Amsterdam and iTunes

When music sharing on the Internet became popular the record companies were scrambling, trying to find a way to stop file swapping and illegal distribution of their music. They spent millions, even pursuing the tract of suing individuals (the top pirates) while millions went ahead and downloaded Napster and grabbed some music.

We all knew it was crazy to try and stop it. Yeah, they had to try, but the demand was way too high; the convenience of the mp3 format was coming and the record companies were seen as out-of-touch corporations trying to stop inevitability. Raise your hand – how many of you illegally downloaded music even though you typically consider yourself above thievery?

Then Steve Jobs came along with iTunes, a perfectly simple solution that the corporate record company machines should have come up with initially themselves. Songs were 99 cents. Now law-abiding music lovers – you can put your hands down now – like yourselves could download music and enjoy it on the go. And the rest is history.

Why bring this up as I sit in a perfectly welcoming bed and breakfast in Amsterdam. Well, Amsterdam has taken a similar approach to soft drugs and prostitution. Last night we went for a tour of the red light district of Amsterdam. There is a main street with the peep shows, sex shows, sex shops, etc. But there is also all of the side streets, alleys, etc. with red lights. These red lights are windows with women (and a few other varieties) posing and advertising themselves. Behind them is a bed. When they are busy, the drapes are closed. Prostitutes here have a union, they are regulated; they make up to 60,000 Euro a year. If they happen to contract AIDS during their work they will receive a subsidized apartment to encourage them to leave the business.

Now, I know this approach isn’t palatable to everyone and many conservatives would never be able to accept this sort of approach to a moral violation. But, it definitely is a different way to approach controlling a problem that seems inevitable. Similarly, Amsterdam has taken a similar stance on soft drugs – they turn a blind eye – but are still tough on hard drugs. As such, they have less problems with hard drugs.

Anyway, enough political philosophy, we’re in Amsterdam and enjoying ourselves. The B&B we are staying at is incredibly inviting run by Peter Boogard (http://www.boogaardsbnb.com/), an ex-New York opera singer. He is very hospitable and social and instantly makes you feel at home. Yesterday we put in a full day with Canal tours, the Van Gogh museum, a tour of the Anne Frank house, and a lot of walking. The weather isn’t great but the rain held off most of the day.