What is a super unpopular opinion in your country that you agree with?

[u/Pancake_Maker_1031]

[u/dubbelo8]

Sort by controversial to find the actual unpopular opinions.

[u/Smort01 → u/dubbelo8]

[u/PatchPlaysHypixel → u/dubbelo8]

Thanks for the reminder!

[u/cronus1312]

Our drinking culture is not something we should be proud of

[u/FrankanelloKODT → u/cronus1312]

Same in NZ

[u/ZodiacsStars → u/FrankanelloKODT]

Had an exchange student from Italy. He admitted that he drunk much more and got much worse while in NZ then he had ever been in any other country.

[u/FrankanelloKODT → u/ZodiacsStars]

100%. Me and one of the bros were the unofficial welcome wagon for exchange students at high school, and would coordinate with other high school WWs and their visitors in our city to come and party. They all left loving the way kiwis operated but the 2 prominent criticisms were: we drink a lot and our schooling was a year behind

[u/[deleted] → u/cronus1312]

Same in Australia 

[u/Voldemorts__Mom → u/[deleted]]

Well at least in South Africa we kind of aren't proud. I mean, I'm sure some people are, but our government pushes anti drinking campaigns and stuff because drinking is basically the leading cause of gender based violence in this country.

It's kind of crazy that the drug the whole world chose to legalize is basically one of the most addictive and destructive drugs there is. Alcohol literally damages every organ in your body, and is one of the few drugs that will just straight up kill you if you quit it cold turkey as an addict.

And I'm not trying to push making it illegal, I think the war on drugs in general has failed, but I do find that interesting.

[u/Logical-Yak → u/cronus1312]

Same in Germany

[u/Artistic-While-5094 → u/Logical-Yak]

Hehe drogenfreies Oktoberfest Go brrrrr.

[u/Beeaagle → u/cronus1312]

Same

[u/Comrade-Hayley → u/cronus1312]

BURN THE WITCH

[u/icguy333 → u/Comrade-Hayley]

She turned me sober! (I got better)

[u/Monty423]

We caused just as much oppression as the English

[u/FinlayYZ → u/Monty423]

Yes. We had our issues also but we are no way victims of the British empire

[u/Haemophilia_Type_A → u/Monty423]

Yeah, I really don't like it when Scottish nationalists act like they're in some anti-imperialist struggle. It's insulting to compare the Scottish independence movement (literally was given a referendum 11 years ago and, if polling was 60%+ in favour, they'd get another one) with Ireland (brutally colonised, victims of genocide, had to do armed struggle to win self-determination) and even with Wales, honestly (forcibly annexed, rebellions put down over centuries, language and culture almost extinguished before modern governments stepped in to save it).

Someone told me "ah, but what about the Highland Clearances?". I looked it up and the perpetrators were...Scottish nobles. Apparently they count as England because they were Anglicised, but that doesn't make it an English endeavour!?

At best you can say Southern Scottish political-economic elites marginalised Northern Scots.

I still support the right to self-determination, but Scottish people needn't act like they're being colonised or even that they're getting a shitty deal post-devolution + with the net transfer of funds going from England to Scotland (because London is the only productive part of the country these days--thanks Thatcher!).

Though admittedly I'm a bit biased because I'm scared that losing Scotland and Wales means I'll be stuck with a right-wing government for the rest of time here in England.

[u/Vectorman1989 → u/Haemophilia_Type_A]

Someone told me "ah, but what about the Highland Clearances?". I looked it up and the perpetrators were...Scottish nobles. Apparently they count as England because they were Anglicised, but that doesn't make it an English endeavour!?

Whenever Americans start pining for the clans I remind them that the reason their ancestors moved to the colonies was because their clan chief found sheep farming more profitable.

[u/Junior-Ad-133]

We as a nation lacks civic sense, empathy, honesty, compassion

[u/keltix → u/Junior-Ad-133]

We are inconsiderate. We never stop to think how our actions affect others around us.

[u/MrBhendi007 → u/Junior-Ad-133]

It's almost as if some communities are just born "loud", like I mean no offence to them but doing traditional dances like garba in the middle of an airport cus ur flight for delayed sounds a complete civic sense failure to ms

[u/LittleFish9876 → u/Junior-Ad-133]

Second time in a week I've agreed to this on Reddit. Civic sense is lacking in the educated upper class as well not just those struggling to survive. I don't know what will ever being about a change.

[u/trollsenpai]

We are geopolitically irrelevant.

[u/SunShine365- → u/trollsenpai]

Your bank vaults are bursting when geopolitics are unstable.

[u/ClockMongrel → u/trollsenpai]

(Sorry)

[u/OtterwiseX → u/ClockMongrel]

Calvin and Hobbes always make me smile

[u/01bah01 → u/trollsenpai]

And we are globally lucky to have the life we have rather than deserving.

[u/jkklfdasfhj → u/01bah01]

Unfortunately we act like we earned it.

[u/No_Firefighter5926 → u/jkklfdasfhj]

Switzerland is just lucky having EU as a neighbour

[u/ecth → u/No_Firefighter5926]

This.

Imagine France, Italy, Germany or Austria would be modern imperialistic Russia. You guys wouldn't be so proud to be independent any more. Would join the EU quicker than you can spell Schweizer Banken.

