Things that you dislike about your country

Futurist · Jan 24, 2019

What are some things that you dislike about your country?

As for me:

Adopted country (USA):

1. Its historical treatment of Native Americans. I understand the need for living space but this could've been handled in a more humane manner--as in, no Trail of Tears, et cetera.
2. The historical presence of slavery in various parts of the US and especially in the Southern US.
3. The bad treatment that free Black people received in various parts of the US but especially in the Southern US (Jim Crow laws) until the 1960s.
4. The US's war against the Filipinos at the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century. The Filipinos wanted independence and the US should have given it to them immediately.
5. The US's support of brutal dictators and also support of regime change during the Cold War and, in some cases, after the end of the Cold War (though post-Cold War US-sponsored regime change has been better than Cold War US-sponsored regime change).

Birth country (Israel):

1. Its lack of civil marriage.
2. Its Jewish chauvinism (including the extreme difficulty of having non-Jews move to Israel).
3. Its treatment of the Palestinians. Note: IMHO, it would have been better for Israel to conquer all of the West Bank in 1948-1949. In such a scenario, there might not have been a Palestinian issue in Israel since a lot of the Palestinians in the West Bank might have fled to Jordan.
4. Its overpopulation/overcrowdedness.
5. Its forced military service (the draft--which emigrants such as myself thankfully don't have to worry about).

Anyway, what are some things that you dislike about your own country or countries?

Spike117 · Jan 24, 2019

1. Over-reliance on factory farming
2. Overruse of fossil fuels
3. Recent political polarization and governmental stagnation
4. Dominance of corporations

Can't really complain though. The only place I'd rather live more than the U.S. would be a nation of my own rule, and that wouldn't be great for anyone except for me.

Futurist · Jan 24, 2019

Spike117 said:
1. Over-reliance on factory farming
2. Overruse of fossil fuels
3. Recent political polarization and governmental stagnation
4. Dominance of corporations

Can't really complain though. The only place I'd rather live more than the U.S. would be a nation of my own rule, and that wouldn't be great for anyone except for me.

I agree with all four of your items here.

WhatAnArtist · Jan 24, 2019

Our recent trend to self-loath, criticize and dismiss everything in our past, including our history, culture and traditions.

Futurist · Jan 24, 2019

WhatAnArtist said:
Our recent trend to self-loath, criticize and dismiss everything in our past, including our history, culture and traditions.

The left-wingers/liberals in our own country are guilty of doing the exact same thing.

dukeofjive · Jan 24, 2019

Residencial schools

Language issue

Weak politicians that sell out to foreign money

Menshevik · Jan 24, 2019

Futurist said:
Birth country (Israel):

1. Its lack of civil marriage.
2. Its Jewish chauvinism (including the extreme difficulty of having non-Jews move to Israel).
3. Its treatment of the Palestinians. Note: IMHO, it would have been better for Israel to conquer all of the West Bank in 1948-1949. In such a scenario, there might not have been a Palestinian issue in Israel since a lot of the Palestinians in the West Bank might have fled to Jordan.
4. Its overpopulation/overcrowdedness.
5. Its forced military service (the draft--which emigrants such as myself thankfully don't have to worry about).

I read a book a while ago that said that Israel's universal military service was actually a boon, rather than a disadvantage. It was said that in countries like the U.S., PTSD is more of a problem due to the fact that only a small minority of the population can relate to returning veterans who are trying to become reacquainted with civilian life. Contrasted with Israeli society where almost everyone has served and and knows -- to a certain degree -- what the soldier is going through.

I liked the way this article summed it up:

"The IDF is a citizens’ army, consisting of our fathers, brothers, husbands, friends, sisters and daughters. Almost every household has a soldier, if not a number of soldiers, many of whom have fought in multiple wars. Those who don’t have a soldier in their own family live next to a household with a soldier. Virtually every person does reserve duty and/or has colleagues who take leave from work to go to reserve duty.
Israelis pass soldiers on the bus, in the train and in the store. Even those portions of society that do not enlist (such as Orthodox Jews) have seen soldiers and had interactions with soldiers. This means that many Israelis who have not themselves been on a battlefield have secondary experience with those that have; they have dealt with injuries and death of friends and family, brothers and sisters."

