certainly is embarrassing when you walk down the street and some jerk slips a flier under your escorts arm. But most tourist’s go there for one reason and that is to gamble. But people aren’t there to view history and learn about culture. Anyway, my two cents!!!
I agree it’s personal convictions, but ugh. I would still take the cashier’s job over that one. Always wondered why a man had to pay someone to have sex or why a woman would even want to put her self in that job. Doesn’t seem like a great future in it. It does to me seem though, that once you bring brothels and pot smoking into a neighborhood, crime is bound to follow based on many of the kind of men it would draw. I know I read a story one day about some countries taking girls as young as 6 from poor families and putting them in the brothel market. I don’t know why I am still amazed sometimes at the things people do, but I still am.
# Maggie on September 24th, 2007 6:39 pm
What you say about young children sold to brothel owners: yes that’s horrific. I personaly feel these kinds of crimes where children – and boys and women as well – are being forced to “work in the sex-industry” which in fact is “being raped and maltreated on a daily, hourly base”, should be punished as severe as possible.
And what you say about sex and pot smoking attracting crime: I guess you’ld better say: money attracts crime. I think the Dutch policy on “soft”-drugs is relativly succesfull in lessen the crime that surrounded that whole hemp-business.
Thanks Robert and I do appreciate your input very much. I know you sincerly want justice for Natalee and think the same way as I do about Joran.
..#21..Vicki..prostitution is not what women were to be..although some will pursue the avenue…many are very highly paid, especially in Alaska, I guess selling you soul means not much to some…as Scared Monkeys said Prostitution + Drugs = Crime. I think the more Puritan way of life becomes less and less all the time. The permissiveness of parents, cable TV, hours out unrestricted, the concerts, the drugs available, the music they listen to, the peer pressure, it’s hard to just up grow, the kid,s face so many problems. But I do think in spite of it all, Natalee was a good kid!!! As many are!!!!
I think Joran wanted the limelight, from his PIMP club, so he made sure he was the top-notch PIMP! Probably watched her all week. He was allowed access to the Holiday Inn…Posner gave that permission…watched her all week at the pool and I bet he was on the party cruise with Croes…the Liar..Natalee had seen him around and believed his story on being an exchange student…It’s all part of the pimp game…this time it didn’t work…Joran exposed them all…and he blamed it on the game..I would think they’re all in trouble of participating in the so called game. His life has to be a mess…and he f****ed up big time! I would doubt that he has any friends left on Aruba. Perhaps only Freddy!
Robert,
It’s one thing for a NATION (THE NETHERLANDS aka HOLLAND, land of the dykes) to OPENLY PRIDE ITSELF with LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION and DRUGS versus a few counties in Nevada, mainly “Sin City” itself. Our nation was founded on religious freedom. With that said, most Americans do not welcome Holland’s “ANYTHING GOES ATTITUDE” nor condone legalized prostitution, etc… Get it?
BOYCOTT ARUBA AND HOLLAND TIL HELL FREEZES OVER!!
JUSTICE FOR NATALEE
About prostitution….when sex is the primary focus of one’s adventures with the opposite gender, those who can’t afford to pay, RAPE! So the problem is in, Sex being the primary focus of one’s adventures with the opposite sex, PERIOD, because the focus/trend carries on to those who can’t afford it and they RAPE.
I will say though, that without prostitution there would probably be more rapes considering the mindset of so many males thinking women are an orafice.
# disgustedmom on September 24th, 2007 10:41 pm
Originaly the reason for prostitution in Amsterdam was it’s status as being a port-town; sailors often didn’t have the opportunity to build serious relationships with women. And poverty often drove women into it. In those days prostitution wasn’t legal but just was there as in most port-towns around the world.
But it realy got out of hand after WWII when Europe got in contact with American culture: rock ‘n roll (rap / hip-hop) and above all the American mechanism of “Sex Sells” wherein women, nudity is used to sell things. Maybe the “Sex Sells”-mechanism is the cause of the exponential growth of “sex as the primary focus of one’s adventures with the opposite gender”! Can YOU help us free us from that?
Prostition is legal in some counties in nevada. It is not legal in Las Vegas. That doesn’t stop them though. There are hookers all over that city.
Are you blaming everything on America, Robert?
Please, prostitution is one of the world’s oldest professions. Not talking to me anymore, Robbie baby…LOL?!?
BOYCOTT ARUBA AND HOLLAND TIL HELL FREEZES OVER!!
JUSTICE FOR NATALEE
# Susan on September 25th, 2007 1:03 pm
Sorry. I had given up trying to convince you of moving your position in this argument.
But this gives me the opportunity to once again stress that the goal of legalizing prostitution is to improve the circumstances for prostitutes; as you mention: prostitution is the worlds oldest profession, it’s an illusion to think that it will ever disappear completely. The best thing to do is to make work lighter for the ladies. They most of the time have difficulties enough.
