Common Misconceptions About Your Nation

[Moronus]

What are some things about your nation that foreigners and outsiders often get wrong?


Moronus is pronounced MOH-ruh-noos and has no connection to the english word "moron".

Our Lord Emperor is simply the leader of the majority party and the head of state. He/she does not have supreme executive power.

[Estainia]

People tend to think that we're hardliner feminists because of our respect (and literal worship) for the sacred feminine. We're not, we in fact rather hate those types...With bayonets attached.

The big issue these days though seems to be that foreign republicans tend to think that we're horridly oppressive and our people are just waiting for the chance to rebel; and this is simply not the case, the Imperial population is left to their own devices within a grid-work of rather lax 'common sense' laws that maximize their all important civil liberties which they're quite happy with. But you can't tell these neomodern republicans anything with their "democracy or death!" out looks.

[Neo Prutenia]

Lederhosen and Dirndls are not nor were ever part of the national folk attire of the Prut people. Our "Tracht" or national costume is distinctively northern, similar and oftentimes shared with Prussian, Pomeranian, Lower Saxon, Frisian, and Dutch people. Prut don't appreciate being confused with Southern German(ic) groups.

Beer is not the national drink, sausage is not the national dish. While popular among the populace it's not more or less popular than in any other random nation. National drinks are wine and tea, and the Prut are by and large oenophiles with a viticultural and wine making tradition going back several centuries. Tea, called "Tschai" and not "Tee" in Low Prut is a remnant of colonial and imperial times and has become part of the everyday menu. Tea replaces the role of coffee in other nations. National dishes include many regional varieties, but roasted meat, usually beef, or fish with chips (French Fries) or similarly processed potato is the common shared national dish. Schnitzel and chips with wine is what we stereotypically eat.

Despite shared ethnoliguistic links, Prut are not Teutonic at all, nor warlike. Prut are by nature nonconfrontational and indirect, and have historically been jovial traders and explorers, pragmatic inventors and engineers, innovative scientists and artists, and never conquerors or warriors. There's not a single ethnic, cultural, or political group that has ever been wronged or screwed over by Prut, and even instances of war and conflict have been resolved in a rational, fair manner when possible.

Prut are nondemocratic and authoritarian, because of their ideological pursuit of Meritocracy. Prut are nondemocratic in the populist sense, but are renown as highly anti-authoritarian. By definition, Prut are anarchists and have maintained republican and egalitarian ideals for the better part of their history. While meritocracy is seen as more viable, fairer, and more practical than democracy, which is disliked by Prut, it doesn't imply that there are no democratic traditions among Prut, nor that Prut are opposed to democracy. Prut are however deeply opposed to fascism and other authoritarian and/or totalitarian ideologies.

Prut are not German(ic). While partially true, Prutons are a ethnolinguistic group of Germanic origin, and they happen to have a slim majority/strong plurality of the population, the nation is still not Germanic. For practical reasons, Low Prut has become the official language and lingua franca in Neo Prutenia, but ethnoculturally, "Prut" are a healthy mix of several different worldviews. The Iberian Hesperians and Slavic Veleslavs form substantial parts of the population and cultural landscape, while the Asiatic Raionese and Celtic Arfolan make substantial minorities, along with the Nahuatl Atloniahan. The term "Prut" denotes this shared identity and culture of all individuals and groups within the Prut Meritocracy. Prutonic culture, the culture of the Prutons, is beyond linguistic and namegiving ties, comparatively unrelated, and an entirely separate culture, even compared to other Germanic cultures.

[The Hrulgin Empire]

Most people seem to assume the Hrulgin are allied with the other Sapient Ponies.

We find this hilarious. Everyone knows that the other Pony species are food.

[Southmount]

Most people assume we are a theocracy since our government promotes religion. This is not true, as the main party at this time is the Christian Party. We have a directly elected parliament.

[Xekliv]

That we're the bad guys just because we have a sinister looking flag, our soldiers wear all black and have skull helmets, and we're ten foot tall carnivores that look like something spawned out of hell.

We're not evil, honest!

[New Mushroom Kingdom]

That our mushroom exports are drugs. Seriously people, Would mario-style 1-ups be drugs? I dont think so.

[Saintland]

Foreigners tend to think that we are capitalist hardliners for some reason. Our economy actually follows a 3rd way as we reject both extremes as oppressive and socially unjust.

There's also this misconception that we're some kind of totalitarian theocracy. That isn't true. Our citizens are relatively free. We have morality laws because we are a virtuous people and want to remain that way. The King also does not really have absolute power because he is restricted by Church teaching. Almost every King in our history has tried to be a just King who rules with compassion for his Subjects.

There's also this myth going around that we oppress women. That isn't the case at all. Men and women in the Kingdom follow their natural Divinely-ordained gender roles. If anything, our men are oppressed because they have to support their wives, who get to stay home all day.

We also need to clarify that we do not impose many of our laws on foreigners unless they choose to seek citizenship. Visitors and foreign residents operate largely as autonomous communities without being subjected to many of our morality laws. They aren't required to attend Church of Saintland services on Sundays and religious holidays. They can send their kids to schools that aren't run by the Church of Saintland. If anything, we've been too lenient with the foreign resident population.

[Southmount]

That we do not have equality, since the Christian Party is the leading party. This not true, and things such as gay marriage are legal. The christian party believes that the bible teaches love, not hate.

