You're not getting it, Sawzaw. The exchange students are not paying for it, their GOVERNMENTS are. And the idea is cultural exchange.

And not ALL of America is a "conservative shithole." Some Americans are fairly nice folks.

Among other things, I learned a helluva lot about the Israel-Palestine conflict from one of the Egyptian students, who explained quite clearly what the viewpoint of the Palestinians is. Something most Americans are not going to hear. And I had long chats with a couple of Indian students, one of whom showed me his sitar and explained a lot about ragas and Hindustani music in general. And I've had Turkish coffee, brewed in the traditional way by a real Turk. And I sat there in the Pizza Haven with Legson Kyara from Kenya when he had his first pizza.

Cultural exchange, Sawzaw.

You're apparently much too wrapped up in squinting through the narrow knot-hole of politics.

Don Firth