How bad is/are your country/ies?

[Incongruous]

This was brought about by HoreTore's thread on silly political discussions in his country.

So, I just wanted to know, how bad is your country?

I have two which I could consider to be my own, New Zealand and the UK, as CA has pointed out, in certain cases the choice of death is better.

Now, in terms of politics, I find that NZ has a hard time trying to keep up with the criminals at Wwestminster, the Beehive is far more provincial, racism is not nearly as pervasive and overall the country is good at settling its issues, however certain areas, such as the ressetlemnt of Waitangi settlements, has caused alot of anger.

So, overall on the scale of crapness, the UK get a big fat 7.5 while NZ gets a 5. What about you?!

[seireikhaan]

United States gov't--We aint the best. We aint the worst.

United States people-- Frankly disappoint me about 85% of the time.

[LittleGrizzly]

We giving it on a 10 point scale with 10 being the worst ?

I would probably go for something like a 6...

Edit: to put a bit of reasoning in....

Don't like much of our foriegn policy
Strong anti-muslim feeling in the country, whipped on by a popular daily mail paper
Politicians in charge (and the opposition) feel like soulless suits who in thier eagerness to take votes from the opposition have all but become thier shadow (or would that make the opposition thier shadow)
General ignorance or lack of caring about political issues prevalent throughout UK, especially in young people...
Drug policy made with worried middle class readers of the daily mail rather than scientific evidence (who needs science when you have votes...)
and lots more if you give me enough time!

On the upside were a democracy, we don't generally mercilessly slaughter people...umm did i mention democracy yet....

[CountArach]

Pretty bad:
Racism and xenophobia are pervasive throughout all facets of society.
Our country's politics are skewed to the right (And that isn't looking like it will change any time soon).
We are a tool of US foreign policy.
Public opinion is consistently ignored on several important issues.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Some likes and dislikes about Germany...

EDIT: Nevermind, I'm not going into that. Let's just say life is pretty good, but has some flaws. And I really, really despise Die Linke.

[Strike For The South]

I stand by my assumption America is infallible

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I stand by my assumption America is infallible

Even Oklahoma?

[Strike For The South]

Even Oklahoma?

Land thieves are still people. ....I guess.

[Hooahguy]

if you have dual-citizenship, i guess that means that you have to evaluate two governments, right?
america: not perfect, as any democracy.
israel: see above.

[Strike For The South]

if you have dual-citizenship, i guess that means that you have to evaluate two governments, right?
america: not perfect, as any democracy.
israel: see above.

I dont know why we honor dual citizenship.

[Meneldil]

France mostly sucks. Most of our latest Presidents have been complete morrons or power-hungry bastards. We keep telling other people what's best to do while doing whatever the hell we want.
For some reasons, we're still stuck in Africa supporting dictators and what not.
And for some reason, we still think we're a great power that is to be taken into account on the international scene (lol).

French are a bunch of arrogant self-centered flowerholes, who always think they're right, even when they're obviously not (which happens every time I disagree with one of them).

Yet, I'm glad I live in this country, because honestly, it's far from bad and I like it.

[naut]

Pretty bad:
Racism and xenophobia are pervasive throughout all facets of society.
Our country's politics are skewed to the right (And that isn't looking like it will change any time soon).
We are a tool of US foreign policy.
Public opinion is consistently ignored on several important issues.

What he said.

Although, most institutions are quite good in comparison to other nations, especially when you consider the small population base they serve.

Edit: I'm tempted to not even mention the UK. An absolute mess.

[Hooahguy]

I dont know why we honor dual citizenship.

sometimes i ask myself that exact question.....

[Strike For The South]

sometimes i ask myself that exact question.....

Than why do you still hold it?

[Marshal Murat]

We are a tool of US foreign policy.

Better than being a tool of UK Foreign Policy. Same thing, nevermind.

[Ice]

Than why do you still hold it?

He has no disadvantage, that I'm aware of, of holding dual citizenship. He mostly likely benefits.

[Strike For The South]

He has no disadvantage, that I'm aware of, of holding dual citizenship. He mostly likely benefits.

It's the principal of the thing.

[CountArach]

Better than being a tool of UK Foreign Policy. Same thing, nevermind.

Haha. Well, we were that before 1942.

[Strike For The South]

Haha. Well, we were that before 1942.

