Having lived abroad I can definitely confirm this. And it also made sure that half the items on that list don't apply to me.
In fact, I'm going to go through the list.
Seeing your nation as “default” – it is normal, everybody else is “different”.
Everyone does this.
Assuming your cultural norms are universal.
Guilty at times. But I'm also fairly certain that most people are guilty of this.
Not knowing what is like to have war in your homeland.
Guilty as hell. And when you're specific about my home region of the US, the Pacific Northwest? There's never been a major war here. Ever. The worst we've had is scraps between the native tribes (and the settlers). That said, I have been in a warzone before. I was in northern Israel in 2006 when Hezbollah started raining rockets on Israeli cities, and I ended up with a minor case of PTSD from the whole thing.
Expecting people in other countries to speak your language when you travel abroad.
I'll admit to this one, except it's born of experience. Also, I tend not to go to the parts of countries where the average person doesn't speak some English, as those are not tourist-friendly. I know they're there. Hell, it's part of why I avoid them. The only time I'd be at all comfortable heading out into the boonies would be if we were in a Spanish-speaking country and my brother was with me.
Assuming everybody knows, or should know, your culture (even things like the “American Idol” contestants).
Actually, I tend to avoid this one. If anything, I underestimate the penetration that American pop culture has.
Assuming nobody else has any of the technological advantages you have – like not knowing how to use a computer or even an oven.
If they speak English, I assume they have roughly the same exposure to advanced technology I do.
Believing everything you see on the news, even though it is told from the American point of view and is not a universal truth.
I do tend to assume that what I see on the news is probably true. But I also read quite a bit of non-American news. Al-Jazeera is probably my favorite news site.
Assuming everybody wants to live in America, since it is the best place to live (even without universal health care).
No. I assume that most people want to live where they live. At worst, I might assume that everybody wants to visit America.
Seeing people from other countries as inferior to you, even if they are highly educated and successful.
Got that one burned out of me pretty effectively from living in England.
Having plenty of movies and TV shows in your language, full of people from your country, showing your culture and way of life.
As said before, that only applies to America as a whole. Make it regional, and the number of films or TV shows that accurately depict my homeland drops to practically nonexistent. I generally assume that anyone not from the Pacific Northwest (including other Americans) is ignorant of our regional idiosyncrasies.
Becoming famous or successful much more easily even if you suck at what you do.
...uh, I'm not famous or successful. I guess if I wanted to be a household name, it would help to be an American...
Assuming everyone on the Internet is American.
While plenty of others are guilty of this, I know better. OK, I might assume someone is American if I have no information on them, but that's an unconscious thing. One of my favorite Internet hangouts (NationStates.net) is very international. My MMORPG of choice (EVE Online) is primarily European in makeup.
Believing everybody else wants to adopt the American way of life. If they do not, there is something wrong with them. If they do not, America is going make them.
I assume that they want our standard of living, but that's about it. If they don't, then I get suspicious.
You can take the liberty of shortening or changing people’s names if they are hard for you to pronounce.
Plenty of Americans do this. I don't. For one thing, I rarely have problems pronouncing names as long as they have enough unaccented vowels in said name. If I met someone with a very long name, I'd ask if they had a nickname. I do assume that just about everyone has a way for others to refer to them that has no more than five syllables. Part of this comes from going to an Orthodox Jewish high school, where plenty of people had names that many Americans might balk at. There was even a case in college where I had a Chinese TA who had adopted an American first name, but I always addressed him by his original Chinese name.
Believing America is fair and free. Everybody else lives in a mess.
Dude, do you know how much international politics I read?
Assuming everybody wants the USA to help them.
Unless they've just had a natural disaster, then no. If they have, then I assume they want everyone to help them.
Seeing the USA as the best nation there is and being confused when others feel the same about their own countries.
It's called patriotism.
Being confused about people who do not like the USA or those who think it is not perfect. They must be jealous!
I know America is imperfect. And I understand very well the reasons why so many people do not like our government.
