Isn't this sort of like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Amsterdam unveiled plans Saturday to close brothels, sex shops and marijuana cafes in its ancient city center as part of a major effort to drive organized crime out of the tourist haven.
The city is targeting businesses that "generate criminality," including gambling parlors, and the so-called "coffee shops" where marijuana is sold openly. Also targeted are peep shows, massage parlors and souvenir shops used by drug dealers for money-laundering.
Amsterdam not selling sex and drugs is as believable as GM not selling cars......oh wait!
I'm not a proponent of these things, but seriously, would anybody visit Amsterdam if it weren't for the brothels, sex shops, and marijuana cafes? Without all that stuff, it's just another run down European city populated with narcissistic, aging socialists.
When Vegas decided to become family-friendly, tourism and gambling revenue dropped. Now they're back to being a profitable, adult playground. And I predict Amsterdam will do the same thing in a couple of years when they realize that sex and drugs are the only reasons people come there.
3 comments:
You know, I never wanted to visit Amsterdam because I never wanted anyone to question the reason I went there- everyone assumes Americans visit the city just to smoke dope.
Now that they are cleaning it up, I may choose to play tourist there. Who did they get to clean up the city? Rudy Giuliani?
Probably somebody like him. The article mentioned something about organized crime but, I thought when the government legalizes, regulates, and taxes vice activities, it's supposed to remove the criminal aspect from that activity. At least that's what we've always been told by the legalize dope and prostitution crowd. That sounds intuitive but I have to admit, the logic of it escapes me.
This says more about Americans than Amsterdam.
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