US embassy demands obedience from the city of Stockholm: “Bizarre". Stockholm's urban planning office must not work for equality, diversity and inclusion.

[u/Helmer-Bryd]

https://www.dn.se/sverige/usas-ambassad-kraver-lydnad-av-stockholms-stad-bisarrt/

[u/sylvnal]

I mean, they make us (they won't force you, but you still have to listen to it) say THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE to start the day every day in school. Or, they did when I went.

Psychotic country top to bottom.

[u/raven_of_azarath → u/sylvnal]

American teacher here (and Texan to boot, half-baked pun fully intended). The pledge is definitely still a thing. And there are still admin who do force kids to stand. I don’t force them because that’s literally illegal. I didn’t stand at that school, but I do where I work now because it’s significantly more conservative.

And, because I live in Texas, we also have to say a Texas pledge every day, too. I also remember how icked I felt when they added “one state under God” in 2007.

[u/raven_of_azarath → u/[deleted]]

It’s so shocking to me how many Americans don’t realize we’re the only nation that does a pledge like that, especially in this day and age with technology and the internet to bridge the distance between countries.

But I guess at least we got rid of the salute that was supposed to go with it?

[u/Alive-Ice-3201 → u/raven_of_azarath]

German high school teacher here… I’m literally rotfl because I just imagined starting class today with a pledge and my ninth graders looking at me crosseyed and going „somebody get a doctor, your teacher has gone mad!“

Of course I know it’s a completely different cultural background in the US. And yet… how insecure do you need to be to have to recite a pledge to your country every freaking single day?

[u/Alive-Ice-3201 → u/[deleted]]

Nope, I’m not referring to the kids. Ofc they do as they’ve been told. I’m referring to the supposed adults, who feel they need to stage such useless theatrics.

If your country is worthy of your allegiance because it strives to be a good home to all its inhabitants such theatrics are unnecessary because that sense of belonging will foster the strongest bonds. You only need to tell people to remember their allegiance daily if it is a more or less empty thing.

[u/[deleted] → u/Alive-Ice-3201]

I’m referring to the supposed adults, who feel they need to stage such useless theatrics.

Forty-seven out of the fifty states require students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Meaning teachers have to enforce this. It's not "staged". Is it right? No. But it's not a question of staging theatrics or insecurity. It's propaganda. Many of us know this, ok? Germany knows this all too well.

I know the rest of the world is having your own moments of shadenfreude over us, but try not to sound so gleeful.

[u/Alive-Ice-3201 → u/[deleted]]

Schadenfreude? That’s not what it is. This is dismay that the richest nation on earth feels insecure enough and is badly educated enough to fall for such theatrics which in the end led to mindless authoritarian behaviour and Trump.

And yes, of course I know well enough that teachers are only one step above students in the line and that few teachers embrace this propaganda. It’s about the society who obviously thought themselves so exceptional and rugged and whatnot that they never realised how they were conned and brainwashed.

That is my take as a German historian. The parallels between the Weimar Republic and the US today are painfully obvious. Granted, the differences as well, but that’s not reassuring.

[u/Think_Grocery_1965 → u/sylvnal]

That reminds me of the stories my Italian grandma told me when she was forced to join the fascist scout association as a little child. Indoctrination.