Things you dislike about your country.

[skbl17 199]

This is from a post I made on another forum, but everything here is still 100% correct.

 

1) The measurement system. Where did it all go wrong? We were one of the original signatories to the Metric Convention, Congress allowed use of the metric system in 1866, and in 1975, Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act. It seemed that we would move along to metric alongside the rest of the world! That wasn't the case; the voluntary nature of the switch, apathy, the elimination of the Metric Board in 1982, and Congress's rejection of US DOT efforts to switch to metric in the 1990s killed the metrication effort in this country (well, outside of Hawaii).

I understand not forcing private businesses to switch; it's in the nature of this country for the government to not tell private industry how to run their businesses. But why extend the exemption to public services (public schools, emergency services, roads, NWS, etc.)? Our biggest and most appreciated national service, the U.S. military, made the switch, and they're just fine. I fail to see why we can't have a gradual (say, fifteen-year) switch to metric in all public institutions.

2) Politics. Our electoral system favors two parties (FPTP/plurality voting), and despite the near lack of difference in our two major political parties, voting for a third option only spoils the result, thus leading to quite a bit of antipathy towards voting third party, in addition to an increase in voter apathy in general. We need a fairer electoral system that doesn't lock candidates out just because they're not GOP or Dem.

In addition, the rampant use of lobbying and donations of campaign dollars from wealthy donors and large corporations unduly influences our political system. We need to move to either a capped campaign finance system (each candidate can only spend a max of x dollars) or a publicly-funded system, where each candidate gets x dollars and that's all they get.

Finally, there's the polarization, which has become irrational in the last few years. It's getting more and more difficult just to have rational political discussion in this country; just look at what's happened on this very thread. Nobody wants to listen to others' opinions, and the few that do proceed to insult the other person just for having an opinion.

3) Infrastructure. It's utterly unacceptable that what it takes some countries (and no, I'm not talking about China or the Persian Gulf states) just a few years and a billion dollars to build, costs us billions of dollars and decades just to finish. Is it the unions? NIMBYs? Corrupt contractors? Property laws? That's not even mentioning our lack of infrastructure investment in this country (outside of roads, but even they're in variable shape). We used to be a leader in building infrastructure; subways, highways, roads, airports, internet, you name it; we led the world. Nowadays, we all seem...content...with what we have, and the few of us who try to raise this issue get called "socialists".

4) The irrational, fear-mongering, hysterically partisan media. The media is private, so we can't do much about this outside of bolstering PBS and NPR, which is practically a political non-starter. While there are obvious exceptions, I've noticed that in countries with established, editorially independent, and strong public service broadcasters, the media tends to be far less irrational, hysterical, and partisan. That's not the case in every country with such a system (the UK has the Daily Mail and the Sun, for example,) but it is in most.

5) Public education. We throw so much money at schools, but it either all ends up in the pockets of a few big corporations or corrupt school officials or it all ends up being for naught. Parents need to be more involved in their students' education, and teachers should be more free to experiment with how the material is presented to students. Oh, and we need to stop with the creationism/intelligent design stuff; in secular public schools, established science needs to be taught to the students, that includes stuff like evolution.

6) Our foreign policy. Sure, we're supposedly the "most powerful" country in the world. Aside from perks like the reserve currency, what has that gotten us? Illogical foreign wars...oops, I mean "police actions", the associated trillions of dollars in debt, and a growing anti-American stance in quite a few foreign countries. I favor non-interventionism; let us engage with the world economically and in humanitarian terms, not for the sake of military adventure!

That's just a small sampling of things I HATE about this country.

Edited August 9, 2015 by skbl17

[Ac3xAssasin 452]

1. I hate the fact that we have a president who abuses the power of Executive Order in order to circumvent congress. I mean come on if I remember correctly from Government class the executive branch enforces laws it does not make them. 

 

2. I also hate the fact that said president is using the fact that this is his last term to basically do whatever the hell he wants.

 

3. The recent influx of reality TV shows really gets my goat.  I mean are our lives so boring we have to spend them watching other people live.  

