# What's wrong with YOUR country? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 14, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452 "2003-07-14T19:32:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/61 "2003-07-16T00:33:11Z")
What’s wrong with the USA: Cappucino and espresso are luxury items and will run you $3 apiece. Italy has this right. Train service costs more than flying – and for no real gain. Plus the things that are connected by rail lines are only whatever was important back before cars. Go mill towns! (Hard to believe the British complain about THEIR rail system.) Vacation system sucks. Work five years just to get your third week off. Woohoo! ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/62 "2003-07-16T04:45:11Z")
Oh yea. If you want to go from Atlanta to Savannah, GA via rail (Amtrak), when I checked it took three days. You had to take the train all the way up to Washington DC, then change trains and ride it all the way down to Savannah. This for a trip that (driving) takes 4-6 hours. Another thing I hate about the US: Political debate usually terminates with “America! Lurve it or leave it!” ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/63 "2003-07-16T05:35:13Z")
What’s wrong with my country? Somehow, George W. Bush ended up as president. Since then it’s been a tragedy of errors. ---
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/64 "2003-07-16T05:45:31Z")
Dual American-French citizen here. But I’ll only pit the US, since I don’t think the SDMB servers have room for all my complaints about France. Now then: A population that is largely fat, insular, and apathetic. Trade protectionism up the wazoo in the country that’s supposed to know how to do capitalism. Especially enormous fucking agricultural subsidies; national politicians can’t get elected here without talking about how unbelievably great the fucking “heartland” is, as if they’re intrinsically so much better than us (sub)urbanites. A $40 billion dollar a year drug war that doubles our prison population in the name of keeping a couple idjits from smoking crack in their basements. A growing “soundbite” mentality to politics and the media, along with a concordant culture of blame. All this in the name of easy solutions to sometimes complex problems. Religious fundamentalism that is powerful way beyond its popular appeal. Helps stop stem cell research, keeps gays from getting married or serving openly in the military, and doesn’t consider “Jesus” an odd response to the question, “Who’s your favorite political philosopher?” Continuous pandering to our “allies” Saudi Arabia, the incubator of the ideology that slaughtered 3000 Americans in one day, the country that kept us from finishing the job in Gulf War I (but then expecting us to keep our troops their to protect it from the unfinished job), run by a family so vile and corrupt that ad executives quit their jobs over the prospect of representing it. All in the name of, well, you know. Plenty of other flaws too. Still think it’s the best. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/65 "2003-07-16T05:49:16Z")
American (USA) here. My gripes about my country? 1. The sexual repression that is rampant because of fundy christian bullshit attitudes. This includes everything from bleeping out cuss words on tv to denying gays the same rights as het couples wrt marriage. 2. We have become a nation of victims. Nobody is responsible for their own fuck ups anymore. “Duh, dude, I just walked into a pole and busted my skull so I will sue the shit outta the pole company” 3. Agreed the two party system is bullshit, and I will also point out that it is bullshit to have to raise millions of bucks just to run for a seat, albeit the senate, house or prez. 4. Sorry ass “reality tv”, but I must blame you brits for some of that \ 5. Well, I might get flamed for this, but that we are sometimes welcomed around the world when we go into countries, or don’t, but we are also lambasted when we don’t, or do, over and over. Just a few gripes, good thread! ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/66 "2003-07-16T06:59:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\* > – The workaholic culture **GMRyujin** already mentioned, coupled with consumerism gone mad. > > – The attitude that education is neither valuable nor enjoyable in itself, but merely a ticket to a job. > > \*\* As a fellow American living in Hong Kong I find these pretty rich. America looks like ultra-hippie, do-your-own-thing,man-land compared to here. It ain’t my country, but here I hate: Selfishness and callousness. Most people can find an awful lot of reasons to never do anything nice for anyone. I’ve stopped trying because it usually just confuses people. Immigration laws that make no sense. Yes, give work visas to scumbags because they’re from Australia but make things impossible for the earnest American student! Or maybe that’s the US’s fault for not cutting immigration deals. English, English, English! It is THE measure of academic ability! Yes, this means people will throw money at me to tutor their kids who will never need English outside of their ridiculous education system, but I can’t help but feel a little ill being a part in this lunacy. There’s that thing with the government, seems like a bad deal but I haven’t been following it long enough to have a real opinion. Most of the white foreigners I encounter here are total dipshits who totally destroy our image. Thanks for making it so that everyone assumes I’m a lecherous drunk who doesn’t know a word of Chinese, assholes! (To be fair, I suppose the good-guys are less noticeable by their behavior and/or stench, but for a white person I am awfully down on white people these days.) Heat. Despite my obsessive attempts to keep clean, the heat and humidity have given me a pretty good crotch-fungus. ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/67 "2003-07-16T07:08:47Z")
