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In my experience, Americans come right out and say they don't know and don't care with a bit of the pride you describe. Europeans don't know either, but they're going to comment and lecture anyway.
So both are ignorant, but one is more honest about it.
This is absolutely true in my experience with Europeans, as well. God forbid a French person be wrong about something.
Europeans rely on the media for their information about world affairs, just as Americans do. The difference is that the media is at least partly government-controlled in many European nations. When I lived in Paris for a year, every time a story came on the news about the U.S., it was about what a low standard of living Americans enjoyed, complete with background photos and/or film of the American "ghetto." And forget about them having any knowledge of American (North or South) geography. As I wrote in another thread on this topic, for most Europeans, the U.S. drops off at Long Island and doesn't pick up again until California (except for Florida, of course). Their knowledge of American history, such as it is, is weirdly skewed, as well.
This is something that has always perplexed me. There are Americans who know little of the world outside of their own country (or, indeed, state), but are open to learning about these places. However, there seems to be a significant minority of Americans who are not only ignorant of the world, but who revel in this ignorance.
Perhaps knowledge of the Basque and Catalonian questions, the situation in Northern Ireland, the rise of fascist elements in western Europe, etc. is something which will never impact on their lives in any way. But this arrogant world view held by some Americans is something I've always found very odd.
I think our country is a great one. But people who claim it "the greatest country in the world" with no knowledge of the outside world, and with ignorant views about conditions in the countries they denigrate? Something that's always bothered me....
Some Americans are very astute about world events. Some Americans are not. Some Europeans are astute aboutworld events some are not.
Stop the Americans are ignorant rhetoric. Some are , some are not.
Some French people are arrogant some are not.
The US tends to dominate world news so when I trave to Europe, the people there are much, much more educated about US issues than vice-versa. It does not mean that they understand it all very well but they are certainly more aware than Americans are of world issues. Also, the US is just very geographically isolated. We only have two neighbors. Europeans are aware of what is happening in other parts of the EU and they also get a lot of African, Asian and Middle Eastern news because of the legacy of colonialism... they are interested in what is happening in these areas, particularly the British, French and Belgians.
Some Americans are very astute about world events. Some Americans are not. Some Europeans are astute aboutworld events some are not.
Stop the Americans are ignorant rhetoric. Some are , some are not.
Some French people are arrogant some are not.
I never said any of that.
There are knowledgable Americans, there are ignorant Americans. There are knowldegable Europeans, there are ignorant Europeans.
However, the mindset that nothing outside of one's own country is worth consideration and the taking of a certain pride in this ignorance, is something I said I found to be far more prevalent in America.
That stereotype of "Europeans" (a fairly wide-ranging group, of course), that they "don't know either, but they're going to comment and lecture anyway", is not one I find to hold true, by and large. The idea that Americans needed to pretend to be Canadians abroad, to make sure not to have US flags on their bags?
Balderdash.
Well, having lived there and travelled extensively, I found it to be quite true. Europeans, by and large, get their information from movies. Therefore, what would they know about America?
The Canadian Flag on the American backpack is an urban legend on par with Bigfoot and gators in the sewers.
As an American in Europe, lots of people wanted to debate me, drink with me, sleep with me, etc. Its the closest I ever came to being treated like a rock star. Why would I squelch that by putting a maple leaf on my baggage.
This is something that has always perplexed me. There are Americans who know little of the world outside of their own country (or, indeed, state), but are open to learning about these places. However, there seems to be a significant minority of Americans who are not only ignorant of the world, but who revel in this ignorance.
Perhaps knowledge of the Basque and Catalonian questions, the situation in Northern Ireland, the rise of fascist elements in western Europe, etc. is something which will never impact on their lives in any way. But this arrogant world view held by some Americans is something I've always found very odd.
I think our country is a great one. But people who claim it "the greatest country in the world" with no knowledge of the outside world, and with ignorant views about conditions in the countries they denigrate? Something that's always bothered me....
As I wrote in another thread on this topic, for most Europeans, the U.S. drops off at Long Island and doesn't pick up again until California (except for Florida, of course). Their knowledge of American history, such as it is, is weirdly skewed, as well.
This is reflected in their migration choices to the U.S. as well. They tend to migrate to NY, FL and CA.
The US tends to dominate world news so when I trave to Europe, the people there are much, much more educated about US issues than vice-versa. It does not mean that they understand it all very well but they are certainly more aware than Americans are of world issues. Also, the US is just very geographically isolated. We only have two neighbors. Europeans are aware of what is happening in other parts of the EU and they also get a lot of African, Asian and Middle Eastern news because of the legacy of colonialism... they are interested in what is happening in these areas, particularly the British, French and Belgians.
Well, it is akin to a Marylander being interested in knowing what is going on in Delaware and West Virginia. That's what happens when entire countries are the size of one of our states.
But that isn't my point. From my experience of people in Europe, yes; there are many who are ignorant of the world, and also many who have at least a basic grasp of many foreign situations, much like the US.
But this revelry in ignorance is something I find to be far more prevalent amongst Americans than many other peoples.
Please provide some examples of this "revelry in ignorance".
A lot of ignorant comments... In the US, people don't realize what impact american culture has on other countries, but since the american culture has such an impact on other countries in Europe, THEY, ofcourse know more about the american culture than americans do about European culture...
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