Nutek

A good dose of Grange Hill is what they need I tell ya!

SultanOfSwing

That's what I meant. That and Byker Grove, it were right gritty too, like.

Sally Redux

90210 has given my daughter a very skewed idea of how the world works (I know it's not Nickelodeon but the natural progression).

Giantaxe

That's way too much of a generalization. There are many really cool areas of Oakland, especially in the hills, Rockridge, Montclair etc. Oakland certainly has horrible issues, but to tar it all with the same brush is a mistake.

kimilseung

Yes I can see that. Nickelodeon for bigger kids.

HumphreyC

I'll stick up for the pledge of allegiance. My wife is a teacher who has to recite it every day and has a renewed appreciation for it having lived abroad for so long. I mean you can call it brainwashing but the fact is that nations need these types of rituals to bind people of disparate identities together. You have them in every society - some subtle and some not. Case in point, look how hyped up everyone was over the Jubilee. A bunch of people paying a not insubstantial amount of money in taxes to watch a granny ride a bunch of boats in the pouring rain. But people felt great about it because for those days we felt like a nation. Sure the kids mostly hate it, and the 'under God' part shouldn't be in there, but it is one of those things that help build an American identity out of a nation of immigrants.

HumphreyC

Well - the Empire was in many ways a terrible thing for all sorts of people (famines in Ireland/Bengal, the slave trade, the opium wars, playing ethnic and religious groups off against one another) - but that's a massively one sided view. Bad history teaching in my opinion (did we f-k up New Zealand, Canada & Australia?)

md95065

OK

No, she doesn't!

Apparently the brainwashing is working ...

You don't really believe that do you?

Sally Redux

The native peoples would probably say yes.

kimilseung

and that was one of Bellamy's objectives, to drive a wedge between one generation and another. Anti-family for the greater good.

God I hate that pledge. (none to pleased with the Jubilee either)

kimilseung

Anyway, todays Least favourite thing in the US is.....

Open sewers.

Egon

Well yes but that's kind of the point people are making here - it's been a long time since the British Empire was taught as a good thing in British schools. Even recent proposals to start teaching some of the good things Britain has given the world was shouted down (though admittedly I read the Guardian coverage for my sins)

Contrast that to how American history and identity is frequently taught and perceived here - that's where the annoyance is.

kimilseung

I am shocked that this view still exists. A bit like me moaning about a burglar and the burglar saying, "Ah but that's just one side of the story, what about me helping to highlight the weaknesses in your security system, and I bet you had been wanting to throw a lot of that stuff out for ages, but you just could not bring yourself to do it; and don't you feel free of the clutches of 'things' now? Come on, admit it, I helped you out"
"Bad history teaching" ? Jesus f**king christ.

dlake02

Errr - YES WE DID !!!

Been to "Ayers Rock" have we ? The original inhabitants are none-too impressed with what we did to them in any of those locations. It's taken a VERY long time for us to say "sorry."

I think that is a fundamental character difference between the US and Europe. I don't have any need to shout about MY/OUR achievements. Frankly it is bad form to self-publicise, and just makes you look like a boasting Mr Richard Head. "Look at me, look at me, look at me !!!!"

But to point out where things are wrong and force/embarrass people into doing what they are paid to do; no problem at all. Otherwise you lapse into a self-congratulatory comotose state.

Cape Blue

If we hadn't duffed the natives up and taken their country, things would be a disaster in these places - either they would still be throwing spears at each other and boiling up grandma in the pot, or the country would be a province of China with all the freedoms that entails. They should be thanking the Brits on a daily basis for civilising and protecting them.