Why do Americans think they have freedom of speech?
I'm Mexican, and I teach English in a Mexican university. A lot of my students watch a lot of Netflix and YouTube. They have a very good idea if what American culture is about. I've taught many groups of students. Whenever we discuss about American ideals such as Freedom of Speech, my students usually laugh in disagreement. Even people living in Mexico have realized that Political Correctness has killed Freedom of Speech. A lot of people, including myself, believe we have more freedom of speech in Mexico. We can discuss here in the university, the stupidity of American political correctness. Americans can't do that in an American university. That would be politically incorrect. Why do Americans think they have freedom of speech?
Why can't I be who I want to be in America?
As children, we are taught with enough hard-work you can work at any job you want and be successful. I don't think that's true. For example: I'd love to be a florist or a cashier at an ice-cream shop. I asked my parents and they said that's a horrible idea. Those positions get paid minimum-wage without benefits. What gives? Why can't I be who I want to be in this supposedly richest nation on Earth?
Why do some Americans think America has to be the best in the world?
I think there are a few contributing factors. We're really kind of indoctrinated from a very early age to believe that. We recite the pledge every day, they tell us rather one-sided versions of our nation's history, often glossing over the worst parts of our atrocities, we're constantly told stories (both in school and in the media) about American heroes who preserved our way of life (as though we have it patented) and about the American Dream and really kind of led to believe that everyone in every other country in the world would rather be American — and we and the few immigrants we take are the lucky ones. If you grow up believing that, it's hard to wrap your head around the fact that Great Britain didn't fall into utter devastation when won our independence, that we did not, in fact, defeat the Nazis single-handedly or that we really aren't the only ones who live "in a free country." When you add to that how utterly uneducated some of us are about how our own country works, much less what's going on in other countries, you have a recipe for uneducated opinions about how awesome we really are on the sliding scale. Don't get me wrong, America is freaking awesome, it's just that we do need to understand that we're ages behind other countries in certain areas.I think it's also important to remember that we have a lot of people who don't have Internet access — either by choice because they don't care/don't know how to use it or because they can't afford it (or the devices one would use to search it), which is an invaluable tool for getting information that isn't disseminated to the lens of being American.And our relative isolation can't be discounted. Sometimes the only exposure we have to other places is what we see on TV (for better or worse) or the Internet (which isn't always accurate if we're getting it from U.S. sources) and I don't care how smart or open-minded you are, it's going to color what you would otherwise think. Europeans are very lucky in that way. Most Americans can't actually rectify that situation because it's a very expensive plane trip to do so. The Internet is helping because now we have the input from those who actually live there, but you do have to give it time. Things won't change overnight. We still have people who are attached to the Confederate flag.
Isn't North American geography taught in US schools?
They don't teach geography like they used to in US schools. If you are in a foreign country, it is likely you know more about geography than many elementary and high school students, probably many college students too in the US. Don't be surprised. 8:30 to 9:30 am start time and classes ending between 2:30 and 3:00 pm. Add recess, lunch, and bathroom breaks and what's left to study on.
How is the American Revolution taught in British schools?
from my experience, we're not taught about it. its definately not taught at primary school (5-11) and in the 3 years of high school when history is compulsary, we aren't taught it either. i am taking history for my GSCE's, and its not part of the course. maybe it varies on the school, but i doubt it, and my school is pretty good anyways. britain has a much longer history than america, and we first and foremost get taught about british history (save for ancient civilisations such as the egyptians.) after that, we're taught about thiings that influenced our country more, such as the world wars (so life of hitler, etc.) i dont know anything about the american revolution, but im gonna guess that it didnt have much effect on british history? as for benedict arnold - benedict who? ask an english teenager (or even adult) who he is, and we wouldnt have a clue who you're talking about