Re: Cultural Differences
Okay I was really put off by how insensitively the good traits were disregarded so I didn't really feel like touching on any of the other points raised in this thread because I didn't feel it would be of any use. But that may be mistaken as me or others brushing the negative traits under the rug so let me clarify this isn't the case. I'll briefly comment on a few different things just before I hit the bed.
Litter: I thought we were talking about culture, ye litter kahan se aa gaya beech mein but no doubt this is an issue. Safayi nisf imaan hai, hygiene is an important part of our religion, and yes people back home do litter. On top of that, the local authorities aren't helping. Sometimes people have no option but to create their own dump sites leading to pollution, diseases and whatnot. Yeh tau har developing country ka issue hai, is it not?
"I do not know what conflict there is for the average Pakistani".... Either you need to watch the news dude or you don't know who an average Pakistani is. Over 60% of Pakistan's population lives on under $2 a day and over 20% on under $1 a day. And I can provide a reference for that, I'm not just going to pull my own statistics out of thin air and say 90% condone bribery. :/
"A typical Pakistani wouldn't think twice before bribing an official".... It's not bribery and sifarish I'm refuting, it's how you've accused every Pakistani, including those typical Pakistani residents present with us here on GS, of being corrupt. You've only "met numerous Pakistanis" and hence this generalization of yours must be accurate? Honestly, do you not see how angry the Pakistani public is at the corrupt lot, be it the exposed media personnel or the PM, because its the public who's having to pay the price and not the wrongdoers?
"They don't really respect laws".... They could do themselves a huge favour by learning how to queue up or respecting the traffic laws etc. But military kahan se aa gai? If everyone in the developed world respected the law, their prisons wouldn't be overcrowded so much so that they'd be forced to let some prisoners go early. I'd like to see how civilized those societies remain without the law enforcement authorities and the justice system. Of course we all fear the consequences, the "pulas", hence we behave!
Himalaya, might as well have gone for 100% instead of over 90% lol. But what's interesting is that you left Punjabis out when speaking of hospitable people. Is it because you've never been to Punjab? I've lived in and been to no other area of Pakistan but Punjab so whatever positive image of the people I have in my mind is because of my interaction with the Punjabi people who literally embarrass you by treating you like you're some king, that's how hospitable they are. But let us not get into the punjabi/sindhi/pashto divisions, sub Pakistani he tau hain.
Lastly, about the original topic of cultural differences, what the OP is referring to are not cultural traditions of some sort but actually political and socio-economical issues like I said in my first post. And these are the issues facing all developing nations... poverty, corruption, bribery. injustice, poor road structure, poor training of civil servants etc etc.... is mein specifically Pakistani culture kahan hai, I don't understand.
nevermind... not much different than sachaydino and anwar pasha in that regard. :p