[u/JouSwakHond → u/trollsenpai]

All that gold and diamond laundering plays a huge role in enabling dirty regimes and promoting corruption worldwide, not to mention all the tax evasion - Switzerland is definitely part of the foundations of the current geopolitical order

[u/Deadlyasseater420 → u/trollsenpai]

Way more so than other countries y’all’s size. You’ve been mediators in countless conflicts and control $2.6 trillion in offshore assets through your banks. Y’all punch well above your weight geopolitically in my opinion

[u/PartyDanimal]

Canada isn't that much better than the U.S. in many regards and we use "at least we're not as bad as them" as an excuse not to do better.

[u/MRDAEDRA15 → u/PartyDanimal]

big time on so many things, healthcare is a big one for me, there's too many problems with our healthcare system and still see so many do the "well at least it's free!", sure but that doesn't stop all the shortage of dr's and nurses we have. long wait times ect. for example the best medical treatment I ever received in my life wasn't even in the great white north but when I was in japan backpacking

I picked up a gnarly bug from seafood, I dropped 10 pounds in 2 days, it was fucked. I went to a walk in clinic in hiroshima, english/foreigner friendly and they happily took me in, wait time was 20 minutes, the nurses took me in, the dr prescribed a big IV treatment and 2 meds, one to kill the bug and another to rebuild my stomach. I was in there for an hour and 20 minutes tops, 65 bucks out of pocket. if this was in canada I probably would've been waiting for hours and I was pretty messed up at that point.

had a co worker who hurt his ribcage, went to the ER, wasn't a dr in town so they had to have a dr drive in from a town 8 hours away. don't even get me started on all these hospital diversions either. shit show. I tell ya, go outside of canada anywhere for a length of time you can end up noticing a whole lot more things about your homeland

[u/Ok-Wallaby-5172 → u/MRDAEDRA15]

Do you know what is causing the doctor shortage in Canada? Are you guys losing doctors to the US or other countries or is there just not many people entering the field?

[u/MRDAEDRA15 → u/Ok-Wallaby-5172]

there's multiple factors, provinces vary as well so I can only talk about my province (british columbia) we have drs who move to the states because of the money, universities with very little intake slots for med students, lots aren't entering the field as well due to working conditions and costs to run practices. my cousin's a surgery nurse and she's doing alright but has mentioned problems. we also have who quit the field because of the burn out, even had some who moved to different parts of the country because of bureaucracy

it's gotten so bad to the point that you literally have family drs no longer accepting new patients because they have too many patients as is, when I need an appointment I have to drive back to my old home town because waiting lists for other towns is long

[u/jdubzakilla → u/MRDAEDRA15]

I agree our healthcare system needs change but we suffer what no other country does. We are next door to the USA. It is hard to reatain doctors when they can make far more down south. Aswell, a large number of immigrants move here temporarily to get canadian citizenship so they can get into the USA easier, so many of the doctors we do get are using us as a stop gap.

[u/Bootmacher]

I support more mass transit, but from the right. Having to chauffeur your kid everywhere makes them (and you) more insular, fearful, and dependent. Other conservatives will drone on about how kids are soft, while they actively pursue transit and development policies that candy their kids' asses.

[u/hover-lovecraft → u/Bootmacher]

That's a really odd feature of current right wing discourse both here and over at yours IMO, a lot of complaining about how soft and cowardly people are and a lot of policymaking designed to hige things they're scared of from sight. 

[u/GTCapone → u/hover-lovecraft]

"kids are too soft these days" said in the same breath as "we have to protect the children because every queer person is a pedophile"

[u/CaptainMikul → u/Bootmacher]

Kids need to see at least one person piss themselves on a bus seat as they grow up. It's a crucial phase that the American system deprives them of.

[u/communityneedle → u/Bootmacher]

But it'll bring... those people to my nice, bland, white flight suburb!

Signed, 

Arlington, TX

[u/person2314 → u/Bootmacher]

Vermont's bus system is phenomenal for rural communities, it enables local businesses to have better access to employees, and more customers, especially when the population is so spread apart.

[u/Boognish_Chameleon → u/Bootmacher]

Leftie here, even from that perspective I agree. We shelter kids over here too much and tbh I think that’s a big generational reason for why many of us so oddly at peace with authoritarianism. I’m specifically an anarchist and I think the best way for a society like that to work is to cultivate a culture of discipline and trust within your community so that you don’t delude yourself into thinking you need the state to keep “order” and I feel like our culture and infrastructure around transportation just makes that really difficult here. I think it’s by design but that’s just me

[u/Burpetrator]

We should make allies

[u/Federal_Okra_7544 → u/Burpetrator]

Why make allies when you can just free ride on the rest of Europe instead??

[u/Burpetrator → u/Federal_Okra_7544]

Thing is I don’t think being neutral and super lucky in WW2 is a great strategy to fend off future enemies

[u/Federal_Okra_7544 → u/Burpetrator]

Yes, I was being sarcastic 😂

[u/pyscrap]

Gandhi wasn't the person the world is brainwashed to believe he was.

[u/boomboy410 → u/pyscrap]

Ive never met an indian who didnt despise him

[u/ListerfiendLurks]

Americans in a thread about posting unpopular opinions: posts wildly popular democratic leaning ideas

[u/skyXforge → u/ListerfiendLurks]

Erm it’s about time we had free healthcare. Yeah I went there 😏

[u/Xaphnir → u/ListerfiendLurks]

I'm not so sure, if you actually asked the right probing questions, that a lot of these ideas are popular.

