United States so Great?

America, the great! America, the wonderful! America, the …! The United States of America has an extremely short history as a country when compared to the rest of the countries around the world. Is seems then, that it wouldn’t have enough time to develop like certain countries have over the many centuries. Countering this belief, the U.S. began development with an advantage: it was born within modern times. Stating this shows how truly great America is. Within such a short time span in history, democracy has been created, a full military defense established, and an advanced economy set in motion. This is truly remarkable compared to the amount of time it took certain European countries to achieve a similar state. However, commercializing and development haven’t entirely created a better “New World”. As a frequent traveler to Europe, specifically Poland, I can validate that European nations surpass the United States in many ways. Scenery, food, and education all form great contrasting points showing differences in culture, tradition, and actions taken between Poland and the United States.
1997 was the year my parents moved. To their surprise, Beechmont Avenue, a busy street of Cincinnati, was nothing like what they imagined. The commercialized hub, infested with multiples of car dealers, auto-repair shops, and other stores, was an ugly road fenced in by hideous looking electricity poles and cable lines. Greenery was scarce, practically not existent at all, near the road. This was only a suburban area, so the urban center of Cincinnati seemed even more strange and gray. From those times, not a lot has changed. How could a land of so much promise look like this? This very well shows the actual disadvantage of a country being born in the late modern era. Cities and suburbs of Poland differ severely. There are sections within the cities where cars do not drive. Instead, beautiful cobblestone streets are lined with antique buildings and filled with people and life. The suburbs are filled with colorful houses made of stone, brick and wood logs. It is not like the plain sidings of houses in the U.S. There is variety and creativity. The most important feature, however, is the underground electricity. This instantly creates a much improved picture, or scenery. In fact, only rural areas still have above ground electricity.
The old sectors of Polish cities are filled with restaurants, which add a heavenly aroma to the atmosphere. Polish cuisine and culinary tradition are great examples of the enormous contrast between America and Poland. Primarily, Polish food is healthier. A wide range of imported American products is seen in modern Polish supermarkets, but the traditional foods are not only healthier, but undergo a morally superior process of being made. What I mean by morally superior is simply how the food products are created. For example, the well-known American hot-dogs are sometimes made in a process that is utterly revolting. In Poland, generally, the food processes are much cleaner and involve more “real” meat. To exemplify product healthiness it is easiest to take the example of the common bread. In Poland, it is a tradition to consume home-made, or store baked, bread that is very nutritious. It might even contain up to ten different kinds of grains! Compared to the common American white bread, it is about four times heavier as well, suggesting the thickness and good quality of it. America the wonderful… but also wonder bread?! America, on the other hand has gone through an unfortunate period when the food industry started producing cheap and unhealthy food products. Artificial sweeteners and fructose corn syrup are literally added to almost all the foods. It is sad to find such an immense international power, such as the United State, with such a poor dietary habit.
Continuing my discussion on education from previous posts, Poland and the U.S. contrast on this point as well. Differences begin from every-day structure. American schools are focused on giving students as much information as possible, without acknowledging the consequences. There is a single break in the day for the young kids and none at all for the older ones because so much of the day is spent on teaching. Most courses in high school are based on a year, meaning they last for a year and are not repeated again. The education system does not prepare students well for their future jobs because career training starts in college. All these methods differ from what is instituted in the Polish system. Students get more breaks throughout the day not only in elementary school, but also in middle and high school. This allows the students to be “refreshed” for their next classes. More movement also means they will be able to learn better. The course system in Poland does not just teach students a subject and moves on. It is a process. From elementary school through high school, students are introduced to more and more complex topics in the subjects. For example, mathematics is not split into the general Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, etc.; it is a course that is steadily built upon year after year including formulas and theories from all of the different categories combined. Essentially, education is not organized subject by subject, but as a simple to a complex study of the overall. Lastly, career planning begins early in Poland. This allows for students to start choosing paths as early as the beginning of high school. Different paths divide the time spent on subjects differently. For example, if the career choice is in mathematics, then there will be more time spent in this area than in language arts. This is not to say that language arts is entirely wiped off the schedule. It just shows that language arts is taught to a level of necessity for ones future.
Scenery, food, and education are just a few of the matters in which America differs from Poland. All the differences are, however, subject to one influence: time for development. Poland has had the centuries of existence to build the foundations for beautiful living spaces, healthier food production, and a better education system. America has only had 200 years to accomplish this. So, perhaps, the most important contrast between the two is their age.