>How about understanding the world outside of america?
>

In these five years, I have heard a total of twenty sentences in foreign languages (not counting Spanish) on all the TV channels taken together. In local newspapers I see about two foreign films advertised, annually.

Even the writers who do a good research won't find enough details to make their stories plausible when they need to happen abroad. You'll see them mentioning doorknobs - not handles, pushing the doors to get out of the shop - not pulling; the tabletop lamps in hotels still have the turn buttons just below the bulb, not the push buttons on the base etc etc. These are just the details which one can experience firsthand and firsthand only, because pretty much nobody (except your humble) is writing about them. And that's just a few technical details. Knowing the subtle differences in culture... not in this lifetime. You'll, of course, find people who know this or that, who have been there, but the majority has no idea what does life look like elsewhere.

Which is too bad. I feel much richer myself having lived in three countries and having traveled a few more - I'd recommend this to anyone.