Awareness of other countries is in itself no guarantee of civilisation, I'm afraid.
In the pre-glasnost days I spent some time with various Soviet spook types who were impressively well-informed about the West and about the minutiae of Western politics, lifestyles etc - but I still wouldn't have wanted to live under their system of government (one which they enthusiastically and assiduously promoted). I have to say I've been a bit depressed by the "Yank-bashing" both in this thread and on the forum generally. To accuse an entire nation of xenophobia and ignorance when your own neighbours probably read the Daily Mail is a bit rich.