“you don’t get it, the usa is a fascist country full of government propaganda, and our rights as women and queer people are constantly attacked!! you have no idea what that’s like!!” i’m hungarian 👍
the brave oppressed american says under a post literally written by people from other countries. you don’t have access to it? you don’t have access to the information by the foreigners you’re currently whining about because they’re being too mean to you? on the world wide web?
you’re not going to get put on a list and disappeared for the crime of knowing mexico has cities. like get some fucking perspective.
I’m sorry did that person like. Not attend US public school?? We literally learn world history babe. It’s impossible to learn even US history without learning about at least one other country!
I LITERALLY had to take 2 years of a foreign language in high school. It was a graduation requirement. I took French. When I got to college, for fun I took Japanese. In my art history class we learned about cultures from all over the world through art. In a class called The Anthropology of Food, I learned about all kinds of world cultures through the food they ate. Hell, one time I took a whole course just about Ancient Rome from the POV of Roman women and children.
None of this was illegal.
Methinks someone just didn’t pay attention in school if they think none of this is taught.
Also, our news is full of international stories. There’s whole columns and pages for it. It’s very easy to access and legal to do so. I can easily turn on the TV or go watch a movie (even American made ones) that feature other countries. I can go to the library and read books about other countries.
Does this person perhaps not actually live in our universe?
If we’re being honest, there is a real possibility that the person from the tags didn’t understand that just because something is explained to them in English doesn’t mean it’s US American centric. This person could have had assignments based around Pride and Prejudice or William Shakespeare or any other non-USA based topics and legitimately not have realized that because the book/lesson was translated into a form of English familiar to them. That book/lesson won’t be “foreign” to them because with the US-centric approach, “everything in English must be ours.”
Somehow, people have the same US-centric view with these mandatory foreign language classes too. Whether it’s English, math, history, or an elective class, “Why do I have to learn this?” or “What am I going to use this for?” are common questions and they are both asked every time a new topic is introduced. In almost every class, there will at least be one student that refuses to pay attention to lessons and won’t do the classwork or homework because they can’t see past their own narrow view points. You could have the teacher explain why this topic is important every class but the same people will still insist that they don’t know anything.
Another big reason for the “I wasn’t taught this” narrative is that a lot of people are willing to say “I wasn’t taught this” but won’t go a step further to say “I can learn this now.” It’s like learned helplessness and victim mentality decided to have a baby but they’re both rabbits so they breed like crazy. Also, notice how it’s not “I don’t know this.” The phrasing “I wasn’t taught this” continues to push the blame towards some other group as if they don’t have better access to education now.
Just a reminder-You don’t and won’t ever know everything, but way too many people are uncomfortable with admitting to not knowing something and choosing to be equally as comfortable continuing to not know. I’m not saying you need to be an expert on every country, but not being able to understand that there is a world outside of the bubble we live in is being willfully blind to reality.
And, yes I know that all US schools aren’t equal and education standards can change by state/city/county/district/etc. And no, every student that struggles in school isn’t a “bad” student. You can struggle to learn something, never retain the knowledge, and still be putting in the effort. But you can tell which students are serious about learning and applying those lessons to life.
