What first world country do you dislike the most?

[Perknose]

How about a colleague who was working a contract job (almost all are) in Switzerland. He missed his 12 o'clock flight on the last day of his contract. At 4 pm the same day, there was a warrant out for him and he got a police escort to the next flight. Oh yeah, the next flight wasn't to where he was going, it was just leaving Switzerland. He caused no trouble in the 3 months he was there and broke no laws.

I had a great time all over Switzerland. The Swiss do everything well, even their fast food, and it's one breathtakingly beautiful country. Even their most major cities are so clean, it felt like you could eat off the sidewalk.

The most beautiful woman I ever slept with was Swiss, 11 on a scale of 10.

Point is, you can find fucked up things and fucked up people in any country. I don't know about your friend's case there, but I'm here to tell you this, you find what you're looking for, and you get back more or less what you put out.

Make an effort and get off the beaten path, and people just about everywhere are friendly and helpful and cool. Like begets like. If you're cool, you will attract cool people. That's been MY universal experience.

Now, of course, overarching political realities make wandering through, say, some mid-East countries like Afghanistan ultra dicey, but . . . out in the hinterlands, you'd be surprised how friendly most people are and can be.

It's STUPID AND IGNORANT to hate entire countries, especially is you're basing it on a single experience of someone else!

 

[0roo0roo]

whichever one has the biggest green party...probably the douchiest.

 

[BoomerD]

In before lock.

Also, Mexico.

Definitely NOT a "first-world country."

(I know that's a somewhat outdated map)

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Definitely NOT a "first-world country."

(I know that's a somewhat outdated map)

lol@China being "second world."

But ok, silly map.

And I hate Canada. They have our oil.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I had a great time all over Switzerland. The Swiss do everything well, even their fast food, and it's one breathtakingly beautiful country. Even their most major cities are so clean, it felt like you could eat off the sidewalk.

The most beautiful woman I ever slept with was Swiss, 11 on a scale of 10.

Point is, you can find fucked up things and fucked up people in any country. I don't know about your friend's case there, but I'm here to tell you this, you find what you're looking for, and you get back more or less what you put out.

Make an effort and get off the beaten path, and people just about everywhere are friendly and helpful and cool. Like begets like. If you're cool, you will attract cool people. That's been MY universal experience.

Now, of course, overarching political realities make wandering through, say, some mid-East countries like Afghanistan ultra dicey, but . . . out in the hinterlands, you'd be surprised how friendly most people are and can be.

It's STUPID AND IGNORANT to hate entire countries, especially is you're basing it on a single experience of someone else!

Hey, I have the right to be an ugly American anywhere I please. I've been a lot of places and I think you're right for the most part. I just haven't been to Switzerland. I did however leave one thing out that may or may not have had an effect in my friends case, he's black.

 

[BoomerD]

lol@China being "second world."

But ok, silly map.

And I hate Canada. They have our oil.

China is "second world" because they're communist.

Definitions

The term "First World" refers to so called developed, capitalist, industrial countries, roughly, a bloc of countries aligned with the United States after World War II, with more or less common political and economic interests: North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australia.


"Second World" refers to the former communist-socialist, industrial states, (formerly the Eastern bloc, the territory and sphere of influence of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic) today: Russia, Eastern Europe (e.g., Poland) and some of the Turk States (e.g., Kazakhstan) as well as China.


"Third World" are all the other countries, today often used to roughly describe the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The term Third World includes as well capitalist (e.g., Venezuela) and communist (e.g., North Korea) countries, as very rich (e.g., Saudi Arabia) and very poor (e.g., Mali) countries.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Greece

 

[Perknose]

I did however leave one thing out that may or may not have had an effect in my friends case, he's black.

It's possible that played a part, but I must add: The German Swiss are more German than the actual Germans, probably because they were never humbled by losing two World Wars and having the collective guilt of the holocaust upon them, so . . . culturally but non-politically they have that Teutonic respect for efficient and literal enforcement of rules and regulations.

The streets in their cities aren't so unbelievably pristine because the authorities wish it so, this is bred in the damn bones of the Swiss . . . ORDNUNG UND PFLICHT!

When first in Germany, I was culturally amazed at seeing German pedestrians patiently waiting at intersection for the ped light to go green WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CAR IN SIGHT!

