NationStates Jolt Archive

Yesterday in my Adv English class we continued reading the classic Jane Austen novel, Emma. We read this in accompanyment with it's appropriation Clueless. As we began to talk of American satire, I noticed my teacher's notable habit of generalizing America. By the end of the lesson we "learnt" that the typical American has a mindset of "With or against" in everything right down to eating habits, that NBC sent a reporter to interview Jane Austen (ah ha ha!), that American teenagers go to such poor schooling systems they are not aware of where the Middle East is, that when a student laughed at the line "No one would ever want to shoot the president" in a movie her host family didn't talk to her for a week, and that finally most of AMerica didn't realise Clueless is a satire of America. I mean, by the end it sounded like the school system there is third world? Why is America looked upon as such a low-brow, unintelligent mass, and what's up with it's exaggerated patritism? Are people there so insecure about their choices they feel the need to put 5 flags on their driveway at all times?

The things you hear in the news are atypical, almost by definition. That's why they're in the news. I remember reading a story a while back about a German couple that was having trouble conceiving because they weren't having sex. If that's what a typical German is like, we won't have to deal with them very much longer.

Honestly, that's kind of far from the truth. While it's true that our school system is rather degraded, it's not anywhere near that degraded at all.

The things you hear in the news are atypical, almost by definition. That's why they're in the news. I remember reading a story a while back about a German couple that was having trouble conceiving because they weren't having sex. If that's what a typical German is like, we won't have to deal with them very much longer.

Bah ha now thats funny. It just seems America not only has this culture but puts it up on a pedestal and says there a bench mark. For such a powerhouse country, why is it you can't make your schools work. Or is to much money put into making bombs n crap?

Though you are being mildly insulting, you're also correct. Approximately only 9% of our national budget goes into education. It's completely ridiculous, in my mind. I believe the budget should be quadrupled at the very least.

Though you are being mildly insulting, you're also correct. Approximately only 9% of our national budget goes into education. It's completely ridiculous, in my mind. I believe the budget should be quadrupled at the very least.

9%, wow thats awful, so which party supports schooling more?

Democrats. The Republicans want to decrease the funding because it's mildly socialistic to have a public education system, and a lot of Republicans are against anything socialistic. Completely idiotic in my mind, of course, but I'm not the one in power. >_>

Democrats. The Republicans want to decrease the funding because it's mildly socialistic to have a public education system, and a lot of Republicans are against anything socialistic. Completely idiotic in my mind, of course, but I'm not the one in power. >_>

Yeah we talked a bit on that too, how the uneducated can be in power. Even when we don't like our prime ministers (And have time and time again agreed to vote for a liar *ahem*) we know there smart in some aspects.

It's not so much that they're uneducated; it's that they're misguided. They point to things like the Soviet Union and say that that's why socialistic policies can never work. I point to the Soviet Union and say that it was simply a failed experiment. True socialism cannot be introduced in a matter of a few years; it must take place over the course of at least a century. I, for one, plan on going into politics to change things, to make America better. Education is top on my list.

It's not so much that they're uneducated; it's that they're misguided. They point to things like the Soviet Union and say that that's why socialistic policies can never work. I point to the Soviet Union and say that it was simply a failed experiment. True socialism cannot be introduced in a matter of a few years; it must take place over the course of at least a century. I, for one, plan on going into politics to change things, to make America better. Education is top on my list.

Wow, someone doing something. Never heard of that before. But like, Australia is not socialist, I think maybe we just fluke somethings to get it right lol. John Howard sits there throwin coins into a mug and every now and then he goes I GOT IT! I GOT A MANDATE!

Jeez all this talk of Mandates and they don't allow gay marriage lol *comedy drum sound*

Well...Australia is somewhat more socialist than the US is, as is much of Europe. It's a case of a moderate form that combines socialism with capitalism; the most clear examples of this are Sweden and the Netherlands. I just want to make America better; if it weren't for the fact that I care about it so much, I'd pack up and move to Canada.

It's a case of a moderate form that combines socialism with capitalism
That's the type of economic system that works best. Ideologue capitalists and socialists are stubborn and are not open to the concept that anything coming from the other side might actually be a good idea.

Bah ha now thats funny. It just seems America not only has this culture but puts it up on a pedestal and says there a bench mark. For such a powerhouse country, why is it you can't make your schools work. Or is to much money put into making bombs n crap?


america isn't a powerhouse any more, a few days ago there was this professor on the news who is a specialist in america. It seems that america is becoming one of the poorest western country's. And that if it keeps going at this rate america will be a third world country by 2060

america isn't a powerhouse any more, a few days ago there was this professor on the news who is a specialist in america. It seems that america is becoming one of the poorest western country's. And that if it keeps going at this rate america will be a third world country by 2060

What? Riiiight...I'm pretty sure I'm more of a 'specialist' on the subject of America.

Poorest? By that do you mean the second highest GDP per capita?

We Americans are so uneducated that we have no brilliant minds, or have never had any technological innovations! :rolleyes:

Education should be up to the states to fund. If they don't have enough money, allow gambling and use lottery money to finance education like many states already do.

BTW government throwing money at a problem never solved anything.