A Small Rant...

This post is actually a little overdue.  One of the events that sparked it happened a couple of weeks ago...but better late than never, eh? 

What actually finally inspired me to do it was when one of my co-workers said that America is the greatest country in the world. 

Well, ok.  I'm all for patriotism...but how do you rate the "best" country?  And how can you say that if you've never lived anywhere else?  It seems that all of the people that are so quick to say it's the best don't really know much about any other culture...or can produce any solid reason as to why they think that way. 

My theory is that it's ingrained in our culture in an unflattering sort of way.  A little boy, no more than 7 or 8 met some of the Japanese students a couple of weeks ago.  After chatting with them for a few minutes, he innocently asked, "do you have pencils in Japan?" I could not believe what I had just heard.  I don't blame the boy by any means...I know that he was being perfectly serious.  But it made me think back to my own childhood.

 The idea that America is the most advanced, best, and richest country in the world is shoved down our throats the minute we hit school.  I remember thinking that America was the only country where women had rights...because that's exactly how it was presented to me.  Several female presidents are currently in power in Europe and South America.  And guess which country has never had a female president? 

You guessed it. 

This young boy actually seemed to believe that other countries were so low tech that they couldn't figure out how to make a pencil.

And who makes most of the most advanced electronics and cars in the world?

Japan.

I don't despise America or anything, but being around another culture makes me realize how arrogant Americans can really be.  The ingrained sense of superiority and lack of respect for other countries and cultures really bothers me.  You can be proud of your country...but there is a big difference between patriotism and ignorance.