NationStates Jolt Archive

In a British poll, Brits voted Italy the most cultured country. I agree, but which country do YOU think is most cultured?

France

Germany. The West came from Germany.

Spain

Germany. The West came from Germany.

Yes, Germany. But what's that comment supposed to mean?

China. No other country could have lost so much of it's culture due to a totalitarian regime, and still be one of the most culturally diverse, colourful and fascinating country in the world.

Not Italy, it's too overated, I say the Netherlands, not only cos of the Drugs and the Sex, although.....

Yes the Netherlands, they're cool, I love the Dutch Language and as far as I know they don't have random Chavs who beat you to death, hell in Yes Man Danny meets all sorts of bizarre people and that's just what culture is really, Bizarreness and un-uniformity.

France. They combine the progressive nature of Northern Europe with the "Dolce Vita"-lifestyle of Southern Europe and they have a rich cultural history and society.

The USA has a very distinctive culture -- much more so than Europe.

Japan

Begoner21;11691942']The USA has a very distinctive culture -- much more so than Europe.

you can't vote for yourself! (and McDonalds is not something to be proud of)

Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "cultured?"

Yes, Germany. But what's that comment supposed to mean?

All the important Western nations have their roots in Germany. Even Japan has a little Germany in it.

All the important Western nations have their roots in Germany. Even Japan has a little Germany in it.

*roflmao

*wipes tear from her eye

You really believe that, don't you?

Not Italy, it's too overated....

But Italy rose Europe out of the Middle Ages... and don't forget Rome and all of those Renaissance people.

*roflmao

*wipes tear from her eye

You really believe that, don't you?

That's a quote from "Mein Kampf".

"We are the greatest people, sitting on our old street, the best wine in the world, much better than that of the French. We are rich and cultural, and we are better than the other nations, richest in the world, high-class beyond other countries, better than England or Germany, we know we will be praised, as Luxies, of Luxembourg." From The Luxembourg Show By Jean-Henri-Claude Charlotte II

In other words, Luxembourg. If not Oman. There was even a Kuwaiti princess who said there's no point going to Kuwait hwne you can go to Oman. Why? An amazing belnd of the modern and old (abd practically no tourists), with a great tradition of traditions, while at the sam time, they now no longer consider radios evil, since Sultan Qaboos came to the throne.

Begoner21;11691942']The USA has a very distinctive culture -- much more so than Europe.

Like eating turkey on the day when they celebrate their genocide of native Americans? What culture?

*roflmao

*wipes tear from her eye

You really believe that, don't you?

Why not? It's true. England, came from Germans. America, came from England, has Germans as largest ethnic group. France, partially from Germans. Japan, uses/used German inspired political and legal systems.

All the important Western nations have their roots in Germany. Even Japan has a little Germany in it.

Are you smoking something?

Like eating turkey on the day when they celebrate their genocide of native Americans? What culture?

The sexual drugged morass known as Hollywood. ;)


jk, but... ;) ;)

That's a quote from "Mein Kampf".

It is? Well, we've finally found something that Hitler was right about.

But Italy rose Europe out of the Middle Ages... and don't forget Rome and all of those Renaissance people.

Yeah but it suffers from the same culture problem of all the Med based countries, Brits on holiday

"We are the greatest people, sitting on our old street, the best wine in the world, much better than that of the French. We are rich and cultural, and we are better than the other nations, richest in the world, high-class beyond other countries, better than England or Germany, we know we will be praised, as Luxies, of Luxembourg." From The Luxembourg Show By Jean-Henri-Claude Charlotte II

In other words, Luxembourg.

So, basically, Baby Germany?

Why not? It's true. England, came from Germans. America, came from England, has Germans as largest ethnic group. France, partially from Germans. Japan, uses/used German inspired political and legal systems.

*laughs*

Not Italy. Italy came from Greece, which came from Phoenicia, which just came from Atlantis.

The culture of Italy, in effect, came from Atlantians.

*laughs*

Not Italy. Italy came from Greece, which came from Phoenicia, which just came from Atlantis.

The culture of Italy, in effect, came from Atlantians.

And Italy is still important? It's a second rate power.

