So, I am the only one thinking things are going downhill in Europe?

**Fragony** · 05-26-2010, 12:19

I really don't know what he means, but maybe it makes you understand me better once he has explained himself.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 05-26-2010, 16:59

Originally Posted by Fragony

I really don't know what he means, but maybe it makes you understand me better once he has explained himself.

Well more national bias amounts to what exactly? Learning about the Cultuurstelsel and the founding of Singapore instead of Enlightment or the Concert of Europe?

**Fragony** · 05-26-2010, 17:23

Originally Posted by Tellos Athenaios

Well more national bias amounts to what exactly? Learning about the Cultuurstelsel and the founding of Singapore instead of Enlightment or the Concert of Europe?

Why do you call it bias, the knowledge of the Netherlands is pathetic. Nothing wrong with at least a bit of it, completely normal in other country's but here the armchair-worldcitizens start hissing.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 05-26-2010, 18:14

FYI: I didn't coin that term. It's just convenient to stick to the same vocabulary as that which others are using for describing something I am not sure I understand what they mean?
The knowledge of the Netherlands is such that most of it boils down to the fact everyone else is more powerful and more important as long as everyone else consists of the UK, France and Germany; and later the USA. Thus you can't understand the Dutch history without understanding the other countries a little, too.

Since history classes have a tendency to focus on 19th and 20th century history this means you can either focus on a lot of internal affairs that make little sense without understanding the wider world (how to understand the Patriotten movement without understanding contemporary events and philosophers from France and England?); or you can discuss the wider world but concede that the Netherlands got firmly pushed to the sideline by the other powers in the 18th century and thus focus on events largely centering around other countries.

**Fragony** · 05-26-2010, 18:37

Of course but it's not a major in Dutch history. I see no harm in it.

**Moros** · 05-29-2010, 21:48

What are the Netherlands anyway?

**Louis VI the Fat** · 05-29-2010, 21:53

Originally Posted by Moros

What are the Netherlands anyway?

The Netherlands? Washed up sediment of French rivers.

Which means it is French soil, thus technically France.

Seeing as how it is exceedingly cold and especially wet, we grant the semi-amphibious natives autonomy. For now.