The best and worst things about your country

Anon · September 2008

catefrances wrote:

australia

the best: the distance. no one can be naffed coming all this way to fuck with us.

the worst: the tyranny of distance.

i agree with the distance. good and bad.

the best: beaches, weather, barbies, families, grand final day, andrew g, powderfinger, big day out, oh hell just about everything.

the worst: so remote and far away from the rest of the world. 22 hours to get home and then some.

Sian-of-the-dead · September 2008

I'm from The Midlands, UK. I was born just outside Nuneaton but now live in Coventry.

PROS

* History... and lots of it.
* My city being famous for a naked chick on a horse and a bombed Cathedral... oozing class, all the way...

* Beautiful countryside
* NHS
* Zeppelin & Sabbath
* Proper English Ale and Cider
* Fish and Chips, Pie and Mash, scones and clotted cream and Pork and stuffing batches (NOT 'rolls', 'cobs', 'breadcakes' or 'buns'... BATCHES.)
* Mr Kipling
* British wildlife and the distinct lack of poisonous/deadly creatures.
* Dry sarcastic sense of humour
* English literature and poetry
* The use of the words 'Bloody', 'Berk', 'Bollocks', 'Shite' and 'Bugger'.
* Simon Pegg, Eddie Izzard and British comedy generally.
* Darts and Snooker being on prime time TV
* The sense of satisfaction we get when anyone mentions 'Waterloo', 'Agincourt' or 'Trafalgar'
* The sense of satisfaction when anyone mentions the 1966 world cup...
* English PJ fans and the Midlands crew

* Our stiff upper lips and the action of having a cup of tea and drawing the curtains should anything get too hairy...

CONS

* The bloody weather!
* The housing system
* Pearl Jam aren't english
* Football hooliganism
* Madonna lives here
* Fox hunting
* Never seeing the sea
* Chavs
* Simple minded prejudice types
* No one getting our sense fo humour
* Not winning the world cup since 1966
* Pearl Jam only doing 1 or 2 dates at a time here
* Not enough Quiznos sub outlets

dunkman · September 2008

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Here in the USA, we protect peoples rights to free speech. Now I don't agree with hate groups or any of their causes, but in Germany, its illegal to reproduce the Swastika in public print. (from what I've been told and seen). Most hate groups there don't have the same protection that we have here in the states. Germany has done a lot to suppress their past; they don't even honor their war veterans like they should. I DO NOT SUPPORT ANY HATE GROUP, so don't read into this. I'm saying we give that right to freedom of speech and assembly here more so then in Germany, we don’t pick and choose who has the right.

The swastika is a sign of evil and shame to that country thats why they banned it. but germany also knows its not a 'right' or a freedom to display Nazi symbolism. Hey, imagine if a guy wanted to start an Al Qaida supprt group in the US... you know like the klan but instead it supported the actions of Osama Bin Laden's men.... do you think this group would be allowed to exercise its freedom of speech. nope.

but Germany is well placed above the US in terms of freedom of speech in regards to media - 20th to your 48th. interesting:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporters_Without_Borders#Worldwide_press_freedom_index

I've also been told by Germans that once you take your high school exams (like our SATs) thats it, its final, the scores dictate if you go to college or not. Now I didn't read this, a couple of my German friends at the time voiced this to me.

and this is a right how? in the US you only go to college if you or your parents have the money to put you through college is this correct? in Scotland everyone has the 'right' to free education right up to and including degree level. In america education to that standard is a privilege... not a right

They also have mandatory enlistments in Germany and Italy. You have to do 2 years of public service or one year of military service.

The German "Basic Law" requires that conscientious objection be possible, therefore draftees may elect to perform civilian service (Zivildienst or Wehrersatzdienst).

Its also not applicable to Italy anymore
Italy had mandatory military service, for men only, until December 31 2004. The right to conscientious objection was legally recognized in 1972 so that a "non armed military service", or a community service, could be authorised as an alternative to those who required it

there is no conscription in the UK

My cousin bitched about how hard it is to get a job in Italy, and how its close to impossible to make any upward mobility.

one word - Detroit

again a job and wealth are not a 'right' or 'freedom' but nevermind.

the US and Italy currently have the same unemployment rate of 6.10%.

catefrances · September 2008

Pj_Gurl wrote:

i agree with the distance. good and bad.

the best: beaches, weather, barbies, families, grand final day, andrew g, powderfinger, big day out, oh hell just about everything.

the worst: so remote and far away from the rest of the world. 22 hours to get home and then some.

good:
spiders that do the killing for us.
crocodiles that eat annoying tourists
stingrays that dispose of annoying celebrities
more freedom than the supposed most free country on earth
socialised health system
social security system
the drones
big waves
tasmanian devils
ben cousins
pub rock
tim rogers
daniel johns
nick cave

bad:
brownlow medal ceremony telecast

digster · September 2008

dunkman wrote:

The swastika is a sign of evil and shame to that country thats why they banned it. but germany also knows its not a 'right' or a freedom to display Nazi symbolism. Hey, imagine if a guy wanted to start an Al Qaida supprt group in the US... you know like the klan but instead it supported the actions of Osama Bin Laden's men.... do you think this group would be allowed to exercise its freedom of speech. nope.

