Good post Scooter.
Americans are important to me. If you guys sneeze the rest of the world catches a cold (as someone very famous once said). You are now the most effective conventional military power in the world which can effect any meaningful change, and you are a powerhouse of industry and invention. So yes, that is an interest Oh...and you speak English.
I find it interesting to read the posts about America..what's wrong or right with it as it give me a good idea of what people 'on the ground' think about 'over there'.
It has to be said, that most of the Americans on this board do lean very heavily to the right. There are other places I go to where they lean more to the left. It's a big country and you have big fringes as a result. I do think it's a bit silly that people here think that they are 'the voice of America'. They are only one voice in a vast clamour. There are many Americans who have very much the same opinions as Europeans do about America. It's just that many of them are not on this board.
I don't really think that anything that is said on these BBS's is going to have a vast effect on what anyone believes, but it does open new avenues of thought which may lead to that.
Some Americans here are able to talk about only one issue (e.g. gun laws) and eloquently at that, although they may not be so relevant in Europe, it's fun to jump in and cross swords in an informed debate.
Speaking of political scandals...have you heard the news there about the lady (A Ms. Gunn) who worked for GCHQ and spilled the beans about the Americans asking the Brits to spy on the UN? The authoties here decided not to press charges...many think because of all sorts of embarassing revelations that might come up about the legality of the Iraq war.
But when it comes down to it...if I were to post, say something of topical interest here...a guy who had been pushed in front of an underground train, or the current debate about MMR jabs for children, I just don't think that US posters would have any interest and would bother to respond.
As for envy? No. Not with me at least. The people who make the envy argument are just being arrogant.
Ravs