Why don't Americans care about the rest of the world?

Question

Yes, I'm an American, and I care deeply about what's going on beyond our borders. But it's no surprise that most Americans have no idea what's on the outside.

See here for an example: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/11/20/geography.quiz/

Question: Why are people in this country so ignorant, they couldn't pass a basic civics quiz, let alone know much about the rest of the world? Why do silly things like celebrity hijinks matter more? And what does this mean for the future of the republic?

The first few responses do not answer my question. I know you don't care about the rest of the world, but why not? BDZot's answer came the closest to providing some kind of answer, but it was the wrong answer. I would argue that knowing more about Iraq is hugely important from a security sense. The link to that story was provided just as an example. The idea that "we don't get anything in return, so why should we care?" seems incredibly short-sighted and illogical. What we get is fewer failed states like (to name a few) Somalia, Iraq and Sudan, and that benefits everybody.

Answer 1

such a long QUESTION so no ANSWER

Answer 2

That has a lot to do with the fact that most stations do not cover the important aspects of world news. For example, the French elections that just past a while ago. Unless you were watching a channel devoted specifically to world news, you were out of luck, really. And the stations that covered it, only really "covered it". They were too concerned with Paris Hilton going to jail. The whole idea is to dumb us down, that way we are easier to control. Ever wonder why the cost of movies is going up, while the quality is going down? Americans don't care about the world because the media and everything around us basically says that America is the greatest country on Earth and to hell with everyone else. That's taking national pride a bit too far, don't you think?

And as for the US caring too much...well, that's just not true. We only get involved in things that have an effect on us and our investments. For example, if we cared so much, why didn't we get involved in the Rwanda Genocide? Its basically the same situation as the one going on in Iraq, so whats the difference? The difference is 1) some people who might be stationed in that area (who they have yet to find) blew up two buildings in our own country and 2) oil, oil, oil.

Answer 3

Well here is the problem "americans" are to obsessed with their own lives to care about what happens to their neighbors. I have said it a million times everything that happens in other countries affects us one way or another. For example the fact that Cuba and Venezuela have been so buddy buddy can not be good for america. Also now that we are trying to get rid of all the illegal people in ways that some people would describe as inhumane when those people go back to their countries they will hold resentment for america which will then be passed down to their children. Which is what happens in the middle east. Do we really want to have every country south of us hate us? Yeah the american army is the strongest army in the world but what if all those countries got together against america then what do we do.

Answer 4

This is a great question and in its magnitude you have to look to many curruptions that have hindered Americans education and in many ways taken the real power in this country away from the people. The media that really powers the county does a poor job of doing so primarily because it has turned into a largely for profit machine. Instead of broadcasting news and isssues the air time is used to attract as many people to its station as possible and celebrities or symbols of everything money could buy fuels the american greed that spending power has done to this nation. We are quite litterally in a bubble. Our educational system also continues to fail us. This spawns directly from the lack of funding. The educational system truly shapes the country as a whole and its not just the quality in the public classroom it has a great deal also to do with ridiculous costs of a college degree. As americans we are hindered by low minimum wages and a globalized maketplace that threatens to continue to export work from this country over seas to places without the humanitary standards we as a people expect. Government needs to re-allot a ton of money that it continues to pump into war and military funding. War is never a means for peace and our efforts in Veitnam and now Iraq should serve as reminders of this. If a teacher in high school made possibly eighty thousand a year or even more you could imagine how much of an improvement we'd see in the classroom and we'd expect then a direct improvement in the product of our schools. College grants should not be only for the people that litterally make, for lack of a better word, dirt. The government should be pushing post high school education as a key to the future and the spending should mirror the importance of education. The government is suppose to be for the people but it has long been hijacked by big buisness and the interests of the companies that fuel our economy. Some people in this country need to wake up and realize that WE ARE NOT THE BEST. Seriously we're not. Our health care system is ranked out of the top thirty in the world. The life expectancy is insultingly out of the top fourty in the world. Our automobile standards don't even meet that of china's, they won't sell our cars in china because they don't meet the mpg standards! Am I crazy or is something wrong with that situation? This country even fuels the global warming polluting. Why doesn't it change? Because the biggest companies in the country are happy making increasily larger profits. Ask the CEO of the oil companies... a 4 billion dollar bonus would look nice to me too. We're going in the wrong direction and the only thing that will ever make it better is if people get up and start pressing their reps to change what matters to them. Get rid of lobbying, the system that birthed this dissaster. Also voting helps. As for the future of the republic, history tells me that this country will wait until the bridge collapses completely before deciding its worth fixing. but we maybe in luck, I think this presidents administration broke that bridge and I expect record turn outs in 2008.

Answer 5

America as a country sends more money outside its borders for aide than any other country. And as a %, Americans give the most to charity, domestic and international.
As for the celebrity issue, have you ever been to England? They are obsessed with celebrity issues.

Anyway, it is a sign of a well-off society. Instead of hunting and gathering we can spend free time looking at David Beckham and Princess Dianna. We go to the movies and watch TV for the same reasons.

I'm not saying it is a good thing. In fact people are getting complacant. The young people in China and India want to eat our lunch, make money while doing it and kick us on our way down. They see the things we have and want them.

Answer 6

I know I'm walking into a can o' worms here, but it ain't the first time and won't be the last.
I don't know how ignoRANT I am, but I can find a spot or two on the map..he,he. I believe the US is in too many places all over this world and "we" should start paying more attention to OUR country and not everyone else's. If the US focused on America and cut the military (and spending for) down to about 25% of what it is today, for starters and spent that money on much needed programs such as health care and jobs here at home! This country could be so much better, healthier and happier.

It's the have's and the have nots in America today and the have's don't want the have nots to have anything, just die and go away. Like Michael Moore said in SiCKO, "This should be a country of (we) not a country of (me)" and one more piont from the movie. I don't remember who said this but, "If you can spend money to KILL people, you can spend money to HEAL people."

So to wrap up...America needs to pull her nose out of the rest of the worlds butt!!

Answer 7

Generalizations are never true. Americans are all different. Some are dumb and some are brilliant.
I believe right now many Americans feel helpless to do anything about all the problems. Our president isn't listening to us, the economy forces us to work too much and constantly accept lies from our president. We do not trust our government anymore. The whole world hates us it seems. So what can we do? I can't go to mexico like I did as a youth with my parents, to give my time to help the needy because now I would be kidnapped.

Answer 8

No one really cares about anything. They spend their time to react to the news somewhere, on the internet for example, and then they go back to their boring lives where they care about what others think or do. They can't even properly take care about themselves.

Answer 9

Excuse me but why should we care about the rest of the world. In the last hundred years we have pulled the world's chestnuts out of the fire not once twice or even three times but more times than I care to enumerate! I spent 9 years in military uniform and saved almost 300 lives in 200 rescues of people who were at sea and really had no business being there. I also saw our military people committed to two dozen little potholes to bail out fools who did not want or appreciate our people. Why should we continue to pour lives and money into those pest holes?????

PS as for travel I have been in 107 countries on 7 continents! Where have you been to see personally?

Answer 10

I believe that the USA has one of the lowest percentage of citizens who are passport holders in the developed world. So long as Americans don't travel how are they supposed to understand both the diversity of races and politics and yet the shared humanity of the world.

I suspect that the country's political leaders prefer it this way as ignorant people are easier to lead and to fool.

I am not suggesting that Americans are stupid - just tending to be unfortunately uninformed.

Answer 11

Americans has Hollywood, big baseball games, football millionaires and NBA multi-millionaires as compared to the poverty-stricken people of Africa and Asia. Can the Americans share at least a few of their bucks to feed hungry people.