if Japanese people think something it HAS to be true.. otherwise Godzilla will show up and punish everyone

__________________
Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

I agree -we do have lazy Americans, the ones who expect healthcare, social services and other goodies from the government..unless they are disabled, they must be lazy if they can't get their necessities themselves through hard work..

So those are exceptions from the exceptional nation? :-)
Mike, I like you Godzilla argument. :-)

The reason I don't feel that American Exceptionalism should be flaunted around, is because it reminds me of parents telling everyone that their child is great, or, rather, children telling everyone that their parents are the best. Which may be true, but should not be paraded.
I agree with Alexey, if taught in schools, it could create sense of entitlement. As valid as it is, it should be limited to studying on scholastic level (in a true meaning of the word "scholastic").
As per Frenchman's observations of 200 years ago, it reminded me of the document that someone dug up in the Historical Archive of Kiev when I worked there 22 years ago. Another Frenchman visited Ukraine 250 years ago and described traditions, culture and even climate in completely sensationalistic, untruthful way. You can't take every Frenchman's impressions at token value.

__________________
Хочу лето (или нормальную зиму)

"There is indeed a third-generation decline in educational attainment. The third-generation decline phenomenon among Asian students and adults is in part associated with what I call blind-assimiliation into the prevailing norm and value of educational achievement in America. That is, third- or higher-generation Asians often accept the American norm that as long as they try, it will be acceptable even if they do not reach a higher level of education, whereas many Asians who grow up in an immigrant family believe that if they try harder, they can do better."

********books.google.com/books?id=5PSYZMs8TzEC&pg=PA298&lpg=PA298&dq=%22thi rd+generation+decline%22&source=bl&ots=IZGyUTmNtg& sig=jeDBkZ0bCB-ieBmkZCQUP2MAf3U&hl=en&ei=s1OiS6zGH4X7lwfd_cyGCQ&s a=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBAQ6AE wAw#v=onepage&q=%22third%20generation%20decline%22 &f=true

hmm..pardon my ignorance but I missed the whole point on feeling entitled...entitled to what??
and the comparison to a child doesn't fly - than it's rather to a great grandpa...so now we are supposed to keep it a secret from a grandson that his ancestor was a hero and a pioneer because his friends' grandparents were not?? kinda like no one loses..(ch)
dunno who came to Ukraine and why, but to me that observation sounds about right..even explains the differences in mentalities among nations even today..so it's very education from my perspective..

"is because it reminds me of parents telling everyone that their childis great, or, rather, children telling everyone that their parents arethe best"
- or,in other words, like in Lake Wobegon - "where all women are strong, all men are good looking,and all children are above average" ( thank you, Garrison Keillor for enriching the American culture with this concept of illusory superiority!)

__________________
Happy New Year to all! Virtual hugs!

This is an excerpt from Richard Lowry and Ramesh Ponnuru's piece "An exceptional Debate"
What do we, as American conservatives, want to conserve? Theanswer is simple: the pillars of American exceptionalism. Our countryhas always been exceptional. It is freer, more individualistic, moredemocratic, and more open and dynamic than any other nation on earth.These qualities are the bequest of our Founding and of our culturalheritage. They have always marked America as special, with a uniquerole and mission in the world: as a model of ordered liberty andself-government and as an exemplar of freedom and a vindicator of it,through persuasion when possible and force of arms when absolutelynecessary.

Liberty is the most important element of the creed. To secure it, the Founders set about strictly limiting government within carefully specified bounds.Im*mediately upon the collapse of British government in America, thestates drew up written constitutions and neutered their executives.They went as far as they could possibly go to tame the government —indeed, they went farther, and had to start over to get a functioningstate. But even this second try produced a Constitution thatconcentrated as much on what government could not do as on what itcould.
The Founders knew what men were capable of, in the positive senseif their creative energies were unleashed and in the negative sense ifthey were given untrammeled power over others.

I guess that's why I strongly support our kids being educated in different districts..I want my kids to understand the unique and exceptional place America holds in the World, understand what exactly makes it unique, treasure it and try to conserve the foundations of freedom..
btw, another educational article..
********newledger.com/2009/05/american-exceptionalism-and-its-enemies/