What aspects of other cultures would you like in irish life?

df1985 · 13-05-2010 12:35AM

the chinese ability to get **** done (although not by the extreme measures they sometimes take)

the whole spanish thing of go for dinner at ten, few drinks after till 3, nightclub till the sun comes up-proper night out!

californias beach culture.....if we had the weather of course.

hollands liberal attitudes on soft drugs......and possibly some american states having the same attitude in the near future!

Barna77 · 13-05-2010 12:46AM

df1985 wrote: »

the whole spanish thing of go for dinner at ten, few drinks after till 3, nightclub till the sun comes up-proper night out!

Now we are talking.

And I pray the fecking volcano will let me fly to Spain next week

orourkeda · 13-05-2010 12:57AM

We need to make more TV programmes that they used to make in Japan where various gameshow contestants (if you could call them that) are virtually tortured

nyarlothothep · 13-05-2010 01:09AM

French work ethic
German punctuality
Scandinavian metal socialism
Mediterranean food
Scandinavian metal metal

df1985 · 13-05-2010 01:14AM

orourkeda wrote: »

We need to make more TV programmes that they used to make in Japan where various gameshow contestants (if you could call them that) are virtually tortured

haha takeshi's castle! something funnier about japanese creaming themselves too i dunno why!

up for anything · 13-05-2010 01:26AM

Clean up the streets - Singapore style.

No spitting
No chewing gum
No littering
No jaywalking
Having to flush a public toilet after using it

and their drug laws:

Drugs
Trafficking, manufacturing, importing or exporting more than 15 grams of heroin, 30g of morphine, 30g of cocaine, 500g of cannabis, 200g of cannabis resin and 1.2 kg of opium carries the death penalty if convicted. Possession of such quantities is deemed as prima facie evidence of trafficking. Persons convicted of unauthorized traffic in the following drugs in the respective quantities face imprisonment of 20-30 years, and 15 strokes of the cane.

Opium – Not less than 800g and not more than 1,200g
Heroin – Not less than 10g and not more than 15g
Cannabis – Not less than 330g and not more than 500g
Morphine & cocaine – Not less than 20g and not more than 30g
Cannabis resin – Not less than 130g and not more than 200g

Unauthorized traffic in controlled drugs, other than those specified above, carries a minimum sentence of 2 years' imprisonment and 2 strokes of the cane, and a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane. For unauthorized consumption, there is a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment or fine of S$20,000 or both.

df1985 · 13-05-2010 01:29AM

jesus bit extreme?? death penalty/canes/massive fine?

Fizman · 13-05-2010 01:33AM

Public stoning for any convicted rapists/murderers.

up for anything · 13-05-2010 01:34AM

df1985 wrote: »

jesus bit extreme?? death penalty/canes/massive fine?

Ok. Maybe drop the fine so.

30txsbzmcu2k9w · 13-05-2010 01:39AM

Every aspect of the Dutch is pretty much great.
Awesome race of people. Creative, open-minded and progressive.

Danish looks, German nightclubs and Japanese politeness would be nice too.

As a culture we're probably up there in terms of having fun, we're just not allowed here really are we.

...

Carlos_Ray · 13-05-2010 01:41AM

Just basically mimick Germany. What a people. 60 years after losing WW2, and they end up ruling Europe anyway. What a people.

Perhaps a bit of Chinese zero tolerance would be good too. Love to see all the scum on Irish streets cleaned up. ( It'd also solve our organ donation problem too)

Morlar · 13-05-2010 01:43AM

I'd like the american 3 strikes rule for serious offences & general attitude to violent criminals. The australian immigration system and no nonsense, 'we are doing what suits us so f*** you' kind of governing. The Polish work ethic (well for some Poles anyway), German efficiency (yes I know it's a huge cliche).

McChubbin · 13-05-2010 02:01AM

120_Minutes wrote: »

no, just no.

You pie racist.

Face_Kicker · 13-05-2010 02:02AM

more face kicking

Einhard · 13-05-2010 02:24AM

df1985 wrote: »

the whole spanish thing of go for dinner at ten, few drinks after till 3, nightclub till the sun comes up-proper night out!

That's the worst thing that could happen. I'd be dead by now!:eek:
Seriously, two weeks of that every year is enough for me!!

I can think of two things-

i. Proper seperation of church and state. Doesn't necessarily have to be as strict as in the US, but at least get them out of practically every school in the country.

ii. Some of the American concept that we aren't owed anything by anybody, especially by the state. Again, I wouldn't necessarily follow the American model to the letter, but would like at least some sense that the state can say NO now and again.

