Friday, June 3, 2005

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I have a suggestion: if the Netherlands (or any other EU member) wants to rank above Mississipi (and BTW, Mississipi is a really nice state -- unlike Arkansas, which would also be nice (after all, I was born there!), except that it will be forerver tar-and-feathered with the legacy of boy clinton), there is an obvious and simple solution: abandon the EU, reclaim your sovereignty, and enter into a free-trade-free-services agreement with the US. (It could also be structured as as a NorthAtlatic-Free-Trade-Free-Services treaty, including Canada, and possibly Mexico, etc.). I'm certain the US would welcome such an arrangement. (Probably Canada and Mexico too, but I won't speak for them.) You could keep the Euro, or re-adopt the guilder, or adopt the dollar. Your choice. Also your choice on what kind of social welfare model you adopt. All you agree to is free-trade-free-services. (Well, ok, there would be negotiations, etc., and the final outcome would not be complete free-everything, but tolerably close to it. The US is certainly not a complete free-trade country, and any final deal would no doubt incorporate some less-than-free stipulations -- but, on the whole, would be a pretty good deal.)
What would you lose? European solidarity? Don't make me laugh. Dutch sovereignty? That's exactly what you would regain. What you do with it, within the sole constraints of (approximately) free-trade-free-services would be your business, and your business alone: not the business of Washington, and certainly not the business of Brussels or Paris.
If I were in charge of US foreign policy, I would immediately present this option to (1) Ireland, (2) the Netherlands, (3) all East European countries, and (4) the UK. Why the UK last? Not because of any bias against the UK. Quite the contrary, I'm a big fan of a UK-US special relationship, and regard the UK as almost my "second home". But we first need a change of government in the UK. As much as I admire Tony B. for his courageous Iraq/US policy, he is just not the one to make the required break with the EU, nor is his party. But, give them time.

Ben W. Crain (ip:151.200.116.245) 3 June 2005 - 5:29 uur

$3600 a year? Don't make me laugh. That is precisely 25% of what we pay here in the U.S.

grayp (ip:4.249.69.126) 3 June 2005 - 17:55 uur

You're shitting me. Got some url's on that? Anyway, last year I only needed to pay 1800 euros...

Arjan Dasselaar (ip:82.161.93.35) 3 June 2005 - 17:59 uur

It's very difficult to get exact figures for health insurance costs in the U.S. I went to a couple of websites to see if I could get quotes for individual insurance as a self-employed person (the category you'd fall into, Arjan, if you ever moved to the U.S.). But they ask a lot of intrusive questions, and require a U.S. address and phone number, so I wasn't able to get quotes.

I've heard of people paying as little as $200 a month, and as much as $1000 a month, for minimal coverage with high deductibles (eigen risico) and no prescription drug coverage. A lot depends on your age and your state of health. In my case, since I have pre-existing medical conditions, I would probably be unable to obtain coverage at ANY price.

The last time I had group coverage in the U.S., the monthly premium was around $300, which is just about what Arjan's new Dutch plan will cost. But group coverage is available only to people whose employers offer it; self-employed people are simply out of luck. Many Americans are reluctant to become self-employed for fear of losing their insurance coverage. This is something you rarely hear from people who extol the free and flexible U.S. labor market as opposed to the rigid, classist European one.

vaara (ip:80.127.26.54) 3 June 2005 - 14:44 uur

Hi Arjan,

The most I have ever paid as a single person was 90 U$D per month. With a whopping 10 U$D deductible for both a doctors office visit and for pharma.

Now legally married here in the US, all included, 160 U$D per month. Not sure what the others above are having a problem with.

No special plan here....

Zazva (ip:69.140.64.10) 3 June 2005 - 0:25 uur

Zazva: could you refer me to you health plan? I just immigrated and don't know a lot about affordable health plans. I'm also self employed and do normally not believe all those commercials. Thank you very much!

And about trade between the USA and the Netherlands: I agree to a certain point, but also believe that the UK and the Netherlands allready have this 'double agenda': the European project, but not opting out or endangering any strong relationship with the US. Untill now: every right wing or left wing Dutch government alwatys backed up America's foreign policies.
According to the Dutch Embassy in Washington, we are allready the second foreign investor (12%) in the USA after Great Brittain and we share this position whith Japan(http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/files/misc/zaken/netherlands.ppt#5).

Opting out the EU project is not realistic, but the Netherlands will never give up their ties with the US.

I do agree: we need at least 1 air craft carrier - bigger than that French boat ;-) We need to invest more in our own defense: Americans are right about that. Not to become a countervailing power, but to strenghten our Nato responsebilities towards the USA and others. We need a new Joseph Luns in the Netherlands(http://www.nato.int/cv/secgen/luns.htm) :-)

Bartje (ip:64.108.72.89) 3 June 2005 - 7:51 uur

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