How about China?

Yeah but it suffers from the same culture problem of all the Med based countries, Brits on holiday

Well, they don't count.

So, basically, Baby Germany?

I think you'll find that there's a lot of anti-German feeling in all of the Low Countries, or at least in the Netherlands, hell I guess Luxembourg has to be thankful to Germany for bringing about the renaisance(sp?) of the Luxembourg language.

And Italy is still important? It's a second rate power.

They have teh Pope too. (Not much, but...)

as for the poll...

The idea is that, THROUGHOUT HISTORY, ____ country was the most cultured country because of _____ and ______.

They have teh Pope too. (Not much, but...)

as for the poll...

The idea is that, THROUGHOUT HISTORY, ____ country was the most cultured country because of _____ and ______.

Then I vote Greece, cradle of ****ing Western civilization.^^

Like eating turkey on the day when they celebrate their genocide of native Americans? What culture?

This culture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#Culture

The US is a melting pot for all kind of different ethnicities and combines rich cultural traditions from all other and incorporates them into the American Dream.

Like eating turkey on the day when they celebrate their genocide of native Americans? What culture?

List of artists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_Artists)
List of authors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_authors)
List of classical composers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_composers)


not to mention the dominance of film and assorted popular music artists, the creation of jazz, the Boston Pops and assorted philharmonics and orchestras that easily compare with those of Europe...you know, little things like that

there is more to the US than McDonalds and Thanksgiving.

*laughs*

Not Italy. Italy came from Greece, which came from Phoenicia, which just came from Atlantis.

The culture of Italy, in effect, came from Atlantians.

You're just as bad. Phoenicia came from the Pœn or Pun, the people from the Red Sea who have their roots in Dilmun/Bahrain and Sumer.
Atlantis is only the name of an utopian place in a few of Plato's works.

I think you'll find that there's a lot of anti-German feeling in all of the Low Countries, or at least in the Netherlands, hell I guess Luxembourg has to be thankful to Germany for bringing about the renaisance(sp?) of the Luxembourg language.

You didn't read about that Dutch city that wanted to leave the Netherlands and join Germany, did you?

Begoner21;11692012']This culture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#Culture

The US is a melting pot for all kind of different ethnicities and combines rich cultural traditions from all other and incorporates them into the American Dream.

Nothing has melted so far. It's all still pretty separate.

You're just as bad. Phoenicia came from the Pœn or Pun, the people from the Red Sea who have their roots in Dilmun/Bahrain and Sumer.
Atlantis is only the name of an utopian in a few of Plato's works.

Oh, yeah... my bad. Not a historian...

But my point is the same.

Italy is not from Germany.[/SIZE]

You didn't read about that Dutch city that wanted to leave the Netherlands and join Germany, did you?

No I didn't, but consider one city against the population of the Netherlands, and also consider how many different regions and Cities who have wanted to become either independant or join other nations, like Quebec, Britainny, Alsaise(sp?), Cornwall/Devon, Lovely, Sealand, Pitcairn Islands, Dunkirk?, Gibraltar...

But that's off topic, the Netherlands owns Germany in Culture!!!

I vote for the Swiss! Smart enough not to get involved in either world war, wine, um...alps? Maybe St. Bernards? And the most clandestine banking system ever!

SNIP

American exceptionalism?

You didn't read about that Dutch city that wanted to leave the Netherlands and join Germany, did you?

didn’t they want to become independent?

Nothing has melted so far. It's all still pretty separate.

Like our music, literature, movies, and plays? Most of them, especially the more modern ones, reflect our diversity. As for the lack of interbreeding, people have sex with who they find sexually appealing. Now, no matter what country you are from, that would often mean some one similar in general appearance to yourself.

American exceptionalism?

...who were you trying to quote?

The above is usually true.

didn’t they want to become independent?

No. It's some Dutch city near Germany. 6th largest, I think.

EDIT: Nijmegen. That's the one.

No. It's some Dutch city near Germany. 6th largest, I think.

EDIT: Nijmegen. That's the one.

If I recall correctly, the discussion arose becaue people in that city were unhappy with one of the prospective new leaders of the country. And Germany was the only geographic option.

