Rep. Tancredo elected Dutch Prime Minister

Well, like the attack on Minas Tirith, eventually when things get seriously grave - the defenders cease to yield. The Brussels Journal has the skinny of the new Dutch immigration laws. Talk about strong.

From 1 March onwards people who want to settle in the Netherlands (e.g. to join family members or to marry someone living there) will have to pass a preliminary test at the Dutch embassy in their country of origin. In this so-called “integration test” the immigrants have to prove that they have sufficient knowledge of the Dutch language and the geography, history and political system of the Netherlands. The fee for taking the test is 350 euros. Those who do not pass are not allowed to enter the Netherlands. Those who do pass have only taken the first hurdle. After their arrival in the Netherlands they will have to pass a second – more difficult – exam.

Funny, the immigration boogeyman, Representative Tom Tancredo might dream of such laws, but wouldn't even come close to proposing such things in the US. That should tell you what you need to know about how far once very-Left Netherlands has come. It's all about the culture.

In the same article, they have a plan right out of Sheriff Joe Arpaio look like an art teacher.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende’s government of Christian-Democrats and free-market Liberals is also considering other measures. One of these might be to establish military camps to discipline troublesome youths. There are 40,000 jobless youths in the Netherlands, who have left school without degrees. The majority of them is of foreign origin. Many become involved in criminal activities. A majority of Dutch parliamentarians, including members of the Socialist opposition, supports a plan to discipline them in military style.

Why all the fuss? Well, it isn't from the descendents of French Huguenot immigrants.

On Tuesday Job Cohen, the mayor of Amsterdam, called for action to deal with “French situations” in his city. “There is unrest in the city,” the mayor said after talks with local authorities. The meeting was organised in the wake of several incidents involving mainly Moroccan youths which have occurred since the beginning of this year. “There is an underlying feeling whereby it would only take minor incidents to cause an outburst,” Cohen said. Cars have been vandalized, residents have been threatened, Jews and homosexuals harassed, and a police station attacked after a 17-year-old scooter rider, fleeing the police, died in a crash on 10 January.

Ahhh, Mayor Cohen. Perhaps he is changing his mind about hoping that they will hang him last. Perhaps, he would prefer not to be hanged at all. BTW, as Andrew Stuttaford points out in The Corner, don't think the Dutch are going to turn into U.S. Southern Republicans with wooden shoes. No, think about rabid libertarians who like government health care and bicycles; but have tired of being nice to mean strangers. That is closer.