What makes you feel ashamed of your country?

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Here awhile ago Master of Nuhn made a topic about what makes people feel proud of their country, well I decided to ask the opposite, what makes you feel ashamed of your country? This can be everything from persons to sport achievements but I would be most interested of an historical event in the history of your country you feel specially ashamed of.

Personally I feel perhaps most ashamed of the killings that took place after the Finnish civil war in 1919, more than 12 000 were killed because of their political oppinions and some even without reason, it may not seem much compared to some other horrible events but it's still a tragedy.

 

I think it would have to be our treatment of Aboriginals (a.k.a. Native Indians). I had commented on this in an earlier thread, and I think I'll just basically repeat what I said there:

The living conditions and suicide rates on many reserves are horrific; aboriginals can’t really follow their traditional ways, but the reserves aren’t set up to allow them to learn the “white man’s” ways either, so they’re basically left with nothing to do. When they decide to leave the reserves in an attempt to escape the nightmare, they come to the cities, can’t find work (partly because nobody wants to hire a “drunken Indian”, which is the stereotype), and end up on the street, no better off than when they were on the reserve. And even those who have managed to succeed despite the sometimes overwhelming odds against them still face prejudice.

 

I would say that I am a little ashamed of our government's(and some individual's) lap dog following of our Southern Cousins.

So much for national pride. I heard people saying that we should follow the US to war just because they said so. Really quite suprised me when the then PM Jean Cretian told Bush we would need a better reason to go.

Basically, I am ashamed of the people in Canada who have no national pride.

-EDIT- I completely agree with you there Splunge.

 

I'm an American. I have a lot to be ashamed of.

 

How we are so quiet and Americas' puppets and how our goverment is so corrupted.

Not to forget our racist immigrant policies, or our allowence for bribes worth millions in large companies.

I can go on all night long.

 

This says it all for me. Happy reading.

http://www.texasobserver.org/showForPrint.asp?IssueDate=2%2F13%2F2004&IssueFolder=zua%5F040213&ArticleFileName=040213%5Ff1%2Ehtm&Title=Bush%27s+Bounty+Hunters

 

Yeah, I think all of the recent embarassment we've had over here in the US of A can be summed up in a single word: Bush.
What..... an.... idiot....

 

I'm ashamed that we (the U.S.) has not yet put a man on Mars. Its an absolute disgrace that after the Moon, we sat on our hands for 30 years.

I ashamed that the California Republic is in financial trouble and the fact the we elected Schwarzenegger to office.

Third, I'm ashamed that we have to bow before Middle Eastern tyrants.

[ February 26, 2004, 05:52: Message edited by: Blackhawk ]

 

I'm ashamed that New Zealand is still having protests and disputes over the Treaty of Waitangi which was signed in 1840, whereby the native Maori supposedly traded the rights of sovereignty over the country to Queen Victoria. Sure, it was probably a massively lopsided deal, but it was better than a big war or invasion (like loads of other countries) and it was over 150 years ago. All New Zealanders should now be equal. Any attempts to provide any sort of compensation or reparations over that deal just increase rather than decrease the racial problems because it is impossible to find any true descendants of the people who were there at the time.

 

I think that Australia has been far too lame in relation to Australia's indegenous people's. Imagine that a month ago the government decided to "deport" aborigines from their own traditional area in Darwin simply because they were "homeless". Sounds great right?

I didn't realise that America bows to anyone or anything let alone "Middle Eastern Tyrants"?

 

Careful Harbourboy, you're nearing the "they should be thankful we didn't pull a Cortes on em'!" idea.

I too am ashamed of the Treaty, however I'm ashamed of it even being signed in the first place. It was an obvious mistake - if either side understood what the other side was agreeing to niether would have signed. According to the British they were getting a free country, according to the Maori they were gaining technology, trade and protection from foreign nations all in exchange for nothing.

Not to mention the treaty is so damn old it is foolish for the laws of a colonial society to hold sway over an established country's politics. It was simply a big mistake in communication/translation that New Zealand is still paying for 150 years down the track...

 

Yes, that's my main point. After 164 years, there shouldn't be any 'sides' any more. Let's just get on with being New Zealanders. I bet a huge part of the NZ population originates from somewhere other than the two 'sides' in the treaty anyway. I am ashamed that we still waste time trying to resolve treaty issues.

 

Pffft... i don't know where to start, there's a whole list. Balkenende is high on that list though, so maybe it's worth it to nominate him.

 

I'm not specifically ashamed - they're *just* humans. Petty humans with their petty mindsets, grrr.

 

I am ashamed of the Danish government, our prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (reminds me of Bush) is a complete prick,the government of Denmark supported Bush in Iraq.

 

Hmm, I could say what Velve said but that is nothing unicqe for Sweden. Every county has its share of corporate corruption and pragmatic politicians.

I think I am going to be flippant instead, but what I am ashamed of is quite horrible in its own right. I admit it, we Sweden, started the docusoap wave. We were the first to air Robinsson/Survivor and unleashed the monster who feeds of mobs lack of intelligence.

Secondly, Sweden created Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and N'Sync. Most of all those bands bigger hits were written, produced and recorded in Stockholm. I can do nothing but cower in shame.

 

I agrre with all those Joacquin, but conserning the bribes:

Why I am really ashamoed of it is that our ass as (tehee) Prime Minister constantly says that Sweden is socialistic. That is pure lies.

 

I'm ashamed of the byzantine empire because it was a theocratic state, which hunted and destroyed the ancient greek culture.

I'm ashamed because, since the beginning of our history, civil war is our national sport.

I'm ashamed because the greek-orthodox church has power and influence and because the greek constitution recognizes the orthodox doctrine as the predominant religion of the country.

 

I'd be ashamed of Greece (if I lived there) for them banning computer games... or has that blown over?

You mustn't be so hard on classical Greece either. Sure, you were a bunch of organised, bloodthirsty, warmongering bastards who kicked arse and then sodomised your captives... but you also invented, developed and designed many concepts that are still alive today.

 

I'm ashamed of our authorities not doing anything about the lies that are being spread about Poland:

- that Holocaust was done by Poland and Poles (real passage from Australian school books)

- that Poland has persecuted Jews (very dishonourable lie as Poland is the place where the fugitive Jews from all over Europe had been received)

- that Poland owes everything to the Jewish population (real one from a newspaper)

- that half of the Polish land is lawfully German/Russian/whomever's taken it from us in history.

I have absolutely no idea how the authors of those concepts have conceived them. What for, is totally beyond me. I can't understand how such things go through against what is recorded in historical sources. It also seems that only people who don't know a #&*# about history believe in those and serious people don't, no matter the nation the nation. Special thanks to Jewish, German and other people who've spoken against those lies. It's a real shame their effort goes to waste because of the attitude of Polish authorities.