On peculiarities – Thomas Erdbrink in NYT:

‘The Dutch culturally value the individual. They raise their children from an early age to be independent, critical thinkers, even sometimes dropping them in the forest without adults on summer nights and telling them to find their way home.”

I had never thought that dropping your children in the forest on a summer night is something that a lot of Dutch parents tend to do.

A scouting tradition maybe. Of course, the tendency to characterize a people is always dangerous and borders on mythology at best.

I was equally surprised about this statement by a Dutch author: ‘Even positive patients in the Netherlands aren’t ordered to stay indoors. This is absolutely bonkers. In Italy, you’ll be thrown in jail.’

So the critical thinkers need more orders?

Also, to the best of my knowledge people who tested positive in the Netherlands are strongly advised to stay home. The fact that they are not threatened with jail if they are not following up this advice might of course be seen as a failure. All I can say is, some people always find excuses to set the first step in the direction of the totalitarian state. The excuses differ from the right to the left, the desire is the same.

Read the article here.