I'm so on board with your observations! But then I am a Dutchwoman myself, so biased. I would dearly love to show you and your partner Amersfoort, as far as I'm concerned the most gezellige (provincial) town I know. We came here with our family from the soulless Zoetermeer, and we collectively took a very deep breath of happiness. That's almost 30 years ago now.
Oh yeah, the Dutch utopia. As Dutch native I'd say that we're on a decline, but compared to the USA we still stand strong. If I'd be moving out of this country for a 'better life', only the Nordic countries come to mind. The Netherlands isn't that bad of a place to live nowadays. If I need to explain 'gezelligheid' to foreigners, it's something like: "Anything and everything cozy, fun, tasty, delightful and/or divine as long as it makes you happy, but never alone."
@@AbeIJnst Perhaps the whole planet is in decline. Nevertheless, the Nordic countries do seem to be holding their own. Thanks, by the way, for the concise description of “gezelligheid”. ❤️
We are In decline!? How!? We paid off debt the last few years and have the second lowest debt in all of the west. It's the rightwing austerity that is the problem in the Netherlands. We are forgetting that you can borrow for a while and invest in our country. Like a new power network that still isn't in the budget and was needed 12 years ago.. It's actually cheapness that is the problem.
@@Joey-ct8bm I'd say right-wing parties are due to the decline most of all. Less and less freedom for anyone being in need or seeking happiness. Let everyone be who they want to be. Cheapness isn't a vice, it's a virtue. Spend your money on qualitatively good stuff, not on those everybody wants to have.
At 3:22 min.: Last time I checked, the murder rate in the United States is 8.3 times higher than in The Netherlands. Also, murders in The Netherlands are generally contributed to settlements in the criminal scene, whereas in the United states, because of the mostly unregulated availability of guns, every innocent citizen runs the risk of being killed or murdered. Apart from that, in the US, there are many more seriously creepy and disturbed people walking free and unchecked! And as we know now, since November 2024, they also have the right to vote!
@@Leonardo-ql1qu Thanks for the correction. The violent crime in the U.S. is out of control. Not even to touch upon the subject of school shootings. Seriously out of control! Very glad to be here.
It's not so much availability of guns but rather gun mentality. In Switzerland for instance, people have as many guns as Americans but have way less public shootings. The mentality is simply different. In the Netherlands however, people tend to solve differences with explosives instead of guns. We've had 1100 bombings this year.
@ Mentality certainly plays a role. However, it should be noted that in Switzerland, there are fewer than 28 guns owned by private individuals per 100 inhabitants, whereas in the United States there are more than 120 guns per 100 inhabitants.
@@burgienl As I said, many deranged people - with access to deadly weapons - in the failed state, the United States. And you are right: the traditional end-of-the-year fireworks celebrations in The Netherlands - that should have been outlawed many years ago - have led to the availability of ever more destructive, and lethal explosives, that are now used to settle all sorts of - mostly drug related - conflicts. In The Netherlands it's a sign of the deteriorating cohesion in society and a total lack of respect or understanding, mostly from 'very young new Netherlanders' for the great and just country they had the fortune to be born in or flee to!
Simple psychology: what makes people (all over the world) happy? Health and connections with others. A bigger house or car don't get high on that list and I think that is what we Dutch understand better than the people in the USA.
@ I believe there are studies that demonstrate that money contributes to happiness UP TO A POINT. In other words, once the basics are covered and we are comfortable, MORE money doesn’t mean MORE happiness. I have often said I would be happy to volunteer for future studies along these lines. Let the social scientists send me a big bag of money and I will see if my happiness improves. 😂
At first glance both countries have a lot in common, but we couldn't be more different. My first American Experience was in the 70s as an exchange student in Lincoln, NE. I could not believe my eyes, all that wealth. It took several years and visits before I realised that it comes at a price. Niksen is a good one, Americans always seem to be doing something. There's more pressure to succeed and excel than in the Netherlands. When you visit the US after 22 years do you feel like a local or as a tourist? 🤔
@@gertstolk When I visit the U.S. after all these years, I feel like a stranger. I feel at home in Haarlem. They say, home is where you’re happy, and I’m happy here. 😀
You forget to mention the political system. The Dutch have proportionate representation in parliament which means to form a government compromisis must always be made. And: No archaic electoral college, no 'winner takes all', no gerrymandering, no voter suppression, no politicized supreme court, a lesser role of oligarchs like Musk. Our system has its flaws, sure. But in the end I prefer the Dutch way.