[United States of Raptors]

That we do not have equality, since the Christian Party is the leading party. This not true, and things such as gay marriage are legal. The christian party believes that the bible teaches love, not hate.

OOC: and you hate non-humans who may actually be just as docile as a great big sheepdog.

IC:

Common misconception about the USoR?

That Canis lupus sapietntis is actually a person who changes into a wolf. This is far from the truth, in fact they are just a species of wolf that quite literally choose to be house pets, guard dogs to be exact, the misconception arose when a foreigner broke into a house in New Talon City and encountered one of the species and somehow made it out alive.

[Roumelia]

The most common misconception is that we're conservative Muslims. While it's true that atheism is rare, Muslims in Rumelia generally have a liberal interpretation of their faith, distrust conservatives or symbols of conservative Islam, believe strongly in seperation of church and state and in some regions live alongside the Christian communities. Prostitution, incest, abortion and pornography are all legal, while homosexuality has been legal since the 19th century.

[The Whaltrean District]

The most common misconception is that the race of the citizens the "Whalabaloos" are savage, as they keep their previous oppressors as slaves.
When in reality we are not.

[United Bobtopia]

The notion that we're just a bunch of crazy cowboys, armed to the teeth and in a state of practical anarchy when it comes to personal freedoms.

In truth, only a small portion of us are cowboys.

The rest sounds pretty accurate.

[The Kangaroo Republic]

It's a common misconception that our court system is unreliable. Sure, the judge is a kangaroo, and so are the jury, but we swear, it's not a kangaroo court! Not in the figurative sense at least.

[Suidwes-Afrika]

Uitlanders rather naively decry us as neo-fascists, if not outright racialists. They also assume that Suidwes-Afrika is a parliamentary democracy which gives a damn about public opinion.

[The united imperial sector]

pepole of otheire nations make the misconception that the pepole of the united imperial sector are nazis this is not true however we are a nationalist facist goverment bent on world domination.

[South Aztlan]

Most people think we are weak

[Auzkhia]

Auzkhia is a theocracy
-No, just because you have a state religion doesn't make your country a theocracy. It is meaningless, The Holy Roman Empire is secular.
Auzkhia is an oppressive authoritarian regime
-Not true at all. While the federal government has strong autocratic leanings, we do allow elections in local and state governments. Actually Auzkhia is less authoritarian than some of than some neighboring country. Since people in the realm are called "Subjects" rather than "Citizens", Republicans are quick to label Auzkhia as oppressive or even backwards and this makes more uncomfortable when Republicanism is an outlawed ideology. Some foreigners say that we will fall and people will rule, no the Auzkhian subjects are happy with their extensive freedoms defended and provided by the federal government and the Monarchy.

[Benomia]

For some reason, people think that the people in Benomia are ready to revolt. It is required by law that every person own a handgun and assault rifle, and yet no one has revolted.
People love Benomia.

[Avaerilon]

"They're all Welsh in Avaerilon
False. Much of the population of Fereldan, one of our "Home Isles," are Celtic, and in-particular are of the same basic strain of DNA the Gauls and Britons come from. This makes this section of the population closely-related to the Welsh people, but not the same. The lingua-franca of Avaerilon is Brytoneg, which is practically the same as Welsh, but again, not the same.

"Damn communists!"
False. Avaerilon has a solvent, market economy. However, there are regulations in place to avoid excess and abuse.

"Imperialist-capitalist monarchist scum!"
False. Avaerilon does hold Overseas Territories, but these were founded in areas with no population already existing, on soil not claimed by an people. Avaerilon is classed as "capitalist," but lacks the socio-economic problems associated with said economic system, due to measures taken to protect people from corporate greed. While we do have a monarch, the position is elected, and the day-to-day running of the nation is done by Parliament.

"There's no such thing as dragons."
False. One's in my garden, setting fire to a small rose-bush right now.

"Since there's no crime,alcohol must be banned."
False. Avaerilon produces more beer than Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic combined, for one. Avaerilonians enjoy a drink, but are sensible and don't binge. It's just we're too well-educated and nice to go around committing crimes.

[Phocidaea]

There is a common misconception that people here are "hippies".

In reality, people here detest "hippies", and will be quick to inform you they are hardworking, socially restrained, and quite possibly armed.

[Calorax]

That, because we're Nordic, we're automatically cold and harsh people. Quite the opposite in fact.

That we're radically left wing. Calorax is a centrist country, and, when it comes to areas such as immigration, can be rather right wing. That doesn't take away from the fact that Calorax is still very liberal. That's true.

Although pagan culture and tradition is still practiced, this is more out of devotion to tradition rather than people actually believing pagan stories. A common misconception is that Calorax has a pagan plurality, which definitely isn't true.

[Confederate States 0f America]

It's a common misconception that the Confederate States 0f America still practices slavery.

Slavery was offically abolished in 1881...and the black population was Reduced during the 1930s-1940s.
True Story

It's a common misconception that the CSA was founded purely on slavery, hatred and bigotry.

[Frozen]

Everyone thinks we have an artic climate, when our climate and weather is similar to that of France

[Sauritican]

That we really hate capitalists: It's only partially true.
That we are a bunch of savage dinosaurs: We're more intelligent than some of the smartest humans.