Well put, Guest.

In general, I'd say that what we see on the 'net isnt the true picture anyway.... being as how such a HUGE propertion of people on the 'net are in the US (& Canada) anyhow.

I'd even hazard a guess that there are a bigger proportion of the US population on the 'net than most other countries anyhow (maybe cos as I understand it, using the 'net is cheaper across the pond than here in the UK?

In general terms though, I think the factor that American produced goods (eg: Pepsi/Cola, etc) & American TV & films are so easily accessible plays a big part. The rest of the world (or at least those parts of it that do have access to those things) can learn more about the US (though perhaps in a slightly skewed way (Hollywood, & TV sitcoms, etc, dont provide a particularly accurate picture, I'm sure!)

That IS a two-way street, I think (even though most of the traffic is maybe going one way...*G*) UK TV & films seem pretty popular in the States, from what I can gather, though there is the 'special relationship' as the Politicians are fond of quoting...as well as a fairly common language...*G*

Are Americans insular though in that they dont perceive how the rest of the world is (or how its people live, I should say) I dont think so, for what my opinion is worth. A proportion of Anericans have seen how other Nations & cultures live, through their tourism, or Military Service, or through the Internet too...but having said that, it depends where there interests lie (thats true for all of us). Consider that if we just look at our own Nations, America is so vast, its difficult for even Americans to know all they might want to about their own country...same is true here except that its TIME, not size. (somebody quoted on another Thread the other day - "Brits think 100 miles is a long way....Americans think 100 years is a long time" - to paraphrase what they said).

Its difficult for all of us in 'the 1st World' to perceive how people in 'the 3rd World' see their lives, or see us. But I'd hazard a guess that some of those currently hostile to the West &/or the US see the US as 'taking their money' whereas Americans see it as bringing material benefits to those countries.

It seems that a LOT of the focus both for the US & the nations who are negative about the US, is OIL, & related factors (such as carbon dioxide emissions). Having said that, what I dont understand is why, when its claimed there are cheap & clean alternatives to fossil fuels, the US is almost inviting the hostility of other Nations over it, & in the case of the Gulf War, 'potentially' spending the lives of its Servicemen & women.

Is the Oil Lobby so strong that the US Government will anger the World at the G8 Summit over emissions, & anger the Arab World over bases in Saudi, & over going to War over oil, when development of those alternative power sources could go a long way to removing those bones of contention?

Though this has drifted off topic, not been put well, & got far too long, my own personal conclusion, for what its worth, is no, AMERICANS arent necessarily insular as such, but the American Govt. most certainly seems to be.