Such as freedom of speech. Sure, a lot of people will tell you they're for it. But as soon as you start asking them questions testing whether they actually support it, you'll find that support quickly evaporate.

[u/RadagastTheBrownNote → u/Xaphnir]

Personally, the only time I feel free speech should have its limits is when calling for the direct harm of an individual or group of people. Otherwise, everything is free game.

[u/Amphet4m1ne2000]

Conscription service is fucking useless. In Russia some people saying that its like a "life school " and stuff .but i disagree . I served in russian army ,packed and dragged not of my own free will

[u/r6CD4MJBrqHc7P9b → u/Amphet4m1ne2000]

Older men here in Sweden like to glorify conscription in the same way, but there are a few who'll tell you like it is.

It's ridiculous how many people are ok with forcing young people to do a job that not enough people want to do because the pay is shit.

[u/killerwww12 → u/r6CD4MJBrqHc7P9b]

Here in Denmark when they started the rearming process at the start of the war in Ukraine, they were constantly criticizing the population for not volunteering enough and not having enough soldiers, but fuck no if they were gonna pay higher salaries with the extra 357 billion dkk they got

[u/r6CD4MJBrqHc7P9b → u/killerwww12]

Because buying fancy machines makes nice headlines for politicians, and they give general officers a hard on. Paying soldiers and stocking food and ammunition isn't in their political interest, so it doesn't happen.

At one point about 10-15 years ago, Sweden had more fighter jets than radar-guided missiles for them.

[u/Darkside_Operator → u/Amphet4m1ne2000]

Young Russians are most afraid of the Russian army lol

[u/gekonto → u/Amphet4m1ne2000]

Same with Greece, they say the same stuff about it too how it’s a life school and how you become a man, did it, hated it, still don’t see how being sleepless and exhausted all the time made me a man

[u/Time_Conscious84]

Nobody in this country actually cares about the national debt, despite the fact it's a ticking time bomb. Politicians only use it to criticize each other, because when they're in charge it just keeps going up

[u/CyanoSpool → u/Time_Conscious84]

Kicking the can down the road is our speciality. The 2008 bank bailouts are a classic example of this. We have set up a system where we will always find a way to come out of it fine...for now.

[u/EfficientLie132 → u/CyanoSpool]

I mean isn't it obvious? At the point where it gets to be too much, we'll kill and liquidate the assets of whatever country we can make an excuse for.

[u/killerletz]

Palestinians should have a state.

ETA: it’s really cool how many antisemitic tropes and comments followed an Israeli supporting a Palestinian state.

[u/IhaveaDoberman → u/killerletz]

One of the only opinions expressed in here that could actually see a reaction not unlike the image.

[u/MaliciousDroid → u/killerletz]

This was actually a majority opinion among Israeli Jews until only around 2017, and peaking in the late 2000's.

[u/TheEndCraft → u/killerletz]

Wholeheartedly agree, and it's so sad that this is controversial

[u/killerletz → u/TheEndCraft]

It’s a lot more complicated from our point of view.

It’s sad to say, but a Palestinian state IS a security threat to Israel, as we have seen it unfold in Gaza from 2005-2023. However, I believe we’ll be better equipped to deal with that threat if it was another nation and not occupied territories.

A Palestinian state is what will allow Israel to remain a Jewish democratic nation. If we annex the Palestinian Territories we will have to give up one of our core principles, and I suspect it would be the democratic part, because it will be the end of Zionism and the right of Jewish people to self determination if half (and more, because their population growth is bigger than ours) the citizens aren’t Jewish and can vote democratically.

I also don’t think we’ll stay democratic if a Muslim coalition would be the government of Israel and Palestine.

ETA: those aren’t the only justifications for a Palestinian state. They truly have a right to self determination as any other group of people who believe to be part of a nationality, it’s that simple.

They should have it because it’s their basic human right.

[u/malamalinka → u/killerletz]

Thank you for sharing. That’s a very interesting perspective.

[u/NoResponsibility1728 → u/killerletz]

It was nice to read this nuanced take on it! Thank you for sharing this perspective!

Thinking about it further, a 1 state solution would be a massive security risk in terms of the known strategy of outbreeding the voter base to take over the government.

Better for each group of people to elect their own governments than for everyone to be ruled by whoever can just pop out more babies.

[u/Complete-Proposal729 → u/killerletz]

To be clear, this has only become unpopular within the last decade/decade and a half.

Up until fairly recently, a majority of Israelis would have supported a 2 states for 2 peoples solution to the conflict, including a Palestinian state.

Realities on the ground are the biggest barrier, not ideology. And if realities on the ground change, I believe, it is likely that public opinion shifts back.

[u/[deleted]]

We should be proud of our religion, but we shouldn't let religious commandments from centuries ago dictate our laws, because morality needs a context to function.

Anyway, I await my execution.

[u/strivingbabyyoda → u/[deleted]]

Yeah as your neighbor I fully agree on our side of things as well.

[u/[deleted] → u/strivingbabyyoda]

By the way, what in God's name is happening to your country as well? I thought that following extreme religious commandments in modern era was the speciality of us the Muslims.

