Geography lessons

My knowledge of world geography is woefully lacking. Two events this past weekend made me acutely aware of how little I know about the political boundaries of today's world map or the cultural differences within those borders.

First, like billions of others around the world, I tuned in to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing. I don't know how many times "Wow!" erupted during that stunning show.

The aim of the Chinese hosts at the opening ceremonies was to grab the world's attention and make a clear statement: "China is not a one-act fireworks display." In my family room, they succeeded beyond my wildest expectations.

There are plenty of naysayers in the U.S. and around the world who, when they awakened Saturday morning, felt the need to pooh-pooh the Chinese. They claimed the Chinese are poised to take over the world, starting by controlling the U.S. economy. Those economic-stimulus checks sent by the IRS? Paid for by the Chinese. Our multitrillion-dollar federal debt? We'll be paying back the Chinese forever. Lost jobs? Blame those billion or so Chinese who are willing to work for pennies a day.

And here's where my lack of knowledge about the Chinese culture kicks in. Are those Chinese getting by on "pennies a day"? I've not heard of widespread starvation. Time and time again during Friday night's dazzling show we were told that most Chinese were watching on TV. So they all have TVs, right? We know from our own experience with fuel prices that part of the demand side of gasoline supply-and-demand is coming from China, where millions of Chinese are purchasing automobiles -- and thus need gasoline -- every month. So they have cars, right?

My deficit in geography and geo-culture was made more painfully evident Sunday afternoon when I watched the movie "The Kite Runner." It is a movie about Afghanistan from 1978, just before the Russian invasion, to 2000, when the Taliban had taken its stranglehold on the country. The movie is charming, chilling and, in parts, sickening. But it told me more about the culture of the Afghans than 30 years of reading about and hearing about Afghanistan in the U.S. media.

I'll add just a couple more examples of U.S.-centric thinking to this pot of geography stew.

In recent years it has become something of an American pastime to bad-mouth France and all things French, including the French people and their culture. I'm not sure why, except most bullies tend to be weak individuals who take pokes at those least likely to poke back.

And then there is the U.S. view of Islam, which has been strained by both the war in Iraq and unceasing claims that one of the major-party candidates for president is a Muslim (he isn't) and therefore has a hidden agenda that is somehow part of some unsubstantiated plot for Islamic world domination.

Whenever I see or hear these claims -- about France, Islam or anything else most of us don't understand -- I wonder how it has become so easy to condemn all things foreign. A good case, it seems, could be made that American xenophobia is in a close race for the gold medal with the likes of the Chinese.

A final thought: Watching Olympics sporting events is not something I'm likely to give my valuable time to, but I have noticed that, despite all the concerns about Beijing's pollution, Americans are setting world records in some of the early events. It must be something in the air.

R. Joe Sullivan is the editorial-page editor of the Southeast Missourian.