Overview of Opinions

The developments in genetics are rapid. It has recently become possible, for example, to study all the hereditary information of a patient in a single test. But what should you do with the incidental findings from genetic testing? Clinical geneticist Conny van Ravenswaaij-Arts from the University Medical Center Groningen believes that national guidelines should be drawn up to cover this, and in consultation with all involved, which means patients too. ‘Doctors have a strong tendency to determine what is right for the patient, but we know little about what the patients themselves actually want.’

After the industrial and information revolutions, the transition to a sustainable economy will be the third revolution to significantly change the face of the world, says Prof. Lubbert Dijkhuizen, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Groningen. According to Dijkhuizen, the Northern Netherlands is the ideal base for the Dutch biobased economy. ‘Greenhouse complexes along the A7 motorway, biorefineries in Delfzijl and mass agricultural production in the Drenthe peat region: the North offers fantastic opportunities for the economy of the future. We need to exploit these opportunities now.’

ADHD is the number-one disorder among children. Drug prescription for ADHD has also reached epidemic proportions. But children who are ‘always on the go’ usually do not have a medical problem, says Laura Batstra, researcher and lecturer at the University of Groningen. According to Batstra, ADHD can often be prevented by not making the diagnosis: ‘It is a fallacy to regard ADHD as an illness.’

While Western consumers blithely send each other messages via Facebook and Twitter, the same applications are abused by authoritarian regimes to suppress and spy on their citizens. Sceptics claim that one day the internet will change the world into one huge police state. Balderdash, says Kees de Vey Mestdagh, IT lawyer with the University of Groningen. ‘The spread of knowledge and technical standards will lead to the internet increasing freedom across the globe. Censorship will disappear from the internet, like battery hens are from supermarkets.’

Medical care is not only of great importance to individual patients. The impact of medical decisions can also have a devastating effect on a patient’s family and relations. Having said this, care providers have very little opportunity to involve the family in the care given to a patient, claims Marian Verkerk, Professor of Ethics of Care at University Medical Center Groningen. ‘Legislation and guidelines relating to healthcare revolve around the individual, despite the fact that patients make many of their decisions in consultation with the family. This area needs more attention. It’s time for family ethics in healthcare.’

The negotiating parties in the Catshuis want to make agreements to kick-start the Dutch economy. While doing so, however, they are only interested in reducing the national debt and in economic growth, according to Bert Scholtens, professor of economics and sustainability at the University of Groningen. ‘That is a very one-sided view. Prime Minister Rutte is obsessed with the growth and national debt figures. There’s a big chance he’s going to mess things up.’

Alongside the struggle against the rising level of the salty sea, the Netherlands needs to prepare for a watery fight on another front; the preservation of fresh water stocks. If we do not start investing heavily to resolve this issue, the industry will run out of fresh water. Flower and fruit growers will face difficulties, as will beer brewers, metal processors and other industries that use large amounts of water. This is the warning issued by Prof. Johan Woltjer, professor of Regional Planning and Development at the University of Groningen. ‘We have never needed to worry about fresh water before; it’s just always been there. Now it can’t be taken for granted any longer.’

The public underestimates the severity of the catastrophe that would occur if the IT system failed in, for example, the banking, energy or logistics sector. Admittedly, the chance of such a catastrophe is small, but government and business should make it even smaller still by investing in the security of their systems. This is what Prof. Hans Wortmann, Professor of Information Management at the University of Groningen, has to say.

Dutch pension funds are not just suffering from disappointing returns. In Tuesday's Financieele Dagblad anonymous sources claimed that the incompetence of the executive committees of pension funds have increased the problems for some funds. According to Boudewijn de Bruin, Professor of Financial Ethics at the University of Groningen, incompetence could even be the central theme of the financial crisis. ‘It is not the money-grabbing culture that has caused the greatest problems: we have seriously underestimated the danger of incompetence.’

As the nation’s economic and employment engine the Randstad (the conurbation between Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam) is finished. Growth in jobs is mainly going to come from dynamic regions beyond the metropolises. Jouke van Dijk, Professor of Regional Labour Market Analysis at the University of Groningen, believes that the government should actually be spending more money in these regions. ‘The return on investment will be greater than in the Randstad’, says Professor van Dijk.

On behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, archbishop and cardinal Wim Eijk promised that the Catholic Church would not claim the period of limitation for sexual offences. However, this promise only turns out to hold for victims who file a claim with the Church itself. In civil law proceedings the Roman Catholic Church does indeed invoke prescription. ‘The Roman Catholic Church is misleading victims’, according to Fokko Oldenhuis, professor by special appointment of Religion and Law at the University of Groningen. ‘Eijk continues to use legalese and half-truths. It’s high time that transparency and honesty took their place.’

