If you don’t know less than 50% of Americans have a passport. The ones who don’t, I really see the limitation in their thinking. They never saw that most of the world is in fact freer than them, has a better system in place for their people, and doesn’t have some of the major problems that America has. I’m currently in a country where over 90% of items are made in that country. America (made in China) can’t comprehend this efficiency. P.S. I’m American
The thing that gets me though is how dangerous many Americans say other parts of the world is without having ever been there lol. I travel and I’ll tell you America is the MOST dangerous country outside of warzones. Yes even more dangerous that Arab countries for women. Lol I know that propaganda is in a lot of Americans minds.
OK so who’s actually been outside the country and can talk geopolitics and actually know from experience what they are talking about?
I love to travel and I’ve been very fortunate to visit many countries outside the US. I just spent 3 weeks in Iceland.
I think it’s a shame that more people don’t have the interest or means to travel outside the country more frequently because I think it provides a lot of perspective about the reality of other countries and America vs the image that America portrays of itself and other countries.
Several times. I’ve been to Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Egypt once. It’s easy to travel in Europe if you live there.
Yeah, I’ve traveled to Europe and loved every second of it. I would say the most dangerous place I have been to was within two hours of the Ukraine border. It only felt dangerous at the time because this was right when the war started and I wasn’t sure how it was going to unfold. I made a plan to bug out quickly if I had to. The biggest problem in parts of Europe is trying not to get scammed as a tourist and there are a lot of tourists scams. It never felt unsafe to walk around at night or anything like that. 10/10 experience and would recommend.
No, sadly.
One day I’m sure you can
American here, currently sitting in the AFT cafeteria of a Norwegian cruise ship just off the coast of France. Saved for years to go on this once in a lifetime cruise.
I grew up on the edge of poor. Had basics and never went hungry, but our summer vacations were camping because it was cheap. Never went to Disneyland until I was in the Army and could afford it myself.
While I agree that going abroad is definitely eye opening, even traveling to other states increases your open-mindedness. I joined the Army and was stationed in Alabama, Georgia, Alaska and Washington. Going back home and reuniting with friends who never left the state or even left the general area was kind of shocking. Never being exposed to an even slightly different environment really showed in their attitude.
While I was in the Army, I was sent to Missouri and a couple of other states I can’t remember right now for a month or so for training or field problems, and short trips show how even though I was still in the same country, there were definitely societal, geographical and political differences in each place.
Expanding that to traveling other countries was also eye opening. The Army sent me to Thailand for a month. My current job sent me to Australia and S. Korea and a couple of other states for 2-3 weeks at a time. I liked hitting the tourist spots, but I really enjoyed just watching people wherever I am. Once you see that (for the most part) people are people, you start to get that just because someone’s idea is different than yours, doesn’t mean it’s wrong, it’s just different.
I don’t have much to say about geopolitics off the top of my head, but I used to scoff at pedestrian-friendly designs and subscribe to the idea that car ownership is freedom and roads are for cars only. Living in Germany for a few months and enjoying public transit made me perish those old thoughts.
Among developed nations, the US should not get any awards for safety, but I would argue that there’s certainly worse out there without venturing into warzones.
The only place I can think of that gives America a run forward to money with gun violence, spontaneous for no reason, without gang members or cartels, is Brazil.
No. I grew up poor. I was a poor young adult. Now I’m okay, but now I’m concerned with possibly ending up poor again. It’s like a stone around my neck.
Got a passport though. I’d love to be able to just move to another country (I swear I will learn whatever language I gotta, do my best to integrate, and not be too “outspoken American” if that is heavily frowned upon).
I believe you can do it.
Yes, quite a lot. I’ve never actually been to America though.
Sooooo funny haaaaaa
Something I really envy is the EU controls on food. Much of what passes for food here in the US is heavily processed, GMO, misleadingly labeled, etc.
it’s just the corporate way… lie, cheat, steal and murder.
Very true. Americans eat food not even fit for low beast. They think nutella is healthy and French fries are good because “Potato is vegie”. I’ve literally heard people say this in person. I had to leave them to eat slop on their own
I’ve only travelled outside of America.
Had some ideas about visiting the US for Gencon, but 2025 doesn’t seem like a good year for that.
American centrism aah post
Could you share the link to your post that doesn’t focus on the USA?
Who is going to pay for such a luxury? Im not even sure if i would go if given money. Id probably just pay for a better car.
What’s the point in going somewhere else? Its just desperate working class people scrounging what they can to pay for living expenses in a different location.
Traveling is depressing as fuck.
Yup. American living in Germany for 2.5 years now, been traveling all over EU and UK…the world is a huge place and there’s a LOT of people. Most of them never think about the states and will never have any reason to. Germany may not be my favorite place, especially since i really struggle with the language so i know i dont fully understand a lot of things here. But the EU in general has a lot of things going way better.
With that said…everywhere always has its own issues as well. The grass isn’t always completely greener, if you will.
I’m not a huge traveler, but I’ve been to the UK and parts of Europe. The Czech Republic was my favorite place, of the places I’ve been. Ironically never been to Canada, despite having some extended family there. I would love to go, and I love being in foreign places, but I hate getting there. Travel is awful, especially now.
I’ve lived in both urban and rural areas, and the fear is constant everywhere among people who have never traveled. Urban people are afraid that everyone in the country is a Deliverance KKK member, and rural people think the cities are a gang-infested war zone. What’s wild is that, unlike visiting other countries, they could just hop in the car and visit the city or countryside for a weekend. They are consuming lazy media tropes and taking them as fact.
Traveling, even just regional travel, would benefit a lot of people in the USA. We have way more in common with each other than with the oligarchs.
Urban people are afraid that everyone in the country is a Deliverance KKK member
Idk, some parts of the US are genuinely dangerous if you aren’t the right kind of person. When I drive across the US I stop to piss and get gas/food and that’s about it. Being stared down by the locals or refused service is a thing that happens, or worse if you don’t take the hint. I’m black and gay and yeah there’s just places that are off limits.
Not my job to sit down and have a dialogue with them or change minds and open hearts, I GTFO before I become a missing person.
I have many times, and I agree that travel is a good thing. But don’t be so quick to scoff at Americans who don’t travel overseas. Traveling is expensive. The flight alone from my house to Frankfurt or Tokyo (for example) is at least $1,500 per person, and a day of travel each way. That’s out of reach for a lot of people. Hell, it’s out of reach for me now that I have a family to bring with me. The most basic, banal holiday overseas would easily exceed $10,000. Nevermind the luxury of being able to spend enough time there to understand local takes on geopolitics.