Goedemorgen Mike , ik klaag ook wel eens over dit landje , maar dan hoor ik jouw de goede dingen van Nederland opsommen en dan denk ik wij doen het nog niet zo slecht met 18 miljoen mensen op zo een postzegeltje . Mike veel succes en plezier in dit postzegeltje , het gaat jullie goed .
@@willvangaal8412 Dank u wel! Many things are relative, I suppose. Sometimes an outsider’s perspective provides insight into what we ourselves no longer see. Thank you again for your good words. 😊
@@BabzV Yes, gezelligheid and niksen. Life changers! I am enjoying Herman van Heen, thanks. 😀 He is a talented musician with a melodic voice, and I like that he weaves a story with his songs. 👍
You forgot Gouda cheese, canals and windmills. Love this place. The attack of food production has been alarming since the Netherlands is only second to the U.S.A. in output. Some of the best farmers in the world. Also, comment below if you want to farm here and having problems there.
@@brenthessong1054 Yes, I love this place, too. ❤️ There are countless reasons why. Dutch food production is certainly impressive, isn’t it? Maybe it’s something I can talk about in a subsequent video. Thanks for watching. 😊
@@rakrega Haha…yep…that’s what I meant. 😆 Actually, that graphic is from a muursticker sold by a Dutch company called Muurteksten. Wonder why they included “ruzie maken”? 🤔
@@m.reutelveld1628 Yes! I meant to include that on my list. Thanks for bringing it up. It’s an important distinction, and I would guess it can be attributed to better health (biking culture, smaller portions, fewer chemicals in the food and water supply, etc.) and - of course - happiness. I would venture to guess that happier people live longer. 😊
Gun controle is oké. I'm a gun owner. The rules are very strikt. Nederlands is een beetje makkelijker. De regels voor vuurwapens zijn heel erg strikt, en het is lastig om een vuurwapen te krijgen. Luchtwapens daar en tegen zijn vrijwel geheel vrij, met 1 uitzondering. Airsoft. En wapens die 1op1 replica's van echte wapens zijn. Die zijn verboden. Airsoft met een pas. Verder is lucht helemaal vrij! En dat is vreemd, aangezien deze wapens in de VS voor de jacht op groot wild worden gebruikt!
Komt nog wel, Fullauto met een 120 Schots drum er op. Die Met de zelfde kracht schiet als een .22lr Kost nog geen 1000 euro. En iedereen van 18 jaar en ouder kan dit zo kopen. Is een kwestie van tijd dat de een of de andere gek dit op een school of in een winkel centrum doet! Dat is het vreemde gedeelte
I'm so on board with your observations! But then I am a Dutchwoman myself, so biased. I would dearly love to show you and your partner Amersfoort, as far as I'm concerned the most gezellige (provincial) town I know. We came here with our family from the soulless Zoetermeer, and we collectively took a very deep breath of happiness. That's almost 30 years ago now.
Thank you Sophie. Amersfoort is indeed a beautiful city. You are fortunate to have lived there for so long. ❤️
Dankjewel Mike (: houwe zo!
en "gezelligheid kent geen tijd"
🤗
@oorebeek1 Absoluut! ❤️
Oh yeah, the Dutch utopia. As Dutch native I'd say that we're on a decline, but compared to the USA we still stand strong. If I'd be moving out of this country for a 'better life', only the Nordic countries come to mind. The Netherlands isn't that bad of a place to live nowadays.
If I need to explain 'gezelligheid' to foreigners, it's something like: "Anything and everything cozy, fun, tasty, delightful and/or divine as long as it makes you happy, but never alone."
