Yes, this is all true. What you overlook is the fact that I'm not talking about school classes, art collections or foreign aid. What upsets people around the world is the inbred belief, the absolute surety, that the American way is best. What infuriates them, is Americans' total lack of ability to consider that they may be wrong, may need to learn more, may not have the best answer.
If you aren't talking about education and art collections and foreign aid... then what are you talking about? Where is our lack of art appreciation? Where is our lack of culture? Where are you siting our self-centered, possession driven existence from?
The only reason that others are infuriated by American's belief that we live the right way is because they too believe that they live the only way that should be considered. No one wants to admit that they live in a way that is substandard or less in comparision to another way of life. If Americans believe that another country had the right way about something, we would change our ways to reflect that and make it our own. The same is true for other countries. If others didn't have the same inbred belief and surety of thinking that they were just as right as we see ourselves, then there wouldn't be anything to cause problems in the first place. You can't shift all the blame to one side of the fight and say, It's all their fault! when there are obviously two sides to every situation.
Yes, I realize that I am still American when abroad. And no, it is not fair to say that all Americans are ignorant and short sighted. Unfortunately, too many of them are though. And they are too such a degree that it casts a shadow over us all.
One peice of rotten fruit can frequently ruin an entire bin... it's the same with people. One bad American tourist causes the stereotype that all American tourists are bad. Are all blondes dumb? Well, some may argue... but, no. No matter how bad those few are, you still can not blame the vast majority of the good for the faults of the few.


Krista

Bonded to Kory - always
Your grief is mine, and mine may tear the fabric of the soul apart.

First Penguin to Missa Sedai
Wife to MGB
the beaten eggs to Maddy's oil