🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan26.114023.28748@adobe.com> cjackson@adobe.com (Curtis Jackson) writes:
>
>Americans look at other countries and see things by which
>Americans are not constrained:
>
>Official state religions

This Canadian now living in the US feels that US natives are much
less free in the matter of religion.  It is strongly encouraged in
Texas society to go to a Christian church - and didn't a former
president opine that atheists couldn't be true citizens?

On the other hand, schools are much less likely to include anything
that vaguely comes from religion - no Christmas carols, for example.
Seems kind of sad to me.

>Mandatory government/military service

I was a Canadian college student in the 60s.  Vietnam, remember?

>Mandatory separation of college-bound vs. trade-bound students
>in the early/mid teenage years

On the other hand, the children of the ghetto have no chance at
college much earlier than that.

>That kind of personal (and national) power breeds arrogance and
>contempt.

I venture to suggest it's not power that breeds arrogance, but
ignorance.  Americans know theirs is the best country in the
world, and refuse to see any evidence to the contrary.

In fact, countries are even more individual than their inhabitants.
There isn't one that is better in all ways than all others.

Pam.