Tigs2,
Why is it that anyone who fancies a bit of Yank Bashing always trots out that tired old stat about how many of them hold a passport?
I believe the number is closer to 5% but it's largely irrelevant. US citizens can travel to Canada, Mexico and most of the Carribean just on a driving license as well as all over their own country which is vast and covers just about every environment you could wish to visit - snow, forests, deserts, cities, coastline.
People do not generally hold a passport so they can expand their minds and knowledge of other cultures but just to go on holiday. If we could visit any country in Europe without a passport, how many Brits would bother having one (apart from the military obviously).
Next time you start equating a balanced, well-informed world view with holding a passport I suggest you consider our beloved chav masses who just hold one so they can go to Ibiza and the Costa del Sol to drink themselves into oblivion for 2 weeks a year!
Rant over.
Seat 17