Ok, so country bashing is puerile, pointless and generally in bad taste (but fun). And it's oh-so much easier to bash than to say something nice.

So...a challenge. Let's see if you folks can come up with a (semi-informed, quasi-intelligent) + and - for each country in the world. Yeah, I know Surinam might be a tough one. But surely somebody can come up with it.

If possible, it'd be better not to dwell on the obvious candidates (US, Britain, etc). Too easy, too done-to-death.

Exercise your grey matter.

edit: decided I preferred grey to gray.

[ 08-16-2003, 04:24 AM: Message edited by: Mr. Mopery ]

Thailand:

+ beautiful (people, culture, land, beaches)

- ridiculous amounts of corruption; "road safety" is an oxymoron

Well, since you say Surinam is difficult, i'll say something about it, since i know a lot of people from there.

Good: Very, very tasty food

Bad: Extremely lazy people, and they're never on time on appointments.

Ouch! Not sure that was a fair comment.
The wave of immigrants that came to the Netherlands upon independance in the 70's were largely professionals and civil servants: punctual and hard-working people.

Their kids on the other hand have earned that reputation. That said, the kids grew up in the Netherlands - so your comment may be more of a reflection on how Dutch society has affected that group...

Wow Mop, you have been doing some weird stuff lately!

My writing will come from an area that both of us know. Poland.

+ Women, absolutely beautiful until about 36.

- Cars, smoke and go slow.

Felix

@ Skunk

Yeah right, you won't find a more hectic society than the Netherlands. Everthing has to be right on schedule, since time is money. I'm just pointing out my own experience, since i hang out a lot with folks from surinam, and had a couple of Surinam girlfriends and it's true, they ARE lazy, and they are NEVER on time on an appointment. They laugh about it and don't even deny it when you ask them about it, so why are you giving me a hard time when i say this ? It's all because of their relaxed culture. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, i wish we could be more like that. But in this society that's impossible i'm afraid.

[ 08-16-2003, 06:25 AM: Message edited by: johnny ]

I will take an easy one, Germany.
GOOD: Industrial music and beer!!

BAD Hitler

SCOTLAND

Good: Stunning landscape, lovely accent, great poetry.

Bad: Situated on island, sooo expensive!

Antigua and Barbuda
+ Nice people, great scuba diving, good food
- Some local guys pick up older (and I do mean older) women, they have speed bumps on the highways

Well I am hardly qualified to comment on other Nations, but I'll mention the one other country I drove through for 4 hours, though my honeymoon will be in Novia Scotia:

Canada:

Good-
BioWare, funny beer commercials, the Makinizie brothers, and they bombed the Baldwins in the south park movie

Bad-
Cold and its inbetween Alaska and the rest of U.S.