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Yes, humans are capable of creating a happy and successful liberal society: The Netherlands

As U.S. headlines bombard us with proof of how low humanity can go, here’s a look at a happy, peaceful, and prosperous country — The Netherlands — to remind us that it is actually possible for the human race to get it right. If people want to change present circumstances through liberal ideals, it’s helpful to look at a liberal, politically stable country with a strong and open economy. Also known as Holland, the country does not have the same history and culture that creates the inherent social and economic problems in the U.S., but it is clearly moving in the right direction — forward.

It’s a great destination for liberal ex-patriates looking for a place to live and work — especially in the tech sector — that already has its shit together, in case you really are now considering moving out of the country. Staying or going, it makes sense to see what a liberal society looks like and how it works. 

We’ve compiled a list of facts about The Netherlands to show you what humans can do when they’re not fighting en masse on Twitter:

As far as opportunity goes, here is the tech business climate, including for foreign workers, as described by Holland High Tech:

The Netherlands’ centuries-old tradition of creativity, pragmatism, entrepreneurship, openness and collaboration make it the perfect place to find solutions to the challenges society is facing today in the areas of health and wellness, security, renewable energy, mobility and the climate. The Dutch high-tech systems and materials sector offers pragmatic solutions for these technological challenges. Solutions that, due to the complexity of the challenges, are primarily found in cross-overs in technology and collaboration. The Netherlands is recognized around the world for its products, knowledge and concepts. Its high-tech systems and materials sector has high-end jobs for foreign knowledge workers, skilled workers and teachers. It is also a centre of excellence for research and development in the area of technology and innovation, and promotes collaboration and technology partnerships. The Netherlands offers excellent business conditions for domestic and foreign technology companies alike, and is an attractive place to live and work for entrepreneurs, researchers and students.

The Netherlands has an excellent business infrastructure, an open relationship with the government, knowledge institutes and other companies, excellent technical universities, and work ethics that guarantee high productivity. Many Dutch companies owe their success to their openness and transparency. What’s more, the Dutch government is committed to reducing the administrative burden and simplifying regulations, in addition to which its special position as active launching customer plays an important role. The collaboration between industry and knowledge institutes is particularly interesting. A perfect example is the Brainport region of Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands where creativity and high-tech help shape the future.

(Sources: Expatica, US News & World Report, La Bio Guia, CountryReports.org)

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