Dutch Tolerance

A bomb at a Muslim school is the latest sign that Europe too has problems with assimilation. In this case, last week's particularly angry murder of Van Gogh spawned a retaliation, this bombing. So far, there is no indication that a larger war between Muslims and everyone else is brewing in the Netherlands. But a good argument can be made that when such instances of violence flare, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a tolerant society.

Whither Dutch culture? It's too soon to say definitively, but I wouldn't be surprised if the famed Dutch tolerance for social deviation morphs into an intolerance for those disrespectful of their ways of live. The interesting point of this observation? The Dutch damn well better do that if they hope to preserve their culture. No liberal society can long withstand a concerted attempt by outsiders to use the liberal system as a cover under which they can change (sometimes violently) their new found culture.

Lets hope the Dutch win, even if that means using a less tolerant attitude to maintain tolerance in the long term.