If you think the Netherlands is still the 'liberal paradise', you may be disappointed to hear the most recent policy proposal of the current government. Consisting of the christian democrats, the social democrats and the left-wing Christian Union, it has moved to ban the legal sale of crazy (hallucinating) mushrooms. Admittedly, there have been some incidents with people who have hurt themselves badly, but to prohibit such in itself innocent stuff is an extreme measure which doesn't benefit anyone. The paternalizing government is back in town.

Among the many reasons for allowing crazy mushrooms, is for example that there is actually some social control in the way they have to be used in order to avoid problems. The owners of the shops who sell them are professionals who have as one of their main interests to avoid that their customers will get into trouble, so advice about their use is part and parcel of the commerce. Moreover, in a legalized trade, the government can at least set some health standards as to the content of the mushrooms. For example, dried crazy mushrooms have been prohibited because they contain a certain amount of the hallucinating matter which can be considered dangerous for people's health, and (perhaps) rightfully so. As a consequence, only fresh mushrooms are now being sold and consumers are thus kept away from the dried versions. Once both versions go underground - as they will naturally do - there is no such distinction for the consumer. Finally, and probably most importantly, the state's 'raison d'etre' is certainly not to tell people what to use and what not to use for their private enjoyment ...

Last weekend (26th and 27th of April), me and my fellow liberal-democratic Young Democrats (Jonge Democraten - JD) convened for the semiannual congress of our organization. As the ban on crazy mushrooms is just one example of the paternalizing policies of the current government, much discussion was devoted to it (and how to counter it!). President of the hosting JD Amsterdam branch, Ferry Nagel, put it - jokingly but correctly - at his opening speech: "Welcome to Amsterdam, also known as the previously most tolerant city of the world... the association with 'sex, drugs and rock 'n roll' nowadays only remains in the head of the senior ex-junkie who has become a bike mechanic out of despair". JD's National President, Floris Kreiken, described later on at his presidential speech the government's approach: "There is a complicated problem, like the aging of society or excessive drinking among youngsters, and the government tries to solve this by shifting the responsibility elsewhere or by targeting only the symptoms. (...) These are all populist proposals without any considerations of functionality."

Luckily enough there is still hope: elections in about two years (and hopefully earlier)!