@@AbeIJnst Perhaps the whole planet is in decline. Nevertheless, the Nordic countries do seem to be holding their own. Thanks, by the way, for the concise description of “gezelligheid”. ❤️
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 You're welcome. Last part of the description is the most important, imho 😉
@ Yes, I noted the “never alone” part.👌
We are In decline!? How!? We paid off debt the last few years and have the second lowest debt in all of the west. It's the rightwing austerity that is the problem in the Netherlands. We are forgetting that you can borrow for a while and invest in our country. Like a new power network that still isn't in the budget and was needed 12 years ago.. It's actually cheapness that is the problem.
@@Joey-ct8bm I'd say right-wing parties are due to the decline most of all. Less and less freedom for anyone being in need or seeking happiness. Let everyone be who they want to be.
Cheapness isn't a vice, it's a virtue. Spend your money on qualitatively good stuff, not on those everybody wants to have.
At 3:22 min.: Last time I checked, the murder rate in the United States is 8.3 times higher than in The Netherlands. Also, murders in The Netherlands are generally contributed to settlements in the criminal scene, whereas in the United states, because of the mostly unregulated availability of guns, every innocent citizen runs the risk of being killed or murdered. Apart from that, in the US, there are many more seriously creepy and disturbed people walking free and unchecked! And as we know now, since November 2024, they also have the right to vote!
@@Leonardo-ql1qu Thanks for the correction. The violent crime in the U.S. is out of control. Not even to touch upon the subject of school shootings. Seriously out of control! Very glad to be here.
It's not so much availability of guns but rather gun mentality. In Switzerland for instance, people have as many guns as Americans but have way less public shootings. The mentality is simply different. In the Netherlands however, people tend to solve differences with explosives instead of guns. We've had 1100 bombings this year.
@ Mentality certainly plays a role. However, it should be noted that in Switzerland, there are fewer than 28 guns owned by private individuals per 100 inhabitants, whereas in the United States there are more than 120 guns per 100 inhabitants.
@@burgienl As I said, many deranged people - with access to deadly weapons - in the failed state, the United States. And you are right: the traditional end-of-the-year fireworks celebrations in The Netherlands - that should have been outlawed many years ago - have led to the availability of ever more destructive, and lethal explosives, that are now used to settle all sorts of - mostly drug related - conflicts. In The Netherlands it's a sign of the deteriorating cohesion in society and a total lack of respect or understanding, mostly from 'very young new Netherlanders' for the great and just country they had the fortune to be born in or flee to!
Succinctly put. Thanks Mike!
@@bastonor Thank you for saying so. 👍
Succinct=beknopt. Succinctly=kort gezegd. Although I can say my English is fluent, I'm still learning. Thanks for this one ;)
Simple psychology: what makes people (all over the world) happy? Health and connections with others. A bigger house or car don't get high on that list and I think that is what we Dutch understand better than the people in the USA.
You got that right! Amen to that. 😊
Geld maakt niet gelukkig.
Maar het is wel gemakkelijk...
@ I believe there are studies that demonstrate that money contributes to happiness UP TO A POINT. In other words, once the basics are covered and we are comfortable, MORE money doesn’t mean MORE happiness. I have often said I would be happy to volunteer for future studies along these lines. Let the social scientists send me a big bag of money and I will see if my happiness improves. 😂
Groetjes, uit Leiden😊
@@MsChrystophe Groetjes MsChrystophe. Love Leiden; it’s an enchanting city! ❤️
At first glance both countries have a lot in common, but we couldn't be more different. My first American Experience was in the 70s as an exchange student in Lincoln, NE. I could not believe my eyes, all that wealth. It took several years and visits before I realised that it comes at a price. Niksen is a good one, Americans always seem to be doing something. There's more pressure to succeed and excel than in the Netherlands. When you visit the US after 22 years do you feel like a local or as a tourist? 🤔
@@gertstolk When I visit the U.S. after all these years, I feel like a stranger. I feel at home in Haarlem. They say, home is where you’re happy, and I’m happy here. 😀
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 Home is where the ❤️ is 😁
You forget to mention the political system. The Dutch have proportionate representation in parliament which means to form a government compromisis must always be made. And: No archaic electoral college, no 'winner takes all', no gerrymandering, no voter suppression, no politicized supreme court, a lesser role of oligarchs like Musk. Our system has its flaws, sure. But in the end I prefer the Dutch way.
