question to Americans

[NonTechGuy]

I'm just wondering this, why do most Americans have no idea what goes on outside their country?
It's like the average American thinks the world ends at the border to Canada, Mexico, Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.

any thoughts of reasons causes etc?

 

[myputer]

I know what goes on outside of my country, but I do know TONS of people that have no clue. I think alot of people don't really give a thought to anything that doesn't have a direct effect on them.

 

[ChrichtonsGirl]

Where do you get your figures as to "most" Americans? Maybe there's a loud minority that don't know there's a whole world out there beyond our borders, but I rarely come across them where I am. Even my elementary school-aged son knows a great deal about other countries and what's happening in the world.

 

[hollowman]

yea.. not all Americans are ignorant as you think.

 

[UltraQuiet]

Do you have some emperical evidence to prove this? Have you given a test, taken a poll or what? I hate it when people make these types of generalizations. It's total BS, IMO.

 

[glenn1]

<< I'm just wondering this, why do most Americans have no idea what goes on outside their country? >>



Maybe, just maybe, it's because most non-Americans we meet tend to be egotistical, self-righteous people like yourself who don't seem to give a damn about finding out what "most Americans" are really like, or what the average American really knows or doesn't know about what's going on outside the U.S., and and find amusement in presuming we're all ignorant redneck hicks in order to justify your own feelings of self-superiority.

The way i look at it, we're simply returning the favor.

 

[iamwiz82]

Its not that way in any other country, right?

I could go to any European/Asian/African/Canadian, and they'd know everything that was happening outside of his/her country, i'm sure.

 

[iamwiz82]

<<

<< I'm just wondering this, why do most Americans have no idea what goes on outside their country? >>



Maybe, just maybe, it's because most non-Americans we meet tend to be egotistical, self-righteous people like yourself who don't seem to give a damn about finding out what "most Americans" are really like, or what the average American really knows or doesn't know about what's going on outside the U.S., and and find amusement in presuming we're all ignorant redneck hicks in order to justify your own feelings of self-superiority.

The way i look at it, we're simply returning the favor. >>



touch&eacute;

 

[NonTechGuy]

let me make a few examples:

on a Canadian comedy show, one guy asked Bush (not a fake but the REAL president of the US) what he thought of the prime minster of Canada John Poutine's praise of you leading the world in the global economy and Bush didn't know Poutine was a fake name (fries with gravy)

a LOT of Americans think there's like 10 people in Canada who all live in igloos. on a trip to the US like 3 years ago, Americans were friendly but jeez.... at least 6 of them asked me if i knew his friend Jaques in Canada or Joe in Vancover, i always just respond if he knows my friend Allen in LA.

LOTS of Americans always say to a problem "just nuke them" as a solution to the problem even though they have no idea what is going on such as that saudi thing or that thread "would you use the deathstar on afghanistan if it was a planet" even though most Afghans are prisoners in their own country. same with "is france gay" and "it's time to nuke china" quite a few people said france should be nuked. lost of Americans on AT too said that!

Give an American a non labelled globe and the majority will not be able to point out which coutry is Great Britain.

The majority of Americans believe they should just control the world through military force which always leads to US medling in other country's business such as military operation in other countries for seemingly no reason at all.

 

[tallest1]

<<

<< I'm just wondering this, why do most Americans have no idea what goes on outside their country? >>



Maybe, just maybe, it's because most non-Americans we meet tend to be egotistical, self-righteous people like yourself who don't seem to give a damn about finding out what "most Americans" are really like, or what the average American really knows or doesn't know about what's going on outside the U.S., and and find amusement in presuming we're all ignorant redneck hicks in order to justify your own feelings of self-superiority.

The way i look at it, we're simply returning the favor. >>

glenn1 hit the nail on the head there!

 

[Lucky]

bah, you are canadian, AND talking out of your ass. Why do you think will annex your country one day? Because canadians are tools like you.

 

[iamwiz82]

<< let me make a few examples:

on a Canadian comedy show, one guy asked Bush (not a fake but the REAL president of the US) what he thought of the prime minster of Canada John Poutine's praise of you leading the world in the global economy and Bush didn't know Poutine was a fake name (fries with gravy)

a LOT of Americans think there's like 10 people in Canada who all live in igloos. on a trip to the US like 3 years ago, Americans were friendly but jeez.... at least 6 of them asked me if i knew his friend Jaques in Canada or Joe in Vancover, i always just respond if he knows my friend Allen in LA.

LOTS of Americans always say to a problem "just nuke them" as a solution to the problem even though they have no idea what is going on such as that saudi thing or that thread "would you use the deathstar on afghanistan if it was a planet" even though most Afghans are prisoners in their own country. same with "is france gay" and "it's time to nuke china" quite a few people said france should be nuked. lost of Americans on AT too said that!

Give an American a non labelled globe and the majority will not be able to point out which coutry is Great Britain.

The majority of Americans believe they should just control the world through military force which always leads to US medling in other country's business such as military operation in other countries for seemingly no reason at all. >>



refer to what glenn posted.

 

[NonTechGuy]

i bet i know a lot more about US global policies and actions than most americans do to tell the truth.

ask any Canadian or Brit or German to name 3 cities in the US i bet most could do it. conversely i don't think the average American could name even 2 cities in Canada, Britain or Germany

 

[Miramonti]

I don't know what you're referring to or talking about because you can't really make a blanket statement like that.

With that said I think you're still right.

