Which country is the most irreproachable ever?

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So which reasonable-sized (let's say over 10 million people) country has the all-time best record for not invading neighbours, not oppressing its own citizens, not cynically cosying up to foreign dictators, being nice to other countries, being democratic and human rights upholding etc. etc.?

― Simeon R., Friday, 2 April 2004 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Prob none of them

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Indeed, probably none of them, but which is the least worst?

― Simeon R., Friday, 2 April 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Iceland?

― chris (chris), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Wales.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Robbie Savage's existence says no to that

― chris (chris), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Iceland doesn't have any neighbours, so it doesn't count. Wales has a past record of cynically cosying up to foreign dictators - i.e. various English monarchs.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

... maybe not cynically so much as cravenly, the Scots are the cynical ones

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

uh, Switzerland?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

mexico

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

panama

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

mexico

Tell that to those fun lovin' racist Texan dudes at the Alamo

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I doubt switzerland would qualify, there's plenty of very sketchy shit that went on there in the thirties and forties.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

switzerland = nazi gold (xpost)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Finland or does the events of the 100 yrs war cancel that?

― chris (chris), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:37 (twenty-one years ago)

also, some conduct in the 2nd world war possibly?

costa rica?

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:41 (twenty-one years ago)

New Zealand?

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:45 (twenty-one years ago)

True enough Gareth, and Pete, if no Iceland then no NZ

― chris (chris), Friday, 2 April 2004 11:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Iceland, Costa Rica and NZ are all way under 10 million inhabitants. What about Canada?

― Simeon R., Friday, 2 April 2004 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Canada like the US & Australia hasn't been very nice to the locals.

This is also pretty much the case for every nation in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

― earlnash, Friday, 2 April 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

You sure about that?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Canada's treatment of the native population was far, um, nicer then the states. Even when it was France and Engerland handing it out.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Holland?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Very nasty colonial war in Indonesia.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Holland? Also stuck white people in South Africa and then look what happened.

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, I forgot about that bit. Ignore that suggestion.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Belgium, then.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:22 (twenty-one years ago)

the Belgian Congo may disagree, I was going to say Potugal, but remembered Mozambique

this is hard.

Thailand? dodgy current prime minister apart

― chris (chris), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The Dutch were big in the slave trade and the history of South Africa isn't really a source of pride.

Canada's involvement wasn't nearly as bloody as the US, but it still isn't exactly something to be proud about is it? Canada like the US and Australia was trying to "school out" the Indians far into the 20th century. I concede that it wasn't genocide, which was definitely practiced in the US during the 19th century.

― earlnash, Friday, 2 April 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post

Belgian Congo

Ummm - Tibet? That's too small isn't it?

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I was just about to nominate my own country - Belgium - but then Chris rightly remembered Congo. A horrible episode. We were also oppressed a lot in the pat.

― jesus nathalie (nathalie), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Estonia? Latvia? Lithuania?

The Baltic states seem to have spent most of the time being conquered rather than conquering (I am accepting there are massive gaps in my knowledge of the history of these places)

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:27 (twenty-one years ago)

King Leopold's handing of ethinicity is directly tied to the conflict in Rwanda.

― earlnash, Friday, 2 April 2004 12:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I say here that I find Belgium very troubling...

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:37 (twenty-one years ago)

The Belgian colonial record is one of the worst.

Norway? Although its pop. is well under 10 million.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

"Can I say here that I find Belgium very troubling..."

When I think about Belgium, I always remember that Python sketch called with the game show about prejudice.

The OLD SKOOL British might have something to say about some folk that came over from Norway in boats.

― earlnash, Friday, 2 April 2004 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought at the start it was said that only invasion of NEIGHBOURS counted.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Estonia? Latvia? Lithuania?

I think you will find the Jewish populations of these countries (if there are any left, post WWII - which I doubt) may have a bone to pick with you.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Norway? Although its pop. is well under 10 million.

Remember those guys with the pointy helmets, long beards, longer ships? Fond of a spot of raping and pillaging? The Vikings? As in Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I think you will find the Jewish populations of these countries (if there are any left, post WWII - which I doubt) may have a bone to pick with you.

Yeah, I said I was hazy. Was that the indigenous population or occupying forces?

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)

were they danish?

xpost

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Killing Jews was somewhat enthusiastically embraced by a lot of people in Eastern Europe.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Everything I've heard about Belgium - from their police tactics in Euro 2000, to the whole Marc Dutreux stuff, to the journo researching corruption in the EU getting his computer swiped and getting roughted up. I'm sure it's lovely and all, but still - the law and order stuff leaves something to be desired, it seems.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 2 April 2004 12:59 (twenty-one years ago)

My bet is Slovakia. oh, no they've got less than 10 million people. hmmmm. I'm pretty certain countries divide up in2 Bullies and the Bullied.

now where's my Hegel?

