Rick Steves on the value of travel

Travel can help mend a fractured world (USA Today, 17 October 2004)

For many Americans, the critical question in this election season is, “How can we make America safer in the world?”

Call me a girly man, but I think — given the fact that Americans are outnumbered 20 to 1 on this planet — we’d be safer by better understanding our world. A great first step is to travel — thoughtfully.

If Americans traveled more, we’d better understand our place on this complex planet and fit in more comfortably. And eventually, perhaps, we wouldn’t need to spend as much as the rest of the world combined on our military to feel safe….