Well, of course there ARE differences. Of course the best way to overcome those differences is tolerance, respect and understanding. But isn't it the difference, the diversity and variety that adds flavour to our lives?
Cultural or socialogical differences do not necessarily have to be born by country-borders. We, as humans, tend to restrict and limit ourselves, and to a certain extent we all imprison our minds and close our hearts towards the strange and the unknown.
It is said that what we don't know frightens us. We strive to defeat what frightens us and long to prevail. Not always is the threat a reasonable one, and in fact it often happens that we react with aggression where we should have shown interest and understanding.
Variety is everyhwere - there is not only a difference between the manifold cultures that populate this planet, there is also a difference between the persons in one area, in one state, even in one street. Some are blonde, some are redheads, some black like the night, some male, some female, some old and some young, some educated and some workers, some happy and some sad, some liberal and some conservative, some religious and some atheist...and so on. As a matter of course we are living with these differences every day, and we do not even think about them regularily.
So, is it generalizing if we try to point out the more specific cultural aspects of our mother country? Yes, of course it is. Still I think that every country, or maybe better every region, has its own customs and cultural aspects. Not everyone in this country might live after them, not everyone might like them, but the difference still is there (and I say that without wanting to judge, just like Alrik said.)
I personally find it interesting to hear how people from other "cultural regions" handle the same things, or different ones. I think that one can learn a lot of customs not the own, and am totally convinced that a "cultural" influence from other countries, nations or regions can never be bad. I might not agree with the more common views there (and I do not agree with most of the common views here), but I get the chance to deal with the subject of...well, variety.
As much as discrimination is a bad thing, as good is an open, friendly dialogue. Therefore I don't think that keeping away your hands from every little generalization is possible - and although those topics are always built on very thin ice I am still convinced that something productive and interesting can blossom out of it.
Well, that's my two cents (and since we got the Euro they are so damn hard to find!)! *throws around some flowers for no obvious reason*
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