Ok, typical myth: Americans are arrogant, pompous and close minded, they never listen to anyone else or even consider that other countries might have worthy ideas they should consider adopting.

Fact: Some americans do admit that there are elements of other nation's societies that are better than their counterparts in america and wish american culture would assimilate them.


Some time ago, I said I wish that america would adopt france's nuclear policy and technology to give us a 90% nuclear electrical power grid. I still do.

Now there's a nice, sweet idea in germany that I wish america would adopt: In germany fines are based on a person's income/finalcial asset value. In other words, if a rich man and a poor man commit the same act, they get fined the same percentage of their total wealth, not a fixed amount.

So, in germany, how much a traffic ticket costs depends on your total value, and is calculated at the time of the fine. In America all fines are the same, so both bill gates and danny downsized get the same 50$ for tossing a burger wrapper out the window. Bill gates doesn't even notice the fine, danny downsized doesn't eat lunches for a month to cover it.

I do wish america would adopt the german system of basing fines on total finaancial status, but I'm sore some people over here would consider it unfair to the rich....

Another german idea I wish we had in america is that employers can't fire workers for legal things. In america some employers have fired workers for smoking at home, and enforced it with nicotine tests.

In germany, if an employer tried that he'd have the german federal goverment on his ass for violating workers rights. I sure wish american workers had rights and a government that protected them.

Canada has basically decriminalized marijuana and doesn't bother busting people fur using it anymore. Boy would it be nice in america got it's head out of the 1930's and did that.....


So, what elements from other countries do you wish your country would adopt?

I wish we had vending machines with schoolgirls' panties like in Japan!

Quote from: droogI wish we had vending machines with schoolgirls' panties like in Japan!

If you said that over here in Blighty you'd be branded a pervert!

Swiss neutrality.

Quote from: droogI wish we had vending machines with schoolgirls' panties like in Japan!

Sadly (?) those don't exist any more, apparently.

A goddamn decent health care system.

Quote from: GRIMSadly (?) those don't exist any more, apparently.

I don't believe that for a second!

Death squads!

The right to self defense.
 
As much as certain tabloid newspapers over here whip up hysteria about criminals running amok and law abiding homeowners being arrested for asking burglars to please stop raping their wife and leave their property, I'd sincerely like to see the UK take a more American stance on self defense. Not to the extent where burglars can legally be blown away with a .44 magnum, but should be allowed to use non-lethal force in protection of ourselves, our family and our property when law enforcement is unavailable for immediate assistance (ie most of the time).
(By non-lethal force I mean feet & fists, clubs, bats and truncheons, tazers, pepper spray, mace etc rather than knives, big swords and firearms.
 
I know from first hand experience that the UK Police like a nice easy target, like a law abiding citizen saying "Well yes I did brain the burglar with a poker, but he was attempting to stab me at the time" rather than attempting to prosecute a criminal who will lie, cheat, employ a sharp lawyer with minimal morals and generally know how to work the judical system to their advantage.

I dunno...is there a country that's moving away from oil to other forms of energy?  'Cause I'd like to see that happen in the US.  It'd be one of the hardest things we ever did, as a culture, a socety, an economy and a state, but...I think it'd be important.

Oh, and real Mexican food -- on every goddamn street corner, a taco stand, compadre!

Sharia law!

!i!

American attitudes to self determination and gun ownership.

I want a browning 9mm and a concealed carry permit you pansy assed government fuckwits!

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!I dunno...is there a country that's moving away from oil to other forms of energy?

Yeah.
Iran.

Carnival (Brazil-style)!

Chinese economic growth, hold the ecological collapse.