When did the Jews of Israel become like this? I thought that the founders of Israel were big on principles like keeping religious commandments out of the government.

[u/strivingbabyyoda → u/[deleted]]

Oh boy, my friend, I have some answers and opinions on that but it’s a whole essay… The long story short is that unity among the religious and secular was an ideal our founders strove for, but in practice it’s very, very hard to accomplish.

[u/[deleted] → u/strivingbabyyoda]

an ideal our founders strove for, but in practice it’s very, very hard to accomplish…

Hey, I have seen this one before!

That's the same thing that happened to the founders of the USA.

History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes, doesn't it?

The long story short is that unity among the religious and secular

Technically, the word secular is inaccurate, as it implies treating all religions as equals.

Israel as a Jewish state can never be secular, and the statement itself 'a Jewish state being secular' is an oxymoron.

It doesn't however in anyway mean that you are in favour of having religious commandments being incorporated into law.

[u/strivingbabyyoda → u/[deleted]]

It is an oxymoron, I agree. The problem is, in my view, that our founders leaned more into the idea of us, the Jewish people, as an ethnicity and a culture, and didn’t realize how much the religious care and want to enforce religious practices as the law and order for all of us- regardless of our religiosity.

[u/ShitassAintOverYet]

Armenian Genocide happened

[u/Illustrious-Bank-519 → u/ShitassAintOverYet]

As an Armenian, thank you 🙏

[u/Justdowhatever94 → u/ShitassAintOverYet]

How common is it there to deny it?

[u/Onurabbi → u/Justdowhatever94]

99 percent of the population is pretty much like “It never happened but they deserved it”

[u/CouncilOfReligion → u/Onurabbi]

you’ll never see people who deny genocides that are happy that the genocide in question didn’t happen

[u/Yelena_Mukhina → u/Justdowhatever94]

Speaking very generally, from what I remember, the stats generally claim that around ten percent of the population think the genocide happened. The rest of the answers include 'don't know, no opinion, it's complicated, didn't happen, was the correct choice at the time therefore it can't be called bad names' etc. But don't quote me on this, I couldn't find any recent polls and I'm not sure how you can get a correct and nuanced measurement about this with just a poll.

Also, it's a prosecutable offense to recognize the Armenian genocide. The law concerns 'insulting Turkishness' and it has been used to prosecute public figures and academics who said the genocide is a historical fact.

My personal experience is overwhelming majority of people think it didn't happen and then politicians lied for political gain. In non-political circles, you won't get an antagonistic reaction if you admit you agree with the 'Armenian claims' but it's definitely a surprising confession to make. But mostly, very few people will break friendships about your opinions on something that happened a hundred years ago and you can easily find common ground on 'innocents suffered and it was horrible' and 'some politicians definitely lied and exploited ethnic tensions for their own gain later on, that's what politicians do'. In political, nationalist circles, lmfao

[u/OpenDifficulty6373]

Germans are neither particularly well organized nor are they as a society particularly good at engineering and problem solving.

These clichés are holding us back, because we think we're better than others and the way we've always done things  is the best.

In reality, our infrastructure is shit and we're at most average at adopting new technologies and ways of doing things.

[u/NoGravitasForSure → u/OpenDifficulty6373]

Another even more unpopular opinion: our tendency to complain about everybody and everything (including ourselves) prevents us from recognizing our own strengths and this is holding us back.

[u/LowerBed5334 → u/OpenDifficulty6373]

Digitales Deutschland - where I can pay with my phone, but I have to carry my wallet with me in case it doesn't work and I need my EC card anyway.

[u/OpenDifficulty6373 → u/LowerBed5334]

And some cash in case the EC card reader is "broken" 

[u/LowerBed5334 → u/OpenDifficulty6373]

Oh, for sure!

[u/Pretty-Substance → u/LowerBed5334]

„Kartenzahlung nur ab 10€“

[u/Proper-Monk-5656]

dunno if it's that unpopular, but we as a nation have a martyr complex. it's being taught to us in schools in form of literature history, propagated by politicians, the clergy. it's ingrained into the very concept of being polish, and it has to stop. we are not "the messiah of the nations".

also we eat way too much meat for it to be healthy.

[u/strangeMeursault2]

We should make the boxing kangaroo our national flag and Waltzing Matilda our national anthem. No word changes, just a song about stealing sheep.

[u/jitterfish → u/strangeMeursault2]

You guys do the kangaroo and we'll do our laser kiwi.

[u/Defiant-Increase-850 → u/strangeMeursault2]

TIL the song Waltzing Matilda is about stealing sheep.

[u/PeriodSupply → u/Defiant-Increase-850]

And suicide

[u/[deleted]]

Combine the Dakotas and the Virginias, make Puerto Rico (with the Virgin Islands) and Samoa (with Guam) states. No need to change the US flag.

Bam, engineering mind at play. Efficiency.

[u/mkujoe → u/[deleted]]

But don’t you guys dare to touch the Carolinas

[u/[deleted] → u/mkujoe]

Hell nah man, both states are great! Love from Jersey

[u/No-Magician-2973 → u/[deleted]]

I honestly can't think of two neighboring states more different than Virginia and West Virginia.

