** Diogenes the Cynic ** thats not a fair comparison to make. The leaders of countries that are close to you are more likely to be featured in the news or actually make a difference on you everyday life. Its not often that the leader of Germany makes a decision that even faintly impacts an average American on a noticable level. On the other hand if a decision made by the German leader would more often impact say France. A more apt test would be comparing knowledge of say South American leaders between Americans and Europeans. I would be pretty suprised if there was a significant difference between the two.
Ask my supermarket sample who the leaders of Canada and Mexico are. They still won’t know. Most of them can’t even name their own congressional delegations.
Well, there’s this organisation called the IRA that a lot of Americans have opinions about.
I am sure you have a citation to back this up correct?
Well, most Canadians couldn’t tell you squat about Mexico, either. The world knows lots about the U.S. because the U.S. dominates the world media stage and world events. This should not come as a surprise to anyone. So it doesn’t make Americans stupid because they don’t know anything about Mexico but Mexicans know lots about them. As a Mexican how many provinces Canada has.
I agree that a disturbing number of Americans are ignorant of both domestic and foreign politics, but I think that as far as this message board and others where the average IQ is above that of a rock go the major beef is the amount of criticism. Of course the U.S. is a hyperpower, so criticisms are going to be often, and often quite valid, so they should just get used to it.
I think a lot of the other reasons listed in this thread are pretty valid as well.
Why question the assertion when a couple minutes on Google backs it up?
A recent poll showed the percentages of Americans who could identify the leaders of the following countries:
Castro-Cuba 71%
Blair-England 51%
Putin-Russia 40%
Sharon-Israel 37%
Chretien-Canada 6%
Unfortunately, the full report from Gallup is apparently not available for free, but the results are mentioned here (pdf).
Here is an article that says that less than half of Americans can name their congressman.
I once impressed a couple of Canadians in a youth hostel by almost knowing how many provinces Canada has. I said twelve, and they were willing to give me a pass for forgetting number thirteen since Nunavut had only become a seperate province a couple of years before. They said they’d never met an American who’d even come close to the correct answer.
But I wouldn’t know the name of the current Canadian prime minister (Paul Martin) if I hadn’t just Googled it, and there’s no way I’d be able to pick him out of a police line-up. Sorry, Canada!
Awareness of the US and US politics by aliens to the US is a natural byproduct of the negative influence that the US has on world politics and economics. You see, we need to know what the US fools are doing in order to anticipate what to expect in the future.
The US is the greediest consumer in the world. When I see a morbidly obese person, I think Yank. Yanks take much more than their share of the world’s resources, just as a morbidly obese person takes more than their fair share of the resources available to them in the micro-ecology of their world.
We know that the US is aggressively assertive in claiming the lion’s share of the world’s resources, just like a morbidly obese person at the line-up of an all-you-can-eat banquet.
So we criticise, and offer constructive options as alternatives to competition over resources.
And the Yanks respond as if we had sought to inflict mortal damage on them.
Watch the defensive posturing whenever Yanks are criticised. It is laughable, but lamentable, albeit predictable.
OK, I’ll throw my 2¢ into the pot on this subject. 
The problem isn’t with foreign people rationally, calmly and from an informed perspective discussing USA (or vice versa, any USA citizens discussing other countries) events and actions that may have an effect on their interests, either personally or as a citizen of their country. What does upset people such as myself, is when someone who doesn’t live here and doesn’t pay taxes here, ADAMATLY, FORCEFULLY AND CONTINOUSLY defends a particular party and/or politician or conversely, denigrates a particular politician. We can beat our own politicians up, we don’t need someone else to help us do it. When non-citizens do this , they are effectively inserting themselves into our political process and trying to tell us who and/or what we should vote for. It sometimes feels like some of these people are trying to influence how people vote here while masquerading as a citizen of the country (since not everyone knows where a person is from here). I mean, if you don’t have any real skin in the game, then say your piece once, twice or thrice and get on with your business. Don’t beat a dead horse or people will start to question your motives.
Furthermore, if you are going to try and dive deep into politics and economics of another country, then you best make sure that you have ALL your facts straight. It’s bad enough when citizens don’t know what they are talking about, but it is even worse when non-citizens shoot fast and loose with the facts.
It sure would be nice if there were some symbol or link tied to your username here that would indicate your country of citizenship.
