Americans know nothing of the world - the evidence

U guys do know that this is the LARGE PENIS SUPPORT GROUP, right? Just checking....

HugoB - If u can't stand the cesspool, u should leave, buddy. This Country allows those freedoms, the freedom of exiting.

If you TRULY believe the MEDIA is different in ANY other country, please step forward AND REALLY GET THE DEBATE GOING.

Lets begin with JOHNSCHLONG telling us what country he/she is from, unless its too embarassing...

You tell it, mamma!!! *Three snaps in "z" formation*

That's exactly what I was going to say.

I was going to go there as well.

I've been stationed in Germany and I also worked for a company in the civilian sector that sent me Switzerland about 3-4 times a year.

When I was in Switzerland I could jump in a car and be in France, Germany, Italy or Austria in the same amount of time most of us here in the US sit in rush hour traffic just to drive 15 miles.

We would cross the border to Germany just to go out to a bar. So I would say the need for people in Europe to have a passport is slightly more common.

So NJQT is correct, why own a passport unless going on vacation. Now as I say that, don't mind me as I start packing for my trip to Fiji .

Anything can be proven using four minutes of video; your so-called evidence is wanting.

As for the point others have made about so few Americans owning passports, bear in mind that Americans may visit all of its immediate neighbors without a passport, and the cost of travelling somewhere where a passport is needed is high.

This is different from the case in Europe, South America, or Africa, where a foreign country is at most few hours away by train. For Americans, it's geographically impractical to take a weekend trip to a foreign country. For, say, Albanians, a day-trip to Venice is entirely feasible.

Criticizing the American people for an artifact of its geographical isolation is like complaining that Singaporeans build sucky snowmen. Let's get our math, reading, and other fundamental skills up to where they should be before worrying about less tangible areas of study.

edit: This is what happens when the phone rings while I'm typing a post -- njqt466 and wartrac both beat me to the point.

I love these two posts.

I might've said something similar myself if I hadn't been so annoyed by johnschlong's two posts about America and Americans today and just opted for the "ugh" in my first post.

Yeah... you go ahead and split.


Meanwhile, all those folks who actually do know something about the world... who HAVE traveled... who were raised in a more world-aware foreign land....

They will continue to vie for any chance to move to the States...

Because... dumb as the Americans are about the world... they don't persecute others for their religion, they don't kill each other over ethnic or tribal affiliation, they aren't ALL on the take, they are really a generous people and a culture of mutual support...


Nobody hates the ugly American more than me...
But I know Germans, Chinese, French, Italians, Hindus, Pakistanis, Phillipinos, Norwegians, Russians, Laotians, Vietnamese, Danes, Spaniards and Mexicans who would not go back home for love or money.


I have traveled.
I am world aware and well educated as to the conditions and concerns of the rest of the world.

Americans could definitely be better educated. We absolutely need a major change in the political arena...

But its still the easiest place to live...

IT still the easiest place to earn a living...

And its the only place on earth where Class, Religion, Caste and Family are not a constant weight for the citizens to shoulder.

And that means what exactly? Georgia would fit about 11 times into Alaska - does that mean there is more wealth of culture in Alaska? More to see? Is Alaska somehow 11 times more interesting for being 11 times bigger?

Not using something and not needing it are not the same thing - I think a lot of Americans do need international travel to broaden the mind. I understand that is not necessarily affordable, but it isn't actually necessarily that cheap here ethier - but it is something that people expect, desire and therefore prioritise. International travel is part of the middle class standard of living here - that doesn't make us right and you wrong , it's just a difference. We have slightly smaller TV sets and less dental work

I agree that America has some amazing holiday destinations but what is this bollocks about Europeans getting 2 months a year off to holiday? Not to mention the 'working for a living' reference. Really, Jason, I expect better of you.

^You go girl!!

Americans sure are stupid.
(just going with the flow)

Generalizations are generally wrong, and stereotyping is the sign of a lazy mind.

Someone buy this women a pair of nice shoes for that response! She totally saved me even having to post back to that asshead. My parents could never afford us to fly even for a vacation in the US, they aren't going to be flying 5 kids internationally if my dad wouldnt even pay for the turnpike.

We don't have the transportation systems to just hop on a train and end up in another country in a couple of hours.

Hello McFLY!

99.9999% of the things you read on the internet are untrue. The only "truth" lies in the fact that each sentence is structured in a format that suggests a definitive cause and effect or a declarative statement.

See! I can google too!! I just chose to google something that presents an idea that seems structurally sound if I exercise just a little bit of logic and reasoning. Just a little bit, not even a lot. Didn't even break a sweat, and it didn't hurt at all!!!!

