NationStates Jolt Archive

This is another spin off from the US-bashing thread, but after furiously writing a reply then erasing it as being something not fit for NS consumption, I've decided to focus on the positives with the negatives, not just one or the other. Balance. Something I lack right now...

Anyway, the US is not the only country that has wonderful things about it, nor is it the only country to have some serious drawbacks. Make a brief pro/con list of your own country, and don't take the important stuff for granted.

Edit:
I took it for granted, but yes, please name the country of which you are speaking, either in your title or at the top of your list. Thanks!

Here are a few:


Pros:
-democracy
-political freedom
- relative economic prosperity
- a social system that makes healthcare and education accessible to all
- diversity of cultures
- diversity of physical landscape
- relative safety from crime (low population and large space?)

Cons:
- political apathy
- rabid consumerism
- 'hidden' poverty and racism
- an inefficient social system flawed by corruption and apathy
- poor use of our natural resources (too much primary resource exports compared to 'finished goods' imports)
- wasteful (in terms of pollution, overconsumption etc.)

I think it would be useful to name the coutry too (if it's not obvious)

Holland

Pro:
- generally laid back attitude
- social system

Con:
- No actual separation of state and church

EDIT: sorry sinuhue.... didn't see it was in the title

Pros:
- Indoor toilets
- Municipal street sweeping

Cons:
- Inbreeding
- Neighbours

Scotland (as seperate from the United Kingdom):
Pros:
- Parlimentary system independant from London
- Democracy
- Free healthcare and social support
- Overall rated the best education system in the UK
- Some of the best Universities in the UK, especially technologically/engineering wise.

Cons:
- Relatively high crime in the cities
- Low population
- Political apathy
- Declining educated population ("Brain Drain" - educated emigrate)
- Reliance on foreign investments
- Natural resources are not owned by Scottish companies

pro:
freedom and democracy
the republican party
the greatest military
the most civil liberties
the right to bear arms (it shall never be infringed u liberals! :) )
the best scientific research in the world

con:
too much welfare (welfare corrupts and breeds lazy people)
the communist ACLU
too many illegal immigrants
the open border policy (Mexican border)
Hollyweird
the MSM (Main Stream Media, collectively known as the media wing of the democrat party)

UK:
Positive:
erm...I'll get back to you.
Ok - decent healthcare
Decent standard of living.
It's not Iraq.
Democracy...well, the idea of democracy.
Negative:
Tony Blair, although he's better than Michael Howard. Certainly don't want the Tories running the place. Though they'd be preferable to UKIP, the BNP or Veritas (Robert Kilroy-Silk's party).
'Wannabe America'-ism - I'm not saying that American culture is a bad thing, but the UK has its own independent culture. We don't need another.
Chavs.
Over-population.

I woudln't say that Canada is politically apathetic, our last election had more than 60% turnout and given that I worked for elections canada during the run up to the election, I can tell you there are a lot of duplicates/left the country/non-citizens/deceased people on the list so the actual number was probably a lot higher.

I woudln't say that Canada is politically apathetic, our last election had more than 60% turnout and given that I worked for elections canada during the run up to the election, I can tell you there are a lot of duplicates/left the country/non-citizens/deceased people on the list so the actual number was probably a lot higher.
Woohoo! 60% Yay!

Sorry, that's still pretty apathetic in my mind, and the percentages get abysmally low in provincial, then municipal elections.

Also, voting is not the be all end all of political life. Most Canadians seem to think it is though.

Don't forget to name which country you're posting your list about! We're not mind readers!

pros:

-good average language knowledge
-beer
-Eddy wally
-good/best social system
-unity in diversity (Walloons-Flemish)
-beer
-responsible for the only succeeding crusade
-many inventors (saxophone, roller skates, sub marine...)
-Eddy Mercx
-progressive laws on abortion, drugs, euthanasie, gay marriages...

cons:

-internationaly seen, little political power
-we over-estimate our beer
-Jean-Claude van damme
-expensive social system
-diversity in unity
-we really over-estimate our beer
-responsible for the only succeeding crusade
-football team
-if you're a conservative: progressive laws

-Eddy wally

you mean he actually exists? :eek:

Northern Ireland

Pros:
- Democracy
- the people
- the landscape
- excellent education system
- good standard of living
- civil rights, political freedoms

Cons:
- the mindless bigots
- the reputation

Pros:
- Indoor toilets
- Municipal street sweeping

Do you have something against outdoor toilets?

Cons:
- Inbreeding
- Neighbours
By any chance, do you happen to be from Närpes?

Do you have something against outdoor toilets?


