Follow-up to HEyHEY's "foreigner poll". I'm curious....

Why do people from other countries read/post at DU? It seems a bit odd to me.

Don't get me wrong. I'm trying to educate myself in the politics of other countries; mostly from reading 'net news, but I haven't joined any politically-related websites that are based in other countries.

I'm honestly interested in what draws you here. Help me out, if you would.

I look for progressive people everywhere...that's the future.

On various topics :-)

Cute eh? :D

;-)

For starters there is a very real chance of me moving to the US for postgraduate eduaction - I lurked to get a few ideas and a post was screaming for a reply.

Other than that: The "leader of the free world" thing; American politics have a very direct impact on all "western" nations. The economy being the most important part.
To top that Bush was openly grooming the German opposition - not to mention the rather absurd "anti-American"/ "Old Europe" mess - as if Europeans are supposed to be American patriots as well; demanded to follow a leader in whose choosing we have no vote.

Somehow I felt the need for a "reality" check. What were real Americans thinking?
DU provided answers.

Not intending to offend anyone, or make a value judgment, and there are certainly exceptions, but generally, Americans' interest in current events is more likely to be limited to those events that they perceive as being about the US, whereas the rest of the world, while most people naturally take a special interest in local issues, also have an interest in world events, maybe because people outside the US are more likely to feel that world events affect them.

Americans tend to feel that world events have nothing to do with them.

I don't intend to argue that one side is right or wrong, just saying how people feel :)

I'm well aware that most Americans think that the world revolves around them. In some ways, I suppose it does to an extent, being as how we're the "big dog on the block".

That being said, I wish that more Americans were (at the very least) aware of the rest of the world. Sadly, I don't believe that's the case for most of us. I'm glad that you (and others) have taken an interest. My hope is that we can begin to look at issues on a global level one day. I'll be the first to admit that we (as a nation) are mostly ignorant of the rest of the world.

At any rate; I'm glad that you're here at DU. You non-Americans have much to teach us about the world. Don't be shy in doing so.

is that most Americans are equally ignorant of domestic politics and issues as well. We are a MOST selfish people alas.

Anything that happens here has effects on europe/asia/mid east.

A friend from Korea told me that he think the whole world should be able to vote in our presidential election since we interfere everywhere in the world anyway.

I dont think Europeans or asians are more interested in politics then we are, the reason is simply if holland(just as example) votes for a president nobody here is concerned with if holland will nuke us or not, our choice of president can be difference whether or not holland will get nuked or not

In the mid-eighties I was at a party and struck up a conversation with a woman from Brazil. She told me she was disappointed that there was no news coverage of Brazil in American media, since the front pages of the Brazilian papers always featured the U.S. I asked her if the papers featured any other countries as much as the U.S. (thinking that Brazil's immediate neighbors would surely be newsworthy). Her response: "The Soviet Union".

Today the U.S. is the only 800-lb gorilla around. And it's currently a little diseased in the brain, so of course the rest of the world is paying close attention.