To US students Beethoven's a dog, Michelangelo a virus

[pleasureboy]

Such figures are usually quite publicly available.

 

[superbot]

Sure you guys 'pay' (I've spent years paying into those same systems over there) but much of these services are heavily subsidized by the government and not in an amount equivalent to the added taxes paid. I truly doubt most Europeans could afford to live if they had to pay the same amounts for all this stuff that Americans do.

Do I think it's a good system on our side? Absolutely not! Europeans have a a much higher potential for enjoying life. And let's face it, it's almost impossible to starve to death or be homeless (unless by choice) in most of the EU. In the US, most people are one small illness, traffic accident, or missed paycheck away from total irreparable economic ruin. Yes, it's a truly sad situation that the most capable, richest, and most innovative country on earth has such a poor system of social justice.

But, when I spend decades hearing how 'Americans never travel" or "Americans don't speak other languages" or "Americans never bother to see the world" and those people never account for the very different nature of the two societies and how most Americans can work their entire lives and never be able to afford to (truly afford with money, not choose not to) leave the country, it's just a sad set of ignorant assumptions on the part of European critics.

So within the context of this thread, the fact that most Americans DO learn a foreign language even with the knowledge that they will likely never get the chance to actually use it, should be lauded and is to me much more a sign of an interest in the world than having to learn a language because the country next door speaks it and you have to use that language for business or travel.

And, one final thing, America DOES do society. They do it far more than Europeans do, they just do it differently. Sure they have this misguided ideal that the government shouldn't do things that most governments do. BUT, no people on earth give more of their time and money to charities than Americans do. Americans do do society, they just believe helping others is something people themselves should do, and instead of protesting for their government to do something, they actually get out their pocketbooks and write a check out of their own accounts. I very rarely saw this to even remotely the same scale in Europe. And even if you look at governments, the US gives more money to development and relief funds every year than all other countries on earth combined. Heck of a way not to 'do society'.

If America does society the how come half the country is 'screaming it's tits off' in rage about contributing to a form of national health care?... We in the UK have had ours for nearly 70 years.We also get 4-6 wks paid annual leave.All of which has got nothing to do giving money to overseas disaster finds,different arguement altogether

 

[pleasureboy]

Yeah and every year half the UK is also screaming its tits of wanting to abolish the NHS too. There's no reason for this to become an anti-america thread, but believe me, for every usual criticism you guys can give to the US, we can generally just hold up a mirror for you to see the same crap happening at home.

 

[superbot]

Yeah and every year half the UK is also screaming its tits of wanting to abolish the NHS too. There's no reason for this to become an anti-america thread, but believe me, for every usual criticism you guys can give to the US, we can generally just hold up a mirror for you to see the same crap happening at home.

Half the UK wanting to get rid of the NHS,where the hell did you get that statistic from? The NHS costs each individual pennies by comparison to you own 'credit card on a stretcher system!'...I can assure you that each and every Briton would fight tooth and nail to keep it.And why might I ask does this make the comparison anti American? Something to do with an inferiority complex perhaps??!! Besides you didn't answer the last question?!!!

 

[Rikter8]

The US education system is in the ditch.
Unless your ivory league, your out.

For the rest of us.. "I Like money"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZHCVyllnck

 

[B_VinylBoy]

"Idiocracy" references! WOO HOO!! :biggrin:
Kinda scary how relevant a stoner flick can be sometimes, eh?