Do most of our problems root from Americans lack substantial knowledge?
482146
i think the biggest threat in america is stupidity.  there are just so many stupid people in this country and its whats causing so many problems.  if people actually cared more about their lives and their education, instead of trying to be cool and popular and not care about anything but marrying into money and stop being lazy and actually TRY to learn something, our country would be MUCH better off.
298014
YES! They have enough troubles already, they deserve an education that might contribute to making their lives a bit better when they grow a mind to think with. We all make mistakes and we all should get fair chances.
324065
no - do we have problems? certainly, but we've always had problems.  so we go about solving them and other problems crop up over time. but we have the freedom and the rights to allow us to address our problems. we have the best medical treatment, the most robust economy, one of the best education systems, the highest level of personal comfort and wealth.  we still have poor people, under educated people, unemployed people, people with inadequate medical treatment.  we're trying to do something about all these problems but some solutions have to be local not global.  for instance, there's no law that will make a parent support, guide and help a child practice reading and writing at home instead of playing video games.
1069044
Yes, because Americans have a short memory.  When something like that first happens, it's fresh in peoples minds so they feel compelled to do something about it.  But as times passes, people have their own problems to deal with so that leaves very little room for other problems.  Plus, people assume that the government is doing something about it and alot of people think they are only one person, how could they help.
1042104
Hey there. I'm a Malaysian (a country in South East Asia) and I may have a different perspective among other answerers (I do live outside of America, don't I?) Anyway, most people would view Americans as rich, well-educated, and sadly, trigger happy. Yes. Nobody here ever thought of Americans having troubles with drugs, illegal immigrants, and so forth, because the only news that we get about America in our news papers are about Bush's policies against the world, about Hollywood actors, and American sport. As a proof, give me a minute as I fetch today's paper.\n...\nOkay, from the Borneo Post on American related news:\nHome: None (for obvious reasons, haha)\nClassified: None\nSports: "Storms douse action at US Athletics championships"\nWorld: "US warships successfully shoots down warhead in test"\n"Poll finds great divide between West, Muslims"\n"FBI arrests seven in Miami"-suspect netted in raid over alleged plot to attact Chicago Sears Tower skyscraper\n"US Senate rejects Democratic deadlines for quitting Iraq"\nTV Guide: None\nPeople&Places: A lot especially on Keith Urban's and Nicole Kidman's wedding\nBusiness: None\n\nNo news on drugs. No news on illegal immigrants. We don't know anything about the real life of Americans unless we surf the internet and actually search for American news. America equals to Hollywood. If I were to tell my neighbour that I am going to New York, she would say "Are you going to Hollywood? Americans must be very handsome and pretty and rich. How can you afford to stay there? Don't they hate Asians and Muslims? You'd better not go if you want your mother to have a grandchild." Some also view that Americans are living in their own world. When the whole world is crazy about football (soccer), Americans would watch NFL. When the world is against George W Bush because of what he did to the world (such as invading Iraq without UN's permission and refusing to pay back US' debts), Americans kept supporting him. CNN controls the mind of Americans. Nevertheless, the American Dream is always on most pauper's mind, hence creating the illegal immigrant problem. I'm not suprised because before I saw your question, I came upon a question where someone asked "Which country is the richest?" and most answerers replied "USA". Americans are also vein for thinking that other countries are poorer eventhough most countries here have a lower unemployment rate and a higher buying power. Well, that's only from my humble opinion. I'm sorry if I made anyone angry but it is reality, and that is what we really think about Americans. I hope I helped out in a way or another.
526565
Stupidity, and probably not from the source most Americans think.
45517
Most people are afraid of things they do not understand
779921
Yes, absolutely. I saw one report that the world didn't blame the Americans for anything done by Bush in his first term because they dildn't know what he was about. But when they reelected him, knowing what he was about, they became complicit in his policies. So yes by the majority voting for Bush in 2004, you could say the American people are partly to blame for the debacle in Iraq.
599442
By "some" people you must mean "American people"....Everyone knows that as a general rule Americans are geographically ignorant, as well as culturally challenged. (soz but it's da tooth)
13591
Most Americans have great respect for everyone who is rational, productive, and self-sufficient. This also means anyone who does you harm should be served justice in the interest of protecting free principles.\n\nThe problem is that everyone BUT Americans seem to eat up whatever the media says, or they lack the education to realize that Americans are like any other human being. We live for our happiness and productive achievement, and we highly value our liberty and security.\n\nAny actions we take are a result of that love for freedom and that moral pursuit. We do not tolerate socialism, facism, or totalitarianism, but rather open and mutually beneficial relationships and trade.