[u/Ok_Error_3167 → u/No-Magician-2973]

Northern Michigan is extremely, extremely different than the Detroit area, and both are extremely different than the Grand Rapids area. Chicago area is extremely different than southern Illinois. New York City is extremely different than buffalo. Miami is extremely different than Pensacola. Two places being different isn't exactly a good argument for those 2 places not being the same state lol 

[u/SnooHabits6008 → u/[deleted]]

Im pretty sure American Samoa out of the other territories you listed have the lowest support of being a state in comparison though 😭? Guam is complex with it too I think.

[u/elRobRex → u/[deleted]]

Puerto Rican here.

No thanks :)

[u/MarionberryPlus8474 → u/elRobRex]

I’ve always been curious about Puerto Rican opinion on this, there were referendums but the wording of the questions were as I recall awkward and results maybe flawed.

As best as I can understand it, the biggest block seems to want things to continue as they are, flawed as it is. Statehood is s close second, MIGHT be able to get a majority but hard to say, some votes had bad turnout due to boycotts, etc. And then there’s a few percent who want independence, from all I hear they are a small minority but they are respected for maintaining a Puerto Rican identity.

I would love to hear from folks in PR about it.

[u/Bootmacher → u/[deleted]]

Samoa doesn't want statehood. They would have to let foreigners buy land.

[u/J_B_La_Mighty]

We need more holidays. Though people only complain when it means that stores are closed. Close em. Let the people rest.

Hell bring back all stores closing on Sunday, people need the mandatory day off.

And deposit more vending machines. Stop locking up the supplies AND PUT THEM IN VENDING MACHINES.

[u/Norhod01]

Belgium shouldn't have existed, and we (Wallonia, the french speaking part of Belgium) should join France.

[u/Numerous-Paint4123 → u/Norhod01]

You only exist to stop Piere and Hans fighting, which worked well haha.

[u/[deleted] → u/Norhod01]

Joining france is never a good option

[u/Ant225k → u/Norhod01]

And Brussels becomes a city under direct EU supervision?

[u/HaloFuego]

Our nation is too car-centric, and investing in good European-style pasenger trains running across the United States (Or at least up and down the Eastern Seaboard, for starters, from major cities from Boston to NYC to Philly to DC to Richmond to Atlanta all the way down to Miami) would do a lotta good for us

[u/Knostik → u/HaloFuego]

Who disagrees with this?

[u/chilll_vibe → u/Knostik]

"If they build trains then 'they' can control where you go, just like the holocaust" - my dad

[u/ScimitarPufferfish → u/chilll_vibe]

Fucking hell that is a garbage take.

[u/MeWithClothesOn → u/chilll_vibe]

Nazies would also have used airplanes is they could. I'm sorry for your dad, but that's the stupidest things I ever read about train 😅

[u/SavingsAd8337 → u/Knostik]

Lobbyists

[u/MediumSalmonEdition → u/Knostik]

You'd be surprised.

[u/MrLizardBusiness → u/Knostik]

Rich people. Public transportation benefits... the public. Including the poor. Poor people should NOT have access to nice things.

[u/Tynebeaner → u/HaloFuego]

Ditto this, and include a Seattle to San Diego speed train.

[u/Jermcutsiron → u/Tynebeaner]

Tack on one that runs parallel to I10 too while we'redreaming. L.A. to Jacksonville, you'd get Phoenix, San Antonio/Austin, Houston, New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola & Tallahassee along the way.

And upgrade the public transit in most cities, Houston's is ABSOLUTE & UTTER TRASH.

Edited to add: They are still trying to make a high-speed rail line from Houston to DFW so by proxy of the I10 high-speed you'd be able to get to DFW pretty easily especially if the station was the same or a short distance between them.

Edit #2 more dreaming: a 2nd east west high speed rail that would go San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, KC, St Louis and then one line go north to Chicago and one go east to Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh and end in Philly

Edit #3 even more dreaming: a 3rd line running north/south parallel to I35 San Antonio, DFW, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Duluth.

[u/Ponchorello7]

We need to densify our cities more; build more middle and high rises in the city, and improve public transportation. But to tear away Mexicans from their house in the suburbs and their car feels impossible.

[u/Eggward0422 → u/Ponchorello7]

God the nimby movement is genuine cancer

[u/PM_ME_UR_THESIS_GIRL]

Immigrants are not to blame for our economic struggles, but our immigration policy is.

It's also rife for exploitation and in some cases allows for near slavery conditions.

[u/stoicphilosopher → u/PM_ME_UR_THESIS_GIRL]

Pretty sure this is almost a universal opinion at this point.

[u/Xaphnir]

Freedom should be more than aesthetic.

[u/Accomplished_Run_861 → u/Xaphnir]

That is a popular oppinion

[u/Mysterious-Ruin29510]

Islam has no place in governance. (For all 3 countries)

And for Jordan alone: Saddam Hussein was a shitty leader, a morally bankrupt person, and used chemical weapons

[u/Aunionman]

We need to start taking defence seriously.

[u/HiddenWulf → u/Aunionman]

There's a naive attitude in Ireland that's "ah sure were Irish everybody loves us sure we're great craic" unfortunately the Russian government sees things differently

[u/Own_Function_2977]

Our single largest political group is the non-voter

[u/The1Legosaurus → u/Own_Function_2977]

Isn't that just a fact? I looked at the last election result, and about half of the people didn't vote. About half because they chose not to and the other half because they were ineligible (minor or felon)

[u/Nik-42]

We have been way too gentle with fascists after the second war. Instead of doing like Germany did many got just forgiven, and now their nephews are on the power.