@@pvanamstel2381 Excellent point. Thank you for mentioning it. 👍
Goedemorgen Mike , ik klaag ook wel eens over dit landje , maar dan hoor ik jouw de goede dingen van Nederland opsommen en dan denk ik wij doen het nog niet zo slecht met 18 miljoen mensen op zo een postzegeltje . Mike veel succes en plezier in dit postzegeltje , het gaat jullie goed .
@@willvangaal8412 Dank u wel! Many things are relative, I suppose. Sometimes an outsider’s perspective provides insight into what we ourselves no longer see. Thank you again for your good words. 😊
I really like that you put gezelligheid and niksen on the list Mike, two things I enjoy thoroughly. 😁
Oh btw, how do you like Herman van Veen?
@@BabzV Yes, gezelligheid and niksen. Life changers! I am enjoying Herman van Heen, thanks. 😀 He is a talented musician with a melodic voice, and I like that he weaves a story with his songs. 👍
I'm glad you're enjoying his songs. 😊
I would also like to recommend the Dutch band Racoon, great voice, great songs.
@ Yes, I like Racoon. 😊
There are synonyms for "niksen"; my wife calls it "rommelen".
@@TheHighlander71 That’s a good one. Messing around. We might say goofing off. All worthy pastimes. 😊
Lanterfanten
If your girlfriend says rommelen she is sleeping around.
'Keutelen' is a word my ex used to describe me sometimes.
Kuieren; het verticale luieren... (Toon Hermans)
Aimless strolling, enjoying life.
You forgot Gouda cheese, canals and windmills. Love this place. The attack of food production has been alarming since the Netherlands is only second to the U.S.A. in output. Some of the best farmers in the world. Also, comment below if you want to farm here and having problems there.
And wooden shoes!
@@brenthessong1054 Yes, I love this place, too. ❤️ There are countless reasons why. Dutch food production is certainly impressive, isn’t it? Maybe it’s something I can talk about in a subsequent video. Thanks for watching. 😊
6:16 I don’t count ‘ruzie maken’ as ‘gezelligheid’. Maybe you meant ‘goedmaaksëks’ 😉
@@rakrega Haha…yep…that’s what I meant. 😆 Actually, that graphic is from a muursticker sold by a Dutch company called Muurteksten. Wonder why they included “ruzie maken”? 🤔
And on average we live 6 years longer then in the US.
@@m.reutelveld1628 Yes! I meant to include that on my list. Thanks for bringing it up. It’s an important distinction, and I would guess it can be attributed to better health (biking culture, smaller portions, fewer chemicals in the food and water supply, etc.) and - of course - happiness. I would venture to guess that happier people live longer. 😊
Tijd om je naam te veranderen: in Gewoon Mike
Misschien. 😊
no trump so we are WAY better
@@robvoncken2565 More than 75,000,000 Americans agree with you.
Pff 3de reactie
Gun controle is oké.
I'm a gun owner. The rules are very strikt.
Nederlands is een beetje makkelijker.
De regels voor vuurwapens zijn heel erg strikt, en het is lastig om een vuurwapen te krijgen.
Luchtwapens daar en tegen zijn vrijwel geheel vrij, met 1 uitzondering. Airsoft. En wapens die 1op1 replica's van echte wapens zijn. Die zijn verboden. Airsoft met een pas.
Verder is lucht helemaal vrij!
En dat is vreemd, aangezien deze wapens in de VS voor de jacht op groot wild worden gebruikt!
Vreemd? Waarom vreemd? Als luchtdruk geweren niet voor criminele doeleinden worden gebruikt, is er toch ook geen reden om ze te verbieden, of wel?
Komt nog wel,
Fullauto met een 120 Schots drum er op. Die Met de zelfde kracht schiet als een .22lr
Kost nog geen 1000 euro. En iedereen van 18 jaar en ouder kan dit zo kopen.
Is een kwestie van tijd dat de een of de andere gek dit op een school of in een winkel centrum doet!
Dat is het vreemde gedeelte
@@ikkezelfdoemaar En anders pak je toch een paar cobra's...
Vooral als je ex je een goofy noemt.
Within 10 years we live in the same hell!
Based on what?
@@Beun007 Gosh, I hope not. Why do you think so?