Reply #57: sounds eltitist but it is true. The vast overwhelming majority of Americans have an ignorance that

[Douglas Carpenter]

makes jaws drop all over the world. The average 12-year-old child in Europe or the Middle East would certainly have a far greater grasp of politics, geography and current events than the overwhelming majority of American university graduates. But everyone knows this and it doesn't change the reality of the political situation. But it does explain how a waffling centrist whose policies would be considered right-wing anywhere else in the world can be viewed as too liberal by 50% of the population with probably as much as 35% thinking he is a rabid socialist.

America simply doesn't have the political culture of most other countries and certainly not an intellectually aware democratic culture of most Western democracies. I suppose electing a sustainable progressive government is pretty much hopeless until that changes. Changing that is a lot more difficult than pulling off the most spectacular election upset. Unfortunately the trend does not appear favorable. Having said this - there are many ways in which American society is extremely enlightened and dynamic and open to new ideas and less burdened by institutional class structures, ethnic assumptions and entrenched attitudes than most of Europe. Americans are over all an exceptionally open hearted people. They just don't know very much about history, geography or politics and they have a level of innocence and gullibility that can be both endearing and sad.