Your Country

[BonosSaint]

What's the best thing about your country?
The worst?
What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?
What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

 

[BVS]

What's the best thing about your country?

Freedom

The worst?

Those constantly wanting to take that away

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

Arrogant and simple minded

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

The one above

 

[Laura M]

What's the best thing about your country?

People
Scenery
Relaxed way of life

The worst?

Its history

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That it's a dangerous or hostile place

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?



Huge tea/alcohol guzzlers

 

[Vincent Vega]

What's the best thing about your country?
Tough. I like the social security, freedom, no too strong religious or any other groups, more than two political parties.

The worst?
That for so many people history is something that started in 1914 and ended in 1945. That others forgot about what really happened in former Eastern Germany. That neo-nazis still find support in the youth. The weather.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?
Hm, I don't really know what is a stereotype and what we think is a stereotype.
Maybe that we are they spiked helmet wearing, evil looking bastards.
One stereotype I would definitely love to get rid of is this imagery of the Bavarian, fat, beer drinking guy. Germany is not Bavaria!

Well, and German Autobahn isn't that limitless as some think.
And that Germans don't have humour.

What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?
That Germans seem to be unhappy and sad.

 

[verte76]

What's the best thing about your country?
Freedom.
What's the worst thing about your country? Prejudice and bigotry.
What stereotype about your country would you like to be rid of? The notion that Southerners are stupid.
What stereotype seems to be the most accurate? Some Southerners *are* stupid hicks.

 

[trevster2k]

What's the best thing about your country? --- Universal health care,

What's the worst thing about your country? --- The regional divisiveness which permeates the land, the growing gap between the wealthy and rest of society

What stereotype about your country would you like to be rid of? --- That we are the land of ice and snow. We do have four seasons pretty much everywhere.

What stereotype seems to be the most accurate? --- We love hockey especially any event involving Team Canada.

 

[Irvine511]

What's the best thing about your country?

opportunity, possibility.

The worst?

a growing sense of an attitude that, "if i can afford it, then i am entitled to it."

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

uninterested in the rest of the world.

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

we're buying into our national myth to the point where it is self-deluding

 

[Liesje]

Re: Re: Your Country

What's the best thing about your country?

The diversity - people, climates, geography, urban vs. rural, farmers vs. business people, two ocean coasts, diverse native wildlife and plantlife, etc.

The worst?

The Fundies constantly being in the press, thus forcing upon the rest of the world the impression that the entirety of America actually thinks like them.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That everything here is so cheap and its seemingly so much easier to live here and get ahead.

What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

People are too focused on things like houses, cars, and electronics and would rather destroy themselves with debt than accept a simpler way of living.

 

[intedomine]

* What's the best thing about your country? *

Melbourne
Food and Drink
Travel

* The worst? *

Sydney
Alexander Downer
Swimmers
Distance

* What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of? *

That we all love and care about cricket (I'm a cricket fan myself, but the reality is that most Australians don't really care to play or watch the sport)

* What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?*

That we are apolitical (and increasingly so)

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Best thing:

Laidbackness (is that a word? )
Tolerance, of race, class and gender
Weather extremes are manageable

Worst Thing:

Our tolerant, multicultural way of life is under threat from politicians with agendas
Growing gap between rich and poor, fuelled by "economic rationalism"
Pointless interstate rivalries (see above )

Stereotype I'd like to be rid of:

That we are a nation of Steve Irwins and all we like is sport.

Stereotype that is uncomfortably accurate:

We are obsessed with maintaining the myth of "the lucky country" and are unaware of the rest of the world.

 

[INDY500]

What's the best thing about your country?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The worst?

We are going soft in our affluence
Soft in mind, body, spirit, and duty.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That the values you see portrayed in most Hollywood movies, TV shows, or rap videos made in the past 20 years, are shared by the majority of Americans.

What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

That we are obnoxious and loud and unsensitive to the customs of others when traveling to other countries. The Ugly American.
I wish it weren't true but unfortunately I've seen it firsthand.

 

[u2fan628]

Best Thing- It don't matter if your stupid,you can still be $Rich!
Truthfully,The best thing about this country is the people.Even though we are so different we know how to come together when it counts.

Worst thing-We feed half the world and they still hate us.

