Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin
To redirect this in some weak hope of keeping it from jumping into bash territory...
I find it interesting how the US tends to present freedom as a uniquely US concept. Well, maybe not the US in any official capacity, but in the popular media.
I have found that the freedoms of the US aren't unique, and that the US is not the only country to grant their citizens the rights that they have.
Is the emphasis on freedom a carry over from an earlier era when freedom was not something common? Or is it some sort of misinterpretation?
I have been stunned on occasion by people telling me they would never live in Japan because it was not a "free" country.
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I believe some of this is due to the general self-centeredness of most Americans and the lack of real education about other countries. America is number one and that's all they care about. I don't know how much geography is taught nowadays, but most people I know can't place most countries on a globe. The news doesn't show much international news unless Americans are involved in it somehow.
To me, it's a bit too self-centered and may explain a little why people may see Americans with some resentment. This is only from the observations I've had since I've been here. I was born in Spain and lived there for 22 years and then 2 years in Japan. I've been here since 1990 and it's not my favorite place, but it's home....