Failure to Communicate

A worldwide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was:

"Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?"

The survey was a huge failure.

In Africa they didn't know what "food" meant.
In Eastern Europe they didn't know what "honest" meant.
In Western Europe they didn't know what "shortage" meant.
In China they didn't know what "opinion" meant.
In the Middle East they didn't know what "solution" meant.
In South America they didn't know what "please" meant.
And in the USA they didn't know what "the rest of the world" meant.

Now, leaving aside the stereotyping of the other countries, what does it say about the U.S. that not knowing "what "the rest of the world" meant" hits a target. Hmmm... I read an article the other day talking about how Western scientists and economists tend to sweep into a foreign land and impose "solutions" with total disregard for the culture suffering the problem. Context matters.