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From: mahoney@bach.DEC
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Whom Should We Believe
Message-ID: <203@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Date: Tue, 31-Dec-85 10:18:47 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.203
Posted: Tue Dec 31 10:18:47 1985
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---------------------Reply to mail dated 29-DEC-1985 22:03---------------------

>By Americans you mean U.S. citizens or people born in the americas?
>(We latin americans still view ourselves as americans, you know).
>I have noticed that U.S. citizens know very little about their own
>history (and even less about world history). I was also astonished by
>the lack of knowledge and interest in world events (unless they have to
>do with US interests). Can someone explain this phenomena?
>


    It comes from the fact that the Americans (I mean US citizens) have never
  felt that they need outside help.  If you look at our History (or perception
  of our History) we have always gone to save the other guy.  The
  Spanish-American War we went to save Cuba from the nasty Spanish.  WWI we went
  to save Europe from the Imperialist anti-deomcratic doggish Germans. WWII we
  supplied England and  the Soviet Union and thus without us they would have
  lost.  The tremendous amount of aid we have given out to the world since the
  end of WWII have helped millions.  Americans see this as the most blessed
  nation in the world so it doesn't matter what is going on the rest of the
  world.

  The bigger problem though I feel is that the US is so isolated.  The US only
  really has two neighbors of any significance who have never really bothered
  us.  Look at the numerous wars in Central and South America in Asia and
  Europe and Africa these have forced the people to look at what is happening
  in the Other Countries. (There is really only one War the US has been forced
  into and that is WWII and that is even semi-doubtful) You say well what
  about Canada Canadians have been under the domination of another country for
  along time and only since WWII has had total control of its actions.

  The US has never been invaded or bombed really (I don't need a discussion on
  the balloon bombs I am talking about the bombings as in the Battle of Britian)
  The US also has never had the huge Empire that Britian and France and nations
  such as that had.  These Empires brought there people to other parts of the
  world and the other parts of the world to there nations.  The US also has not
  been dominated by any country since the Revolution like the rest of the world.
  The reason this occured is that most countries felt we would fall apart
  eventually or the balance of powers within Europe dictated it. We simply were
   never seen as a threat.


  It is these quirks in history that have made Americans so indifferent to the
  rest of the World.  Our Size and distance and for awhile lack of need of
  getting involved.  The US had a continent to conquer we didn't need to look
  else where.  Remember also that George Washington said that two things would
  be a bane to this country involvement with Europe and political parties.
  (So far he has been right on both scores) It is our very history and now
  the power that the US has that makes people not look beyond our own shores.


  Brian Mahoney