In recent years, social protection has taken second place to aliens policy. The regulations for migrants are becoming increasingly stringent, particularly if their right of residence is unclear or their residency permit not entirely in order. ‘We are in a downward spiral’, claims Gijbert Vonk, Professor of Social Security Law at the University of Groningen. ‘The aliens process is at odds with international human rights.’ Vonk advocates the development of a social agenda for excluded migrants.

Primary and secondary education could be made more efficient by offering and testing the subject matter digitally. This is the opinion of Prof. Egbert Harskamp, professor of Effective Learning Environments at the University of Groningen. ‘On the basis of recent research, my impression is that the software in schools is currently being underutilized.’ Digital subject matter processing could make a lot of marking work unnecessary and help to provide a quick analysis of the work done.’

Empty office buildings are costing banks and institutional investors hundreds of millions of euros. The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) recently warned that following the credit crunch and the European debt crisis, this could lead to yet another financial crisis.Far too late, according to Arno van der Vlist, professor of real estate development at the University of Groningen. ‘Depreciations have been applied to the value of commercial property since 2008 and are likely to continue. Of course, it hurts to see so much money vanishing in front of your eyes, but instead of creating panic, the DNB could put more effort into finding a solution.’

Mitt Romney will almost certainly win the Republican preliminaries. That means that as far as Europe is concerned, there won’t be all that much at stake in the American presidential elections in November 2012, states professor of Contemporary History Doeko Bosscher of the University of Groningen. ‘The election campaign between Romney and the current president Barack Obama is far from decided, but whoever is sworn in in early 2013 as president, the foreign policy of the United States will remain more or less the same.’

Despite strong criticism from the Council of State (Raad van State, RvS), the Cabinet is going to continue to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for serious offences. Dr Nico Kwakman, criminal justice expert at the University of Groningen, is critical of the bill, but can also understand the reasoning behind it. ‘The effectiveness of the bill is doubtful, but the symbolic impact is large. The cabinet is sending out a strong signal – and it has every right to do so.’

Countries presently suffering from food shortages – especially those in Africa – need to start producing more food themselves. And they have the capability to do so. Modern agricultural techniques can increase production, but only if the governments of the affected countries are prepared to lend their full support. This is the opinion of Dr Dirk Bezemer, Associate Professor of Development Economics at the University of Groningen. ‘The role of the West will diminish in the long term, but in the meantime Western countries can help by curbing food speculation. This could make a huge difference as the current high food prices are partly to blame for the growing number of starving people in the world.’

Criminals who have been mistakenly acquitted of a homicide should be able to be tried again for their crime. A majority in the Dutch House of Representatives decided this on Tuesday 24 January. According to law lecturer Wiene van Hattum of the University of Groningen, Cabinet and House are raising false expectations. ‘This law will not protect society from serious criminals, as is being suggested. It will result in unrest, infringe privacy and encourage careless detection and prosecution.’ Van Hattum will be awarded a PhD by the University of Groningen on 26 January for research on the history of ‘Non bis in idem’ [double jeopardy], the rule that forbids a second trial.

A society that wants to come to terms with acts of violence in its past must do more than just punish the offenders. Historical research can help this confrontation with the past. Many historians, however, are not properly equipped to participate in a social debate about how the past is currently being dealt with. This is the opinion of University of Groningen historian Barbara Henkes in the run-up to the symposium ‘Historici en de confrontatie met een gewelddadig verleden’ [Historians and the confrontation with a violent past], which will take place in Groningen next week.

In 2005 a British psychologist came up with Blue Monday, the idea behind his theory being that the third Monday of January is the most depressing day of the year. Although there is no scientific basis for this idea, the media have a field day every year. This is unfortunate, according to clinical psychologist Claudi Bockting of the University of Groningen. ‘It causes inflation of the concept of depression.’

The liberal smoking policy of the government is as good as abandoning smokers to their fate. Once investment in smokers who want to stop decreases, the numbers will rise again. Although there is no immediate public interest, it is definitely up to the government to help this group of addicts break free from the cigarette. This is the opinion of health scientist Prof. Arie Dijkstra of the University of Groningen. He is specialized in addiction. ‘As far as I’m concerned, no-one has to quit smoking, but something extra needs to be done in order to reach smokers. After all, in most cases it’s an addiction.’

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