Actually, the Ku Klux Klan is legal in the U.S. I believe. Growing up in Georgia, I saw a bunch of public Klan rallies (which scared the shit out of me, but they were there, legally marching, and were not arrested). I think if you were in the Klan and started trying to murder African-Americans then you'd run into problems, and if you belong to the Klan a majority of people in this country will shun you and think you're an asshole

And I don't know what you've seen, but I live in New York City, I'd say I walk by an average of half a dozen Osama Bin Laden/Al Qaeda supporters preaching from a sidewalk every week. Do people think they're crazy? Yes, but they're still there. As far as I know, I can't think of anyone who's been arrested recently for practicing the right of free speech. Considering the current administration, however, it wouldn't surprise me if I'm wrong.

dunkman · September 2008

digster wrote:

Actually, the Ku Klux Klan is legal in the U.S. I believe. Growing up in Georgia, I saw a bunch of public Klan rallies (which scared the shit out of me, but they were there, legally marching, and were not arrested). I think if you were in the Klan and started trying to murder African-Americans then you'd run into problems, and if you belong to the Klan a majority of people in this country will shun you and think you're an asshole

i know its legal... whilst i understand the whole freedom of speech thing is sacred...this kinda thing happens... When Bush came to the Pittsburgh area on Labor Day 2002, 65-year-old retired steel worker Bill Neel was there to greet him with a sign proclaiming, “The Bush family must surely love the poor, they made so many of us.” The local police, at the Secret Service’s behest, set up a “designated free-speech zone” on a baseball field surrounded by a chain-link fence a third of a mile from the location of Bush’s speech. The police cleared the path of the motorcade of all critical signs, though folks with pro-Bush signs were permitted to line the president’s path. Neel refused to go to the designated area and was arrested for disorderly conduct;

And I don't know what you've seen, but I live in New York City, I'd say I walk by an average of half a dozen Osama Bin Laden/Al Qaeda supporters preaching from a sidewalk every week. Do people think they're crazy? Yes, but they're still there. As far as I know, I can't think of anyone who's been arrested recently for practicing the right of free speech. Considering the current administration, however, it wouldn't surprise me if I'm wrong.

Free speech, or not free speech?

CASE: A month after September 11, William Harvey stood near the World Trade Center ruins wearing military fatigues and carrying a sign with Osama bin Laden's face superimposed over a photo of the towers. He passed out leaflets and allegedly told about 60 onlookers, "America is getting paid back for what it's doing to Islamic countries." (Members of the crowd responded by threatening Harvey's life.)

VERDICT: Not free speech, according to a Manhattan judge. Police arrested Harvey for disorderly conduct. His lawyer argued that a person can't be punished for expressing ideas simply because others don't want to hear them. The New York Civil Liberties Union suggested that rather than arrest Harvey, the police should have protected him. The judge refused to dismiss the charge, ruling that Harvey knew his words would cause "public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm." (The district attorney later dropped the charge.) Two weeks earlier another Manhattan judge heard a case in which five men had been arrested near Times Square for allegedly yelling: "It's good that the World Trade Center was bombed. More cops and firemen should have died! More bombs should have been dropped and more people should have been killed!" The judge said the rant was not protected speech because it was "plainly intended to incite" passersby. The DA dropped the most serious of the charges.

very isolated events... but you know... some guy has a cousin in Italy saying its hard to get a job.. so there is your parity

OffHeGoes29 · September 2008

Just like I said before, I'm going by what I've been told by Europeans.

OffHeGoes29 · September 2008

dunkman wrote:

The swastika is a sign of evil and shame to that country thats why they banned it. but germany also knows its not a 'right' or a freedom to display Nazi symbolism. Hey, imagine if a guy wanted to start an Al Qaida supprt group in the US... you know like the klan but instead it supported the actions of Osama Bin Laden's men.... do you think this group would be allowed to exercise its freedom of speech. nope.

but Germany is well placed above the US in terms of freedom of speech in regards to media - 20th to your 48th. interesting:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporters_Without_Borders#Worldwide_press_freedom_index

and this is a right how? in the US you only go to college if you or your parents have the money to put you through college is this correct? in Scotland everyone has the 'right' to free education right up to and including degree level. In america education to that standard is a privilege... not a right

The German "Basic Law" requires that conscientious objection be possible, therefore draftees may elect to perform civilian service (Zivildienst or Wehrersatzdienst).