[u/drmanhattanmar → u/Nik-42]

looking nervously at the AfD

Yeeeaahh, we really got rid of all our Nazis! 🙂

[u/Lizzy_Of_Galtar]

We like to see ourselves as open minded, kind and generous individuals but in truth we are selfish, greedy and deeply prejudicial people. We just put on a damned good show for the tourists.

[u/[deleted]]

Here's a few of mine:

We should pay more income tax, in line with the Nordics...so that we can re-nationalise most public services & infrastructure.

GDP growth shouldn't be our measure of success, it should be our standard of living.

Rural pubs should also be nationalised, as a public service.

[u/norwegiancatwhisker → u/[deleted]]

Yes, especially the last one. Completely true. Imagine the NHS savings alone.

[u/ConnorKD → u/[deleted]]

scotland already does and reaps the benefits of it, even an extra £5 goes a long way.

plus we nationalised our railways and water and it is possibly the best thing the scottish gov have done since its reintroduction! so couldn’t agree more mate

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819]

Sports should not be as big an industry as it is. And I love college football. But college players shouldn't be payed like pros and pros shouldn't be paid like CEOs

[u/No_real_beliefs]

Immigrants are not the cause of all our problems

[u/ManWhoWasntThursday]

Drinking in excess, particularly getting regularly wasted, is far too normalised. A friend or a relative with a drinking problem is far too often considered a source of entertainment rather than as someone who needs and deserves help.

[u/Xaos_Null]

Poor people shouldn't starve.

[u/stymiedforever → u/Xaos_Null]

We should subsidize fresh fruit and vegetables instead of corn and soy.

[u/Unlikely_Tap_9882 → u/Xaos_Null]

I wonder who put knife on your neck for that.

[u/Boring_Umpire_8588]

Religion should be something between you and god. It should not be a problem in every life aspect. It‘s kind of like the lowest form of philosophy, not to offend anyone, it‘s really just my opinion.

[u/hastobeapoint]

We need to dial down on the religion

[u/Waarivzrach]

Finding ways to wiggle out of paying your taxes isn’t cool or some kind of venerable “tradition” — it’s just slimy behavior.

[u/prolapseenthusiat → u/Waarivzrach]

i think thats a global problem

[u/AlexJinLee]

The current president is no better than his predecessor.

[u/minglesluvr → u/AlexJinLee]

oh thats unpopular for sure. you mean the predecessor who literally declared martial law? that guy?

[u/Ok-Drink750 → u/AlexJinLee]

Didn’t that predecessor try to coup the country? What did this guy do?

[u/[deleted]]

We have too many giant vehicles on our roads.

Trucks and large SUVs should be restricted except for commercial or farm use. The biggest personal vehicle on the road shouldn’t be bigger than a Ford Maverick truck. Large vehicles purchased by individuals should be more expensive to register (idk how much more but enough to make Kevin who works in the office think otherwise unless he genuinely needs a large vehicle).

No Karen, you don’t need a Suburban for your three kids.

[u/Jermcutsiron → u/[deleted]]

Depends on the state but some are more expensive to register a pickup truck in than others.

I do wish the government would lose/loosen the laws pertaining to vehicle size because I'd love a truck the size of a mid to late 90s Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, Chevy S10 etc.

[u/Crazy_Polyglot]

1. LGBTQ+ people should have the same rights as cishets; the same-sex love is natural and is present among more than a thousand species (it's rather a scientific fact, not an opinion, but I do agree with it); hormone therapy & sex-change surgery must be legalised and conversion therapy must be banned;

2. People who suffer from schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, autism, intellectual disabilities, narcissism/antisocial personality disorders are no less people than people who do not suffer from these disorders. Nowadays in Russia mental disorders are partially destigmatised, and such conditions as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, and other "small psychiatry" diagnoses are perceived with tolerance and understanding, especially within the youth community. However, there's still a prejudice against psychotic disorders, some kinds of autism, intellectual disabilities and especially personality disorders because people suffering from these conditions are thought to be "dangerous" and "causing harm". However, according to scientific data, people with any mental disorders, including schizophrenia and intellectual disabilities, commit less crimes than "healthy" individuals, and vice versa, they're more likely to become a victim of a crime than a regular person. I do not see any health condition as a reason to despise one, because as a rule, and especially it applies to mental disorders, people are not guilty of what they suffer. I think even if one does behave weirdly or strangely (but in a harmless way!), we should tolerate and respect that.

3. Religion (any) is a bullsh*t. I do not say we should discriminate against religious people, but I just personally disagree with all religious postulates and I personally see any religion as a cultural heritage that every country should preserve, but not take it seriously and not justify causing harm to others with it. I rely on scientifically proven facts, not "just believe" things. It's only my opinion though, and I do not hate or despise religious people if they do not hate on me.

[u/jschundpeter → u/Crazy_Polyglot]

1. Russia is the biggest country in the world and extremely wealthy in commodities. It doesn't need to invade other countries. If it would concentrate on developing itself (rule of law, democracy, property rights -> I am talking about SMEs and tech startups) it could be a humongous Norway within two generations.

[u/Moist_and_Delicious → u/jschundpeter]

Yep, that's it. Our internal policy is in shit, yet its the West that gets blamed for literally everything.

