. . . US viewers, who are not exactly notorious for having a broad world view . . .

IMO, we baby boomers who are now such a huge demographic group in the US have such a broad world view that we can hardly find room to turn around for fear of offending some PC standard. After growing up on TV views or the realities of Viet Nam, and having instantaneous news coverage of all the atrocities since, and having (many of us) worked against a variety of oppressions, we're not quite as naive and complacent as one across the pond might imagine. We may be in our recliners but our hearts are still full of feeling. Why else do you think ER has such huge ratings? It's aimed at us!

Don't confuse our national policies with the individuals over here!

Speaking strictly personally, as a boomer myself I found it quite amusing to see young Carter blithely promise so much to the first AIDS mother he ran into--- I was enough of a realist to spot the unfolding plot right off. "Young Carter's in for a little education," I thought. "He'll feel so bad he'll have to spend his own freshly-inherited money." (He did.) Next I assume he'll feel so bad about life in Africa, he'll have to come home to work extra hard to get other rich folk to join his cause. Must be nice."

Some of us boomers have learned to pick our fights a little more thoughtfully; but be assured, we're still kicking.

~Susan