I dont generally find history interesting unless you throw in science (such as in my college class Intellectual US History) or you hear it from someone else that was there. Funny thing is, when you hear it from someone else, you will either do one of two things:
- Think that person has the wrong facts
- Think the history book is wrong
I remember someone some point in my life telling me that the Japanese history books had some things scratched out. I dont blame them. The US books probably have a bunch scratched out as well. Many things are explained in short...many MANY things. How many people know that Thomas Jefferson actually got to know his slaves? How many people know that he also wrote about Africans being more efficient in their work due to things like them not having to use the restroom as much (scientifically speaking, Africans retain water due to their native environment not being so water friendly. This is a hereditary trait much like how a person has pale eyes or a dog has short fur...all due to climate.) How many people thought that this could further feed racism? My history books talked about camps for the Japanese and others that looked Japanese, but it was only about a paragraph long. I imagine a Japanese book really touches on it much like how we really go on about Pear Harbor.
But Im not here to bag on anyone. I have another story. Yay for story time!
I have a lot of friends that are either first generation American or that were born outside of the US. I sort of befriended an older lady named Natalya and I love love LOVE her to death. She is possibly one of the nicest people I know. Anyway, Natalya came to the US from Russia probably around 5 years ago with two of her kids. She has a son and a daughter that still live in Russia. She grew up in the Soviet Union...oh yes she did. Of course it isnt the same Soviet Union we hear about in US history books though.
She told me that when she was little, everyone went to school and everyone was forced to keep up and learn (which is why today Russias literacy rate is extremely high. Even though the US requires children to go to school, were not as strict and our literacy rate is very low.) Nobody was poor but nobody was rich either (generally speaking.) Everyone had what they needed and nothing more. According to her, now there are tons of homeless and starving. "I love my new home," she would say "but western culture is ruining everywhere else."
Funny story, most of the people I know from outside of the US were poor...poor as in didnt have much money. However their life stories are so interesting. Take another friend of mine from Ukraine. She showed me a picture of her old house with her dogs and her grandmother and aunt (both decided to stay.) Yes it was small but their yard? HUGE with lots a fresh fruits and veggies everywhere! They didnt have much at all but they had one cow and a couple of chickens. They had what they needed which would be poor according to western standards but well off according to other standards. Another girl I know, Lyudmila, grew up in Uzbekistan and was also considered poor according to western standards. What did they have? A large garden with fruits and veggies, a cow, dogs, cats, chickens, and so on. Again...well off in some standards! Of course I know many more from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Thailand, and so on...most which had a way and seem corrupt by another. Most of the people I know are young so they were often considered poor, even by their country even though they had the basic essentials...food, water, a house....
Tell me...whats so wrong with just having what you need?
Dont get me wrong, I know they had to work for what they did have and I know they had to get some money to cover what they didnt have. Here in the western world, you are considered poor if you cant buy a new $100 TV without starving. Why is that?
