Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
BonosSaint said:I would venture a guess though that most Americans (present company excluded, although I would include myself) do not know as much about ONE other country as a tremendous amount of nonAmericans know about us.
well, i'd argue that i know as much about the UK as most people in the UK know about the US, and i'd also point out the fact that, at least in my public high school, i had two full years of European history, and one year of American history. why? because when you're talking about history, there's way, way more of it in Europe that has affected how the modern world works. i would absolutely say that European history is more "important" to understanding how the globe works than, say, America's relatively recent history.
this applies to modern culture/politics today. the US is ascendent. it's actions reverberate throughout the world. it's actors and actresses and rock stars prompt interest in American culture -- and i'd say that this applies to the UK as well as it's exported popular culture is enormously influential (the beatles? harry potter?) an interest in countries beyond those that do not directly affect your life is a botique interest born out of intellectual curiosity than self-interest.