Ask a foreigner

[Friday]

If you want to coat your food in something - try Poutine......

…Blame Canada…

Quasi seriously, though?

***

French fries dipped in chocolate shake (hot/icy, sweet/salty, crisp/creamy)
Irish nachos
Poutine

The deep fried potato trifecta

 

[osiris]

I should have been in this thread earlier!

All this pizza talk is making me hungry and I would die for a decent slice right now. Asia is not well known for great pizza

 

[Freddyt]

…Blame Canada…

Yup. We will take the blame for that.

And for Spicy Perogy pizza too....

 

[Rose White]

In USA kids in public schools have to make a promise to be loyal to their flag and nation—the pledge of allegiance. Do kids in other countries have to make statements to their nation’s flags?

 

[notsurewheretoturn]

@Rose White we don't pledge an allegiance in the UK.

As far as I'm aware, the only pledge made is to the sovereign when joining the armed forces, we certainly don't made kids pledge to a flag.

 

[Sideways]

Do kids in other countries have to make statements to their nation’s flags?

Not here in Australia. They sing the national anthem a lot in schools, but that’s as far as it tends to go.

When I was in high school in Indonesia, though? There was some full on patriotism getting pumped through the schools. From nationalised school uniforms, a photo of the president in every classroom, and a weekly assembly which included a tonne of oaths and general standing around sweating bullets in the sun that felt akin to some kind of army corps routine. Suspect most of that still goes on there.

 

[LuckiLee]

From what I know they took The Pledge out of schools decades ago. At least here in Michigan.

 

[parrotthepolly]

In USA kids in public schools have to make a promise to be loyal to their flag and nation—the pledge of allegiance. Do kids in other countries have to make statements to their nation’s flags?

In Aus we never had to do that, I know the in US it's more... expectedly in a way...
It's been a long time since I've been in school, so have no idea if this comment was referring to something you encountered recently, seem so out of the blue. That was rhetorical.

 

[user27357]

ok. heres a little more: its been around since the 1800's in many forms, none written by congress or the members of an executive branch but added to and instituted by government leaders along the way. first versions were short, 20 second pledges originally written by a civil war union army veteran. there was an original hand salute that started much like a nazi salute, right hand outstretched toward the flag palm down but had other features that separated it from a true nazi salute. it was dropped in the 40's during ww2. "under god" was added by a recently baptised president in the fifties. My generation learned it in kindergarten and recited it through grade school. current generations still get it but it has become less enforced and I heard stories from my kids about classrooms where so many kids didn't know it but mouthed the words silently that it was barely audible. It's a flag. I swear my allegiance to the constitution of the united states as does our president and our leaders. the flag is a visual rep of a great idea and a set of values, and I have sworn allegiance maybe a thousand times by now. I wish we had read a shortened version of the constitution, I wish we all had a clear expectation of what defending it meant.

 

[Lost in the Woods]

I had to during the times I was in public school is the 60s in California. I never completely thought out aversion to it so I didn’t say the words. I used to get in trouble for it then everything changed when it was realized that our First Amendment rights to free speech also provides for the right not to speak. I never articulated that at the time it just felt creepy to me. From that point on we were allowed to stand respectfully while those the wanted to said the pledge.

 

[Friday]

In USA kids in public schools have to make a promise to be loyal to their flag and nation—the pledge of allegiance. Do kids in other countries have to make statements to their nation’s flags?

Ironically? AFAIK it was only the USA & Communist Countries who had children swear oaths of allegiance.

A few modern dictatorships continue the practice.

I went to school during the era where…

I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the republic for which it stands
One nation, under God,
For liberty & justice for all

…only the bolded part was argued.

My parents, and my kids, both belong to the generations where making children swear daily allegiance was rebelled against.

I also lived in one place (in the US, public schools, 1980s) that made us line up in the cafeteria & chant (or not be served, and go sit against the wall) :

God is good.
God is great.
Let us thank him for our food.
By his hands we are blessed.
Thank you lord, for daily bread
Amen


***

I was always PERSONALLY fond of

I pledge allegiance
To Queen Frag
And her mighty state of hysteria….

But I was a BIT of a problem child, and adored Calvin & Hobbes. I spent a DECADE petitioning to live somewhere with snow, just so I could make AWESOME snowmen. (We lived in the jungle/swamp & desert/coast).

 

[Lost in the Woods]

When in New Zealand as a kid we would all stand in Movie theaters, at horse races and other public events and sing God Save The Queen. I never had a problem about that I always had a lot of respect for her as did my family. Not at all like the current crop of Royals at all. My grandfather was a big shot in NZ and had been invited to tea with the Queen Mother. I was raised admiring the Queen, I still do.