As far as things that aren’t all about me, I can’t stand the attitude towards mainland Chinese and other Asians. A lot of them turn out as much better people despite having less than the miserable bigots who paint them all as whores and thieves. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/68 "2003-07-16T07:51:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tarantula \* > \*\* > > - Anyone outside Dublin thinks Dubliners are shite > - Anyone inside Dublin thinks country-people are shite > \*\* I think in most countries (perhaps discounting such huge ones as the US) the hate/hate relationship between those that live in the capital and those that don’t is quite common. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/69 "2003-07-16T07:53:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > **(Hard to believe the British complain about THEIR rail system.)** Yes, but we can’t get ours to work within a country the size of one of your states. Even then, we don’t really have a viable alternative, we don’t have decent roads and it is _so_ expensive to have a car. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/70 "2003-07-16T07:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amanset \* > \*\*Yes, but we can’t get ours to work within a country the size of one of your states. Even then, we don’t really have a viable alternative, we don’t have decent roads and it is _so_ expensive to have a car. \*\* Are you talking about Sweden or your native land here? I think the Swedish railroad system works fine, and the roads are perfectly adequate. It’s probably expensive to have a car, though. I wouldn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/71 "2003-07-16T08:01:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priceguy \* > \*\*Are you talking about Sweden or your native land here? I think the Swedish railroad system works fine, and the roads are perfectly adequate. It’s probably expensive to have a car, though. I wouldn’t know. \*\* Sorry, I am talking about the UK. The Swedish rail system is starting to go a bit crazy though. It is losing money like it is going out of fashion (last I heard it was being financed mainly by profits from the state alcohol monopoly) and there has been a definite drop in the regularity of services on the T-bana (Stockholm Underground for those that don’t know) since I have been here (3.5 years so far). The Swedish road system is perfectly adequate, but I do believe that Sweden is next behind the UK in terms of cost to own a car in Europe, especially fuel costs-wise. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/72 "2003-07-16T08:21:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*That’s true but I wasn’t just talking about everyone here watching British TV. I also meant things like greater coverage being given to EPL games than to League of Ireland games, stuff like that. \*\* This statement went in one ear and out the other. I know next-to-nothing about sport so it doesn’t affect me. But I’m sure you’re right. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/73 "2003-07-16T09:31:19Z")
Well for example the sport news on TV3 this morning had nothing about the Champions League qualifier that the League of Ireland champions (Bohs, FYI 😉 ) are playing tonight. It did tell us that Man U have signed a new keeper, though. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/74 "2003-07-16T10:01:11Z")
We are about to get a …drum roll please…cow fart tax! Now I don’t own a cow nor am I thinking of owning a cow anytime soon. But sheeeeeeeeeeesh! We also have the worlds highest youth suicide rate and second highest teenage pregnancy rate (in the “western” world). Still wouldn’t live anywhere else though…best lil’ country in the world (and I do apologise to all those Yanks that think that they live in the best country 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![fizzygoodmakefeelnice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@fizzygoodmakefeelnice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzygoodmakefeelnice)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/75 "2003-07-16T10:44:43Z")
More UK: - New Labour. - Hugh Grant. - No second series Black Books DVD released. - Rubbish accent. - Disgusting beaches. ---
**Author:** ![fizzygoodmakefeelnice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@fizzygoodmakefeelnice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzygoodmakefeelnice)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/76 "2003-07-16T10:44:57Z")
More UK: - New Labour. - Hugh Grant. - No second series Black Books DVD released. - Rubbish accent. - Disgusting beaches. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/77 "2003-07-16T10:50:43Z")
Which accent are you referring to? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/78 "2003-07-16T11:07:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amanset \* > \*\*I think in most countries (perhaps discounting such huge ones as the US) the hate/hate relationship between those that live in the capital and those that don’t is quite common. \*\* We break it down by states here. Since I live in Georgia, I get to make fun of people from Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Whereas, when I lived in Louisiana, I made fun of people from Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. See? Alright, so it’s probably a regoinal thing, but I’m sure it’s similar. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/79 "2003-07-16T11:08:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Space Vampire \* > Despite my obsessive attempts to keep clean, the heat and humidity have given me a pretty good crotch-fungus. Sheer poetry ! Anyone need a sig ? ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452/80 "2003-07-16T11:44:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > **I have to clear this up. While the HoS is irrelevent to the day-to-day lives of your average Australian, the identity of that head of state is only argued by rampant Monarchists who find that their support of Australia remaining subservient to another country is unplatable to the general community.** Pish-posh. There is considerable debate regarding the identity of Australia’s head-of-state; see, for example, Ian Ireland, ‘Who is the Australian Head of State?’, Research Note No. 1, Parliamentary Research Service, Department of the Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 28 August 1995. Paul Kelly writes in _The Australian_ (28 May 2003) that during the recent Hollingworth crisis, the ABC and commerical media referred to the G-G as Australia’s head of state. Simon Crean has done the same. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-your-country/188452.md?page=5)