Another view on multiculturalism

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You really seem to have no idea how insular American Indian culture can be, much less the other cultures represented here.

Perhaps I should have told you that I live on the reservation myself; my children are tribal, in fact.

Besides which, the phenomenon Sowell speaks of extends far beyond simple geography, all due respect to your distaste for that particular subject.

Right O, that may be so. The article didn't tell me any of that, though. It looked more like he was inventing an issue out of nothing, going by the article alone.

Speaking of insular cultures, btw: how do you see american culture in that respect?

Just out of curiosity, like.

[Biggles]

Is the phenomenon he is talking of particular to Native Americans though?

I recall seeing a programme on TV (a US prog) where they asked US kids basic geography questions - the answers were rather remarkable. Might it not be the education system as a whole that has issues?

One thing I did like was a really lovely (if rather daft girl) who said she was envious of the girl from Montana because she had always wanted to live by the sea. It transpired that Canadia was not coloured in on her school map and she just assumed that there was sea to the North.

[Snee]

Speaking of insular cultures, btw: how do you see american culture in that respect?

Just out of curiosity, like.

Sorry, I was a bit unclear there, I did note you said other cultures and all that. What I meant to ask was how you see american culture in general with regards to being insulated.

The way it appears to me, a hell of a lot of americans don't appear to care much about the world outside of America, and this doesn't seem isolated to particular groups, creeds or minorities.

Knowledge of (which may be illustrated with Biggles's example), and indeed interest in the rest of the world appears lacking in general. Is this your experience as well, J2 (it seems to be if I'm reading you right), and how widespread, exactly, is this phenomenon?

[Busyman™]

Speaking of insular cultures, btw: how do you see american culture in that respect?

Just out of curiosity, like.

Sorry, I was a bit unclear there, I did note you said other cultures and all that. What I meant to ask was how you see american culture in general with regards to being insulated.

The way it appears to me, a hell of a lot of americans don't appear to care much about the world outside of America, and this doesn't seem isolated to particular groups, creeds or minorities.

Knowledge of (which may be illustrated with Biggles's example), and indeed interest in the rest of the world appears lacking in general. Is this your experience as well, J2 (it seems to be if I'm reading you right), and how widespread, exactly, is this phenomenon?

I think this "phenomenon" is mostly related to our size of landmass and geography in relation to other countries.

If one's home country is small as fuck and/or is landlocked with other countries just 100 miles in any direction (or a short distance across the water) then those folk are more likely to branch out.

Even with vacations, the average joe with probably hit the multitiude of spots within America (ex. Disney, Vegas, ski in Utah, Colorado, Mardi Gras in N'Orleans), hit border countries like Canada or Mehico, or hit the islands (Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, South American islands).

Americans have the bulk of their own country to explore. As an example of what I said above, it's quite an effort just to hit Alaska or Hawaii in many cases. A stay in Hawaii will often times run less than the plane trip there.

At a cookout last night, a group of us decided we all wanna go to Jamaica next year. I'm quite stoked since it'll be probably a group of 11 of us and that's just one group of friends. Some had already been to Jamaica and some hadn't (including me).

I always wonder why it's so hard for foreigners over in Europe to figure out that the US is the just short of being equal in size to Europe, is one of largest countries in the world, and it's proximity to many countries with originating cultures is pretty far away.

A person visiting Turkey from bratland could probably drive and go through probably 5 or 6 countries to get there and drive a slightly longer distance than if an American went from DC to LA.

The American would be in his home country the entire time.

[Snee]

Take countries like Australia or Canada, though. They are big, and isolated, but they still seem to have a decent grasp on how Europe, Asia, and the U.S. looks. Going by things like Biggles's example, americans seem exceptionally ignorant of the world outside, among industrialised, and reasonably wealthy nations at least.

Although I'm sure what you say has something to do with it, I also suspect that there is more to it than that.

Or my impression of it has to do with how the media depicts the U.S., mostly american media on this particular subject, from what I've seen

[Busyman™]

Take countries like Australia or Canada, though. They are big, and isolated, but they still seem to have a decent grasp on how Europe, Asia, and the U.S. looks. Going by things like Biggles's example, americans seem exceptionally ignorant of the world outside, among industrialised, and reasonably wealthy nations at least.

Although I'm sure what you say has something to do with it, I also suspect that there is more to it than that.

Or my impression of it has to do with how the media depicts the U.S., mostly american media on this particular subject, from what I've seen

Don't Canada and Australia have a deep brat influences?

The US went independent while those countries (I think) still have constitutional monarchies ffs.

Also I think America has a worse early educational system. However, we excel in college.

The US has marched to it's own tune. I'm not saying that it's entirely good but it has worked.

I couldn't tell you if Average Joe Canadian or Australian has a decent grasp of anything. However, still having close ties with bratland is definitely a major influence.

[Snee]

I'm no expert on either country and how they view themselves, but our being a monarchy means fuckall to many of us, and that's with royals who reside inside our country. If the canadian or/and the australian outlook on that sort of thing is anything like ours, royals are just faces on coins, like. And them being monarchies won't mean much, if so.

And when it comes to Australia, a lot of people are descended from prisoners, whereas others stem from the native population, and many other countries. I really don't know if something like that makes for that closer ties to Britain than those of the U.S., beyond the surface. It hasn't really been a nation on is own for that long, though.

As for Canada, I see it as having more in common with America, but I could be wrong.

In comparison to what do americans excel in college, btw?

[Busyman™]

I'm no expert on either country and how they view themselves, but our being a monarchy means fuckall to many of us, and that's with royals who reside inside our country. If the canadian or/and the australian outlook on that sort of thing is anything like ours, royals are just faces on coins, like. And them being monarchies won't mean much, if so.

And when it comes to Australia, a lot of people are descended from prisoners, whereas others stem from the native population, and many other countries. I really don't know if something like that makes for that closer ties to Britain than those of the U.S., beyond the surface. It hasn't really been a nation on is own for that long, though.

As for Canada, I see it as having more in common with America, but I could be wrong.

In comparison to what do americans excel in college, btw?

Outlook or not, the ties are there. America's ties with bratland are mainly political. When I went to Williamsburg, Virginia, I did hear that the Queen's visit there was a big deal (I think it was some brat anniversary or something). Keep in mind Williamsburg is a huge tourist town though.

Oh and apologies for the statement. I meant American colleges.

I honestly think that those who don't know or care much about the outside of the US are either not educated about it and/or are too wrapped up in their American lives to care. The geography is a huge part of it.

Hell many natives of the DC area don't go to DC monuments and museums so going to Europe juuust might be a stretch.

Also Canada and Australia still having constitutional monarchies coupled with being originally bratland flunkies make them quite different (hell Canada had the French too and that influence is still there).

Are we the only country to tell bratland to fuck off and make them fuck off? I'm not surpised that brats are into other cultures. The country has a long and storied history of "touching" them.

[Biggles]

I don't doubt that many US colleges do excel. I was rather thinking of those that might have got left behind a tad (although I have no idea if GW has rectified that problem now). However, it did seem to me that perhaps some education might be more equal than others.

[Busyman™]

I don't doubt that many US colleges do excel. I was rather thinking of those that might have got left behind a tad (although I have no idea if GW has rectified that problem now). However, it did seem to me that perhaps some education might be more equal than others.

I remember a fella being interviewed from Saudi Arabia saying that he understands why some Muslims hate America.

He then went on to say that he would send his kids here to go to college. When the interviewer asked why he would do that? The Saudi basically asked back why wouldn't he want his kids to have the best education possible.