Its also not applicable to Italy anymore
Italy had mandatory military service, for men only, until December 31 2004. The right to conscientious objection was legally recognized in 1972 so that a "non armed military service", or a community service, could be authorised as an alternative to those who required it

there is no conscription in the UK

one word - Detroit

again a job and wealth are not a 'right' or 'freedom' but nevermind.

the US and Italy currently have the same unemployment rate of 6.10%.

People do have extreme Islamic groups here in America, and it IS a right to show the Swastika, Burning Cross, Satanic symbolism or anything thats deemed taboo. You can't pick and choose who has the right and who doesn't. People burn flags here in America, people attend hate groups and protest. I don't agree with ANY of it, but its protected. And did any of those people here in the US get a permit to protest? You can't just protest randomly in public like that, there are proper channels to go about doing so. The police should arrest him for his own safety, you can get killed for shit like that in public, it doesn't make it right, but thats asking for trouble.

Anyone can go to college here in America. In fact, the poorer you are, the easier it is to go to school. Ivy league schools wave tuition now for people from poor backgrounds, and affirmative action almost guarantees a poor minorities entrance into school. I'm going to school full time now, eight years ago I joined the military with a couple hundred dollars to my name and saved my money so I can get where I am today. None of my family gave me a dime.

An unemployment "rate" is simply the amount of people that are let off from work at a specific time. It doesn't accurately reflect the actual amount of people still out of work.

And mandatory military service or civil service is still MANDITORY, we don't have that here even with the stress of our current deployments.

Don't get upset, I don't think Europe is some dismal place to live, I love it there. They have a lot of things I wish to adopt here in the states. I'm just tired of hearing how "we don't have any rights here" in the US, that’s bullshit. It wasn't too long ago that people from Europe came here to make something of themselves, and in many cases, they did.

OffHeGoes29 · September 2008

digster wrote:

Actually, the Ku Klux Klan is legal in the U.S. I believe. Growing up in Georgia, I saw a bunch of public Klan rallies (which scared the shit out of me, but they were there, legally marching, and were not arrested). I think if you were in the Klan and started trying to murder African-Americans then you'd run into problems, and if you belong to the Klan a majority of people in this country will shun you and think you're an asshole

And I don't know what you've seen, but I live in New York City, I'd say I walk by an average of half a dozen Osama Bin Laden/Al Qaeda supporters preaching from a sidewalk every week. Do people think they're crazy? Yes, but they're still there. As far as I know, I can't think of anyone who's been arrested recently for practicing the right of free speech. Considering the current administration, however, it wouldn't surprise me if I'm wrong.

Thank you

dunkman · September 2008

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

People do have extreme Islamic groups here in America, and it IS a right to show the Swastika, Burning Cross, Satanic symbolism or anything thats deemed taboo. You can't pick and choose who has the right and who doesn't. People burn flags here in America, people attend hate groups and protest. I don't agree with ANY of it, but its protected. And did any of those people here in the US get a permit to protest? You can't just protest randomly in public like that, there are proper channels to go about doing so. The police should arrest him for his own safety, you can get killed for shit like that in public, it doesn't make it right, but thats asking for trouble.

therefore you are not truly free to exercise your rights. you shouldn't need a permit to have a protest... if its your right to protest then its your right.. not some desk clerk who rubber stamps it 3 weeks in advance and you pay the permit fee.

and i'm amused at all of this because looking through the other replies the answer tend to be about what's best.. i.e. nature, scenery, social aspects... your (and others) best thing is that men in Texas can put on a white nightgown and a pointy hat and go through the streets of some shithole town demanding all blacks be strung from trees... not the Grand Canyon, not the National Parks, NY, its food, its culture... no, its the right to own a gun and shoot dead 4 kids per day under the age of 15.

as i said... amusing.

catch22 · September 2008

dunkman wrote:

therefore you are not truly free to exercise your rights. you shouldn't need a permit to have a protest... if its your right to protest then its your right.. not some desk clerk who rubber stamps it 3 weeks in advance and you pay the permit fee.

and i'm amused at all of this because looking through the other replies the answer tend to be about what's best.. i.e. nature, scenery, social aspects... your (and others) best thing is that men in Texas can put on a white nightgown and a pointy hat and go through the streets of some shithole town demanding all blacks be strung from trees... not the Grand Canyon, not the National Parks, NY, its food, its culture... no, its the right to own a gun and shoot dead 4 kids per day under the age of 15.

as i said... amusing.

don't forget tips. and dental care. we've got two up there.

