In connection with several comments in this thread, I recall some things on the cultural insularity of many Americans. When I participated in various international USENET fora, it was a regular occurence for American newbies to bump into the discussion as if it were an American forum, both in focus and readership (and annoying the more educated American regulars with the attitude too). For what it's worth, one of these was once (before 9/11) countered by a Brit thusly:

I suggest you spend less time in your room. Go outside the straight edges of your county, beyond the straight edges of your state and go someplace with more interestingly drawn borders.

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}