Does it seem like "Eastern Europe" has a negative stereotype or image associated with it?

[travric]

I

have a great idea.
I do have a passport.
Why don't I go to Riviera this summer?
I'm sure this will expand my mind wonderfully.

It would and I'd be glad! But I ask the question since I've read that not many Russians have passports. Is that true? As a group can we say that if that is the case then they prefer to simply stay at home and not see other areas of the world?

[erasure]

Originally Posted by travric

I

It would and I'd be glad! But I ask the question since I've read that not many Russians have passports. Is that true? As a group can we say that if that is the case then they prefer to simply stay at home and not see other areas of the world?

You mean they don't have travel passports? ( Because they all (I assume) have internal passports.
But what having travel passports is good for, if you don't have money or if you can't get a visa to the desired destination?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by travric

I

It would and I'd be glad! But I ask the question since I've read that not many Russians have passports. Is that true? As a group can we say that if that is the case then they prefer to simply stay at home and not see other areas of the world?

More people than you think have international passports. But for comparison, what percentage of Americans do you think have passports? A surprising number of Americans see no need for international travel. Nor can many afford it, these days, and many can't get enough vacation time to be able to travel. Someone posted here about a year ago that some Americans can't even get time for a honeymoon, even for a couple of weeks.

[travric]

I didn't know the US figures so I checked and saw that about 13,529,757 passports were issued in 2013 according to the bureau of Consular Affairs Dept of State. I don't have the corresponding Russian stats.

But what having travel passports is good for, if you don't have money or if you can't get a visa to the desired destination?

You know..see the world and see how other people live. Maybe test assumptions? Good for the soul and I mean that
seriously. I'd think travel widens the horizons, no? Opens up alot of windows.

[Mikkarter]

Hey guys! Just two question: Do you think that the fact that certain nation speaks Slavic language is enough to being disqualified from Western civilization? And do you think that forty years under Soviet domination can erase previous thousand years of history? Thanks for any answer.

[Misko]

geopolitical division of Europe into East and West has changed its meaning since the fall of communism. Now the meaning has morphed into rich "Western" and poor "Eastern" countries though this is also rapidly shifting to (rich) North and (poor) South