 

4. I also really HATE the fact that a presidential candidate was booed offstage for saying "White lives matter". I just really hate the whole "black lives matter" thing why can't we all just agree "ALL lives matter".  

 

5.  I absolutely despise affirmative action. I have no problem with organizations such as the NAACP and others giving out scholarships and other opportunities, but I think it's absolute bullshit that academic institutions and companies are forced to accept based on a racial quota very bright non-minority students.   It is my belief that admission into various academic institutions should be based on academic merit and not race.  

 

6.  I also have great disdain for how popular dietary restrictions have become.  I mean if you have some restriction for a belief/health reason that's totally cool, I more dislike when people adopt dietary restrictions for no reasons like a gluten free diet, which has no benefit to those who do not suffer from a gluten allergy.  

 

7.  I hate how uneducated people are when it comes to US history. How the hell are we supossed to understand and appreciate what it means to be an American if we don't understand where we came from.  I mean just watch this video!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyhCOPh48ew

 

8.  I hate the fact that we are terrified of offending anyone.

 

9.  I hate the fact that our legislative body is basically bought out by corporations.

 

10. I hate that our culture is almost solely based off sports and entertainment, I'm not saying sports and entertainment are bad, and the fact remains life would be boring without them, but we have a culture that goes out of its way to endorse them like a religion whilst putting down people who take pleasure in things such as reading, learning, and being cultured in pretty much any way.  

 

11. I hate the fact some people celebrate the deaths of the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us.  

 

12. I hate the fact that our country nurtured the #YOLO and #Swag culture.  

 

13.  I hate the fact we are absolutely terrified of teaching anything pertaining to sexuality to our children.  

 

14.  I hate the fact that our space program is severely underfunded.  

 

However, when it comes down to it I love my country and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhnUgAaea4M

 

 

Damn! I did not expect to rant on this much 

[ARagY 1,152]

Russia:

Banning EU products

weak currency

general politics

tactlessness of government

Nonexistant LBGT representation

 

America in another post

Edited August 10, 2015 by ARagY

[SleepySpruce 37]

I don't like that all the shops are closed on Sundays and you have to walk all over the city just to buy a single bottle of water. :/

 

#hungary

Edited August 10, 2015 by SleepySpruce

[Perradial 114]

The stupid politicians. Most of my complaints are linked to this, so I'll just say that.

[PegaDash1 78]

The stereotypes. No, Canadians (by default) don't say 'eh!' after every word, and don't play hockey (by default). Some people in the States were also making fun of my Canadian accent when I took a visit, asking me if I rode polar bears around -_-

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

Mainly the violent people that cause problems here and want to further chaos and destruction, I also hate the politicians here.

We're way too polite and nice in Sweden, it's almost annoying. No one should offend one another so if someone actually offends someone, you can't tell them to stop cause then YOU might offend THE OFFENDER.

Not exactly like that of course, but it's a pretty good example of what I'm trying to say here. Our kindness is so overworked on and about I might vomit!

Wow you're from Sweden? So is my friend.

[darkwingmare 1,296]

Wow you're from Sweden? So is my friend.

Oh yeah, I'm from Sweden! I'm not sure who your friend is, but that sounds nice! 

[Chaton 3,765]

Things I hate about England:

 

- Ruined my Scottish accent

 

I cri evertim

[Jaxsie (Inactive) 1,343]

Oh boy...where do I begin?    Hmm, well -- everything. "What specifically?" You might ask. Well, I'll just say that it wouldn't be wise for me to give the specifics via the internet.

Yay for net neutrality! -_-

 

[Not_active 731]

The fucking cold ass winter, like -40 degrees and a bunch of fucking snow and ice...it's only fall yet but I already can't stand the cold  -_- 

Edited September 7, 2015 by Ferg

[Guest]

Taxes, Taxes & even more Taxes.

 

Plus the cold weather... x.x

Edited September 7, 2015 by Guest

[Rawzy 1,302]

The main thing I hate about Australia, is the stereotypes. Half the population is made of people who try to talk with an Australian accent and act like complete bogans to get popular and then us sane ones are always on the sidelines. Every prime minister we've had here are completely oblivious to everything. Our prime minister said once with his own words "Why should we be investing more money into an entertainment system" when he was referring to the internet. By the way the internet in Australia is the slowest....