By any chance, do you happen to be from Närpes?
No. To both questions. I just listed the top 4 I could think at the time. You carry on from there. This could be a joint effort.

Woohoo! 60% Yay!

Sorry, that's still pretty apathetic in my mind, and the percentages get abysmally low in provincial, then municipal elections.

Also, voting is not the be all end all of political life. Most Canadians seem to think it is though.

Don't forget to name which country you're posting your list about! We're not mind readers!
It was actaully 66%, but my point was that there are lots of people on the list who shouldn't be, who are doubled on the list, who are dead, who are not citizens and thus did not or could not vote. One of my friend's dad's has british citizenship and he got a voter registration card... He didn't get himself taken off the list because he didnt' care enough to, but he didn't vote because he's not a citizen. The voter list needs to be cleaned up badly. I personally think it would be better if they just cleared it and started over again every 10 years or so.

It was actaully 66%, but my point was that there are lots of people on the list who shouldn't be, who are doubled on the list, who are dead, who are not citizens and thus did not or could not vote. One of my friend's dad's has british citizenship and he got a voter registration card... He didn't get himself taken off the list because he didnt' care enough to, but he didn't vote because he's not a citizen. The voter list needs to be cleaned up badly. I personally think it would be better if they just cleared it and started over again every 10 years or so.
Sounds good. Might even make the voters look good...but it won't change the fact that a great many people are too lazy to exercise the most passive of their democratic rights. Yet we love bitching in bars...maybe if they put the polls IN the bars?? :D

Sounds good. Might even make the voters look good...but it won't change the fact that a great many people are too lazy to exercise the most passive of their democratic rights. Yet we love bitching in bars...maybe if they put the polls IN the bars?? :D
now if we could just time the elections for when people are most fed up.....

woot! my 100th post!

Pros and Cons of the United States (as if you haven't heard enough about it, right?)

Pros:
: It's BIG! Such diverse terrain, you can see every kind of environment.
: Diverse peoples.
: Some (but obviously not all) of the best music has and continues to come out of the U.S.
: Theoretically, a very good and solid political system.
: Excellent interstate highway system.
: Good food from everywhere in the world.
: Statistically, the most hard working industrialised population on the planet.
: Largest gross-wealth of any country.

Cons:
: Crime is high in a lot of places.
: Some are very wary of outsiders, even other Americans from different regions.
: The way most of the cities are built, it's more friendly to cars than people.
: The political climate is childish, simplistic, uninformed, and hostile.
: Widening rich-poor gap, declining standard of living.
: Economic mismanagement over the past several years (yes, even before Bush)
: Lack of affordable access to basic health services.
: Impartial, honest, factual American journalism is dead.

ROFL @ Eddy Wally

USA

Pros:
-I live here
-Democracy
-Baseball
-A good dose of freedom
-The Simpsons
-Family Guy

Cons:
-Bush
-FCC
-Drug war
-Two-party system
-Kentucky

Pros
The people friendly and thet smile first.
The climate, if you can cope with some heat
It's big, and varied
The wildlife.
The food - feijoada, moqueca, pavé what more could you want.
Tolerance - no religious conflicts whatsoever.

Cons
umm err
The language can be difficult (I hate subjunctives!)
The exchange rate gradient
People don't read enogh for books to be cheap
The banking System
The Judiciary

Pros:
*Good Music
*None of my extended family live nearby (not good, but certainly less hassle).
*Fairly cosmopiltan, (small 'l' ) liberal and tolerant (on the whole).
*I understand the language.
*Accents.
*The widlife, nothing seriously dangerous. The most dangerous wild animal I am likely to encounter is a badger.
*Free press, largely not owned by huge companies.
*We get some good cultural imports from America and other places.
*We have 5 channels. Nothing on TV? Read a sodding book.
*Good attitude towards alcohol.
*British people.
*Good food (don't look at me like that, I'm telling the truth).
*Proud history.


Cons:
*Weather.
*Monarchy.
*Tabloids
*Scallies.
*Nearly anything really enjoyable is either illegal or is taxed, heavily.
*We get fucking shite cultural imports from abroad (mainly the US).
*British People.
*Government that just wants to grow and grow.
*Southerners </jk>.
*Moralists
*People that hark back to a 'Golden Age' (which never existed).

Pros
- Good education and health care programs! (Best in the world)
- Clean and beautiful nature!
- We are not so capitalizts as we 'want' to be!
- Winning the world cup of soccer for the first time is in the future!

Cons
- Democracy doesn't work
- I don't like the people here (Compared to Swedish and English)
- Desire to be on the heart of action (Come on we are tiny)