1. I've heard that if an American provides "aid and comfort" to the enemy,
   he is betraying his country and could be imprisoned. How common is this
   and is it dependent upon a state of war?

   What about what the dems are saying and doing right now? John Murtha
   said the army is broken, and Howard Dean declared the idea that the US
   was going to prevail in Iraq as "just plain wrong". Does this not rise
   to the level of aid and comfort? Statements like these can't possibly
   be helpful to the war effort or the morale of the troops.

2. Some folks have said that the terrorist surveillance program authorized
   by President Bush is unconstitutional and that Bush is breaking the
   law. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales described the program as a
   modern equivalent of a series of radar outposts designed to detect
   enemy movements. It strikes me as reasonable comparison.

   How could the President not have the right to do this, considering what
   previous Presidents have done (suspension of habeas corpus, the nuking
   of Hiroshima, the internment of japs during WWII)? Is Bush given less
   authority than other Presidents? If Bush wanted to suspend habeas
   corpus or round up all Muslims/Arabs would he be allowed to do so? If
   not, then why not, seeing as how it's all been done before?

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1. Do trucks and other heavy vehicles in the U.S. have to have a
   tachograph? According to the law, what is the maximum speed for those
   heavy vehicles?

2. In Finland there are "official" days when people can put out a flag. I
   have understood that it is allowed to put out a flag whenever one wants
   to, like on birthdays, etc. What is the situation like in the U.S? Are
   there "official" days?

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1. During this whole "Conan O'Brien bringing Finland up in his late night
   show" thing it has become clear that Finns are very interested in how
   they are viewed in other countries. They get excited whenever Finland
   is mentioned, particularly in the States. This must be because it's not
   common for Finns to be able to see or hear what others think about
   them, Finland not being a well-known country. How about the U.S. then?
   Are Americans so used to living in the most visible nation in the world
   that they do not really care about others' opinions?

   Americans must have a very different view of the importance of other
   cultures. Could it be an advantage to live in a small country in the
   sense that it's self-evident to get to know other cultures? Are
   Americans in a lesser position when it comes to understanding very
   different kinds of people and habits? It has to be said, though, that
   there are many more cultural differences in America than in Finland.

2. One very interesting thing going on in the world right now is the
   debate about freedom of speech. Of course in Europe people have been
   talking about the Mohammed cartoons, but there's something going on in
   the States as well. How far can politically correct speech go?
   Apparently it's not ok even to say "Merry Christmas" anymore. People
   have to be careful whenever they talk about anything that has to do
   with religion. So, how does freedom of speech work in the U.S.
   nowadays? Is it impossible to know what could be seen as an insult?

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1. The USA is one of the most developed countries in the world, yet
   according to statistics a great deal (more than 30%) of its citizens
   take literally everything that the Bible says and are more or less
   against gay marriages and abortions. In some states creationism is
   taught at schools instead of evolution theory. How is such a paradox
   possible? How come the USA remains a religious and conservative
   country, while its counterpart Europe is secular to the point of
   forgetting its long Christian heritage?

2. What is your opinion of the state of education in the US? The country
   is world-top at innovative technology and research, and its
   universities attract great numbers of foreign students and researchers.
   However, it seems that standard education is not as good. The USA
   didn't place very well in the PISA research (in top 20, that is) - what
   reasons could there be? Could the lack of a nation-wide standard
   education system be one? I've also read that subjects such as geography
   and foreign languages are hardly taught at all in schools. Is this
   true? Could this be a reason why Americans generally show little
   interest toward the rest of the world?

3. American identity and national sentiment. How do modern Americans view
   themselves in relation to the rest of the world, Europe in particular?
   I'm under the impression that the national sentiment is strong, and
   that some Americans even consider their country vastly superior to the
   rest of the world. Yet there seems to be a paradox: as far as I know,
   people in the South don't identify with New Yorkers at all, although
   they are supposed to be their fellow Americans. And New Yorkers
   probably wouldn't want to be taken for Southerners. So, sentiment-wise,
   is the USA such a united nation after all?

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1. How well does the political system in the US allow for dissenting or
   radical opinions? When there are only two major parties, is there much
   disagreement inside them? It would seem that a two-party system
   discriminates against alternative ideologies, since only the most
   popular policies have a realistic chance of getting through.

2. Has there been any thought on changing the system? During the last
   presidential election many people thought that neither Bush or Kerry
   were suitable for the position, but there were no other realistic
   options besides them. Is this really for the best of the country?

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1. How biased are the media in the United States? For example during the
   last presidential election, did the media favour either one of the
   candidates? How big are the regional differences?

2. Do you think that the new TV series "Commander in Chief" will have any
   kind of effect on the outcome of the next presidential election if
   Hillary Clinton decides to run for president? There are many female
   presidents all over the world and now when Americans see it in their
   own environment (even though fictional) do you think it will change
   their thinking?

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1. High school: how many years does it last, and what levels/grades are
   there? Obtaining a high school diploma seems a necessity for advancing
   in your life and career; does or can the diploma thus "qualify" you to
   something, or is it merely needed for further studies? Do you attend a
   program within the high school that defines what you specialize in
   (science, languages, something practical)?

2. What kind of education can different colleges provide you with, i.e.
   are the study programs for mainly "better-paid" professionals, as is
   the case with Finland and universities? Where would one seek training
   to become e.g. a plumber, cook, car repair man, or other professional
   with practical instead of theoretical skills?

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1. How important is ice hockey to an average American? Does it matter if
   their team succeeds in the Olympics or the World Championships, or is
   the NHL the only thing that matters to hockey fans?

2. What kind of pets can one keep legally in the USA? Are there any
   restrictions, or can you import any sort of animals into the country?

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1. I would like to know what american people know about Irak. Are they
   well informed about the news? What they know about the civil war is
   taking place? I mean, are the people happy about the decission of
   encroach this country? I can see the differences between United States
   and Spain and when this happened we organized many demonstrations in
   the biggest cities and the result was the victory of the opposition
   (socialist party) in general elections. Why in United States Bush won
   again? Repeat: Are people really happy about that decission?

2. This one is about education. Once I watched a video where a journalist
   asked some people if they could find in a map some countries like Irak,
   Brasil... most of that people found Irak in Australia. I mean, how is
   it possible? Don't they know where is a country invaded by them own
   goverment? My question is: How american people see other countries?
   What do they now beyond their borders in relation with politics? I
   remember once when Bush' s brother or cousin said (in relation with
   Irak's war) that "I am very grateful to Spanish Republic". Don't
   americans know that nowadays Spain is no longer a republic but it's a
   monarchy after the civil war when even american civilians fought and
   where there are still two military bases?