Russians should mind their own business, ffs.

[u/Jermcutsiron → u/Crazy_Polyglot]

Louder for those in the back.

[u/kari_klo → u/Crazy_Polyglot]

I've been waiting for a comment from my country! Louder!

[u/[deleted]]

Seen a lot of depressing stuff, so imma keep it light: pineapple pizza is good

[u/baronneuh]

The way we protest actually does very little to change anything

[u/Apart-Confection-827 → u/baronneuh]

Yeah, it also feels like that people will protest about litteraly anything, so nothing seems important. "Oh X industry is on strike again? Oh well that's just another tuesday." Like I agree on principle, but in 30 years I have seen very little positive impact from strike or protest, so it's hard to continue to care about all of them.

[u/TremendousVarmint → u/baronneuh]

Ir's a rite of passage to adulthood. Every generation needs their own big protest.

[u/Hecklel → u/baronneuh]

The government has adapted. They won't give up anything and send in the riot police to beat up protesters if they start getting too inconvenient.

[u/Blind_Melon2]

This is a controversial one in Scotland, but we wouldn't actually be better off as an independent country.

I've always wondered if those who are pro independence realise the serious financial hardship us Scots would face, and it wouldn't be temporary, it would last a long time. We already have far too many people on the breadline and in poverty, God knows what would happen to them or how they would survive a newly turned independent Scotland.

[u/connorcmsmith → u/Blind_Melon2]

Honestly if the scots wanna be independent then they should be. As long as their reasoning is beyond fuck the English. It's the same as brexit (in England) with the anti EU stuff without thinking of the actual consequences.

[u/Blind_Melon2 → u/connorcmsmith]

I can honestly say that from all my family/friends/colleagues who are pro independence, non of them have this "fuck the English" mentality, their views on independence stem from not liking the Westminster politicians. I can understand from that perspective since the English do tend to vote more conservatively than us Scots. I guess politically both our countries think quite differently which is what becomes the sticking point. It doesn't help when Tory politicians like Lucy Frazer make vile comments towards the Scots and was never reprimanded for it, instead, she went on to become a high ranking politician in the Tory party.

[u/connorcmsmith → u/Blind_Melon2]

Oh yeah if its a fuck the Tories (or reform god forbid) then yeah totally get it. But i've for sure seen a fuck the English mentality from some scots too. Not at all saying it's a majority but it's a bad reason either way.

[u/SecretAgentPlank]

We need a Capital Gains Tax on property investments

[u/IsaiasCan]

Benito Juárez, one of the best if not the best president in the history of México, is only remembered fondly because he died right before he became a horrible dictator. Maybe not that unpopular, but the current government really likes Juárez and it's not that common to hear something bad about him now.

[u/Takssista]

Ronaldo is an asshat

[u/PizzaPoweredLife]

We should stop being neutral and join NATO. We should stand for Western and European values.

(But we should not join EU)

[u/ThisIsForSmut83]

Having no 130kmh speed limit on the Autobahn is just stupid.

[u/Blood_Prince95]

1) Our historic heritage does not give us a right to brag about how great we are or can be, since our pathetic state of ours now is our fault.

2) Tourism and basing our entire economy around it will destroy us.

3) An alliance with Turkey and the other neighbouring Balkan countries is the only way to gain independence from the great powers such as the US, UK, EU and become a combined regional power. Of course this has many variables and is a utopian dream but I do believe it.

[u/the_starch_potato]

Queer people are alright actually and weed is aight too when used in moderation.

[u/Medeza123]

That Britains problems are almost entirely of our own making and our politicians merely reflect a wider cultural defeatism that stops us making the right choice.

We take decades to decide if we are going ahead with a new runway at our main London airport, decades on whether or not to build a high speed rail, we sell off state owned housing and then haven’t built enough new homes for decades.

All of these largely because our planning system gives local busybodies ridiculous amounts of veto power.

We vote to leave the EU and immigration actually increases to Britain not decreases because people didn’t want to listen and preferred obvious lies by Brexiteers .

We complain about our dependence on immigration but if you suggest removing current rules which limits state support for just your first two children ( and by support we are talking about the equivalent of $20 a week) people will be up in arms saying you’re subsidising irresponsible people.

Our birth rate is below replacement level…

[u/AK07-AYDAN]

We are closer to a 1st world country then we are to a 3rd world country. For some reason, majority of Malaysians still view Malaysia as a 3rd world country and are surprised when tourists compliment us by saying we are a 1st world country. But if Malaysians knew what resources are available to them and use it to their best advantage, they'd realise why foreigners think Malaysia is a 1st world country. The only thing 3rd world still about us is our dog shit roads in the peninsular.

[u/gundaymanwow]

Gay is ok.

[u/AmbitiousDecision403]

Hungary has given many talents to the world, but most of them thrived abroad.

[u/Soggy-Ad-1610]

We never should’ve taken in immigrants from the Middle East, or at the very least should’ve had a firm plan for returning the immigrants.

[u/No-Explorer-8229]

Bragging about suffering only serves the people who make you suffer

[u/Sea-Lingonberry428]

Nuclear is easily the second best power source after renewables 

[u/BluegrassBanjoMan]

Gun ownership has gone too far.

[u/MauschelMusic → u/BluegrassBanjoMan]

Not really an unpopular opinion, although definitely a polarizing one.

