Viewing the differences is always a fight for objectivity

I've come to notice that it's very difficult to maintain objectivity when comparing the differences between two systems of education, governance, economics, university education, transportation, finance, etc.  In every one of these subjects, comparisons can be made, but often, with great loss to objectivity.  The vastly different origins in how these systems come about, their emergent properties so to speak, are dependent on a number of variables that include cultural nuances, historical trends, the presence of transitional economic systems, and the maturity of the existing entity among many others.  I shall endeavor to list the differences that come to mind and how I perceive them, versus how it should perhaps be further objectively analyzed.  It's difficult to fault for subjectivity when there are some things that are truly worse in one system over the other, while others are just a difference in perspective that perhaps would need some habituation.

As an example, the educational differences are quite striking.  In the US, once one finishes high school, their higher education often consists of a Bachelors degree (for some, it requires 2 years for an associates degree at a community college first), which takes four years, followed by a Master's, which can vary in the amount of time, and can end with a PhD that requires a further number of variable years.  If one wishes to specialize in a professional career in Medicine, or Law, then they attempt to enter a specific medical or law school upon the completion of their Bachelor's degree.  The system in Armenia is quite different, and often times, students jump right into a 6 year degree in Medicine, straight out of high school.  This definitely saves time, but as far as how well rounded one's knowledge of extra-medical or extra-law information is available, is probably less.  It would be within my biases to suggest that the American model would be more advantageous to higher education, but I think this would be wrong.  The educational model isn't only based on levels and years, but also on the nature of the subject and the depth with which they're covered.  It seems to me that subjects that are studied in Armenia are covered in broader terms, and usually few items are skipped for brevity. 

Besides the educational system, there's also the apparent student education behavior that's noticeably different.  Students in theory are supposed to hold more respect for their professors, often standing while one enters, until asked to sit.  This level of formality is unknown in the American system.  Also, the tolerance for students to come in or out of classes are smaller, as they're often treated more like school children.  Yet, regardless of how the formality of the system appears different, the students themselves are far less likely to obey them.  They happen to speak through the whole lecture until scolded, they frequently use their cell phones, come late, and as for the male students who are the most frequent perpetrators of these modes of classroom respect, they often come to class with no books, notebooks, writing implements, or anything that would seem like they're active participants in their education.  Perhaps due to their youth, or the fact that they're recent high school graduates, the maturity level definitely seems different than their American counterparts'.  It's strange that the formality of the system is greater, but the comfort within it is far less.  I don't think it would be fair to say that Armenian students would be better off with less formality, because the disruptive students would probably increase in number, or individually become more problematic.

As is the case with education, the regional economics of Armenia, thanks to the transitional economy, and the more "flexible" models of capitalism, tend to have many disruptive elements that make it difficult for the beneficial growth and retention of economic gains.  The fact that the yoke from Soviet times still influences the thought that taking as much as individually possible from the system is the only way of staying on top, the reduction of corruption seems like a remote possibility.  The burden that Soviet rule imposed on people's livelihood often still influences their decisions.  This isn't just a problem with Armenia, but practically all the former Soviet republics, as well as a significant portion of Eastern Europe.  Couple that with the fact that Armenians have had oppressive foreign rule for so long, the penchant for breaking or bending the rules is near phenomenal.  As problematic as this system may seem, the American system isn't exactly free of trouble either.  With the banking industry still running nearly unregulated, even after numerous bubble to trough cyclical changes, the national debt at trillions of dollars, the lack of savings within individuals, and the fact that the only thing keeping that economy afloat is lending and spending, the system seems to be teetering on the brink of failure.  The only thing keeping the American economy afloat is the fact that like their giant banks, it's too big to fail.  If America's economy fails, it will be catastrophic to global economic trends.  As bad as this recent global economic crisis was, with the absolute failure of the American system, the danger to substantial chaos is quite obvious.  Fixing this flawed system, or suggesting a few simple solutions would be about as easy as making Soviet style corruption disappear in Armenia's economic system.  Though the situation is quite different, with American's living standards, per-capita income, earning power, quality of life, and other factors much higher, the fact that there are inherent unstable economic problems aren't excluded.  Although I fully understand the difficulty Armenians face on a daily basis, with the realization that even the hardest work possible results in pay that is laughable when the living standards are so much higher, the fact that American's are also worked by the wealthy is no different.  It's hard to focus on the ills of one system when it's possible there's greater ills created in another; but with more money to float around, there's more leeway to how corruption can influence economic trends.

It seems that when I speak of differences I notice in Armenia, transportation always seems to be a topic of discussion.  I suppose it's one of the most obvious differences to another country.  From an American perspective, Armenia's transportation system seems chaotic.  Rules on the road, for example, are a weakly structured system, similar to anarcho-libertarianism.  Basically, there are a few general rules one follows, but most are bent nearly to the point of failure.  For one thing, people generally agree that the road is divided into two halves, with each half in opposite directions of each other.  Even within the given half, there are some suggestions of lane markers.  Most follow the general guidelines, but they're often turning into incoming traffic to avoid slower vehicles, while those lane markers within a given half are practically non-existent.  Red traffic lights do have some meaning, as most cars are stopped, but often, they start speeding across the lane just before the lights turn green.  If, in the rare moment that someone misses to accelerate on the pre-green red lights, then every single vehicle behind it will decide to signal their intent to run the bastard over.  Driver patience is severely taxed, and where most people speed, nobody knows.  They seem to be headed to solve the global economic crisis, but the most likely scenario is that they have to make it to a special designated street corner to converse for 6 hours with their friends.  Now, I may find it laughable, but there are some things that are strictly enforced.  There's a no-tolerance attitude towards drunk drivers: unless you're a police official, or have special diplomatic license plates.  Although the system here seems chaotic, American's driving, though more orderly, often tends to gravitate towards the passively bad driving that's inherent in a system that licenses nearly anyone who asks.  I can't begin to count the numerous times I've been nearly killed as a pedestrian, by inattentive elderly too old to see beyond their windshields.  In addition, there are many who just drive inattentively, since the system is so ordered.  In Armenia, should your attention from driving be diverted for longer than 3 femtoseconds, you'll find yourself with a pedestrian in front, a dog, three temporarily parked cabs, a marshutka, and an electric bus all conspiring to make you have the longest day of your life.  It's as though if you sit in a car, you're forced to be as attentive as possible, cause inattention will either through accident or death, pull you from the pool of drivers.  I guess it would be the same as a pedestrian.  There is no pedestrian that can cross the street inattentive, because they would soon, through the process of Darwinian elimination, strike themselves out of the gene pool.