"To Israelis, soldiers aren’t heroic figures you throw parades for and give medals. Soldiers are our boys, our ....., our family. You feed them, make sure they are warm and comfortable. You let them sleep on your shoulder if they fall asleep next to you on the bus. It doesn’t matter if you never saw them before and don’t know their name. It doesn’t matter if they come from a different background than you or have a personality you don’t like. The minute they put on the uniform, they belong to you and you belong to them.

Each soldier could be anyone’s soldier, so you do for someone else’s son or daughter exactly what you would hope someone would do for yours. Our heroes are soldiers that go home, and their mother tells them to take out the trash. No one calls them “Sir.” Rarely, will anyone thank them for their service, but everyone will love them."

Why do Israeli soldiers suffer from PTSD less than American counterparts?

Futurist · Jan 24, 2019

Menshevik said:
I read a book a while ago that said that Israel's universal military service was actually a boon, rather than a disadvantage. It was said that in countries like the U.S., PTSD is more of a problem due to the fact that only a small minority of the population can relate to returning veterans who are trying to become reacquainted with civilian life. Contrasted with Israeli society where almost everyone has served and and knows -- to a certain degree -- what the soldier is going through.

I liked the way this article summed it up:

"The IDF is a citizens’ army, consisting of our fathers, brothers, husbands, friends, sisters and daughters. Almost every household has a soldier, if not a number of soldiers, many of whom have fought in multiple wars. Those who don’t have a soldier in their own family live next to a household with a soldier. Virtually every person does reserve duty and/or has colleagues who take leave from work to go to reserve duty.
Israelis pass soldiers on the bus, in the train and in the store. Even those portions of society that do not enlist (such as Orthodox Jews) have seen soldiers and had interactions with soldiers. This means that many Israelis who have not themselves been on a battlefield have secondary experience with those that have; they have dealt with injuries and death of friends and family, brothers and sisters."

"To Israelis, soldiers aren’t heroic figures you throw parades for and give medals. Soldiers are our boys, our ....., our family. You feed them, make sure they are warm and comfortable. You let them sleep on your shoulder if they fall asleep next to you on the bus. It doesn’t matter if you never saw them before and don’t know their name. It doesn’t matter if they come from a different background than you or have a personality you don’t like. The minute they put on the uniform, they belong to you and you belong to them.

Each soldier could be anyone’s soldier, so you do for someone else’s son or daughter exactly what you would hope someone would do for yours. Our heroes are soldiers that go home, and their mother tells them to take out the trash. No one calls them “Sir.” Rarely, will anyone thank them for their service, but everyone will love them."

Why do Israeli soldiers suffer from PTSD less than American counterparts?

Well, I don't have the appetite to risk my life for Israel. I'd agree to do this for the US if I was forced to (as in, if I was drafted)--but not for Israel unless it was a US military intervention to help Israel out and Americans were being drafted into the US military.

Gvelion · Jan 24, 2019

Futurist said:
5. Its forced military service (the draft--which emigrants such as myself thankfully don't have to worry about).

Why is it that bad thing ? Israel is surrounded by enemies. Well, at least they believe in that.

Futurist · Jan 24, 2019

Gvelion said:
Why is it that bad thing ? Israel is surrounded by enemies. Well, at least they believe in that.

Not everyone wants to risk their life for every country. I and my family are the types of ex-Soviet Jews who would have preferred to come to the US at the very beginning like some other ex-Soviet Jews did. Unfortunately, my parents didn't have an opportunity to come to the US in 1991 and had to wait almost a decade (until early 2001) before we could actually move to the U.S.

