Are American’s isolated from the rest of the word?

[IbnAbdulHakim]

It's totally true! I was a bit "isolated" until I started watching public TV like the BBC, and I started talking to "outsiders" in political chat rooms and forums, then my eyes opened. I, just two years ago, had never spoken to an "outsider." NO MORE FOX OR CNN!!!

its too true !

Why is america like this for :?

Anyway the internet is a gateway to the outside so no more hiding anything

 

[KAding]

Yes, I agree

I would be interested in seeing a survey that tackles this subject. How many Americans think they are bialy being exposed to bills that they vote on? Yes that would be a good national survey. It would also be intestine to see how the people answered from state to state.

I doubt Americans are worse informed about their own domestic politics. Most of the bills being dealt with are obviously about domestic affairs. Foreign affairs has never been very much an issue in which the popular will is the main driving force. Foreign policy is not driven by the masses, it is driven by think tanks, scholars and those in the state and defense department.

I think we should be careful not to exaggerate the supposed ignorance of Americans on international events and especially its influence on policy. Those who make the decisions on these matters in the US are far from ignorant. In general I will wager that there is more knowledge and analytical power in the US on the matter of international relations than in most other countries.

 

[iLL_LeaT]

I doubt Americans are worse informed about their own domestic politics.

I’m not calling Americans ignorant on there own politics (well maybe a little). I don’t know how bills in the Netherlands are written, but here in the States, every bill written is quite confusing to read. There are pages and pages of confusing BS, it takes a lot of work to read just one bill. It’s no easy read. I’m guessing few Americans read every bill, I don’t. And after reading a bill, it is hard to know exactly what the full effect of that bill passing will have. So most people trust television commercials to tell them what loop holes there will be and the effects of voting in that bill will have. However, those commercials are paid by large corporations and politicians who will benefit from a bill being passed or not passed.

So what do you do? Not listen to the commercials and read the damn bill. Easer said then done. The bills are very confusing. You would, pretty much, have to hire a lawyer to know exactly what the bill was saying.

Foreign affairs has never been very much an issue in which the popular will is the main driving force. Foreign policy is not driven by the masses, it is driven by think tanks, scholars and those in the state and defense department.

I don't know what this has to do with what I said, but okay.

I think we should be careful not to exaggerate the supposed ignorance of Americans on international events and especially its influence on policy.

You do that! but I think we (the general public of America) are kept ignorant so the powerful can stay powerful

Those who make the decisions on these matters in the US are far from ignorant.

The people who "make the decisions” are not the people who vote for those decisions. The people who write the bills are very smart, but their interests are rarely the interests of the public. In fact, they are so smart, they know how to get people to vote in there best interest, even if it isn’t in the voter's best interest.

 

[Joe98]

I have often thought that the interest other countries have with the US is largely due to the large number of their people who would like to relocate to the US

I am aware that many Americans believe this to be true. It is not.

America does not have the biggest and best of everything. But when a subject is being discussed, the views of Americans are worth hearing and that is where the interest arises.

I am Australian and we get global news. Sometimes a little country has an annual festival and a bit of footage is shown and some background is provided.

As a result a learn a little something about that country and it's culture even if its only for 2 or 3 minutes. This will then colour my outlook on a subject discussed on forums such as this.

Australians like to work in America but live in Australia.

 

[Dahir]

You all have good points, and your assumptions are 100% TRUE!! It's like you hit the bulls eye, literally, with this one:

For One: The only "aware" American I'd EVER met was my AP Government teacher, but he was laid off because some of the kids thought he was exposing too much of the world. He was a great teacher, maybe above American expectations. Sad, he's not around anymore.

List of "Ignorant Encounters" I've had:

My 9th Grade Civics teacher taught my entire class, and insisted that the US and UK created Israel because they fealt sorry for Holocaust victims; you make the call, but that is one stupid assumption coming from a Social Studies teacher!

My 9th Grade Civics class was given a geography test; I got 148% on the test because I added the capitals of half the nations on the test, which was the entire world. The average score was 13%!!! That means they could only name about 20 nations in the entire world!!

All of my teachers closely follow and believe the words of Bill O'Reilly; that says it all!

 

[Joe98]

Americans .....are content with their lives and have little if any interest in visiting or living in other countries.

Incredible!

Visiting other countries is wonderful!

Try the food in Bavaria, Peru, Japan, Turkey etc etc. You'll never want to go home again!

 

[searchingsoul]

I am aware that many Americans believe this to be true. It is not.

America does not have the biggest and best of everything. But when a subject is being discussed, the views of Americans are worth hearing and that is where the interest arises.

I am Australian and we get global news. Sometimes a little country has an annual festival and a bit of footage is shown and some background is provided.

