Later Flex and Firms Flex and Firms. This is the Flex and Firms catch up podcast. Can you imagine getting your citizenship denied for being too annoying? Listen to this TikTok from Kevin Newan forty six.
Did you know that Dutch woman was once denied a Swiss citizenship for being too annoying? And this is because in Switzerland, naturalization is not decided at a federal level like it is in the US, but instead decided by the town, city, or the local area, and her town ided not to give her the gift of a passport because of how vocal she is about her lifestyle. For example, many people in our town see her as a vocal
beacon who opposes many Swiss traditions. For example, she's vocal about opposing the Swiss tradition of putting bells around cows for ceremonial and practical reasons. For example, back in twenty fifteen, her application for naturalization was approved by local officials but then rejected by a vote, and many people rejected her application because of her criticism of the bell as well as her disrespect to the village.
When you hear like that, it actually kind of makes a little bit of sense. Yes, in theory, her citizenship wasn't denied because she was annoying. But if to be a Swiss citizen, you must be compliant, and you must be celebratory in Swiss values, and you must uphold Swiss culture, and you don't do that. I can imagine while why some people be like, why do you want to be here so badly? What do you want to be? You can just hang out here like you're doing. Why do
you want to be a citizen? It's interesting though, because I feel like a lot of people who are natives to the country that they are born in, or they were considered native because they were born here, don't consider the hoops people have to jump through to be considered citizens. I remember when my mum became a citizen. I was in primary school and I didn't understand the concept number one because I was like, I'm from here, aren't you
from here? No? And you could imagine being a parent having children in a society in a country and you being the one who's like, you can't stay here, but they can. How would that even work? I couldn't really think, like the thing that made this make the most sense to me right, is imagine the whole world for apart. Right, all the structures, all the systems that be no longer exist, and you and I are in charge of building a new world from scratch. And thankfully you and I have
access to a few buildings. You know, we stole a few suitcases and luggage with medicines. We've got a bit of that going. And you can cook and I can lead. Now we've got people. It makes sense, it makes sense. Let's get you on the tools. So now we have people who want to join, right, who want to have access to what we have access to, who want to share what we have, but they hate us, and they're not really a big fan of your cooking, and they
don't really like what I believe in. Then you'd be like, why do you only want to why do you want to be here? Just be on the fringes. Anyway, the contradictions are rife because it really isn't that simple. And realistically, if someone's contributing to your economy, if they've been there for years and years and years, they should be entitled to the same perks. But then I was thinking, gosh, what does it take to become an Australian citizen. Really
what would it take? And I know there's a huge test you have to do, like a really really long one. Could we do it? If they said to us, if you do not get an A plus A one hundred percent on this test, your citizenship is revoked. Could you do it? Let's see, I want to find out all right, to pass the test, you must answer the following twenty multiple choice questions, answer all five of the Australian Values questions correctly and get a mark of at least seventy
five percent overall. Give me the values. That's what I want to see. Do you want to say? Okay, let's start with question number one. What do we commemorate on Antac Day A The landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli, the arrival of the first free settlers from Great Britain, the landing of the first fleet at Sydney Cove. It's giving me away, Yeah, yeah, thank you. What are the colors of the Australian Aboriginal
flag yellow, red, black period? What is the Commonwealth coat arms? A kangaroo and an emi? No? The national anthem Australian's National flower the official symbol of Australia, which identifies Commonwealth property?
Yeah? Number three?
Do we know that? Which identifies Commonwealth property in the animal's property? Oh? I understand, like when a product's Australian. What happened in Australia On the first of January nineteen oh one, the Australian Constitution was changed by referendum. The separate colonies were united into a federation of states called the Commonwealth of Australia. The Australian New Zealand Army Corps was formed. It's baby, Come on, Australiana. What is the
capital city of Australia? Camera crazy? If I mean still, I think we're kind of eaten. Which of these is an example of equality in Australia. Everyone follows the same religion, men and women have equal rights. Everyone belongs to the same political party. Be in theory? Why not people? Okay, last one. It's not the last one of the practice test, but I'm sure we're nailing it. And what is the name of the legal document that sets out the basic
rules for the government of Australia. Bored? I'm gonna say we passed, but I'm also going to say this is My issue with any kind of like theory. It's all theoretical and conceptual, and I don't think that anything any of this is really going to help someone assimilate into Australian culture, if anything's going to confuse them A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot like too much. It's a setup. It's a setup conspiracy. You've been listening to
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