America vs. the World
Aug. 31st, 2010 01:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apple_pathwaysI really need to stop reading Anon memes. *slaps own wrist*
The one I've been reading lately has run out of fandom wank to talk about, and it's now GrudgeMatch 2010: U.S. vs. THEM! I haven't read most of the hatestorm on there, but I did start (innocently) reading a thread wherein someone (I suppose innocently) asked what everyone thinks about people who went to Oxford or Cambridge. At first, the replies were along the lines of: "I don't care where they went to uni" or "Most people from Oxbridge are dicks but some of them are OK."
Then someone compared the American university system to the sixth form in the UK, and all hell broke loose: Americans defending our education system (while simultaneously denigrating other education systems) and everyone else (mostly British) slamming the American system in snide and irritating ways. There's a handful of people trying to have a reasonable debate (contrast and compare: this is better because, this is worse because), but they're naturally drowned out by the chorus of lunatics.
I was tempted to reply several times, on each side of the debate: it's demonstrably accurate to say that the U.S. system of education falls far behind those of other countries. On the other hand, you can't paint the entire country with the same brush, as we don't really have national standards and our education is controlled by local governments (part of the problem), so there are many amazing U.S. schools out there. Despite the flaws in our system, the U.S. does still manage to churn out important research, technology, innovation, art, etc.
I held back and didn't say anything, though. Why bother? I don't want to be associated with the obnoxious Americans who root for our country as if it were a sports team, nor do I want to be associated with the apologists who insist the first group is "making us look bad" and "THIS IS WHY THE REST OF THE WORLD HATES US!"
The rest of the world doesn't hate us! (Well, in general; specific countries/people hate us.) The rest of the world has opinions about how we behave and use our influence on other countries and economies. They have opinions about how we use our military, it being the largest in the world. The rest of the world would like to be able to engage us in intelligent negotiation and debate as if we were a nation of FRICKIN' ADULTS.
By and large, I think we are a nation of Frickin' Adults (how's that for a quote?); I just wish all of the discussion and debate wouldn't skew towards the shoutiest people with the most extreme opinions.
The one I've been reading lately has run out of fandom wank to talk about, and it's now GrudgeMatch 2010: U.S. vs. THEM! I haven't read most of the hatestorm on there, but I did start (innocently) reading a thread wherein someone (I suppose innocently) asked what everyone thinks about people who went to Oxford or Cambridge. At first, the replies were along the lines of: "I don't care where they went to uni" or "Most people from Oxbridge are dicks but some of them are OK."
Then someone compared the American university system to the sixth form in the UK, and all hell broke loose: Americans defending our education system (while simultaneously denigrating other education systems) and everyone else (mostly British) slamming the American system in snide and irritating ways. There's a handful of people trying to have a reasonable debate (contrast and compare: this is better because, this is worse because), but they're naturally drowned out by the chorus of lunatics.
I was tempted to reply several times, on each side of the debate: it's demonstrably accurate to say that the U.S. system of education falls far behind those of other countries. On the other hand, you can't paint the entire country with the same brush, as we don't really have national standards and our education is controlled by local governments (part of the problem), so there are many amazing U.S. schools out there. Despite the flaws in our system, the U.S. does still manage to churn out important research, technology, innovation, art, etc.
I held back and didn't say anything, though. Why bother? I don't want to be associated with the obnoxious Americans who root for our country as if it were a sports team, nor do I want to be associated with the apologists who insist the first group is "making us look bad" and "THIS IS WHY THE REST OF THE WORLD HATES US!"
The rest of the world doesn't hate us! (Well, in general; specific countries/people hate us.) The rest of the world has opinions about how we behave and use our influence on other countries and economies. They have opinions about how we use our military, it being the largest in the world. The rest of the world would like to be able to engage us in intelligent negotiation and debate as if we were a nation of FRICKIN' ADULTS.
By and large, I think we are a nation of Frickin' Adults (how's that for a quote?); I just wish all of the discussion and debate wouldn't skew towards the shoutiest people with the most extreme opinions.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 09:41 am (UTC)I think that's the sort of thing that's true in any field. There are various issues within the UK where it might be nice to have a reasoned debate but the tabloid newspapers are so busy shouting about one angle of it that it's difficult to get people to think rationally about it.