>>Oh I do understand the US society and politics way better than you think I do. I can see the reasons for its development. I can see the current thinking of the americans. I do understand the politics. Sure there are still questions I search an answer to (Hence my participation here). There is an incredible amount of US news in our papers. Heck even the full story about the two female austronauts fighting for a male austronaut were in our news papers. There are two VERY good dutch reporters living in the US giving an overview of how it is like living in the US from a normal life perspective (Charles groenhuisen and Max westerman) both from a republican and democrat viewpoint, pro US, con US. Don't forget we also see the US as the remaining superpower, not only military. The US culture is blending into ours as well. Do you think we don't know the WALL MART principles? The greed culture?

>First off, it's spelled Wal-Mart.

OK...

>Secondly, how is it a greed culture? Wal-Mart sells cheap items cheaply which consumers buy. Where's the greed?

The greed culture in the corporate world and health care in general. We suffer from this as well, but not yet on the scale that is happening in the US. As for greed in wal-mart. we both know there is much to say about the way wal-mart is operating its busines. Anti-social, and modern slavery are much heard comments on this topic.

>>Are you dismissing the observations I make when I visit NA again to notice the big and subtile differences in our society. As a european visiting you'll be put with your nose onto the facts. Power difference (110V vs 220), TV difference (NTSC 640 x 480 vs PAL 725 x 515), Mobile phone (three different bands), toilet (work differently), social, house building, school differences, car (though americans are buying more and more european cars), gun control, violence, alcohol, elections, news media, consumer goods, supermarkets. Your society is different from ours. now tell me how much do you do know about my country? Have you been there? If so, how many times? What did you notice. How much news do you view a week out of my country or even europe on a direct european network? Would you not agree I would be in a way better position to compare the two?

>What part of "I don't pretend to understand" did you not get?

The part where you imply I don't have any knowledge of the american geo politic map.


>>But this does not take away that from my perspective some things are backward. incredible arrogance, ignorance and narrow mindedness as shown up here by quite a few members (Though I'm pleased to see there are quite a few other voices as well) showing a total lack of knowledge of life outside of the US bubble, but still drumming the "US is the greatest country the world has ever seen". It is totally off scale and insulting to countries that evolved beyond the US in many areas.

>I would agree to a small part. There are very many Americans who act that way, unfortunately. I happened to grow up in a family with a lot of international connections, hell, my father spoke 6 languages. I speak 3.

English, spanish and ?
You beat me, I basically speak two and Dutch and English and a very little german.

>As to evolving beyond the US, I think that's a ridiculous statement. Evolved? Unnatural selection: everyone with aggressive tendencies was killed in the many wars in Europe in the past 200 years.

Evolved in a way that we have improved certain things in our culture beyond american standards. One prominent example already noted is public health care. On the social side we are more advanced than americans. Environmental, infrastructure, public transportation, electronic banking (which we already do for about 15 years now), broadband internet prenetration and other online services are also much debatable.

>>John, like it or not, and I will put this very blunty (let me get my firesuit on):
>>Most american are totally unable to compare europe with the US in many, many ways, simply because they are not exposed enough to the european news and way of life. The other way arround though, the american way of life is blending into our society (e.g. Commercialisation of xmas and valentine day), the massive amount of american culture on TV series and news media, etc.

>And whose fault is that? Did we force Europe to accept our culture somehow?

I'm not saying it is anyone fault. And I am not even offended by it. That is because europe is one big mixture of all kinds of cultures who are striving to keep their identity. So though santa clause is getting as popular as our Sinterklaas (the simular names are not coincidence because they both are comming from saint nicolas) it won't vanish it.

The point is, however that we are exposed to much american culture, so we know a lot of american culture, as we do know much about british, belgium, german culture.