Less than 40% of Americans have passports!

I read recently that less than 40 % of Americans have passports and it used to be less than 10% until people had to get passports to travel to Mexico and Canada. Over 75% of my original home country have them.

So how is it that Americans often think they know better than other countries how to run their country when most citizens have never been outside US territory. They may only have traveled North or South of their own country. I admit that once here I wouldn't want to leave except to visit my children. But its not the politics of the nation that keeps me here. Its the country itself, a place of real beauty and wide open spaces and yes, freedom.

The isolation we have as a continent is both a safe haven and a target and we only make it worse for ourselves by trying to tell others what to do, when, these days, we don't manage our own politics very well. Our system is allowing big money to stealthily take over the country. The Koch Bros with their recent fund raising of nearly $900m for the next election are clearly aiming for personal dictatorship, by stealth.

The nation is struggling to grow, because a very large number of people are getting poorer, whilst a very, very small number are making themselves, super rich and planning to take it all. One of the Kochs has even said, he wants it all, or words to that effect.

When will the people of this country realize that money is replacing common sense and the interests of all the people in the effective management of our nation. I worry that this concentration of financial muscle will remove our freedoms. And, it won't be that long either, IMO.

 

ahhh, the arrogance of people who think a passport makes one "worldly"

I've traveled internationally for business for years and every time I pass through immigration, I thank God for where I live.

Hop aboard a plane in Maine and fly over 5,000 miles, say aloha and you're still in the USA. You speak the same language and use the same currency.

If you are real adventurous, make it an almost 8,000 mile trek and head to Guam, again, only needing your drivers license.


Oh, but let's get all worldly and trek over several countries, how about Paris to Minsk? Distance, if You left Boston you still would not make it to Miami going only the 1200 miles required for Paris to Minsk

We are a culturally diverse country with vast differences in landscape, flora and fauna.
Allow me to put it into perspective

take all of the people in the WORLD and they will fit into the state of Texas

 

This should be moved to the political opion sub forum.

That being said, the sentiment you expressed about Americans in general is often seen amongst Europeans traveling to Asia, expecially the former colonies of England, France, and Netherlands. I know, I travel and have ad a passport since I was a yonker, er small child.

 

I really don't think a vacation to another country gives you a total view of that country. Most people don't have a complete view of their own country.

How many countries do you think people have to visit in their lifetime? All of them? Well, some people have to earn a living, have families, like their own country, have their own home....ya, know, spending their entire life traveling isn't always an option.....

 

Americans don't travel outside the U.S. as much as people living in tiny little countries travel outside their country. For fifty years I didn't have a passport but I logged more miles traveling around the U.S. than most Brits do traveling back and forth to Spain. I rode my motorcycle through the high mountains through the high deserts down to the Sonoran Desert along the Gulf Coast up the Mississippi River valley through the Allegheny Mountains around the Great Lakes and across the plains.

When I needed a passport, I got one. Now, back to the whine about Americans thinking they know how to run other countries when they haven't left the U.S.

A. One doesn't have to travel to know about North Korea, Venezuela, France, and Zimbabwe.
B. The U.S. is full of citizens who were born and raised in other countries and ran away to come to America.
C. For many years I couldn't afford to travel outside the U.S. Vacations for me and my two kids involved walking in the mountains and sleeping outside.
D. From my home I had to travel almost 1000 miles to reach a border.

I am amazed at people who live in tiny little countries with minuscule populations who think they know what the U.S. should be doing. Great Britain thinks the U.S. should have the NHS, France thinks Americans should work--well, not work--like Frenchmen, and leftists everywhere think the U.S. needs a liftist dictator. Well, actually we have one but he doesn't have the power of a Stalin or a Mao or a Pol Pot.

I wonder how Molly's country compares to the U.S. for the percentage of people with a driver's license. I wonder if with 40% of the U.S. having passports, that means we have far more citizens with passports than does Molly's paradise.

 

I can go to Disney's Epcot a 90 minute bus ride, go around the world there in one day and get plenty of culture. I traveled a lot as an army brat and had my fill of other countries remembering a few fondly due to having lovers (an American, with money and attached to an embassy equaled interest in many places even if disabled). But largely feel the USA is best since its my country.

 

The U.S. is mostly responsible for the world as you see it today, with it's advances global markets, democracy, human rights, and virtually every other manner in which humans have organized themselves to become more peaceful and civilized. If not the U.S., then who? Who, after the bloodiest Century ever, which was started by non-Americans and only ended because of the U.S., would've taken the lead towards civilization? Who was there to try to stop it and advance their tyrannical, imperialistic empire? How did the power struggle between the two affect the rest of the world? How do we know that if not for our pushback via proxy wars, regime changes, etc. against Soviet aggression in Southeast Asia, Korea, Latin countries, the Middle East; the 21st Century wouldn't have been as deadly as the 20th Century?

Why would anyone trust Russia and China over the U.S. anyway? That's exactly what we would've done after WWII and with the rise of communism; entrusted the future of the world to nations already responsible for killing tens of millions…OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE!

 

The United States has the largest number of immigrants in the world. The United States is, by far, the number one immigrant destination. The world comes to the US, so we must be doing something better than the rest of the world.

 

There isn't a country in the world whose cuisine I cannot sample without getting more than 30 miles from my house.

