the really sad thing I see on this page is the indictment on your media and education system, and their conditioning of your fellow American citizens to disregard all but that which occurs within your own borders.

Generally speaking, I agree with much of your statement. I'm not sure if media conditioning is the issue and many of us have interests outside our borders. I think it has to do with who's on top and who's on the bottom. When you're on top, you eventually get lazy and fall off your perch. We in the US are in the process of falling off our perch. As the dominant country we are 'generally' less interested in the activities of lesser countries and as a result, are paying a price that has yet to be fully realized. I suspect that we will have to sink much further before we finally fully realize that abortion and gay rights are not the most important issues facing our nation and a political candidates religious beliefs and preferred brand of beer are not the best criteria to pick our leaders. We are now facing a convergence of issues that might allow us to pivot away from divisive diversions, and reverse our country's decline -- at least this is my hope.

Personally, I cannot make out the faces of the two individuals standing next to Merkel that clearly on my screen. Looking at the video from our physical perpective, I think Gordon Brown is to the left of Merkel. I was talking about the gentlemen to the right of Merkel. I know what Gordon Brown looks like. As far as the Chinese President goes I didn't even bother to look, but would not have recognized him with certainty since I have rarely, perhaps once or twice, seen his picture before.

We don't get much news from China here on most media stations. Our media is mostly reserved for sensationalism, so if the Chinese President got a shoulder massage from Bush, I suspect we would all know what he looks like.

That said most of the foreign news I get comes from public broadcasting radio. I listen 1-2 hours per day. Imagine how much I'd know if they could push images to me via the radio.

As far as our education system goes, -- it varies greatly -- I don't have the knowledge to make a comparison. I know the US on average is lagging behind other developed countries, but I don't know how far. My son who is eight, goes to private school and knows the globe very well, and is learning the basics of individual countries. Generally speaking, I doubt that public schools in the US are teaching the in depth geography he is getting in his school. That is why I have placed him in a private school. I was trained in NYC Catholic schools over 30 years ago and at that time, our geography education was thorough and far superior to the public schools.

My daughter, also a recipient of private schools, is currently in a doctorate political science program at Harvard, speaks and writes Chinese fluently, as well as three other languages, lived in China for two years, and has traveled extensively throughout the Orient, Europe and Africa. I'd say her interest extend far beyond the US border. She too is a product of our education system.

And you see its all related. Our financial success, excesses and superficial values, focus on sensationalism, lack of interest and esteem in our neighbors and disregard for education are all related to our current predicament and the selection of our current leaders (recent election partially excluded).