What is the state of your country?

[Camaero]

Just curious, what does everyone think of the conditions of their respective countries? What do you think of your government? What do you think of your economy? What do you think of the general state of your own country? What needs to be done to improve it?

I am sure I already know what most American's will say but I am curious about everyone else as well.

Edit:
I would also like to mention that I am looking for an honest personal assesment. I would NOT like to see anyone bash or try to correct anyone else's point of view.

[danlisa]

What a can of worms.....

UK - It's poor state but certainly better than others. I'm afraid that, although I follow legislation/economics etc, I really don't try to let it worry me. I could go on and on but I'll leave that privaledge to STEED.

@ STEED, if you can para-phrase it would be nice. :p

[U-533]

What does everyone think of the conditions of their respective countries?

I like my "Respective Country"... at this time I do...ask me that again in 20 years

What do you think of your government?

Better than most I believe... there is room for improvement, as Im sure is the case with most Governments.

What do you think of the general state of your own country?

We are being degraded from within...Demographics show America will be Muslim in 40 years. Seems we Americans better get off our collective BUTTS and do some baby making and learn how to keep our families together.

What needs to be done to improve it?

OMG! ... That could take awhile and I gotta go pay my taxes(go to work)... I will attempt to answer this when I get home.

[Melonfish]

the UK is indeed poor.
i hate the fact that the current gov't seem to think they can cure problems with legislation as apposed to affirmative policing. i almost lost my hobby recently because of some VERY poorly written legislation that was nothing more then a blanket ban full of vagaries and ill informed conceited ideologies. not only that but ask a local bobby what his current monthly quota is!
thats right police now have to LOCK UP a set number of people a month! did you know that? christ i'd rather they were out fighting crime then worrying themselves to death and mopping up after it!
not only that but in response to a request to get more bobbies on the street the government have thought up the idea of community support officers who are NOT policemen. they may look like it but that blue stripe proves that the only powers they have is to issue fixed penalty tickets.....Thats..it... i mean they can make a citizens arrest but then so could you or i.
its silly things like the lack of funding to the armed forces. we're stretched more then ever at the moment and yet they insist on cutting funding further and further.
and don't even get me started on education....oh man...
suffice to say this country is in a bit of a state and unless there are some MAJOR reforms or at least a freaking revolution (start making those guy fawkes masks ppl) then we can only expect the worst, and by the worst i mean legislation like the regulatory reform act. thus allowing the gov't to make EU legislation UK law without the need to consult the commons (no really)
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/REGULATION/reform/bill/index.asp

i could go on but for the sake of my own sanity and yours i'll stop here...
pete

[The Avon Lady]

Michigan-ah.

[Fish]

We are doing fine I think, for the moment.

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/6/35/20213240.pdf

[STEED]

Originally Posted by danlisa

What a can of worms.....

UK - It's poor state but certainly better than others. I'm afraid that, although I follow legislation/economics etc, I really don't try to let it worry me. I could go on and on but I'll leave that privaledge to STEED.

@ STEED, if you can para-phrase it would be nice. :p

Where the heck do I start? :rotfl:


First of all I agree with Melonfish/Pete, well said.

The EU is controlling us with there claptrap legislation and we must withdraw and get back control of our country. All the political party's are now defunked none of them give a hoot about the voters, it's all image to them and scoring Brownie points off each other. We need a massive shake up on the political scene and out law all this PC Madness which has bought about a lot of harm to our country. We must pull back from the police state we live in and dump this mad idea for ID Cards which is a disgrace bought about by the worst Government on record. Tony Blair and his spin doctors have done sweet nothing for any of us it's all smoke and mirrors with Blair, who spends more time strutting around on the world stage while the U.K. goes down the tubes.

The sad fact here is I see no end to it and mark my words this country is going to be in big trouble after we hold the 2012 Olympic games with massive debt. The cost of the build has gone way over the top. We may be 5th in the world on the economic front but that money is not being put back in to the country and why? Consumer debt last year went over the £1 trillion mark, we are heading for a rough time and I would not be surprise to see riots in this country against our political masters in Westminster.

[Tchocky]

Cant complain

That said, I'm living in the US until September...