As a result a learn a little something about that country and it's culture even if its only for 2 or 3 minutes. This will then colour my outlook on a subject discussed on forums such as this.

Australians like to work in America but live in Australia.

You make some valid points. I wasn't even thinking about Australia or other privileged countries when I typed my statement.

 

[searchingsoul]

Incredible!

Visiting other countries is wonderful!

Try the food in Bavaria, Peru, Japan, Turkey etc etc. You'll never want to go home again!

Of course it's great to visit other countries. I've known very few people in the USA to actually visit countries other than Mexico and Canada (perhaps a cheap cruise in the Caribbean). The fact is that most people are prohibited from world travel due to lack of money. I suppose when one accepts the fact that they have only a specific amount of disposable income it often makes more sense to send their kids to college (which is very expensive in the USA, and not covered by the government), save for retirement, etc...

Also, I'm unsure about Australia but when I worked in the international department for a large corporation, I found that most of the world had far more vacation days (holiday) than the typical American. lol

I think that most people in the USA refrain from international travel for the mere fact that it is too expensive to even dream about.

 

[Looking4Peace]

Of course it's great to visit other countries. I've known very few people in the USA to actually visit countries other than Mexico and Canada (perhaps a cheap cruise in the Caribbean). The fact is that most people are prohibited from world travel due to lack of money. I suppose when one accepts the fact that they have only a specific amount of disposable income it often makes more sense to send their kids to college (which is very expensive in the USA, and not covered by the government), save for retirement, etc...

Also, I'm unsure about Australia but when I worked in the international department for a large corporation, I found that most of the world had far more vacation days (holiday) than the typical American. lol

I think that most people in the USA refrain from international travel for the mere fact that it is too expensive to even dream about.

lol thats me, i been to Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico, but i am a student with limited income, im lucky i was able to pull all that together, but even going to those places was interesting and each was completely different then in the U.S, i want to travel to as many places as possible some day.

 

[wilberhum]

iLL_LeaT
You do that! but I think we (the general public of America) are kept ignorant so the powerful can stay powerful

How did I know that it would come to this? Is this another Conspiracy Theory?
Please explain just how we are “Kept Ignorant”.

 

[wilberhum]

Joe98
I am aware that many Americans believe this to be true. It is not. (the large number of their people who would like to relocate to the US)

Want to put some $’s on that? Every 1st world country that has a successful democracy has a large number of people who want to relocate there. That includes that country “Down Under”.

Australians like to work in America but live in Australia.

Now that is a true statement. But Australia is kind of an exception. Things are much more expensive Australia than in the US and usually wages are lower. (at least that was the way it was 10 years ago) But all in all I found the quality of life in Australia superior to that of the US.

I am Australian and we get global news

That is where I got my interest in global news. I found that Aussies very interested in international dealings. I think the average Aussie knows as much about American Politicizes as the average American.

 

[iLL_LeaT]

How did I know that it would come to this? Is this another Conspiracy Theory?
Please explain just how we are “Kept Ignorant”.

Well not exactly "Kept Ignorant.”

I’m not calling Americans stupid, just not fully informed on the laws they vote on.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Americans are illiterate or anything. By ignorant, I mean they don’t fully know.

I guess this is where the “conspiracy theory” comes in.

Large corporations and politicians, however, do know exactly what they are voting on. And they are only looking out for themselves. And that is fine; that’s all anyone does. However, corporations and politicians put out these “advertisements” to manipulate people into voting their way. Why, for the benefit of the public? Come on.

I guess I wasn’t aware that saying that those advertisements are bias is considered a “conspiracy theory,” but okay.

Anyway, if it is, I want to stop talking about it because I don’t need another thread closed from this.:X

 

[wilberhum]

Well not exactly "Kept Ignorant.”

Well that was exactly what you said. Thoes that are ignorant are that way because they don't that the time or care enough to educate themselves. No one is "Keeping them Ignorant".

 

[iLL_LeaT]

Well that was exactly what you said. Thoes that are ignorant are that way because they don't that the time or care enough to educate themselves. No one is "Keeping them Ignorant".

Yes that is what I said, but I also said "not exactly 'Kept Ignorant.'" (Talk about selective hearing)

If you want to get technical, here is a definition for “ignorant.”

Ignorant: lacking knowledge and education in general or in a specific subject.

Now I think it would be safe to say that most Americans don’t know exactly what they are voting for. In turn, they would be ignorant in what they vote for.

Thoes that are ignorant are that way because they don't that the time or care enough to educate themselves.

Again, I’m not calling Americans generally stupid. However, the public is not educated on what the full effect of each bill passing will have. So if they are not being fully educated, they are being “kept ignorant.”

Are you really not getting what I am saying, or are you just arguing for the sake of arguing.