Now, ya see, Sisyphis’ Stone and people who post stuff like that? That’s the sort of thing we get our backs up about. It’s just mean and rambling and wrong on a lot of levels–for example, maybe we consume a lot of resources because we’re the most productive industrialized nation in the world too? Those resources don’t fall down a black hole of greed.
Nuanced criticism that is willing to listen to counter-arguments, fine. Yankee-bashing–well, most of us have heard it from various nations all our lives, and we just tune it out as background noise.
Seriously! And to help sort out who is on which side during middle east debates, the Jews should have a star of David by their names. The gay people should have a pink triangle, to help with the various gay debates, and so forth.
Case in point - defensive posturing. Point made. 
Don’t flatter yourself. ‘Defensive posturing’ is what one assumes when attacked, not annoyed. You shouldn’t confuse your childishly annoying posts with actual criticisms that we take note of.
Given the US’ influence throughout the world, I would suggest every global citizen has the right to voice an opinion about its leaders.
Whether US citizens listen or care is another matter.
[QUOTE=Sisyphus’ Stone]
The US is the greediest consumer in the world. When I see a morbidly obese person, I think Yank.
We know that the US is aggressively assertive in claiming the lion’s share of the world’s resources, just like a morbidly obese person at the line-up of an all-you-can-eat banquet.
So we criticise, and offer constructive options as alternatives to competition over resources.
[QUOTE]
Yeah, very constructive there. Why don’t you take take those greedy fat-ass yanks to the pit, where your post belongs.
I have zero problem with any person of any nationality honestly and rationally criticizing American politics. However, there’s a big difference between:
- I believe certain aspects of American foreign policy to be extremely short sighted and poorly though out, for example, A, B, C, and D.
and
- What the hell is wrong with you Americans? Are you fat and stupid, or just fat?
Sorry? I comment on your murderous government(s) and their crimes.
Really? Quote me on that please?
(The next sentence I don’t understand. Can you re-write in simple English please?)
Quote me on that also please? Thank you.
Wrong.
It is a reflexive action of idiotic bigots in a try to dismiss critics coming from someone who is Arab + M-Eastern + Muslim and - oh how is it possible- can despite of this write and read English (much better then writing as you know).
On top of that indigestible horror this subhuman does not see the Great USA as the Land of Milk and Honey and the Paradise for the Free.
In the little minds of these idiots all the sand- eating towel heads must be all living in the middle ages, must be all “jealous” of the US… (that is by far the most stupid comment you encounter frequently on US message boards).
And here comes one of those towelheads who can read and write… and “even” the Sacred Language English.
I can imagine the shock this must provoke. Really, I can. (So lucky for these people that they can’t see my picture… It would certaily kill them of a heat attack provoked by the schock their indoctrinated prejudice )
By the way: In a very recent thread I got the remark that I have no “right” to comment on the US ME politics or even ask “why would you still vote for Bush” because I am not American (that poster thought I was Belgian. So you see… The “defence” is focussed against everyone who is not US’er.)
Salaam. A
Part of it is knee-jerk.
Part of it has to do with how things are said. Although sometimes there are no tactful ways to comment, giving pedantic lectures about how things really work in the US and how ignorant a particular American poster/group of posters/political party is a poor way to go about it.
Part of it has to do with what things are said. One yahoo who throws out BS in vast quantities and insulting tone kind of primes the audience to react to the next few people who try and cover the same ground, even if the next guy does so in a more rational way. Those yahoos tend to get a lot of media air time.
Part of it has to do with Americans’ collective image of our country, both absolutely and relative to the rest of the world and the difference between that image and the image held by foreigners.
Part of it has to do with trying not to air our dirty laundry outside the house - having furriners comment on it makes it clear that we are making a scene in public. It’s okay for mom and dad to discuss between themselves how/why junior turned out fat dumb and ugly and whose to blame/what’s to be done. For the neighbor to broach the topic is not conducive to a level conversation.
I may be willing to have a knock-down, drag-out, no holds barred discussion of Bush v. Gore and any related issues with another American. I would be more likely to be defensive in such a discussion with a non-American.
I understand that the actions of the US government and our domestic politics has international ramifications. In general I have no problem with international types discussing these matters.
As to yankee bashing. As long as it’s NY Yankee bashing I’m all for it.
Sorry Alderbaran ole buddy…‘My Post Is My Cite’. 
Besides, if you don’t realize that my characterization of your posting history on this board is accurate, you are probably the ONLY one on this board who doesn’t know it. Not like myriad posters haven’t tried to tell you…
Case in point…
-XT