Giantaxe

I always say western Europeans who come to California must think they've gone to a third-world country when they see the state of infrastructure here.

SultanOfSwing

Plus, I went to school in Northern Ireland. Different education board, different curriculum. I was probably making an incorrect generalisation myself.

Sally Redux

I loved history

dlake02

OMG !

I was watching old Blackadder ("BOB") (and Father Ted) last night.

Oh yes - THAT'S the other thing that's missing here. The Ability To Laugh At Yourself.

SultanOfSwing

Me too. I liked geography as well until we got the noncey, pervy teacher in third year, so I stuck with history for GCSE. I'll always remember my teacher's last word to me before the holidays after 5th year when my choice of A-levels (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology) confirmed to him how mad he though I was

We watched the episode Private Plane quite a bit during our WW1 lessons ...

Sally Redux

I carried on to university doing joint honours German/history, after the first year I found it too bloody hard though and switched to just German.

dlake02

Yes - the place is falling apart. But, that's FINE ! The UK has been falling apart for YEARS and we've moaned and groaned at our politicians, accepted people coming in and saying "Why do you not have X, Y, Z" (usually agreed with them) and listened to how they do things in THEIR country. And WOW I've enjoyed SNCF and DB over the years. Caltrain anyone ??? I think they built the trains out of the corrugated iron roof on my granny's lean-to from 1970.

DON'T turn round and ignore the dilapidation by replying "this is the greatest place on earth" and think that excuses everything !

kimilseung

I did have a great Geography teacher, and while his curriculum was very narrow; he was experienced enough to predict what would be tested, He stuck with a very limited spectrum and made sure we knew it; we then more or less messed around for two years. but what he did teach, he did with enthusiasm and conveyed a love of the subject.
I never did A'Levels.

Sally Redux

There is theoretically a train that my son could use to get back from college, great I thought, turns out it's some sort of single-track thing that winds its way down the coast with an erratic timetable and long layovers, so no-one uses it.

Nothing can stand in the way of the almighty car and its 'freedom'.

Sally Redux

Something I think was really great in my day was that the teachers covered a wide variety of subjects and only fleetingly referred to what might come up in exams. It was considered rather bad form to buy those study guides and try to predict what would come up. I notice my daughter will try to work out what will come up on the test and just learn that. I think she's missing out.

ian-mstm

Bzzzt... wrong! The primary role of the state is to protect it's people from within (police, fire, etc) and from without (army, etc).

If you truly believe what you wrote, then you're nothing more than a communist.

One of the ways I measure my success is that the guy on the next street lives in abject poverty! I'm doing great by comparison... and I don't much care how he lives.

Ian

dlake02

Nope - disagree. There are PLENTY of states that exist without a military, or with less militaristic civil defence. The police exist to enforce the laws set by the government - the goals of the government are set by the people. "Protecting from within" has a nasty Kafka-esque ring to it, quite frankly.

I think the French mantra "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" sums it up nicely - the state exists to PROTECT those three things, but there is a balance between all three. You cannot have unbridled liberty if it breeds inequality because we are all "brothers." Likewise, over-bearing kinship cannot lead to denial of equality or someone else's liberties.

That seems to be very much the model that most European states have adhered to post WW2.

As for being a communist, I do not believe in the ownership of all goods and services by the state as a communist would. Neither do I believe in a totalitarian state as a communist would.

But I do believe that there are some things that are above simple market economics such as education and healthcare, and that as a society we need to work together to provide those and talk of money in those areas is demeaning. That probably makes me a socialist in the true European socialist model.

Well, I hope that you've never set foot in a church/temple then, because your minister/pastor/rabbi would have strong things to say about that attitude. Or at least should unless they are a total hypocrite......

dlake02

OK - that's the other thing I hate here. Why is everyone so quick to label everyone else ? Does no-one appreciate there are shades-of-grey in everything ?

Talk about judgmental....

kimilseung

there is nothing wrong with being a communist, at least you are not a liberal socialist. And I bet you were not born in Kenya.

dlake02

Hmm - those are the ones WITHOUT a spine or courage of their convictions, aren't they ?