Stereo type I dislike-that all Americans are rich and that we should help every third world country.

stereo Type that fits-We don't care what you think

 

[meegannie]

Re: Re: Re: Your Country

What's the best thing about your country?

I like LivLuv's answer.

Also, free refills.

The worst?

selfishness, narrow-mindedness

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That we're ignorant, arrogant, bigoted, loud, wasteful, and demanding.

I also liked verte's answer here.

What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

I had a real existential crisis when I was in America last Thanksgiving and saw every negative stereotype reinforced and magnified. So many people are materialistic, self-centred, and bragging, and there are a lot of very vocal and hateful bigots. The news is also incredibly condescending and watered down.

 

[meegannie]

Might as well do one for England as well.

What's the best thing about your country?

The NHS and the welfare system in general. Though by no means perfect, I feel much more secure here than I would in the US.

The worst?

Lack of passion and strong emotions. Classism.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That English people are arrogant and haughty, drink lots of tea, and spend every minute at the pub.

That the UK=England=London (not really a stereotype, but an annoying misconception).


What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

That English people are arrogant and haughty, drink lots of tea, and spend every minute at the pub. They also really do talk about the weather all the time.

 

[intedomine]

Pointless interstate rivalries (see above )

What's wrong with interstate rivalry?

We barely have any as it is. It would do us the world of good.

 

[fly so high!]

What's the best thing about your country?

Our beaches, national parks and Reefs

The worst?

The amount of venomous and deadly creatures.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That we say "G'day...Mate!" ALOT

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

That we are chugger-luggers!

 

[A_Wanderer]

What's the best thing about your country?
Dry empty spaces

The worst?
Not having land borders with other countries, gun laws, censorship, immigration policy, all levels of government, drug laws, gay marriage ban ettc.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?
Since the stereotype seems to bring in the tourists probably none.

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?
The situation for aborigines

 

[Axver]

What's the best thing about your country?
The absolute, sheer beauty of the country: the pacific, peaceful society it inspires, the music influenced by and evocative of it, the trains I obsess about that fit so perfectly into the landscape, the friendly and generous attitudes that come from living in such a gem of a place, the forward thinking and innovation that comes from the isolation that allows us not to be tied down by the rest of the world (e.g. giving women the vote first). As Split Enz put it so perfectly in Six Months In A Leaky Boat, "Aotearoa, rugged individual, glistens like a pearl at the bottom of the world".

The worst?
The south side of Auckland.

Oh yeah, and the "Rogernomics" economic policies of Finance Minister Roger Douglas in the latter half of the eighties that dragged us out of being a Keynesian paradise. We're only just starting to recover from that one.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?
The whole "New Zealand = sheep" thing. Australia, the jokes about Kiwis being sheep shaggers stopped being funny long ago. I can laugh just as much as anyone at a good joke, but some of the sheep shagging ones are so tired and worn out. That said, I've always had a fondness for "New Zealand has a population of sixty million sheep plus four million more who think they're people".

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?
That rugby union is the national religion and the economy, national mental health, and even the government ride on the success of the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup.

... actually, I think I'm comfortable with that one.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

What's the best thing about your country? The people-for the most part very compassionate and good. Optimism.

The worst? The present government

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of? That all the people in it are a certain way and think a certain way-and that would be negative. That the people are like the government.

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate? Materialism

 

[Ormus]

What's the best thing about your country?

It's a nation that, ideally, has a strong tradition of secular reason and intellect, along with one of the freest markets in the world.


The worst?

Our tendency towards fearmongering populism. We have too many elements in this country--politics, media, religion, and business alike--that exploit this fact to make an awful lot of money and/or power.


What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That Americans are nothing more than ethnocentric, irrational hicks.


What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

That Americans are nothing more than ethnocentric, irrational hicks....

...well, it certainly feels that way, when it seems like everything in this country is always catered to the lowest common denominator, whether it be politicians who talk in condescending language and avoid serious issues in their campaigning, or the media when it airs the world's stupidest "reality TV" or the latest over-hyped "someone/something is out to get your children" story on the news. I know that Americans are capable of an awful lot, as we are a very passionate and hard-working culture, at heart. However, there's just too many people who wish to exploit these traits for nefarious gains--and I hate it.