InReality · 13-05-2010 02:05PM

Whats this ?

Scandinavian metal socialism

flas · 13-05-2010 02:12PM

Morlar wrote: »

I'd like the american 3 strikes rule for serious offences & general attitude to violent criminals. The australian immigration system and no nonsense, 'we are doing what suits us so f*** you' kind of governing. The Polish work ethic (well for some Poles anyway), German efficiency (yes I know it's a huge cliche).

ha,are you serious, any polish person i have ever worked with has been so unbelievably lazy it makes irish people look like sweat shop workers, and that is saying something!

Dionysus · 13-05-2010 02:23PM

120_Minutes wrote: »

The Harney thread has me riled up. this country is sick, it needs to be put down and start anew. it was mentioned in the harney thread that we follow britain with our drug laws and we "borrowed" VRT from the danes.

so, if you could start this country over and could choose one aspect of a foreign culture to graft onto our own, what would it be?

as thread starter i get two:

the dutch relaxed attitude to soft drugs.

the american work ethic.

your turn.

*edit* fixed the work ethic typo....sorreeeeee..!

Litter free.

Clean villages, towns and countryside.

A dramatic reduction in vandalism.

More intelligent recycling (i.e. Scandinavian style).

Better, classier and more cultured shop fronts (e.g. bilingual).

Finnish-style education system.

Dutch-style accommodation for cyclists.

Much less car use in Ireland's cities and towns.

German-style trains (double deckers).

More pedestrianised streets.

Higher personal taxes with lower taxes paid by those who look after the planet around them.

Dionysus · 13-05-2010 02:25PM

Good idea for a thread by the way. Hopefully people can be inspired by examples from beyond the anglophone world.

dasdog · 13-05-2010 02:30PM

Some kind of attitude to white collar crime involving punishment for the perpetrators. Has anyone been convicted for the going's on over the past few years or is it still "under investigation"?

Tristram · 13-05-2010 02:33PM

polite and efficient service

Cookie_Monster · 13-05-2010 02:39PM

The Swiss view of everything except the car

topper75 · 13-05-2010 02:41PM

The German pay for your own thing. It's not like the attendent has to be a genius with a supercomputer.

Don't know why the rounds system is sacred here and the "I'll get this" competition in restaurants is tiresome.

walshb · 13-05-2010 02:44PM

Andorra's Homicide Rate

Irishcrx · 13-05-2010 02:47PM

The problem with Ireland is that we are a nanny state and even adults are treated as children here.

No buying drink after 10.
No drugs at all no matter what you want them for. No leeway.
Penalty points and fines for minor offences, honestly it's for everything now.
No nightclubs open after 2. Go home to bed.
No headshops at all anymore, didn't bother trying to enforce ID in them for people under 18 just close them keep the aul wans happy.

If I had the choice to change things, you'd need to start all over again this country is slowly just tightening it's grip on everybody and limiting people doing anything. I'd start with alot of whats already been said.

Dutch soft drug attitudes (The right idea) , Spanish/German night clubs , American approach to dating.

Wheelsonthebus · 13-05-2010 02:49PM

New Zealand's sense of fair play and fairness and general lack of corruption.

me_right_one · 13-05-2010 02:56PM

There should be trains everywhere, in every main town, jails in every county (and bloodywell use them), almost fanatical patriotism like America, fair-but-friendly attitude like Canada, and healthcare efficiency like Cuba

xzanti · 13-05-2010 03:02PM

Probably been said already but I'd like to see Ireland adopt a similar policing/justice system to that of the USA.. We're way to soft on scum in this country..

Einhard · 13-05-2010 03:10PM

me_right_one wrote: »

There should be trains everywhere, in every main town, jails in every county (and bloodywell use them), almost fanatical patriotism like America, fair-but-friendly attitude like Canada, and healthcare efficiency like Cuba

The kind where you can't voice a dissenting opinion without being labelled a traitor? Where a band can't openly criticise the policies of the government without their albums being boycotted and their lives threatened? Where those who fail to march lock step with the prevailing national consensus is marked out as "unAmerican"? I'm sorry, but Ireland has had enough trouble with "patriots" over the years, without resorting to the American brand.

HalloweenJack · 13-05-2010 03:11PM

The Spanish siesta. I'd love having a nap during the day and then sleeping less at night. It's a much better attitude for me. Also, I love how Spaniards are more nocturnal than other Europeans.

A fully-integrated transport system, like in Madrid, and preferably an extensive train network like in Germany.

24-hour drinking like in the UK and, of course, the Dutch appraoch to less harmful drugs.

What aspects of other cultures would you like in irish life?

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