Maybe due to the segment of population from the USA that I have met in my life, most of them have been polite, educated and considerate. True, many had little knowledge of their outside world if it didn't seemengly have influence in their lives, fair enough.

As for the travelling....travelling might be a short, fun way of educating yourself in a practical way. But travelling is not necessary at all, as already pointed out, what is necessary is better education to the whole society, education is always the password to understanding.

The bigger the country, the bigger the challenges.
A country like the USA is far from perfect (i do think Switzerland, Scandinavian countries and some more are the closest to perfection that exists) but it has many positive things in it.

We are all pretty ignorant and know nothing about just about anything that we have no knowledge it had an influence in our lives.

I think a lot of people everywhere need international travel to broaden the mind, not just Americans .

I drove from Prague to Brussels in one day, passing through four countries. International travel for many Europeans is something they can't avoid even if they wanted to. You can fly from London to Rabat, an entirely different continent, in three hours. Here it takes us three hours just to get through the security and customs lines. Most people either travel when they're young or they're old. Most couples would never consider dragging their kids through Europe. Disneyworld is bad enough.

Right now costs are simply prohibitive. The UK is fabulously expensive for Americans which might explain why there are so many Brits in New York at the moment. Everything here is a relative bargain:

Let's look at costs for two adults and two kids for one week:

Roundtrip airfare from New York to London for four on Air India economy class (cheapest fare found): $3,474.
Hotel costs for a 3-star hotel near Vauxhall underground station, for four people in ONE room: $7,760
Average price for meals at moderate restaurants (2 per day based on $39 per adult, half per kid): $1422
Underground Weekly Pass for two adults: $96
Miscellaneous expenses (cabs, attractions, tours outside London): $1200
Passport fees: $400

Grand total: $14,352

Avg. net income per US household based on median household income of $48, 201¹. Avg. gross income per US household after payroll, state, and federal (but not sales, tolls, or property taxes): $29,885².

That one week trip to London is nearly half that middle-American family's take home income before property and sales taxes, mortgage and car payments, before food, clothing, insurance, and energy expenses.

¹ Figures based on US Census latest estimate.
² Figures based on Cato Institute estimation of American middle class take home pay based upon US Census figures.


Just for the heck of it:

One week in August at Walt Disney World Moderate-Price Caribbean Beach Resort for that same family of four including the cheapest dining plan which includes all meals (no alcohol), all park attractions for all days, plus round trip airfare for four from NYC: $4,754.



Pardon me, one month in the UK (28 days paid holiday per year by government mandate). You work very hard compared to some of your European compatriots:

Following Data courtesy of Expedia.com, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Harris Poll and Gallup/The Conference Board:

Average number of vacation days for American employees: 14
Average number actually taken: 11
Percentage of Americans with no paid vacations: 23
Percentage of Americans who did not take at least a two-week vacation in 2007: 86
Percentage of Americans who took at least a one-week vacation in 2007: 57

Countries that legally guarantee at least 31 paid vacation days (including mandated paid public holidays), according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research:

Austria: 35 days
Portugal: 35 days
Denmark: 34 days
Finland: 34 days
Germany: 34 days
Spain: 34 days
Italy: 33 days
France: 31 days

There is no mandated paid vacation time in the United States and those who want to take their full vacation are frequently pressured not to by employers. I'm not blaming Europe or the US. I simply state this as evidence which helps to explain why Americans travel abroad far less.

And we do work our asses off only to see relatively little of the wealth we generate:

American workers stay longer in the office, at the factory or on the farm than their counterparts in Europe and most other rich nations, and they produce more per person over the year.

They also get more done per hour than everyone but the Norwegians, according to a U.N. report released Monday, which said the United States "leads the world in labor productivity."

Each U.S. worker produces $63,885 of wealth per year, more than their counterparts in all other countries, the International Labor Organization said in its report. Ireland comes in second at $55,986, ahead of Luxembourg, $55,641; Belgium, $55,235; and France, $54,609. -CBS News

The europeans ARE sex-crazed individuals, no more so than americans though...it's just that the perceived imorality you would have is nothing more than the liberal society that europe is.... stemming from open-minds and being more aware of the world around them.
America likes to be a front-runner but is it really following the hearts and minds of its people or simply learning of trends across the atlantic and setting its PC attitude into motion making it appear to be leading in moral issues.
Americans unfortunately do have a reputation for being gung-ho rather than gradually adapting which proves very unpopular with a world which is moving closer together at a gradual process.
If the US took the time to look at the smaller pictures they would have a better idea of the bigger picture and in so doing would show that they can be considerate and aware of the direction that the world wants to go together rather than the ideaology that they are the world leaders.
In this respect you are (as a generalisation) quite indoctrinated.