Pacomc79 · September 2008

The greatest thing is probably the landscape. Rivers, Oceans, Mountains. You can literally vacation for years and not see all there is to see. You can get a cultural experience from almost any culture in the world and enjoy almost any countries food if you know where to look. There are some places you can Skydive, Surf, Hike, Canoe or Kayak, Camp and shop for groceries all in one day. It really is amazing. Especially the National Parks.

Downsides, Crime, Urban Sprawl, Energy Issues, Transportation Concerns. Corrupt Government and Business people.

dunkman · September 2008

Pacomc79 wrote:

The greatest thing is probably the landscape. Rivers, Oceans, Mountains. You can literally vacation for years and not see all there is to see. You can get a cultural experience from almost any culture in the world and enjoy almost any countries food if you know where to look. There are some places you can Skydive, Surf, Hike, Canoe or Kayak, Camp and shop for groceries all in one day. It really is amazing. Especially the National Parks.

now that sounds more like it!!!

Gonzo1977 · September 2008

Good: Freedom

Bad: Freedom is slowly dying

cincybearcat · September 2008

Question, why are people only attacking what someone said they perceived as the "best" of the USA?

Anyone attacking people from other countries?

C'mon, now, can you leave your I hate the USA attitude out of one thread please?

digster · September 2008

dunkman wrote:

therefore you are not truly free to exercise your rights. you shouldn't need a permit to have a protest... if its your right to protest then its your right.. not some desk clerk who rubber stamps it 3 weeks in advance and you pay the permit fee.

and i'm amused at all of this because looking through the other replies the answer tend to be about what's best.. i.e. nature, scenery, social aspects... your (and others) best thing is that men in Texas can put on a white nightgown and a pointy hat and go through the streets of some shithole town demanding all blacks be strung from trees... not the Grand Canyon, not the National Parks, NY, its food, its culture... no, its the right to own a gun and shoot dead 4 kids per day under the age of 15.

as i said... amusing.

I fail to see what's amusing about it. I'm lucky to live in one of the most gorgeous countries on Earth, and I value that. But there are many gorgeous places in this world that have inspired me. I prefer to acknowledge what makes America unique, which I feel is its' governance, or the principles for which the government (is supposed to) stand. America's ideals are some of the most glorious in the world, and we have yet to fully live up to those ideals. But I think those ideals and the struggle, through protest and otherwise, is something to be lauded.

OffHeGoes29 · September 2008

dunkman wrote:

therefore you are not truly free to exercise your rights. you shouldn't need a permit to have a protest... if its your right to protest then its your right.. not some desk clerk who rubber stamps it 3 weeks in advance and you pay the permit fee.

and i'm amused at all of this because looking through the other replies the answer tend to be about what's best.. i.e. nature, scenery, social aspects... your (and others) best thing is that men in Texas can put on a white nightgown and a pointy hat and go through the streets of some shithole town demanding all blacks be strung from trees... not the Grand Canyon, not the National Parks, NY, its food, its culture... no, its the right to own a gun and shoot dead 4 kids per day under the age of 15.

as i said... amusing.

Its too prevent choas, thats why we have the channels to do those things. You still have to resgistar to vote here before a dead line, you still have to work to get what you want, a small fee and X amount of weeks a head of time is a small price to pay for a great right that a lot of people don't get the chance to do.

And I didn't know that this thread took into account natural beauty, because in that case, we've got some of the nices places on earth, and the shittest places as well.

I'm sure you can come up with a statistic unique to the UK that shows an alarming rate of under aged kids killed from something. 4 a day is rather small considering how many homes have guns and kids under the same roof. How many kids get killed a day from suicide? drug use? Hit by a car?

Cosmo · September 2008

Worst thing? I'll go with we have the worst administration in office... probably since Warren Harding. Makes Nixon's Administration look like fucking a Girl Scout Brownie Troop.
...
Best Things? Pretty much, everything else.

OffHeGoes29 · September 2008

Cosmo wrote:

Worst thing? I'll go with we have the worst administration in office... probably since Warren Harding. Makes Nixon's Administration look like fucking a Girl Scout Brownie Troop.
...
Best Things? Pretty much, everything else.

But people loved Harding untill he died and the truth came out. LBJ was up there as well.

Cosmo · September 2008

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

But people loved Harding untill he died and the truth came out. LBJ was up there as well.

...
Loved or not... it still does not erase the fact that his administration ranks as one of the worst administrations in our history, right?

The best and worst things about your country

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