I think people here for the most part live extremely cozy self-absorbed lives in this super-power of a country and don't need to worry about others because it won't 'help' anyone here, and thats the biggest perspective difference here. Besides, its easier to absorb propaganda than it is to think for oneself. It requires less compassion and helps people live large, focusing on ones image and money without adding needless worries or thoughts that could distract this very important focus.

 

[Cattlegod]

"I'm just wondering this, why do most Americans have no idea what goes on outside their country?
It's like the average American thinks the world ends at the border to Canada, Mexico, Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.

any thoughts of reasons causes etc? "

just a stereotype man, man for man, we probably know just as much as any canandian or most any other country about the ongoings of other world events, if not more.

 

[Bigdude]

Because the only country we care about is America!

 

[Arschloch]

<< let me make a few examples:

on a Canadian comedy show, one guy asked Bush (not a fake but the REAL president of the US) what he thought of the prime minster of Canada John Poutine's praise of you leading the world in the global economy and Bush didn't know Poutine was a fake name (fries with gravy)

a LOT of Americans think there's like 10 people in Canada who all live in igloos. on a trip to the US like 3 years ago, Americans were friendly but jeez.... at least 6 of them asked me if i knew his friend Jaques in Canada or Joe in Vancover, i always just respond if he knows my friend Allen in LA.

LOTS of Americans always say to a problem "just nuke them" as a solution to the problem even though they have no idea what is going on such as that saudi thing or that thread "would you use the deathstar on afghanistan if it was a planet" even though most Afghans are prisoners in their own country. same with "is france gay" and "it's time to nuke china" quite a few people said france should be nuked. lost of Americans on AT too said that!

Give an American a non labelled globe and the majority will not be able to point out which coutry is Great Britain.

The majority of Americans believe they should just control the world through military force which always leads to US medling in other country's business such as military operation in other countries for seemingly no reason at all. >>


Anecdotal evidence means jerk squat.

In no way can you judge a huge population on a sample of, say, 25 people.

 

[Lucky]

<< I don't know what you're referring to or talking about because you can't really make a blanket statement like that.

With that said I think you're still right.

I think people here for the most part live extremely cozy self-absorbed lives in this super-power of a country and don't need to worry about others because it won't help anyone here, and thats the biggest perspective difference here. Besides, its easier to absorb propaganda than it is to think for oneself. It requires less compassion and helps people live large, focusing on ones image and money without adding needless worries or thoughts that could distract this very important focus. >>




Good post. I think being one person out of 300M in the only current super-power in the world does make a difference for some folks in their apathy.

 

[cipher00]

I haven't met an average American. Pretty much everyone seems to be an individual to me.

BTW, I thought that "American" referred to inhabitants of the Americas. Perhaps you are referring to US citizens or residents?

 

[jjones]

I've traveled quite a bit and I could say the same about most countries. People tend to be interested most in what affects their daily lives.

That being said, I think many Americans do know quite a bit about what is going on outside their country but many lack international traveling experience. One of the main reasons for this is that America has so much inside its own borders that a person could spend their entire lives easily choosing to travel to destinations inside the US. People in other countries, especially in Europe, will travel outside thier own country but still stay in their geographic region. This will give the advantage of knowing more countries and seeming more traveled.

Another reason for what you seem to be describing is that many persons in other countries may appear to know quite a bit about the US but I think that is because the US is such a dominant influence in world events. For example, compare the US to say Austria. It is likely that many people in Austria will seem to know more about the US than people in the US will know about Austria. This would be primarily true because given that many people get their information from news and influential world events, the US will have a great deal more impact than a country like Austria. If you go to any country and read the news you are likely to hear more about the US than you will of Austria.

 

[UltraQuiet]

<< i bet i know a lot more about US global policies and actions than most americans do to tell the truth. >>


You, sir, are an arrogant, ignorant, asshat.

 

[nippyjun]

Most americans only know about what they are told by their tv. Of those that watch tv, 25% get their news from MTV news. The other 75% get it from the evening news which focuses on US news primarily.

 

[AnthraX101]

Why is it that the average 'joe' outisde the United States doesn't know the proper workings of a computer? That pisses me off!!! Apparently, If you arn't supperior to every other nation in every single aspect of life, you suck the big one.

And I still think that we would know more then the average non-american (remeber the large % of the world lives in poverty, in third world nations)

Armani

 

[NonTechGuy]

i don't consider Canada or Mexico part of America because the United States of this America you speak of exclude themselves from the rest of America (they are considered different nations with very different policies and laws etc). North America is just a royal name with no meaning to it.

btw, why do Americans think they are the best country in the world? it is natural to be loyal to your nation (pretty damn rare in Canada though) but if you look at numbers you see education levels in the US are lower than that of Canada and most of Europe and most of Asia countries. the crime rate in the US (per capita) is higher in that US than Canada, Europe and Asia. the medical system is more screwed up in the US than Canada, Europe and many parts of Asia in that it costs an arm and a leg if something goes wrong, if the disease doesn't kill you, you aren't left with enough money to live. prices for drugs are BRUTAL in the US which is why seniors take huge bus trips to Canada to buy a half year's worth of perscription drugs (we're making a killing in profits on that one, thanks). the US is MOST LIKELY country to be attack by any sort of terrorist activity or war started in the world. Americans are hated in many places throughout the world because of imperialism (Britain too actually).

 

[FuZoR]

<< conversely i don't think the average American could name even 2 cities in Canada, Britain or Germany
Germany >>



Berlin
Munich

Vancouver
Calgary

and umm Britan well...screw you.