 

I don't think the replies so far have realized that I have lived here for over 15years. I am a US citizen and have a UK as well as a US passport. I also run a small business in the town where I live.

My comments are based on what I see and hear. I agree with what people have said from the US perspective. Europeans can equally be as irritatingly arrogant. You only need to see how Germans take over the beaches in Southern Spain to observe European arrogance.

I agree that we in US don't need to go far to have a wide variety of experience. But then that doesn't give us the right to impose our will or electoral process on other countries. Our current so called democratic process or Republic is hardly an example to be followed. We can't even manage our own politics very well just now let alone tell others how to do it.

I am only trying, and failing it seems, to try to get people to look outside their bubble to ask or see how we might be perceived by others. Trouble is, it seems to me, many Americans don't care and that is a big problem. I perceive that some of our politicians are actually the worst at this and that won't help in international negotiations.

An example of this is "Why didn't US send a Senior person to Paris to take part in the 'Je suis Charlie' March. I even tried to justify US actions on the basis of scheduling and distance, but I since found out that a senior person did go and withdrew at the last minute. How does that make us look to the rest of the world? Not good, I fear.

 

Yet... The US is still, by far, the number one immigrant destination. So the world's opinion of the US can't be all bad.

 

That is a very valid comment.

But you could also say that where they come from is much worse. I am sure that is true also with Esst European immigrants to the UK and North African immigrants to Southrn Europe who put up with horrendous hardships to leave their home country.

What you say may be true, but we don't have to,be arrogant or inhuman about it either.

 

Koch Brothers are not the only game in town when it comes to fund raising for elections. Plenty of organizations fall on the "D" side that in totality will likely exceed the money raised by Koch. I have more of an issue with Fed Employee Unions funding "D" campaigns, just another way to shift tax payer money over to political campaigns.

I have a passport, have had one for years. Have traveled overseas. Met and interacted with the same type of personalities as we have here in the States. Am glad that I am a US citizen. The amount of abject poverty overseas is heartbreaking, but does seem to be worse than the abject poverty here. I make a point of trying to speak the native language (albeit poorly) and reading up on some basic knowledge for the countries I will be visiting. This simple gesture is appreciated by some, and I am pretty sure they have a favorable impression of this "ugly American".

If the US could take all of the money raised for campaigns and direct that towards the construction of private schools and health clinics across our nation, how many issues would be remedied?

 

Let see it seems to have worked reasonably well in most of Europe post WWII. The Big dog is always hated and like it or not right now we are the big dog. One should also understand that the attempt to impose outside order upon freedom is one of the reasons that the world, politically speaking is such a mess. We have two forces striving to compel order and one halfheartedly fighting for freedom. One cannot impose freedom as it is mankind's natural state. One can however fight against those forces who would place mankind in chains. This is what US policy ought to be. But the task is enormously complicated because much our own government is diametrically opposed to real freedom.

 

Yes, they leave because their own country is worse. But the fact that more immigrants choose the US as their destination implies that there is something that sets the US apart from other countries.

Arrogant implies that one has an exaggerated sense of importance. The importance of the US is not exaggerated. And I disagree with the idea that Americans are inhuman.

 

We are the prime destination of people everywhere the ruling elites not so much unless they desire first class medical care.

 

The Paris March was nothing more than a photo op. I'm sure FOX news raised more hell about it, than the French.

 

I can remember the freshman Republicans of the Class of 1994 bragging about NOT having a passport.

One upon a time the Senate and House Foreign Relations Committees were plum assignments , eagerly sought after.

Now they're being stocked with flat earthers and isolationists.

 

we don't need a passport to go over seas and fight countries like Japan and Germany. We don't need one to know which countries are sound and which are effed up. We fought 2 world wars to shape Europe up which had nothing to do with passports. Until you start thinking like an American you may wish to keep comments like this to yourself.

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I don't know what your travel history is.

A lot of conservatives here who claim to have been well travelled, went from one US military base to another, and never set foot outside, but claim to be worldly none the less.

In any case, travel does broaden the mind, if one has the least bit of curiousity about where they are going and if they elect to actually meet people.or

I've always found returning to the US an intimidating experience. Not because I don't love my country, But US border crossing and airport customs facilities are fearsome and intimidating. I can't help but think that people visiting here from abroad are struck by how unwelcoming and intimidating our border entry posts really are.

If you missed that, then I guess you're one of those people who would get off an airplane in Paris, go to your appointments, and get back on the plane without ever looking out the car window.

I've encountered a lot of American like that in the course of my business travel.

I don't know it that's you, but your parochial post suggests that it is.

 

To be sure there has to be some sort of reasonable compromise between ignoring the world and surrendering to it.

 

I suggest you look at the condo boom in Miami and reconsider.

 

I suspect Americans are just as provincial as any other people.

 

You don't learn how to run a country by taking a Danube River cruise. Or by going to an Irish pub.

 

I have travelled extensively for work and pleasure. I tend to agree with you. The isolation is enforced geographically and the means for international travel is bar too high for many. But the American-centric view us a two way street. Where ever I've traveled I've had no problem keeping current on American domestic and political events. Now it has become fashionable for international corporations to become involved in American politics.

Perhaps the increasingly popularity of international news organizations such as BBC or Al Jazeera America will start to broaden the Americans perspective.