So, the Swiss authorities were more likely just rote enforcing the letter of their law rather than anything, ummmm, darker.

Otoh, I can tell you TONS of stories of German authorities being understanding and even unbelievably LOOSE in ways you'd find hard to credit.

You know what I think loosened up a lot of Germans? The devastation of the war. I'm not kidding.

Anyway, the take away for me has always been, there's good people everywhere!

 

[shortylickens]

If mexico isnt fucking awesome how come so many of my neighbors keep flying its flags, speaking ghetto spanish, and listening to crappy maraca music?

 

[clamum]

Russia, but I guess that's Second World? Fuck it, that's my answer anyway.

 

[BoomerD]

If mexico isnt fucking awesome how come so many of my neighbors keep flying its flags, speaking ghetto spanish, and listening to crappy maraca music?

We must be neighbors...I absolutely HATE "Banda" music...oompa, oompa, oompa...

 

[PieIsAwesome]

China is "second world" because they're communist.

Didn't realize we were using that definition, part of the reason why I don't like these 1st/3rd world labels.

 

[zokudu]

Greece was just beat too =/

 

[BoomerD]

Didn't realize we were using that definition, part of the reason why I don't like these 1st/3rd world labels.

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world.htm

The term Third World was originally coined in times of the Cold War to distinguish those nations that are neither aligned with the West (NATO) nor with the East, the Communist bloc. Today the term is often used to describe the developing countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania.
Many poorer nations adopted the term to describe themselves.

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/second_world.htm

"Second World" refers to the former communist-socialist, industrial states, (formerly the Eastern bloc, the territory and sphere of influence of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic) today: Russia, Eastern Europe (e.g., Poland) and some of the Turk States (e.g., Kazakhstan) as well as China.

 

[GT1999]

India. Mostly because my boss (and ex-boss) is from there, and I don't really want to say much more since this is a public forum.

 

[HaukSwe]

The US is shit and the default answer to this question without hesitation for 80% of people not from the US.

But it depends on how you look at it, the US still has great people and companies - it's just everything else they do (politically especially) that makes it a bit of a cancer.

France has awful people, the UK awful food.

China is third world outside first and second tier cities (80% of population).

 

[mizzou]

The US is shit and the default answer to this question without hesitation for 80% of people not from the US.

But it depends on how you look at it, the US still has great people and companies - it's just everything else they do (politically especially) that makes it a bit of a cancer.

France has awful people, the UK awful food.

China is third world outside first and second tier cities (80% of population).

people in France are not awful. If anything, many have the same attitudes of people in NY city, and out in the country, they are just like midwestern folk

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

To all you idiots saying UK and France, have you even been to these countries?

I hear you spewing heaps of Fox News bullshit about these places, but do you actually know anything factual about them?

 

[mizzou]

To all you idiots saying UK and France, have you even been to these countries?

I hear you spewing heaps of Fox News bullshit about these places, but do you actually know anything factual about them?

The big problem is that American's are almost identical to the French in alot of ways. Seeing the other side of the mirror not realizing you are seeing your own reflection can be quite disturbing.

 

[freshair]

France and US

 

[SolMiester]

I love the UK, its has some of the best history in the world and the most beautiful country homes in the world period. So I lived there for 15 yrs!
Ive only been to the staes twice, and all I can say is big...BIG....That place is so big..LOL, where else in the world does it take 15 minutes to cross a road?!...And hey, believe it or not, every single Amercian I met was very nice!.....you guys should stay in your own country!...hehe

 

[Kirby]

No indicative of the whole country, but Charles de Gaulle Airport made me not want to ever visit France. The again, I'd probably feel the same way about America if the first place I visited was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport.

 

[Capt Caveman]

UK and NZ due to the trolls that frequent here. They make their countries disgusting holes.

 

[shortylickens]

UK and NZ due to the trolls that frequent here. They make their countries disgusting holes.

Same could be said for the average american.

 

[IcePickFreak]

I couldn't really say because I've never been out of the states. Any impressions I have of other countries is based on their politics, but that only represents the top few % of the rich & powerful so doesn't really say much of the country as a whole. I'd be willing to bet I have a lot more in common with 'working class' people of a lot of different countries than I do with the idiots in DC tbh though.