 

[Justin24]

What's the best thing about your country? Freedom, Multicultural (Food, clothing, religion, language)

The worst?
When the government is not doing their job. When Leftism or Rightism or any ism get's in the way for one soul purpose power and the brainwashing they use to convert people to their side.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?
That were stupid.

What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?
That we are stupid.

 

[Irvine511]

** The worst? *
Swimmers

as a swimmer who grew up in a country that doesn't know swimming exists except for one week every four years at the Olympics, i always envied your Aussie swimmers for being a part of sporting culture and getting headlines and being in the media and stuff.

*and* i was sad when Thorpie retired.

Hackett seems a bit of a whinger, though. ow, my shoulder. ow, my collapsed lung. ow, i've just moved to Melbourne and i haven't been training because i'm getting married.

 

[Canadiens1131]

What's the best thing about your country?

Multiculturalism without homogenization. Canada is less a melting pot, more a bag of M&Ms and I like it that way.

The worst?

Petty regional differences and the problems in reconciling them.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

The accent and the "eh" stuff. Maybe that's how people speak in a lot of English Canada, but it's not how I nor a lot of people speak.

What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

Hockey hockey hockey.
Beer beer beer.
Passion.

I'm very comfortable with that.

 

[BoMac]

What's the best thing about your country?

Multiculturalism without homogenization. Canada is less a melting pot, more a bag of M&Ms and I like it that way.

The worst?

Petty regional differences and the problems in reconciling them.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

The accent and the "eh" stuff. Maybe that's how people speak in a lot of English Canada, but it's not how I nor a lot of people speak.

What stereotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

Hockey hockey hockey.
Beer beer beer.
Passion.

I'm very comfortable with that.

What he said

 

[LJT]

What's the best thing about your country?

People
Scenery
Relaxed way of life

The worst?

Its history

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

That it's a dangerous or hostile place

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?



Huge tea/alcohol guzzlers

Probably that, though I'm not sure about the tea thing anymore, unless me and my friends are freaks we are all more coffee people

 

[Laura M]

Probably that, though I'm not sure about the tea thing anymore, unless me and my friends are freaks we are all more coffee people

So are we. Everytime I go home though my Dad asks me if I want a cup of tea an average of once every 60-90 minutes.

 

[LJT]

ah but thats the older generation, nowadays we are all young hip and parisian

 

[pgv]

What's the best thing about your country?
Freedom of speech

The worst?
The bigoted views alot of people still seem to hold

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?
The idea that we are all rather posh and pompous, and very well spoken. It's just not the case anymore.

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?
The we all drink tea all the time

 

[Zoomerang96]

What's the best thing about your country?

universal healthcare, vincent lecavalier.

The worst?

bureaucracy eating up far too much money being put into the health system. i think the governments actually invest close to enough in healthcare, but the costs in the middle are ridiculous. it's not just in healthcare, but in the education system, and pretty much any other crown organization as well.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?

i like most of the stereotypes of our country. but i think i'm also the only one in all of canada who thinks we'd be best served re-joining the UK. and i'm... serious about this.

but that's a discussion for another time.

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?

that we say "eh" all the time. really, it's no different than "aye", it's just a canadian twist on a british slang... i think.

 

[nathan1977]

What's the best thing about your country?
The wide open spaces -- physically and metaphorically. Driving across America, you realize how amazing it is that in a matter of a few hours, you can jump on the freeway and pretty much go anywhere you want.

The worst?
People who confuse freedom with license.

What stereotype of your country would you most like to be rid of?
All stereotypes are based in some modicum of truth, however small. One can't change a stereotype without addressing the truth the stereotype points to, and unfortunately there are a lot of uncomfortable truths about America.
I'd like to change the stereotype that Americans are ignorant, but I'd like to also change the reality that, to a certain extent, we are.

What sterotype seems uncomfortably accurate?
Over a rooftop dinner in Egypt once, some Egyptians mentioned to me and those I was living with and tell me that we weren't like other Americans -- we dressed modestly, respected the religion and culture of our host country, and weren't loudmouthed braggarts. I asked where they got this impression of Americans, and one Egyptian turned and gestured to the roofs of Cairo, all of which had satellite antennas pointing to the sky. I didn't think it was a fair stereotype, until a trip to the Gaza Pyramids saw a bunch of American guys and girls drunk at 10 in the morning, underdressed and simulating sex against a pyramid in full view of children and tourists from other countries.