BTW. You must visit The Netherlands some time… You’ll love it!
disgusted mom, seriously I don’t think prostitution cuts down on rape crimes. Rape crimes have nothing to do with sex, they are all about power. They like the ones who say no, it’s part of the game.
Robert,
I love you too…LOL! Sorry, but there’s no getting this bull to budge
I will never, ever in a million years agree to making prostitution legal!
I’ll admit I did have the urge to visit Amsterdam once upon a time, but after everything that has happened to Natalee (and her family) and with the ongoing investigation or lack thereof, I don’t think I could stomach it very well…
Okay Susan,
Then… Let’s burry the hatchet and accept that there are more ways of looking at problems like these.
… In the hope that that means you won’t be as harsh in your judgement on the NL’s, the Dutch and Dutch policies anymore? …
(Now I have to end; it’s almost 0:25 am on this side of the globe. Have a nice evening.)
Robert,
You are asking way too much of me! I’d be much harsher against the Dutch government, but SM would edit my responses or delete them altogether
We can at least agree to disagree and play nice…LMAO!
Have a good night
#28, Thanks Robert for blaming America for the sex problems, but Europe had the market sewn up a long time before America got openly permiscuous.
#32, Maggie, you’re right. Rape is a powertrip.
Robert:
I know that you want to help Natalee. But the best way that you can do that is to apply the principles that she, so faithfully, believed in.
It is a proven fact, many of the prostitutes that line those windows in the red-light district are girls that have been abducted from their homes, promiced a good life, only to find themselves being marketed by a country that doesn’t respect their human rights, liberties or freedom. Many of them are kept drug addicted, beaten and terrorized as a means to keep them there.
I don’t have anything against you, personally, but many of us have grown disgusted when we consider the number of women and children that go missing, never to be heard from again, all across Europe; but, especially, in the Soviet Block countries. There have been human trafficking routes that have been well documented and mapped out that end right at your doorstep.
If we are to believe our own State Department, the number of these men, women and CHILDREN, is estimated to be over 800,000 per year. Belgium, as well as the Netherlands, through their tolerance of the marketing of human beings, has earned the despise that sooo many Americans feel toward your nation.
This is no modern concept. The victimization of women and children is as old as dirt, itself. So if you are to be considered a civilized country, you will join the U.S., as well as much of the rest of the world, and say the buck stops here… we are no longer going to be tolerant of the actions of those that would rape the innocent and kill the most helpless of us all.
America doesn’t make the most hard-core movies… The Netherlands does. To even possess child porn, in this country, is a crime. Sure, we have those that buy those films and immulate them; but, perhaps the right thing to do is to, honestly, take a look at ourselves and accept the responsibility where we have failed in protecting those that are incapable of protecting themselves and put pressure on our constituents to make change.
That is the very best thing that we can do for Natalee, as well as the countless others that go “missing”.
.
Boycott Aruba
The exploitation of women by prostitution and pornography has no place in the world in this day and age. The very concept of a person selling their body is ludicrous and repulsive and far too many are forced into participation against their will. . I hope every person who defends this practice finds themselves in a window in the Red Light district.
Ok Disgusted Mom 36, Patti 37, Susan, and others,
It is not my intention to blame the US for our problems. What I wanted to achieve is that you have you eyes open for the fact that all the problems we have in the NL’s you have in the US as well. Prostitution (probably in every town and city), violence against women in the “sex industry” (think of all the “Pimps” that you have as well), pornografy, childpornografy (the posession of that is a crime here as well!), womentrafficking (the size of that in Europe and the NL’s has amongst others to do with geography – there are only so few miles between Amsterdam and f.i. London- and logistic facilities as well), poor women, addicted women and so on.
The only thing that is really different is that we try to solve some of the problems of this whole thing by legalizing the “core bussiness”; and that’s for the benefit of the women!!! (As mentioned above: it’s an illusion to think that you can ban prostitution completely.) The idea behind that is to make women independent from their pimps and seperate the women from the crime that surrounds prostitution and lift them up to the upperworld. That approach worked relatively well with “soft-drugs” but the experiment didn’t have the wanted effects here untill now… Unfortunatly.
I agree… If I was the boss in this country I would do much more to fight the crime that surrounds prostitution because I think these crimes are the worst next to murder and so on. And I have to admit I don’t understand why my government doesn’t give this problem more priority. But I do believe their looking for solutions. (And maybe legalizing it in the end does turn out to be a good strategy).
But again… I think it doesn’t make sense to blame (and bash) each other for problems THAT EXIST IN BOTH COUNTRIES!!!
That’s the last I’ll say about it in this thread; else it becomes a repetition of arguments.