[Dark Horse 12,799]

Freezing, wet weather in the winter months & an over-obsession with alcohol. Also a horrible local accent if you're living around Dublin.

[Adri 52]

I don't like that we're essentially an oligarchy, and how overall my country is a despicable piece-of-shit. The list of complaints I have about the United States seems infinite

 

Definitely moving out of here when I get the chance, even though most other countries suck too 

Edited September 8, 2015 by adri

[pakicetus 312]

Postmodernist pseudo-intellectuals plaguing academia and the media.

[Chaton 3,765]

Oh boy...where do I begin?    Hmm, well -- everything. "What specifically?" You might ask. Well, I'll just say that it wouldn't be wise for me to give the specifics via the internet.

Yay for net neutrality! -_-

 

 

Why would you even make a post saying that you're effectively not going to post a post on the entire reason the thread was created.

 

Anyway, England ruined my Scottish accent.

[Fluttershyponygal 82]

If I had a list and that list took a crap, and that piece of crap took a crap, and that piece of crap took a crap, AND THAT piece of crap took a crap...that would be what the goverment of the USA is.

[Raritas 6,820]

In the UK, we have a little thing called "Health and Safety", and it needs to die. It's laws that basically restricst fun because companies are scared about being sued if something happens to someone on their property, and it's a laughing stock. England needs to grow a backbone.

[simba86 1,541]

how americans are pretty much the fattest people in the world, living on mcdonalds burgers and soda that is pure sugar,americans consume more sugar than anyone else in the world, which of couse makes them to fat to even walk on there own for anything but very short distance and gives them diabeties and heart disease "which leads to them spending billions on meds to control it which leads to the drugs side effects which leads to more meds to control the side effects". really sad to see americans eating so much they become disabled! and wasting untold tons of food while other people in the world starve to death

 

how corporations keep sending our jobs overseas to china and india putting millions and millions out of work while at the same time expecting americans to spend all the money they make and then go into debt to buy all the stupid junk they sell that breaks before you can even use it. if there are no jobs then who can afford to buy the stuff? and the worst part is it is partially our fault for choosing dirt cheap made in china over paying more for american made

 

how pretty much every add on tv anymore is for a drug with HORRIBLE side effects that are worse than what they cure! and then all the other adds for lawers suing the drug companies because of the side effects.

 

how people in america are more interested in sports and the lives of celebraties than they are in anything else, there is not much real news on tv anymore.

 

and lastly , how it seems like EVERYONE is out looking for something to get offened over! seriously, that is all i see anymore is people throwing a fit over some little tiny thing a person said or did and they go crazy and act all shocked and offended over NOTHING and they raise a huge stink over it until the next thing they can get offened over comes along. i wish they would get a life and stop looking for something to throw a fit over.

[Looks 130]

I hate absolutely everything about mine. Let it be the people that live there, the education, the government... There really is nothing that I like about PR, except maybe some of the food.

[Chezana 41]

Finnish is a near-impossible language Dx

[SimStat 55]

Defently the taxes. Ouch.

[Limeblossom 482]

Defently the taxes. Ouch.

Your country is not the only one. An average citizen in my country must pay more that 52% income tax. Our country is #4 on the list when it comes to having the highest income tax ratings. Not something to be proud of.

 

And we got even more taxes than you have ever thought.

[SimStat 55]

Your country is not the only one. An average citizen in my country must pay more that 52% income tax. Our country is #4 on the list when it comes to having the highest income tax ratings. Not something to be proud of.

 

And we got even more taxes than you have ever thought.

Ah income tax.

 

My biggest gripe was when GST was introduced under John Howard (Aussie pm from 96-07) it was designed to eliminate a lot of smaller taxes e.g stamp duty and a couple of other bureaucratic taxes I can't recall.

 

Anyway that didn't happen, so on top of a 10% consumption tax we still had a fair bit of useless paperweight.

 

There's now been talk to increasing that to 15%.

 

Maybe we can play who gets taxed more?