The United States of America

It certain has the most cultures in it

India or Tibet or Nepal depending upon whether by "most cultured" one means that a country's people have a (mostly) single set of traditions and values that are unique and identifiable with that people, or "most cultured" would mean the country which has and supports the most of these individual cultures. In the second sense a melting pot is largely the opposite of multicultural and in the first sense a melting pot is forever in flux and never gels into a single culture.

The United States of America

It certain has the most cultures in it

Well the ones I can think of are

Latino
African
Semitic
Germanic
Anglo
Frankish

But consider Russia

Slavic
Scandic
Middle Eastern
Germanic
Asian
Rus

from what I can gather they have an equaly diverse culture system but that's only due to the immense size and power of the nation, the real question then is which of these Ethnic groups are more cultured than others? There's no official ranking for this cos Culture varies from person to person but I'd say Russia is more cultured than America purely down to the fact that Russia beats America in History.

Well the ones I can think of are

Latino
African
Semitic
Germanic
Anglo
Frankish

But consider Russia

Slavic
Scandic
Middle Eastern
Germanic
Asian
Rus


You forgot the original natives. But then again we more or less brushed them aside to be easily forgotten with the exception of their casinos.

There's also the fact that when Russia went commie and turned into the USSR, they effectively suppressed any and all cultures within their sphere of influence.

I spent 6 weeks in Italy on one trip just to take in the country that I enjoy so much. I have to agree outside of Greece that Italy is the most cultured European nation. However if you want to see cultural diversity the USA has it hands down. There is no other nation on Earth with the scale of Culture that the US has. This comes from a well travelled guy at that.

Why not? It's true. England, came from Germans. America, came from England, has Germans as largest ethnic group. France, partially from Germans. Japan, uses/used German inspired political and legal systems.

You're not a very good troll, are you?
I think you should actually look at a US census.

Well the ones I can think of are

Latino
African
Semitic
Germanic
Anglo
Frankish

But consider Russia

Slavic
Scandic
Middle Eastern
Germanic
Asian
Rus

from what I can gather they have an equaly diverse culture system but that's only due to the immense size and power of the nation, the real question then is which of these Ethnic groups are more cultured than others? There's no official ranking for this cos Culture varies from person to person but I'd say Russia is more cultured than America purely down to the fact that Russia beats America in History.


Um, all the ones you listed for Russia are here too?
America is no longer thought of as a melting pot, actually -- more of a mosaic or a salad -- the flavors are distinct, but all together. (At least, that's what they teach us in education classes now. ;))

There are about 80 languages spoken in the school I teach in.

Um, all the ones you listed for Russia are here too?
America is no longer thought of as a melting pot, actually -- more of a mosaic or a salad -- the flavors are distinct, but all together. (At least, that's what they teach us in education classes now. ;))

There are about 80 languages spoken in the school I teach in.

yeah, I've definatly heard the mosaic form come into popularity as of late. I'm not so convinced that it is definiatively mosaic or melting pot...

In all the countries I've traveled I would have to go with Italy followed by Japan. Third through fifth would be Thailand, China, and probably Greece.


Countries visited: Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, USA, Canada, and Japan.

I would place Germany as one of the least cultured, along with Taiwan, USA and Canada. Anyone who places any of these nations amongst the top needs to get around more or doesn't understand what culture is.

The U.S.A. doesn't really have that much culture. I mean F. Scott Fitzgerald, yeah, but our famous composers are Aaron Copland and his imitators, and Philip Glass and his imitators. And our artists? Andy Warhol? Georgia O'Keefe? You have to back to the 19th century before you find real classic American cultural symbols, our William James and Thoreau. I guess we have Faulkner, too, he'll probably find the most longevity of any of our 20th-century icons. Or Beckett, but was really more of a Frenchman...

I might have to put Russia as the most cultured, or at least, it has produced the most culture. Tolstoy, Chekov, Dostoyevsky, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Katchaturian, Kandinsky (but again, more of a Frenchman), Blavatsky, Lermontov, Nabokov, Aleksandr Pushkin, Glinka, Kabalevsky, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Barishnikov, so on. But most of those left Russia, at least most of the 20th-century types, so it would be difficult to put Russia at number, except as an exporter of culture...

