The Great Achievements of Your Country Thread

Australia's connecting value is 'mateship' . Sometimes that extends to New Zealanders (we are labelled cousins) but it is a sense that they are all in this together. It probably comes from their convict background - settlers were sent away from their own countries to tough it out on the unknown one. They then built the nation on not family ties but the sticking together as outcasts and accepting friendships that way. Every stranger then becomes a friend.

If you ever hang round Aussies and there's a sports game going on, you'll see it in action.
 
For China, it's got pragmatism.

! I would have probably picked something else for China and Chinese people, but yes, Chinese people are pragmatic. 5000 years of civilisation, a shared written language, billions of people, self-sufficient in food, yep the Chinese will do what it takes to survive. Even if foreigners think it's weird, it makes total sense to the Chinese.
 
Japans value in the Compass book was respect. I have taken the book back to the library but thats what I recall.

Japanese do think of courtesy in the things they do in everyday life since they live such crowded lives on their small islands. They are renowned for their rituals and customs that think of all the little things even down to seperate 'inside shoes' and clipping the trees outside their homes into 'welcome trees'. They will bow to you in greeting and have their tea rituals just so.

However, you probably don't want to get on the bad side of the Japanese by being disrepectful to them if their role in the WW2 was anything to go by!
 
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I can't remember what Germany's value was.

But their engineering skills are top notch for precision. Any machine made in Germany will last and do what it's meant to do, such is their reputation for quality.
 
For me I would view the US popular music and entertainment as a great achievement as its songs, dances, movies, shows etc are widely influential and the soundtrack to many people's lives. Especially uplifting in times of depression and Americans positivity and can-do culture (which is part of entrepeneurship) is refreshing. They are want to live the dream and show the dream (even if it isn't reality) and not afraid to dream of a better life.
 
Ok aside from environmentalism who or what is celebrated in NZ.
Well our heroes tend to be star rugby players or people who climbed the highest mountain (Sir Edmund Hillary) or won the America's Cup or did something extreme like jumped off a bridge with a rope tied around their ankles. But I am not sure that coming top at something made the world a better place.

Kate Sheppard campaigned long and hard for women to have the vote in NZ. She was english born though. We were the first country in the world to give women suffrage, but..I am sure that women have always had voting rights etc before until men thought they could ban women from having a say.

You know who makes the world a better place? Gardeners. They are dedicated to making their environment beautiful and sharing that with whoever visits. But you won'f find gardeners bragging about their achievements necessarily. Though gardeners have their own competitive contests, like who can grow the biggest pumpkin. haha

So along with Jethrol Tull and his seed drill, I give you whoever invented compost, grafted a tree, and nurtured a seedling.
 
Isn't California going to breakaway from the US - thats what the fault line is eventually it will become it's own island.

Nationalism/Socialism - isn't it much of a muchness? I would just rename that hunk of land 'Big BlobLand' Cos thats what it looks like, a big blob.
The Chinese call it 'Mei Guo' which means 'Beautiful Country'. China used to call itself 'The middle Kingdom' cos, from their POV, China is the centre of the world/Universe. Of course.

I don't know how New Zealand got to be filmed for 'Middle Earth'. It's not really in the middle, maybe in the middle of Nowhere...
 
Russia's value if I recall was Fortitude

I think it meant they don't back down or they do anything they can to survive the cold.
I cannot imagine Russians taking over the States. I think ballet companies would be better off, and you'd have more tea, but otherwise, I'm not even really sure why those two countries fought a Cold War with each other. Wouldn't Russia be better off having Canada as an opponent/rival? Similar latitudes...
 
Ukraine's value was Freedom

Because it was so hard won, they value freedom. Also, Ukraine gave the world tractors. I know this because I read A History of Tractors in Ukrainian.
 
Canada's is Openness

It's a country anyone can go to (if they can hack the cold) and they will be welcomed with open arms, possibly because they don't have that many people living there.
 
You can preview the book here https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=7OS8DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
as the first couple of pages you can access the contents where the 101 countries are listed and what values they hold. I think its open to a debate though as its just one journalist and her idea of what she's experienced in each of those countries she visited.

I enjoyed the book nevertheless as I have not been to nearly as many countries as she's visited, and I enjoy finding out about different cultures. I am definitely not parochial - I grew up in a multicultural cosmopolitan city, so its normal for me to see people from all different backgrounds and nationalities.
 
Isn't California going to breakaway from the US - thats what the fault line is eventually it will become it's own island.

Nationalism/Socialism - isn't it much of a muchness? I would just rename that hunk of land 'Big BlobLand' Cos thats what it looks like, a big blob.
The Chinese call it 'Mei Guo' which means 'Beautiful Country'. China used to call itself 'The middle Kingdom' cos, from their POV, China is the centre of the world/Universe. Of course.

I don't know how New Zealand got to be filmed for 'Middle Earth'. It's not really in the middle, maybe in the middle of Nowhere...

Hello Lanolin;

The thought of California breaking away from the USA would be devastating for this woeful state. We pray everyday for the entire state (in my backyard, so to speak.) With or without the fault line (we live smack on top of the San Andreas fault line.)

California used to be self sufficient to operate as a country apart from the USA, and about 34 years ago I first learned there was talk about splitting the state into Northern and Southern California. Both can be self governing but to date this has not happened.

My wife and I had our minds set. Once she retired we desired to get out of California for so many reasons, but things may be changing. God has created circumstances that may very well keep us here to participate in the Commission. So we are still praying for His Plan and our marriage.

We attended an art show yesterday in San Francisco by a member of our church. While there we enjoyed the musical performance of 3 talented young girl musicians. I spoke to their Dad and Mom and they are from Kiev, Ukraine. They were surprised that I just got back from Romania and Ukraine and wanted to hear all about my mission testimony while in their home country. This was a good witness of hope and trust for this family who was led here. Despite the conditions in California, they are truly grateful for the opportunity to be here, live a productive life and help their people back home.

This state celebrates many sins but I truly believe the percentage of prayers from the Christian community all the way from San Diego to the tip of Shasta Cascade, CA, is being heard by the Lord. California is seeing God move across the state and bringing more and more people to Christ, one more person each day.

I have to say this is the biggest achievement of our country thread.
 
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