127047
The biggest problem facing America in my view is a creeping insecurity that causes people to be unreasonably fearful and, as a result, more selfish and less open to knowledge and understanding. This fear might arise from a lot of different events - the war in Iraq, 9/11, layoffs, crystal meth in smalltown America - but it has turned into a chronic condition all its own.\n\nWe're all marshalling our metaphorical soldiers around us, trying to keep out the unfamiliar, pile up some money against the uncertain future. We're not taking care of each other because we're so afraid.\n\nIn a way, we're much like the people rioting against the West in the Muslim world. From the Western European/U.S. perspective, people are getting all bent out of shape about something that we take for granted. But imagine that we could remove ourselves from our own perspective and watch our responses from some TV screen in another world. Would our fear-based reactions look any more rational? I'm not sure they would. They seem reasonable because they're familiar. But think about the way gang violence destroys poor communities. Think about the way that sports fans torch cars. Of insurance fraud. Of deep-seeded, insidious hypocrisy in so many aspects of our lives.\n\nI'm not sure we should be afraid; politicians of all descriptions have been exploiting the fear, though. We don't have a sensible, sensitive, and rational voice that doesn't belie self-interest.\n\nI don't know what we can do now. Maybe each and every one of us can give up something unnecessary and wasteful - driving an SUV, smoking cigarettes, watching reality TV - and take time to learn as much as possible about the people we share the planet with.
3224
i dont think u should generalize. but i think some people (not necessarily americans) are less informed about the world is because they are sheltered and are not open to other people's cultures, beliefs and traditions
1046371
Yes,  We as Americans should be very concerned about world opinion.  My girlfriend went on a vacation to Australia not long after we met.  She noticed a little hostility from some of the people from other countries that were in their group.  These ultra conservative "cowboy" extremest are giving us a very bad image around the world.  I stumbled across a website for a German band .........  I think it was Ram-stein but I'm not sure.  I was shocked and appalled at all the anti U.S. statements. \n      I once got into a discussion at a bar with a girl from Czechoslovakia she told me that Americans in general were uninformed and often deceived by our media.   We are the most powerful country in the world right now our problems are the worlds problems and visa verse.  We as Americans have a responsibility to know whats going on in the world (not just what FOX news tells us) and act accordingly.
788152
life must suck in lifeless country huh?\nGod Us Americans are great\n\nSTOP ANSWERTING THESE QUESTIONS!\nMORONS
321468
Why didn't the United States do a lot of things? Stop blaming one country for all your problems and try to find solutions.
1102887
Because most Americans are idiots, don’t matter Republican or Democrat the American people want a leader with no “issues”.  For example if you are a leader and can make great decisions, you have done some shady stuff in the past, like had sex with your secretary on your desk when you were married.  The media will find out and make issues of this kind of stuff.  So we get losers like spoon fed Bush’s, Kerry’s, and Gore’s.   But the American people care more about X-Box games and who Brad Pitt is dating then border control, social, or international issues.  We (I am also an American) have become a nation of fat, lazy, morons…now there are a few exceptions I would say 30%-40% of Americans still care and have some brain power, but the masses don’t even have the mental power to understand and formulate opinions on issues like social security or border control.  If you ask an American what’s your opinion, its “I don’t know” “I don’t want to offend anyone” “I don’t want to look bad” Until Americans stop being idiots, sissies, and greedy, this trend will continue…..
427672
It would seem to me, that most people are busy struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis. Some struggle less and some more and in myriad ways. \n\nLife is not without suffering to one degree or other. One aspect of ones life may be easy, while at the same time another aspect is extremely difficult. What is hard for one may be easy for another; and easy for one hard for the other. Even in America, people struggle. \n\nThe point is, at any given time, how many people individually, are sitting and saying, "Dang, how I hate America!", instead of getting on with their lives?\n\nThe real problem arises when poverty is the issue and hope is non-existent and something or someone comes along and points a finger placing blame "out there" or "over there" —instead of looking for ways to correct and/or improve things for themselves and as a community.\n\nAnd anytime there is a mindset of "us" & "them"... how can there possibly be work toward a common ground for the good of all?\n\nIn one response topside, it was said that "we brought it on ourselves" or something such... rubbish! Nothing good comes from laying on a guilt trip, or fearmongery, or scapegoating, or hating! These are all dished-out or taken-on, or not, by choice and I for one choose not to accept any of it into my life.\n\nNot only am I proud to be an American, I am deeply grateful. And those who hate, sadly, are only on a path of slow internal self-destruction.