>
> > That is true, but most Americans don't think life exists outside
> > our borders. They hear "Bosnia, Bosnia, Bosnia" or "South Africa,
> > South Africa" and are not intelligent enough to make any relevance
> > to our lives here.
> >
> > Elson
>
>
>
> Such a statement is as ignorant as the supposedly stupid Americans
> you decry. If you value integrity, I suggest not exhibiting what you
> criticize, otherwise you are guilty of both what you condemn and
> hypocrisy.
>
>
> Mark N.
>
>
Ahah! An irresistible opportunity to tie two threads (into a knot?).
Rather than using purely rhetorical criticism of someone's rash
generalization, why not consider possible explanations that lead to such,
often inappropriate, generalizations. For example, the tendency of people
to try to understand others within their own somewhat limited
experiences. The failure of many Americans to understand events in other
countries and cultures results from their attempts to fit those events
into their limited world view. Unless such events have greater personal
impact--emotionally or economically--most people will not make the effort
to reach a greater understanding. We seek comfort from what is familiar:
family, home, our favorite TV progams, music we've listened to for years,
and so on. Security derives from a world view that keeps the "unknown" at
bay, or one that, at the very least, candy-coats reality.
Bil
bdwyer@grove.ufl.edu