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I've been to several countries, in particular European and Middle Eastern Countries, and I've realized that they're a helluva lot more brushed up on world history and current events than we are. Why are we so selfish? Why do we only know about countries that we're involved in (Iraq and Afghanistan, and we barely know about their pre-War on Terror histories)?
Can anyone tell me who Bachir Gemayel was, and why he was such a revolutionary leader for Lebanon? Or what happened in the 1979 Iranian Revolution? What about the Troubles in Northern Ireland? Have some of you ever heard of Palau?
I'm only 20, but I seem to know more about the world than almost all people in this country that I know.
Not trying to bring America down. I love my country. I just wish that more Americans knew about the world.
I've been to several countries, in particular European and Middle Eastern Countries, and I've realized that they're a helluva lot more brushed up on world history and current events than we are. Why are we so selfish? Why do we only know about countries that we're involved in (Iraq and Afghanistan, and we barely know about their pre-War on Terror histories)?
Can anyone tell me who Bachir Gemayel was, and why he was such a revolutionary leader for Lebanon? Or what happened in the 1979 Iranian Revolution? What about the Troubles in Northern Ireland? Have some of you ever heard of Palau?
I'm only 20, but I seem to know more about the world than almost all people in this country that I know.
Not trying to bring America down. I love my country. I just wish that more Americans knew about the world.
Plain and simple----out of sight,out of mind.Most people from the U.S. have never been to the middle east and just think it's a region filled with sand and if you told them that Iraq has a great night life,they'd be surprised. You knowing more about the world then anyone,not likely but the ones that you know maybe. I could tell you countries that i've been to like the Azores where most people have never heard of it, or Shannon in Ireland which is currently growing out of control with home builders. Everyone has their own knowledge and expertise and some are unaware of foreign affairs unless they're on television or in the papers. Now would you know all about these places if you didn't travel there,or have family or friends there,or maybe study them in a course at school?Tell me about Sambir,Ukraine if you are so up on foreign affairs; and not what's online. This is my family's origin and i'm very familiar with the region.
Not all Americans are as ignorant of world affairs as you think. While you heap praise upon Europe and the Middle East for having supposed more world affairs savvy, you fail to mention the backwardness of some of these same nations towards how they treat their own citizens-especially in the Middle East. As for Europe, that misguided continent is liberalizing itself out of existence-especially in the west. Blame America for having too many freedoms, this allows us not to sit around and stew about the rest of the world. Yes, we should know who Gemayel was, we should know what are the reasons for so much unrest on the planet. I know a lot of Americans who follow world events, and I bet i could travel to Europe and the Middle East and find plenty of world ignorant people in those locales. America always gets a bashing-especially from the folks who have caused for us most of our troubles in the past 100 years-Europe and the Middle East. Why wouldn't we want to forget about the mindless religious hatred which fuels the wars in the Middle East? Why wouldn't we want to avoid thinking about the lunatics that brought about fascism and communism in Europe which have helped to drain us of our young people and money in two World Wars, and then the Cold War. America should focus more on world affairs-those of the Americas(South and Central) and some parts of Asia, yes some of Africa. As for Europe and the Middle East-i for one am tired of hearing about this area of the world-this wretched old decaying nations that our ancestors escaped from because they were old and decaying then, the Middle East is even more so, nations ruled by men whose mindset are stuck in the 7th century.
So, of course most Americans avoid wanting to learn more about the world, most Americans who do become astute with world affairs soon learn that the only thing the rest of the world-especially Europe and the Middle East wants from America is it's demise.
Americans aren't any more ignorant than people anywhere else. Few people anywhere outside of the Middle East would know who Bachir Gemayel was, or much about the Iranian Revolution. People tend to know more about countries whose social/political/economic proximity or interests intersect with their own countries. I've lived in Europe, twice. I was amazed how ignorant they are about both North America and South America. Most Europeans, for example--and I'm not exaggerating that much--think that the U.S. consists of the East Coast and the West Coast. For them, the country drops off at Long Island and doesn't pick up again until California (or maybe Las Vegas). Terribly ignorant about our culture and our history.
Plain and simple----out of sight,out of mind.Most people from the U.S. have never been to the middle east and just think it's a region filled with sand and if you told them that Iraq has a great night life,they'd be surprised. You knowing more about the world then anyone,not likely but the ones that you know maybe. I could tell you countries that i've been to like the Azores where most people have never heard of it, or Shannon in Ireland which is currently growing out of control with home builders. Everyone has their own knowledge and expertise and some are unaware of foreign affairs unless they're on television or in the papers. Now would you know all about these places if you didn't travel there,or have family or friends there,or maybe study them in a course at school?Tell me about Sambir,Ukraine if you are so up on foreign affairs; and not what's online. This is my family's origin and i'm very familiar with the region.
You tell me, what's currently going on in Sambir, Ukraine? I'd love to learn.
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and I bet i could travel to Europe and the Middle East and find plenty of world ignorant people in those locales.
True, but at least those people make an effort to know. I'll use the Arab-Israeli conflict for example. In Europe, there were mixed opinions on the issue, but always, pro-Israelis and anti-Israelis gave good arguements to defend their stances. In America, most people like to call themselves pro-Israel, because their only knowledge of the Arab is that he is "a terrorist or Islamic extremist" and that the Israelis share our skin color. I could respect a person with a pro-Israel stance if he could at least defend his reasoning. That's the difference.
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Few people anywhere outside of the Middle East would know who Bachir Gemayel was, or much about the Iranian Revolution.
Why would Middle Easterners know about Ireland, and Irish know about the Middle East then? They know about each other's problems, and yet America knows squat about what goes on in either regions.
A more pressing problem would be, "why are Americans so ignorant when it comes to their own country." Ten minutes on CD reading threads pertaining to history or even the Constitution serve as wonderful examples of what I am talking about.
I've been to several countries, in particular European and Middle Eastern Countries, and I've realized that they're a helluva lot more brushed up on world history and current events than we are. Why are we so selfish? Why do we only know about countries that we're involved in (Iraq and Afghanistan, and we barely know about their pre-War on Terror histories)?
Can anyone tell me who Bachir Gemayel was, and why he was such a revolutionary leader for Lebanon? Or what happened in the 1979 Iranian Revolution? What about the Troubles in Northern Ireland? Have some of you ever heard of Palau?
I'm only 20, but I seem to know more about the world than almost all people in this country that I know.
Not trying to bring America down. I love my country. I just wish that more Americans knew about the world.
I truthfully do not care what happens to the rest of the world outside of the USA. I for one think that there is enough problems in our own country for our country to be worrying about any other country at all.
want to trade with us fine, want us to back you politically, go take a hike.
we should be staying out of other countries politics and they should be staying out of ours completely.
I truthfully do not care what happens to the rest of the world outside of the USA. I for one think that there is enough problems in our own country for our country to be worrying about any other country at all.
want to trade with us fine, want us to back you politically, go take a hike.
we should be staying out of other countries politics and they should be staying out of ours completely.
What happens to the rest of the world affects you, whether you care about it or not. You seem to have forgotten $4/gallon gas already...
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