Germany, then, or Italy. Germany, like Russia though, has an unfortunate tendency to drive out its greatest minds. But I do believe that we owe Germany a great debt for producing ALL of the big three, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, but then technically, they came from Austria, but in a time when Germany and Austria were one state... damn, this is hard.

Fuck it, Palau.

France or Italy

To whichever knuckledragger posted the gem about "the west came from germany," see: classical history.

. Anyone who places any of these nations amongst the top needs to get around more or doesn't understand what culture is.

Id certainly appreciate it if you could explain exactly what culture is, unless it is something you cannot define other than by saying "I know it when I see it."

The U.S.A. doesn't really have that much culture. I mean F. Scott Fitzgerald, yeah, but our famous composers are Aaron Copland and his imitators, and Philip Glass and his imitators. And our artists? Andy Warhol? Georgia O'Keefe? You have to back to the 19th century before you find real classic American cultural symbols, our William James and Thoreau. I guess we have Faulkner, too, he'll probably find the most longevity of any of our 20th-century icons. Or Beckett, but was really more of a Frenchman...


Do you reckon?

I'll be affraid to say such things... a u.s. fatwa could fall upon me.
But please you should add some more culture to the u.s. of A, the culture of war.
No one country had so many wars in so many countries in a single century.
Respect for the veterans, even if some were vonlunteers.

Do you reckon?

I'll be affraid to say such things... a u.s. fatwa could fall upon me.
But please you should add some more culture to the u.s. of A, the culture of war.
No one country had so many wars in so many countries in a single century.
Respect for the veterans, even if some were vonlunteers.

Yeah, because you know us zany Americans, always killing people. Why, I killed half a dozen while I was out to lunch this afternoon, given my uncontrollably violent American tendencies. I would have done more, but I only had my sawed-off shotgun and left the machine gun at home.

In a British poll, Brits voted Italy the most cultured country. I agree, but which country do YOU think is most cultured?

What do you mean? Are you asking which country has citizens who are most cultured or a country which produced most culture throughout history? The answer to the first question would be north European countries, second would be China and India.

Id certainly appreciate it if you could explain exactly what culture is, unless it is something you cannot define other than by saying "I know it when I see it."

Competent speakers are always able to use words and only sometimes able to define them.

Here's what the dictionary, which you should have consulted before asking, has to say about being cultured:

cultured - Improved by education and training; characterized by intellectual culture; refined.

culture ibid. - The training, development, and refinement of mind, tastes, and manners; the condition of being thus trained and refined; the intellectual side of civilization.

from another source:

1. the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.


At any rate, the term is common enough that all competent speakers know what it means.

Vatican City. More great works of art per capita than any other place in the world. Most of it stolen, but meh...

Vatican City. More great works of art per capita than any other place in the world. Most of it stolen, but meh...

Teh Vatican counts as Italy. :)

I would have to say France or Italy.

In a British poll, Brits voted Italy the most cultured country. I agree, but which country do YOU think is most cultured?

...the one with the most extensive dairy industry.

lol.

From what I gather, I'd say India or Greece.

Teh Vatican counts as Italy. :)

No. It doesn't. It's a completely seperate country.

No. It doesn't. It's a completely seperate country.

According to what I said, it sorta is, seeing as how it is a comparison of nations THROUGHOUT HISTORY... however, to each his own {definition of what the Vatican is}...

I'll bet prt of the problem here is that many are using the holier-than-thou elitist definition of culture as found HERE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture) rather than one of the less ridiculous definitions provided by practitioners of the soft science/hard art of anthropology.

