Americans know nothing of the world - the evidence

[mindseye]

There's a website called GeographyZone where people test their knowledge of geography by marking countries on a map.
20,000 people from all around the world play every day.
The United States regularly comes in at about the 150th spot in terms of geographic literacy.
The country in first place is the Central African country of Kyrgyzstan.

Interesting link.

I got a 60%, having correctly picked: Oman, Somalia, Tajikistan, Lesotho, Germany, and Bhutan. I missed Uruguay (picked Paraguay), Liberia (picked Gabon), Kenya (picked Mali), and Palau (picked Kiribati -- but being able to magnify the map would have helped a LOT with this one.)

And besides, the map was missing all those helpful words!

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

There you go, trying to act all smartie-pants american and shit. You aren't even from America, you are from North America.:tongue:

Thank. God. For. Small. Graces.
(But seriously, the United States is surely always among the most interesting countries ... and I would be perfectly happy to be an American.)

 

[ZOS23xy]

San Marino is one of three independent principalities within Italy.

The other two are The Vatican and SMOM. The latter is within the Vatican. Knight of Malta.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Interesting link.
I got a 60%, having correctly picked: Oman, Somalia, Tajikistan, Lesotho, Germany, and Bhutan. I missed Uruguay (picked Paraguay), Liberia (picked Gabon), Kenya (picked Mali), and Palau (picked Kiribati -- but being able to magnify the map would have helped a LOT with this one.)
And besides, the map was missing all those helpful words!

I can't remember how I did, but I suspect 60 percent is pretty good.

 

[Mr. Snakey]

Someone said Americans know a lot about the world. Now from all kinds of polls, studies and research we know that this is a sad joke.

The truth, of course, is that Americans are blind, deaf and indoctrinated.

There is no better way to illustrate this, then by showing what they actually get to see in their media.

Have a look:

Alisa Miller shares the news about the news | Video on TED.com

These 4 minutes will give you a clue.

If they don't, you are deeply indoctrinated and you can't be saved.

WOW. I never knew someone could even get tv living in a mud hut.

 

[mindseye]

San Marino is one of three independent principalities within Italy.

The other two are The Vatican and SMOM. The latter is within the Vatican. Knight of Malta.

Well, the other two aren't principalities; their heads of state aren't monarchs. And SMOM, eh, has diplomatic relations with some nations, but no territory.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

San Marino is one of three independent principalities within Italy.
The other two are The Vatican and SMOM. The latter is within the Vatican. Knight of Malta.

Are either really principalities? The Vatican is a city-state, and the SMOM is not even that ... in fact, some dispute whether it's really sovereign.
These are honest questions. I have no idea.
Perhaps you're just using 'principality' loosely anyway.

 

[B_dumbcow]

Dumbcow, there you go blabbering, did you get into the corn whiskey again? You could've just easily stated the Truth Equation. (P+K)(Web Acess)=Documented Truth. P=person, K=keyboard. We could go further and analyze the relation of mankind's selfish desires like power and ability to manipulate but then we're crossing over into intention and emotive response which are silly notions. I mean, come on. Who sits at their computer and conjures up stories and spins the truth to get a rise and kick outta people? No one, that's who.

Yes, of course :biggrin1: The truth equation - Einstein invented it right...?
Exactly! No human lies or even stretches the truth. Indeed, Person + Keyboard does indeed create truth.

Of course, when there are contradictions on the internet, it must be an elaborate hoax set up by the government, which is really led by the undead Elvis Presley, who is trying to hide from us that the Earth is actually flat - as not to scare us into the inevitable end of the world in 2012.

Who are you reading, some guy named Richard Icke? Who dressed in purple once and claimed he was a messiah? And was once a sports broadcaster?

dumbcow, you need to read FORTEAN TIMES.

Yes! That guy. He says little old Queen Mother was a lizard, so she must be. It's the only logical explanation.

Now, if you don't mind, I've discovered a new article proving I am actually an alien. I'd better go turn myself in to the authorities.

 

[carlton10]

I get my news from BBC World News or German DW as I want to know whats going on in the rest of the world. My friends in Europe think its ridiculous that the US doesnt know that much about or whats going on in other parts of the world. If I could afford to live in Europe I would. I much rather drive 4 hours and be in a completely different country and culture than drive 4 hours and be in southern Georgia .

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

I much rather drive 4 hours and be in a completely different country and culture than drive 4 hours and be in southern Georgia.

Where are you? In Azerbaijan?

 

[B_Nick8]

A lot of Americans are close-minded, insular, reactionary, and ignorant, but many of us are not. Some of us have lived abroad, are travellers and not tourists, and even try, on occasion, to broaden each other's minds when we can. :wink:

 

[transformer_99]

Oh well, another hate on American's thread ! Get it off your chests, maybe you'll feel better about yourselves after you've convinced yourselves you are superior ? Then again, many may sober up in the AM and have to deal with the harsh reality of the truth with a hangover ?

 

[B_JasonDawgxxx]

Im 24 y/o and I"m on my 2nd passport.I have been around the world as a child and as an adult.Its funny but I have seen morons in every country.What was your point in this thread?

 

[titan1968]

Jason_els, I think it odd that your country has no legally paid holidays or paid vacation. If your country did, do you think Americans would travel more abroad?