Gvelion · Jan 24, 2019

Futurist said:
Not everyone wants to risk their life for every country. I and my family are the types of ex-Soviet Jews who would have preferred to come to the US at the very beginning like some other ex-Soviet Jews did. Unfortunately, my parents didn't have an opportunity to come to the US in 1991 and had to wait almost a decade (until early 2001) before we could actually move to the U.S.

Well, it's not really about desire to risk life for your country. It is sometimes a necessity, if you want to live in that country and for that nation to survive. Israel for most of it's modern history was surrounded by hostile regimes and even had to fight whole Anti-Israel Coalitions.

I understand your position. However, for people that want to continue living in Israel it is not really about a choice. There are people who don't want to live in Israel and want to move to another country. Well, it's their choice and they are free to do so.

I just had problems with listing ,, draft '' as one of the things wrong with the country itself

Futurist · Jan 25, 2019

Gvelion said:
Well, it's not really about desire to risk life for your country. It is sometimes a necessity, if you want to live in that country and for that nation to survive. Israel for most of it's modern history was surrounded by hostile regimes and even had to fight whole Anti-Israel Coalitions.

I understand your position. However, for people that want to continue living in Israel it is not really about a choice. There are people who don't want to live in Israel and want to move to another country. Well, it's their choice and they are free to do so.

I just had problems with listing ,, draft '' as one of the things wrong with the country itself

Fair enough. I certainly see and understand what you mean.

Futurist · Jan 25, 2019

BTW, are you from Georgia the U.S. state or Georgia the country?

Tulius · Jan 25, 2019

Corruption.

Albeit small corruption has been lowering in my country for the last decades, and now is relatively well controlled, the white collar corruption has been a real problem in the last two or three decades, reaching its higher point probably in the 2005-2011 period, to a point that public works were made so someone could get their share of the business, dubious privatizations were made, and that led to a huge problem in the public finances and in the life of all with the consequent intervention of the “Troika”.

EDIT: BTW, my country is Portugal !

Gvelion · Jan 25, 2019

Futurist said:
BTW, are you from Georgia the U.S. state or Georgia the country?

Georgia the country.

stevev · Jan 25, 2019

If I had to pick just one thing, it would be that the US has become a plutocracy. The concentration of wealth in a small segment of the population is destroying the middle class and threatening democracy. The rich are getting richer and the middle class is getting poorer. The term "working class" has only recently come into use in the US, but it reflects the decline of the middle class. In the 1960s most families could afford to buy a decent home with the income of a single provider. By the 1980's two providers were the norm. Now its not enough.

While this is happening in other countries, I believe it is worse in the US. Housing is also very expensive in Canada, Australia and Europe but government benefits the US lacks compensate.

Naomasa298 · Jan 25, 2019

Britain is a country addicted to "the cheapest".

Our government awards contracts to the cheapest bidder. A large proportion of the population have poor diets because they buy the cheapest, sugar and salt laden convenience foods, and many shops simply don't bother stocking good quality food because no one buys them.

The quality of services continues to deteriorate because things are done on the cheap, instead of focussing on quality. Why else is Ryanair one of the most successful airlines, as British Airways - once an air travel pioneer, tries to copy them?

Our trains continually run late because the train companies don't have enough drivers,the NHS and police don't have enough staff and try to cover it with "healthcare assistants" and "community officers" beayse the regulars aren't paid enough.

Willempie · Jan 25, 2019

3 lost WC finals and our monarchy

Gvelion · Jan 25, 2019

Willempie said:
3 lost WC finals and our monarchy

Which of the losses is the worst ? 1974 ? In 1978 you were also pretty close to winning match against Argentina.

stevev · Jan 25, 2019

Willempie said:
3 lost WC finals and our monarchy

Really? When did that happen? (losing monarchy)

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Things that you dislike about your country

Futurist

Spike117

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dukeofjive

Menshevik

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Tulius

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