I have found other travelers who agree with my impression that I never really feel like I understand the United States except when I am outside it. Only then am I reminded that the latest Washington insider controversy which dominates American news coverage registers only the tiniest blip on the world media screen. Only then am I reminded that countries and capitals by the dozens are also struggling with politics, resources, and the future with as much concern for their future and that of the world as many Americans are. By being such a large population and land mass, isolated by oceans on each side, the United States can more easily sense itself as separate, as a kind of culturally autonomous hothouse. This is especially dangerous for a country as militarily powerful and economically intertwined with others as we are.
Sports are often an interesting barometer of other elements in a society.
Other national presses gave higher proportions of coverage to world athletes and less to their own. Almost all other national press coverage, from countries on six continents, gave the majority of Olympic coverage to foreign athletes and teams. If we compare some elements of the world's number one media spectacle, the World Cup, with America's number one media spectacle, the Super Bowl, interesting similarities and differences emerge. Both culminate months of elimination play and employ extensive training and preparation and elaborate strategy. Both employ sophisticated technology to hold the center of media attention and involve huge amounts of money as well as vast emotional and social involvement of fans.