Where's Saddam?! Better write "where's Iraq ?"

Post-9/11 Era Forum

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnew...ll&siteid=50143

Hmm.. not sure that the mirror is a reliable source of information mate.
It's Fox news equivalence...

What about American National Geographical Society? Are they reliable?

I mean the research conducted by RoperASW for NGS of USA
http://edition.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATI...geography.quiz/

Hmm, I am not surprised by the content, but I am surprised to notice that it is coming from CNN!
I always considered them as beeing too patriotic!

May be they just want to be considered honest and caring about the state of their nation?

RoperASW looks like a respectable researcher, since US Congress decides on the basis of their output

http://www.inreview.com/showthread....9231#post119231

I read an article at the checkout the other day that claims France surrendered to North Korea.
It's probably the same rag.

I've never been out side of America and I don't care to be. If I ever plan on leaving I'll pay more attention to a map. Till then, geography is completely irrelevent. Iraq and afg. are on my T.V. Ha.

That first article from the Mirror was from November 2002 a lot has changed since then.

Second article was from November 2002 as well. You know we've been through all of this. Do you have anything new.

Michael Moore is Loony Toons. He is way out there when it comes to what he believes in. Conspiracy theorist and all. I think his mother dropped him on his head one too many times. Keep in mind that Michael Moore will have a very powerful movie or book and he will go out of his way to find references (be it legit or not) to prove his point. All I got to say is take it as entertainment not fact and believe about 1/4 to 1/2 of it as being true.

Originally posted by sayzak21

I've never been out side of America and I don't care to be. If I ever plan on leaving I'll pay more attention to a map. Till then, geography is completely irrelevent. Iraq and afg. are on my T.V. Ha.

Very clever! Excellent. Who cares about geography...

(quote from cnn.com)
WHERE IN THE WORLD

Among 18- to 24-year-old Americans given maps:
87 percent cannot find Iraq
83 percent cannot find Afghanistan
76 percent cannot find Saudi Arabia

Nothing compared to the following...

70 percent cannot find New Jersey
49 percent cannot find New York
11 percent cannot find the United States

"More American young people can tell you where an island that the 'Survivor' TV series came from is located than can identify Afghanistan or Iraq. Ironically a TV show seems more real or at least more meaningful interesting or relevant than reality."

True.

Topping the scoring was Sweden, with an average of 40, followed by Germany and Italy, each with 38. None of the countries got an "A,"

Europeans are more or less knowledgeable, but still... is EVERYBODY stupid? How can you NOT know where the US is?

"Weakest Link" proves this poll. The game should rather be called "Dumb and Dummer".

Originally posted by Ron Ackerman

Without looking at a map, can you tell me where South Dakota is? What is so important to Americans located in South Dakota.

First of all, an American, should know where South Dakote is WITHOUT looking at a map. Why? Because it's YOUR COUNTRY! How can you NOT know where are certain states of YOUR country? More of that - they cant locate New York (!!!!!!) on a map.

How about where Chahuahua is? Can you tell me who the governer of North Carolina is? Can you tell me were Woodhinge is how about Serpent Mound or Chichan Itsa? Can you tell me where Mount St. Helen is or how about Baja California is? Now how about this years American Idol or last years American Idol? How about M&M do you know who that is or Vincent Fernandez?
What is our Presidents wife's name? What about the last President wife's, Who what President Clintons Vice President. What State was he from?

Stop kidding yourself you know that questions were different. Americans lack BASIC geography knowledge.

It's all perspective, I venture to say that a lot of people can not answer half of those questions. And take the average person located outside of the US they may not be able to answer any of those questions.

I dont know about every area of the world, but back in USSR we used to know not only where EACH country is located, but also where are their capitals, what is their culture, we learned where are different seas, oceans, rivers, mountains....
I would say the only benefit of USSR was superior education - unmatched by any other country.

Does that mean that you are ignorant or that anyone is ignorant? This is a really stupid thing to even bring up. WHO CARES???

Ofcourse you are ignorant if you dont know where your country is located. So we got at least 11% of ignorant people already.

Like I said this is a really stupid thing to be debating.

No! It's YOUR nation Ron. Your nation that simply becomes stupid due to lack of proper education. You should be bothered, not me. You should think about tomorrow, maybe americans will not even know they are american? Today they use calculator to count 5*5 - tomorrow they won't know how to use a calculator. Ron as an unignorant and carefull american, think about your nation. Look where is it going.

Your superior intelligence has missed the point entirely. I guess you aren't as smart as you think you are.

LOL What's your point then Ron? My point is lack of education already shows it's offsprings.