We gave you Kola bears and fosters, quit complaining.

[naut]

Than why do you still hold it?

No doubt similar reasons I have dual. He loves Israel, like I love the UK, even though we aren't there permanently. Heritage probably plays a role. Plus the benefit of being able to vote in both, and being eligible for the benefits of both. For me being a UK citizen also has the benefits of being able to travel and gain work in the EU easier. And for hooah, Israeli citizenship can also be beneficial for getting work in the EU if he ever so desires.

We gave you [...] fosters

You can take it back. Actually, I demand you take it back!

[Strike For The South]

No doubt similar reasons I have dual. He loves Israel, like I love the UK, even though we aren't there permanently. Heritage probably plays a role. Plus the benefit of being able to vote in both, and being eligible for the benefits of both. For me being a UK citizen also has the benefits of being able to travel and gain work in the EU easier. And for hooah, Israeli citizenship can also be beneficial for getting work in the EU if he ever so desires.

I can understand the commenwealth a bit more but still. I really don't have an argument than a purely ideally American (ya know something I tell my self before the 4th of July before baseball)

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all... The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic... There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else." Teddy Roosevelt

I realize this is different in other places for a reason. Its just one of my oddities. But for the Isreal/US, If a debate comes up whose interests are you going to have at heart?

hehe I sound like Bill O'Reily.


Edit: TO LATE ON THE BEER NO GIVESIES BACKSIES. AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI

[HoreTore]

I think there's some law stating that if you're Norwegian, you're required to spend at least one hour of every day bitching and moaning about the government....

But in all seriousness, I'm content and happy. I'm well fed and properly clothed. We do have absolutely pathetic political "scandals", however, but in the end that's probably a good thing. A shame that good politicians have to retire on ridiculous grounds, but that's better than having utterly corrupt scumbags in charge...

[Hooahguy]

Than why do you still hold it?

He has no disadvantage, that I'm aware of, of holding dual citizenship. He mostly likely benefits.

the only "disadvantage" is that i have to join the IDF at 18, which is only 1 year and 7 days away.

[Fragony]

My country is fine 8/10.

[Kralizec]

Dutch politics: some of the stuff that goes on around in The Hague is mind boggling or even embarrassing. While I never particulary liked the two biggest parties in power right now, I've grown to despise them since they entered in a coalition government.

Dutch society: mostly okay, I guess. There are things I don't like but not enough of them for me to consider moving.

[Husar]

It's a matter of perspective, the Politicians come down to choosing the lesser evil. I've really, really come to hate the CDU and their scaremongering to make this a surveillance state, ban computer games etc. although Merkel seems relatively okay so far, it's some guys in the lower ranks who come up with all this idiocy, luckily not much of it has been realized so far.
The companies know that most _germans are very gullible and use this to rip everybody off and then complain that we're all bad customers, well that or something is fundamentally wrong because prices seem really high, service is rather bad or maybe mediocre and my own pay per hour is below the minimum wage in many countries(countries where prices are also lower...).
Well, it's a student job and you can see how that comes when you have unemployment around 11% or so in the city, I was lucky to get a job at all but that doesn't change the fact I feel a bit ripped off.
You get almost twice as much for washing dishes in cities where students are needed, supply and demand...

Otherwise life seems relatively fine, socially it's not too great for me but then I'm special.
It's hard to give an overall score, but I'd settle for somewhere around 5.0 considering there are far worse developing countries. Compared with other first world countries only, you could add 2 or 3 points.

[Guildenstern]

Pretty bad:
Racism and xenophobia are pervasive throughout all facets of society.
Our country's politics are skewed to the right (And that isn't looking like it will change any time soon).
We are a tool of US foreign policy.
Public opinion is consistently ignored on several important issues.

The same goes here, more or less.

[drone]

[old man]Hell in a handbasket I tells ya, hell in a handbasket![/old man]

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

It's a matter of perspective, the Politicians come down to choosing the lesser evil. I've really, really come to hate the CDU and their scaremongering to make this a surveillance state, ban computer games etc. although Merkel seems relatively okay so far, it's some guys in the lower ranks who come up with all this idiocy, luckily not much of it has been realized so far.

I think I'll vote FDP. Except I'm anti-EU. Lesser evils? They're everywhere.

[Hooahguy]

ignore