The Dutch society is a socialist one which allows for controlled capitalism. You can see the socialist aspect in the well developed train system, the centralized phone company and post office (PTT's), and the tax structure. Walking around any Dutch city is a lesson in urban design. The trees are well placed, there are trash cans nearly everywhere, and the lack of unspoiled land is made up for by well designed parks and man-made forests.

At the same time, Amsterdam is a magnet for all kinds of druggies and wierdos. In addition, Dutch men will readily piss on the sidewalk or in a doorway. Street pissing is the number on problem in Amsterdam, according to my Dutch friends and official polls. If you ever see hotel-less tourists sleeping on the street, you are virtually guaranteed they are sleeping where someone has pissed.

The second biggest problem in Amsterdam is the dogshit in the streets. Aside from the parks, there is almost no grass anywhere in Amsterdam. Most European cities have been growing for at least 1000 years, thus they are meccas of beautiful mixes of architecture with lots of cobblestone streets. The Europeans still use brick and stone instead of poured concrete in most cases. The lack of forest and grass leaves dogs few places to leave their calling cards. Thus the problem -- you must always watch where you step in Amsterdam.

As far as trash goes, Amsterdam gets very full with tourists. Often in the summer, all the hotels are booked out and anyone without a reservation will stay somewhere outside of Amsterdam. With all these tourists, you can imagine there might be a lot of trash in the streets, and you won't be disappointed. Every morning crews clean the sidewalks and streets, and every day the litter cycle begins again.

Regardless of this, Amsterdam is a beautiful, romantic place.