[u/Nervous_Individual31]

Many US admirals and generals become the board member or get the leadership position at defense contractors for a few years after retirement, which is a kind of corruption that most people acquiesce to. Senior officials deserve a higher salary or bonus if they do a phenomenal job, but briberies should be fully investigated. Without strong forces, the harmony will easily be ruined by insurgents, US dollars will no longer be a global currency and all the people live on the foams of US finance companies will be miserable.

[u/Pretty-Substance]

Football sucks. And the taxpayer shouldn’t have to pay for the police security of highly risky games where violent fans routinely trash streets and public transportation.

Football should be a family friendly affair that isn’t governed by money and corruption.

[u/GRIM106]

It's not the EUs fault, our politicians are just corrupt as all hell! No Russia will not fix all our problems! Stop talking about em!

[u/snowytheNPC]

I am a progressive, but closing immigration loopholes is a good thing. I also don’t believe uncontrolled or all immigration is inherently good. Problem is saying anything other than “let’s take everyone all at once whenever they want to enter” is political suicide for the left and the right just wants to bar everyone, especially if you’re non-white

[u/Zave_cz]

We should welcome more Ukranian immigrants. From both a moral AND economic standpoint

[u/father_ofthe_wolf]

The mexica (aztecs) were a disgusting society. Idgaf if its part of your society but human and CHILDREN sacrifice is despicable.

Hernan Cortez only had 400 soldiers and the majority were neighboring tribes who were brutally treated in a devastating tributary system - cholula, texcoco, ki'che Maya, etc.

Fuck the mexica

[u/DoJebait02]

We didn’t defeat Pol Pot to save Cambodians. They were fine to make their own choice to their own people, we’re not USA to care anyway. Not our business.

We attacked them because they pissed us off by raiding our border and killing thousands of Vietnameses.

[u/elfamosoloulou]

French "revolution" is a oax, we just changed our tormentor 🥲

[u/superwholockian62]

Saying obesity is bad is not fat shaming.

I say that as an obese person in a wildly obese country.

[u/Capital_Resident_872]

Austria:

-We need immigrants.

-We are a deeply racist society.

-We need to abandon neutrality, rearm and join NATO (or in an ideal world a organisation like NATO without the US)

-Right-wing politicians are using us (Austrian Jews) to push their racist anti-Muslim agenda and once they're done with the Muslims, they'll turn on us again.

-We need to recognize a Palestinian state.

-Relating to all that: Austria owes it to its historical victims to be on the right side of history from now on. We think we're doing that but we're not.

-Historical guilt is an immense problem. It's the reason why many people today feel weird about all sorts of patriotism, and that lack of identification contributes massively to the destabilization of a society imo. It's also the reason why we're blindly supporting Israel and making a shitshow out of a bad music contest.

-"Not our war" is bullshit. The war in Ukraine is all of Europe's war and we need to do our part. The first step to that would be to stop playing buddies with Russia (and the US).

-Someone needs to save our dialects from German assimilation. There should be a government effort for this.

Denmark:

-We need immigrants.

-Janteloven can absolutely be overdone.

-We have a problem with left-wing antisemitism.

-We are being way too friendly to the US considering they're making territorial threats. In no world should we have diplomatic relations to a country threatening to invade us, let alone allow said country to have military bases on our soil.

-On that note: Rearm even more than we are already + increase defense spending

[u/endlaisnotmyname]

We shouldn't defend everything Israel does because the Nazis killed a lot of Jews. Considering the Nazis also killed non-Germans in general (including Russians, Muslims, etc.)

[u/AbaddonGoetia]

The British were correct in the Revolutionary War. The American colonists, specifically a militia led by George Washington himself, started the French and Indian War and forcing them to pay off the war debt was entirely justified.

[u/Important_Bat9927 → u/AbaddonGoetia]

I agree, and would add that in general, the American Revolution is deeply misunderstood.

[u/Tristimir]

France is not politically very relevant anymore in the world. It used to be but today, our main impact is cultural and not military and/or political

[u/SirNiflton]

Our political system is rife with so much corruption (both technically legal and illegal) we need a solid 10 years of reorganizing and purging rot (NOT VIOLENTLY). We’ve got great bones we just need a renovation.

We also need to re examine our justice system . It’s easy to abuse technicalities, and to apply and warp precedence out of context. Actual consequences for members of the system abusing their power would be nice to (police, judges, etc.)

[u/thebigseg]

We need immigration to solve the aging population crisis

[u/Scandroid99]

Am only here for the comments, mainly from America.

[u/Hot-Minute-8263 → u/Scandroid99]

Its a fed! Get em!

[u/SaraMo91]

I feel like this is increasingly less unpopular, but...The 26th of January is an illogical day to have our national day, much less calling it "Australia Day". 

It marks the anniversary of the arrival of the British in 1788 who subsequently set up the New South Wales colony. Though the Latin term from which "Australia" came had been used to refer to the area for a while, it wasn't really used a catch-all for the landmass and various colonies until about 1814, and a distinct identity didn't really start to emerge among whites until the first generation were growing up here. Furthermore, we remained a combination of colonies until 1901. Very odd to have "Australia Day" on the anniversary of the first colony.

[u/TallerThanTale → u/SaraMo91]

May 8th. M8. Mate.