[U-533]

Originally Posted by U-533

What does everyone think of the conditions of their respective countries?

I like my "Respective Country"... at this time I do...ask me that again in 20 years

What do you think of your government?

Better than most I believe... there is room for improvement, as Im sure is the case with most Governments.

What do you think of the general state of your own country?

We are being degraded from within...Demographics show America will be Muslim in 40 years. Seems we Americans better get off our collective BUTTS and do some baby making and learn how to keep our families together.

What needs to be done to improve it?

OMG! ... That could take awhile and I gotta go pay my taxes(go to work)... I will attempt to answer this when I get home.

OKay... here goes.

What needs to be done to improve it?

Start by learning how to keep the family unit together.
Learn how to respect.
Learn Discipline.
Learn how to love.
Learn there is more to life than money.
Learn how to spend the money you earn.
Learn how to work.
Learn how to play.
:hmm: I could go on with this endless list but it comes down to just one thing to learn really...

Learn who Jesus Christ the son of God is.

[CCIP]

For both countries of my, I would say both have problems and neither I see in any kind of rosy light.

Russia has a horrendous socioeconomic situation with a gross gap between a tiny and largely-detestable elite who gained their wealth mostly by unfair means, and a huge largely-impoverished majority. Crime rates are abhorrent; alcoholism and suicide are big social problems. The state of democracy in Russia is often something that Western media talks about, but really that's one of the more minor problems on the ground. If you were to ask me what I'd choose between democracy and a more balanced socioeconomic picture at the expense of some civil liberties - I'd choose the latter, as would most Russians I think.

Canada overall is a far more acceptable place to live, which is why I'm here. Here however the problem is a badly-managed welfare state that wastes public money while accomplishing largely nothing and often not actually helping those who need help. At the same time I geniunely dislike the political right (Conservatives) and their view of social and international policy. And yet there's no party to represent views of people like me (I hope I'm not alone!) which frustrates me at election time and often forces me to vote for the 'lesser evil' at election time, which certainly doesn't give me that much enthusiasm for the perceived democracy. I would be far happier with proportional representation.
In both countries, Canada more so, I'm very worried by the consumer society and waste of resources (and people).

Honestly I don't think I'll be ever entirely happy with any country I'm in though. Ones that come closest are some of the northern european social-democrat-run states, but then they share many of the same problems I see in Canada (just slightly less so).

***

What I think is a key point is that an individual person can be happy in any reasonably liberal society. Which I am for example.
Where I don't buy that view is that when one individual that's in all ways as good as the happy individual is left behind. This is why I'm noted for proclaiming myself a socialist around here - for me the idea of civil liberties is meaningless in a society of the have and have-not. I'll always have at best a skeptical view of any state that isn't both ideologically and practically socialist-oriented. A lot are ideologically, but in practice things are a lot messier.

[Dan D]

According to observations on „Observing Hermann the German“ by (self-description) “an amnesic American lost in Berlin” (a very funny guy actually) Germany is doing quite well:
"Germans stinking filthy rich – and cautious"
http://hermann.blog.com/1436812/#cmts

Yet, at the same time, Germany is said to be world champion in cheerful dooming and glooming. But I guess, others folks are good at it, too.
To me it seems the said German grumpiness can be labelled as moaning on a very high level.

[ABBAFAN]

The kingdom of BAWLZAK is in the middle of a boom period and just expanded its armed forces to a whole infantry battalion 6 fighter aircraft 6 frigates and a zeppelin.

And theyve just opened 20 strip clubs.

[AVGWarhawk]

State of my country???? Does Hell and a hand basket have any indication what I think? This is where the US is going and is just about there!!! GOSH can I say this? Is it politically correct? I do not want to offend anyone

[Sailor Steve]

AVGWarhawk, people have literally been saying that for 231 years. It seems that way sometimes, but conditions move up and down, and it all depends on the observer's point of view.

I suspect this is true of most countries.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

AVGWarhawk, people have literally been saying that for 231 years. It seems that way sometimes, but conditions move up and down, and it all depends on the observer's point of view.

I suspect this is true of most countries.

The country is going down hill at a clip that cannot be stopped. I'm not talking economically but socially it is in ruins. Just my day to day experiences. It is a selfish generation out there.