Culture as civilization
Many people today have an idea of "culture" that developed in Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries. This notion of culture reflected inequalities within European societies, and between European powers and their colonies around the world. It identifies "culture" with "civilization" and contrasts it with "nature." According to this way of thinking, one can classify some countries as more civilized than others, and some people as more cultured than others. Some cultural theorists have thus tried to eliminate popular or mass culture from the definition of culture. Theorists such as Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) or the Leavises regard culture as simply the result of "the best that has been thought and said in the world”[10] Arnold contrasted culture with social chaos or anarchy. On this account, culture links closely with social cultivation: the progressive refinement of human behavior. Arnold consistently uses the word this way: "... culture being a pursuit of our total perfection by means of getting to know, on all the matters which most concern us, the best which has been thought and said in the world".[10]


by Edgar DegasIn practice, culture referred to élite goods and activities such as haute cuisine, high fashion or haute couture, museum-caliber art and classical music, and the word cultured described people who knew about, and took part in, these activities. For example, someone who used 'culture' in the sense of 'cultivation' might argue that classical music is more refined than music produced by working-class people, such as punk rock or the indigenous music traditions of aboriginal peoples of Australia.

People who use the term "culture" in this way tend not to use it in the plural as "cultures". They do not believe that distinct cultures exist, each with their own internal logic and values; but rather that only a single standard of refinement suffices, against which one can measure all groups. Thus, according to this worldview, people with different customs from those who regard themselves as cultured do not usually count as "having a different culture," but are classed as "uncultured." People lacking "culture" often seemed more "natural," and observers often defended (or criticized) elements of high culture for repressing "human nature".

I'll bet prt of the problem here is that many are using the holier-than-thou elitist definition of culture as found HERE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture) rather than one of the less ridiculous definitions provided by practitioners of the soft science/hard art of anthropology.

sounds about right...people still tend to draw a line between "high" and "low" culture, despite two major artistic movements against those (modernist and post modernist)...go figure.

Why not? It's true. England, came from Germans. America, came from England, has Germans as largest ethnic group. France, partially from Germans. Japan, uses/used German inspired political and legal systems.
Germanic tribes != Germany

And teaching the orient how to make beer doesn't mean that you've changed their world.


I would probably say France, there's such a large body of beautiful art and literature and music that comes from there... plus if you're looking for a country that influenced England in a large way and then had their culture exported to north america... they ran the place for quite some time.

Begoner21;11691942']The USA has a very distinctive culture -- much more so than Europe.

unless that's sarcasm, i fail to see how a single 200-ish year old country with roots stemming from european societies can possibly be more cultured (what a subjective term that is) than a collection of many seperate, culturally-diverse nations with histories stretching back to pre-history...
if that's not sarcasm, its retarded. (edit: though i guess it depends how you define culture.... for most invasive cultrure, or most 'cultural output' then the USA it probably is)


my answer would be china, japan, or almost any element of the EU

It is? Well, we've finally found something that Hitler was right about.

Hitler was right about a lot of things.

Canada. By far

Am I the only person who believes Spain to be the most cultured? It combines the best of both European culture and Arab culture. Haven't you been to Barcelona?

The U.S.A. doesn't really have that much culture. I mean F. Scott Fitzgerald, yeah, but our famous composers are Aaron Copland and his imitators, and Philip Glass and his imitators. And our artists? Andy Warhol? Georgia O'Keefe? You have to back to the 19th century before you find real classic American cultural symbols, our William James and Thoreau. I guess we have Faulkner, too, he'll probably find the most longevity of any of our 20th-century icons. Or Beckett, but was really more of a Frenchman...

I might have to put Russia as the most cultured, or at least, it has produced the most culture. Tolstoy, Chekov, Dostoyevsky, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Katchaturian, Kandinsky (but again, more of a Frenchman), Blavatsky, Lermontov, Nabokov, Aleksandr Pushkin, Glinka, Kabalevsky, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Barishnikov, so on. But most of those left Russia, at least most of the 20th-century types, so it would be difficult to put Russia at number, except as an exporter of culture...

Germany, then, or Italy. Germany, like Russia though, has an unfortunate tendency to drive out its greatest minds. But I do believe that we owe Germany a great debt for producing ALL of the big three, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, but then technically, they came from Austria, but in a time when Germany and Austria were one state... damn, this is hard.

Fuck it, Palau.



Um. Germany and Austria were not one and the same during the time of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. I wouldn't consider classical music to be indicative of German culture. The Hapsburgs culture was more transcendent than Germany's.


