[queenkjuul]

Lmao. Germany invented the car, most modern automotive technology (fuel injection, front wheel drive, all wheel drive, and more) were invented in Europe, the web was started in the UK, personal computers were also made in Europe by European companies to fairly widespread success, not to mention such fundamental innovations like engines and railroads

No country has a monopoly on innovation, you're being absolutely ridiculous

Eta: the tape recorder was invented in Europe. The compact cassette and compact disc were developed by Phillips to unimaginable commercial success. I'll keep coming back as i think of more :)

[arp242]

There is no denying that the US has done great stuff over the last 100 years or so. I don't understand this weird flex from some Americans to always claim US is the best at everything at the exclusion of everyone else. Same with the second world war; there are Americans who seem to think they somehow single-handedly won that.

My American ex said she had to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day at school. Apparently this is law in most states. I suspect it might be related.

[moomin]

American support before the US entered was crucial on the western front. But it's generally agreed that the turning point of the war against the Nazis was the Battle of Stalingrad, which the US played no part in (other than occupying Nazi forces elsewhere). However, a great effect of the US joining was that the USSR didn't conquer France. The second half of the the twentieth century could have looked very different if the US had stayed out. In other words, it might not be really accurate to say the US beat Hitler, but it is accurate to say they halted Stalin's advance. It could be argued that D-Day won the Cold War, it just took a long time for that to play out.

[queenkjuul]

> USSR didn't conquer France

What a shame

[queenkjuul]

I mean yeah we are forced to recite the pledge daily, and our elementary school history classes are full of stuff like "the US has invented every great thing you love! The Internet, cars, planes, TV, etc etc"

I mean the comment i replied to basically comes across as a 11 year old who just aced their last history exam for the year.

It's just tragic that most Americans grow into adults without ever learning anything more about the rest of the world, or realizing how narrow and biased their baseline education was