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Friday, 2 April 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Ireland?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 2 April 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

damn i meant to say "weren't they danish" re: vikings... ah well. weren't they? or were they actually dutch? i remember darts...

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 2 April 2004 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

AFRICA!!!

― L'ignoranCe, Friday, 2 April 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Atlantis.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 2 April 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Ireland is about 4million these days. Although it's had the same party in power for 75% of its existence, this is in fact just democracy, gone wrong.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 2 April 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Sweden?

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 2 April 2004 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, swedes are great. there were a set of dano-swedish wars in the 17-18c that lasted about 50 years, i think. denmark is only 5 mil. but they've also been civilized as all hell for a really long time.

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

The forced sterilization program in Sweden was pretty nasty from the sounds of it.

― Talcynuts (Bryan), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

How are they racially?

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Slovakia

go to google and type in the name "joseph tiso."

Sweden?

the norwegians, the poles, the balts, and the russians might disagree with that one.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/maps/sm-map.gif

San Marino never did nothing to nobody.

― andy, Friday, 2 April 2004 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

AFRICA!!!

White slave traders frequently collected their slaves with the assistance of members of rival tribes, so Africa is not guiltless.

― j.lu (j.lu), Saturday, 3 April 2004 04:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Dinotopia.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 3 April 2004 04:45 (twenty-one years ago)

i'd say andorra, but surely some andorran electronics merchant has ripped off SOME chump.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 April 2004 04:53 (twenty-one years ago)

TONGA!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 April 2004 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

ISRAEL!!!

― Sym (shmuel), Saturday, 3 April 2004 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Just kidding.
Despite Canada's mistreatment of natives, we've been pretty free of colonialism, dictators, and warmongerin'. So I guess we win.

― Sym (shmuel), Saturday, 3 April 2004 05:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Germany?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 06:56 (twenty-one years ago)

haha sorry

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 06:56 (twenty-one years ago)

it sure as hell ain't switzerland

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 06:58 (twenty-one years ago)

definitely not mexico either

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 06:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Poland?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 07:00 (twenty-one years ago)

China?

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 3 April 2004 08:00 (twenty-one years ago)

hahahahaha

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 08:49 (twenty-one years ago)

The question isn't about absolute purity, it's about who's closest. And that would be Canada.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:15 (twenty-one years ago)

no way jose

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Never realised how antagonistic Americans are to Canadians till I started hanging out with some - Americans, I mean, I wouldn't hang out with Canadians would I?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I had some Canadian lodgers once. I wouldn't recommend it.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:46 (twenty-one years ago)

vietnam?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 April 2004 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Vietnam did invade their neighbours, but as this resulted in the ousting of Pol Pot, this gets them bonus points. Don't think it's very democratic though.

Botswana?

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Saturday, 3 April 2004 10:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Torture in Botswana:

http://www.ditshwanelo.org.bw/index/Publications/Misc_Press_Releases/UN%20Torture%20Day%20Press%20Release%20-%2022%20Jun%201998.htm

It's gotta be Greenland or Iceland.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Saturday, 3 April 2004 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Bangladesh? More sinned against than sinning I would have thought.

― Matt (Matt), Saturday, 3 April 2004 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh my God. Bangladesh?

http://www.dawn.com/2000/09/21/top16.htm

Gotta be Greenland or Iceland.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Saturday, 3 April 2004 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Antarctica?

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Saturday, 3 April 2004 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Lock the thread. The search is over.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Saturday, 3 April 2004 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Bhutan? There is a central Asian republic where the emperor has made a department of fun, is this it?

― suzy (suzy), Saturday, 3 April 2004 11:07 (twenty-one years ago)

It is indeed, Suzy. The king of Bhutan has declared that the search for Gross Domestic Happiness is more important to Bhutan than the maximisation of Gross Domestic Product. But there aren't 10 million of them, despite all that pleasure. Plus, they eat meat and stamp on bugs.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 3 April 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

(By the way, republics don't usually have emperors. But at the Department of Fun, anything goes!)

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 3 April 2004 13:57 (twenty-one years ago)

You don't have to be mad to work there..............but it helps!!!!!!!

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

the people's republic of ronan

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

it will feature a monthly magazine entirely written by me.

this magazine will be called "jack"

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Simeon overestimated how many countries there are with over 10 million residents.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

There are only 80 - see here for a list.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Morocco?

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

the good people of sao tome e principe and cape verde haven't harmed a fly AFAIK. i don't think that their combined populations are more than 2M, though.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 April 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

The people who come in "economy sized" populations are clearly the problem here.

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 3 April 2004 17:26 (twenty-one years ago)

the good people of sao tome e principe and cape verde haven't harmed a fly AFAIK. i don't think that their combined populations are more than 2M, though

Yeah, but they're sitting on top of some huge oil field and already the multinationals are licking their chops. So ponder the future thusly.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 3 April 2004 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

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