Culture is many, many things. It's what you eat, read, activities, how you think, look at life, besides the common appelants like art, science, etc. When you look at culture you have to look at where it came from too. Would you consider ballet to be Russian, French, Roman, or someone else? I think those tending to look to German culture link aspects of it as German, which come from earlier cultures. Take bathing. Germanics weren't big on bathing. Mediterranean countries were. Bathing is still in use today. If we accepted the Germanic cultural outlook on bathing, we'd still be doing it once or twice a year.

Take Egypt. Great ancient culture that was pervasive in its time, but is no longer. Modern Egyptians have little of substance in their culture. It is an amalgamation of Arab and Middle Eastern culture, where in Ancient Times the culture trading went more the other way. Egypt wouldn't score very high on the culture scale these days, though higher than some due to the scale of it during their heyday.

I'll bet prt of the problem here is that many are using the holier-than-thou elitist definition of culture as found HERE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture) rather than one of the less ridiculous definitions provided by practitioners of the soft science/hard art of anthropology.


Including, it would seem, the OP.

Competent speakers/readers, &c.

unless that's sarcasm, i fail to see how a single 200-ish year old country with roots stemming from european societies can possibly be more cultured (what a subjective term that is) than a collection of many seperate, culturally-diverse nations with histories stretching back to pre-history...
if that's not sarcasm, its retarded. (edit: though i guess it depends how you define culture.... for most invasive cultrure, or most 'cultural output' then the USA it probably is)


my answer would be china, japan, or almost any element of the EU

It isnt sarcasm, it is trolling by that troll.

I would say France, for their contributions to art, literature, food (including wine) & philosophy over the last 500 years.

The Vatican of course.

Consists entirely of World heritage architecture, is stuffed under the roof with works of art, has one of the world's greatest libraries, and each single inhabitant is a postgraduate at least.

Take Egypt. Great ancient culture that was pervasive in its time, but is no longer. Modern Egyptians have little of substance in their culture. It is an amalgamation of Arab and Middle Eastern culture, where in Ancient Times the culture trading went more the other way. Egypt wouldn't score very high on the culture scale these days, though higher than some due to the scale of it during their heyday.

If you take history as part of its culture Egypt is extremely rich indeed; 4000 years with great empires; ancient Egypt (including Greek and Roman times), it has been the center of Fatimid power, then the Mamluks, and later Muhammad Ali…

for contemporary culture, just visit Cairo and read Mahfouz…. ;)

So, basically, Baby Germany?

Absolutely not, thankyou very much. It maskes me want to tear my ahir out the way people assiciate us with Germany. Let me explain something:
a) Luxembourg has for a longer period of time been under Dutch control.
b) You may notice the term BeneLux?
c) We tend to speak Luxembourgish or French, and French is often used for legal whatnot.
d) Do you notice a large about of German names in Luxembourg? No.
e) Do we dress in (not being offensive to Germans) last decade's British haircuts and fashion? No.

I'd have to go for the cradle of all human civilization. Mesopotamia. Nestled right between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Interestingly, the current peak of human civilizational power is throwing a party there to commemorate it's earliest roots. Fireworks every day and every night since 2003...

Possibly Switzerland. Actually, nope, it is Italy.

Possibly Switzerland. Actually, nope, it is Italy.

Bulgaria ... ahem ... "There is evidence of cultured milk products being produced as food for at least 4,500 years, since the 3rd millennium BC. The earliest yoghurts were probably spontaneously fermented by wild bacteria living on the goatskin bags carried by the Bulgars (or Hunno-Bulgars), a nomadic people who began migrating into Europe in the 2nd century AD and eventually settled on the Balkans by the end of the 7th century."

The one and only... Timbuktu.

Yeah, because you know us zany Americans, always killing people. Why, I killed half a dozen while I was out to lunch this afternoon, given my uncontrollably violent American tendencies. I would have done more, but I only had my sawed-off shotgun and left the machine gun at home.

I understand now why annihilation is compulsory for the annihilators, kinda jealousy? You have nothing then why should they have something?
I understand Taliban too, pleasure of destruction, make you feel great.
Culture, culture...