I did a bit of investigating myself and found this link (see below). According to this study, Canada doesn't rate well either (at the bottom of the list, between the UK and Japan and far behind most European countries). I find those numbers to be low. I've always heard that the more seniority you have, the more vacation you have (as in the study), and that it varies from province to province; however, I've also heard in a news report on the CBC that the minimum of paid vacation that Canadians are entitled to by law is 2-3 weeks (e.g. 2 weeks in my home province of Quebec).

U.S. shame: the only OECD country with no paid vacation
4 Jul 2007 ... Canada lags badly in survey of paid vacation ... Canada ranks third from the bottom with 10 paid days of vacation legislated by law and ...
U.S. shame: the only OECD country with no paid vacation

Countries that legally guarantee at least 31 paid vacation days (including mandated paid public holidays), according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research:

Austria: 35 days
Portugal: 35 days
Denmark: 34 days
Finland: 34 days
Germany: 34 days
Spain: 34 days
Italy: 33 days
France: 31 days
​

There is no mandated paid vacation time in the United States and those who want to take their full vacation are frequently pressured not to by employers. I'm not blaming Europe or the US. I simply state this as evidence which helps to explain why Americans travel abroad far less.

 

[marleyisalegend]

Im 24 y/o and I"m on my 2nd passport.I have been around the world as a child and as an adult.Its funny but I have seen morons in every country.What was your point in this thread?

Well suh' I'se thinks he was tryna infur that us Amerikanians be mo' dumb than them culchers from them otha' continentals. How abbserd! Us be real smart! I'se only twenty and two yea's old and I'se can alreddie read at a thurd grade leva!!!! I'se read real good, I'se read REAL and I'se be color 'tween 'nem lines like a fif grada'!!!!!

 

[deleted15807]

Im 24 y/o and I"m on my 2nd passport.I have been around the world as a child and as an adult.Its funny but I have seen morons in every country.What was your point in this thread?

I think the issue is ignorance is fine if you sit in a corner and leave the world alone but if you have the largest military on the planet that you don't hesitate to use, that you have the ability through the vast resources of your country to prop up despots around the world just because of some military and/or economic reason then American's ignorance is not so benign.

 

[BBTM]

I totally agree. I don't watch the news anyway....it's depressing and I get enough of it just by talking to people. I do find that most of them would rather talk about tabloid stuff than actual news. How sad

 

[marleyisalegend]

I totally agree. I don't watch the news anyway....it's depressing and I get enough of it just by talking to people. I do find that most of them would rather talk about tabloid stuff than actual news. How sad

Amen. A friend and I got into a heated argument about the importance of gay partnerships vs. gay hate crime laws. He INSISTED that gay hate crimes were a more pressing issue but refused to acknowledge why. Anger and fear elicit the strongest responses, so we gravitate towards things that result in anger and fear. It's fun to imagine a country like America as being blumbering idiots because it supports any anger you can claim against us. Are we ignorant? Sure. Do we have a monopoly on it? Fuck no.

 

[Hotrocker]

Someone said Americans know a lot about the world. Now from all kinds of polls, studies and research we know that this is a sad joke.

The truth, of course, is that Americans are blind, deaf and indoctrinated.

There is no better way to illustrate this, then by showing what they actually get to see in their media.

Have a look:

Alisa Miller shares the news about the news | Video on TED.com

These 4 minutes will give you a clue.

If they don't, you are deeply indoctrinated and you can't be saved.

Big- time generalization. No logical person accepts bogus- ass generalizations like that... especially on such a diverse site as this one. Our media is a pathetic one, and our politics are quite distasteful, but that doesn't mean we all think, perceive and act the same way.

There are nations around the world that collectively behave in a way that if one man were to act that way he would be considered a sociopath or schizophrenic, and thrown in prison or killed. Not just the US. But at least America (NJ in particular) is responsible for Steely Dan, which no one else can say.

Fuckin' a. I think you nailed it there, Skull. Steely Dan is the shit. I'm actually on vacation in Jersey right now visiting family, so props for the mention.

Anything can be proven using four minutes of video; your so-called evidence is wanting.

As for the point others have made about so few Americans owning passports, bear in mind that Americans may visit all of its immediate neighbors without a passport, and the cost of travelling somewhere where a passport is needed is high.

This is different from the case in Europe, South America, or Africa, where a foreign country is at most few hours away by train. For Americans, it's geographically impractical to take a weekend trip to a foreign country. For, say, Albanians, a day-trip to Venice is entirely feasible.

Criticizing the American people for an artifact of its geographical isolation is like complaining that Singaporeans build sucky snowmen. Let's get our math, reading, and other fundamental skills up to where they should be before worrying about less tangible areas of study.

edit: This is what happens when the phone rings while I'm typing a post -- njqt466 and wartrac both beat me to the point.

Good post. I always felt defensive talking to my ex from England when we talked about how often Americans travel in comparison to other nationalities. You summed it all up.

 

[2322]

San Marino is one of three independent principalities within Italy.

The other two are The Vatican and SMOM. The latter is within the Vatican. Knight of Malta.

And if you peer through the keyhole to the front gate of the SMOM, you can see a perfect view of the dome of St. Peter's across town. It should be noted, however, that the US does not recognize the sovereignty of the SMOM but certainly does that of the Holy See and San Marino (which is a republic older than the US and once made Abraham Lincoln an honorary citizen).

And yes, I know that off the top of my head.