My point is this, to ask someone a question about something that isn't important to them and they not know the answer doesn't make them ignorant or uneducated. It's like asking a computer geek what the gross national product of Bolivia is. He is not going to know the answer because he doesn't care. Ask that same computer geek how to fix a failed Novell Server and he can probably tell you how to.

IT'S IRRELEVANT!!!

It's not fair to call people ignorant just because they don't follow politics or world events. And believe me 18 - 24 year olds no matter what country in this world will have a large percentage that will not be able to answer these questions and will probably not even care.

Originally posted by Ron Ackerman

My point is this, to ask someone a question about something that isn't important to them and they not know the answer doesn't make them ignorant or uneducated.

What do you understand by being important? BASIC knowledge is important. BASIC understanding is important. A man can't live without ANY knowledge outside it's profession. I am not a history professor, however i know (to some extent) world's history, starting with 5000 BC and to date - this knowledge lets me handle discussions that an average american wont be able to. I am not a geographer, though i know where countries and continents, seas and oceans are located. I am not a auto mechanic, though i know how engine and transmission works. And so on... (I dont mention my computer knowledge, since i am an IT engineer)
Is it bad to be educated outside your speciality? NO! It is most important, that's what drives nations culture, science, education, etc.
Yes it makes them kind of ignorant and uneducated.

It's like asking a computer geek what the gross national product of Bolivia is. He is not going to know the answer because he doesn't care.

Gross national product of Bolivia is of no interest - it's a number that changes year to year. Better ask where is Bolivia located - i am sure 70% won't even have an idea about this country.

It's not fair to call people ignorant just because they don't follow politics or world events.

To call them ignorant is too hard - but you have to follow politics and world events to some degree.

And believe me 18 - 24 year olds no matter what country in this world will have a large percentage that will not be able to answer these questions and will probably not even care.

Yes, that's an international problem. But americans failing to seek New York on a map... Even i know where it is.

Ron - you should read Stupid White Men - give it a go - in the back there's the source for everything he says. He goes over the top, but looks like they're facts. Hell, otherwise he'd have his arse sued off wouldn't he? He does over the top (which is occasionally piss-funny) but ... have a read Ron!

Your point about perspective is a fair one - but I think plenty of people around the world see Americans as ignorant because they don't care about the outside world - like you said - this is scarier still because y'know, America's seen as a sort of global policeman - rightly or wrongly - yet it doesn't care about its fellow global citizens. Y'know, with power comes responsibility, and I think if America wants to be the super power then it should try and broaden its perspective.

First of all -- I know where to find the TV in my house that has satalite cable hooked up to it.

Secondly -- I know what all the news channels are.

That's where Iraq is, and where afghanistan is.

When I was in 3rd grade I studied the U.S. Map (it was required), and I had to memorize ALL 50 capitals of each state. Even for a kid with below-average memory, I had no problem memorizing the states, and the capitals of each one.

As school went on, I had no reason to continue studying those states. Now I couldn't tell you more than capitals. And I really don't care. I could pick up a map and study it for one hour and probably have the ability to tell you. That's the glorious fact that exempts the citizins of the United States from needing to know that crap -- we're happy being here. We don't need to go anywhere and if we want to go, it takes us 5 minutes to find a place because we have the fricken internet, map quest, and a bottomless pit of recourses.

If I needed to, I could study the map of the U.K., Iraq or Afganistan and memorize every damn "state" -- if you will, and then spit that knowledge over seas and laugh at THEM for not knowing THEIR OWN crap as well as I do. Who cares? It's swift, accesible knowledge that we don't need to clog our busy minds with.

Look since the USA is a democratic country, US citizens should not be ignorant, since they influence on political decisions. Otherwise you’ll prove the truth of this citation:

“But, since in democratic countries decisions are adopted by the majority, therefore dictated by ignorance, we should always keep in mind that crazy people may win”.
(Letter of A.Hitler to B.Mussolini, 1942)

Specialisation of skills and knowledge is really necessary, but some things should be known be everyone.

These questions I can’t answer.

What is our Presidents wife's name?
Barbara Bush

What about the last President wife's,
Hillary Clinton

Who what President Clintons Vice President. What State was he from?
Gore. Don’t know.

But I know basic geography facts about US, including where are all cities with population over 1m people.

If you followed the linkes I posted, I’d know that I mentioned NOT ONLY geographical questions.

History:
Here are % of correct answers given by American seniors:

Question % of correct answers
Q23.Government for the people:Gettysburg Address 22%
Q21.Madison:Father of Constitution 23%
Q7.Emancipation Proclamation 26%
Q4.Reconstruction and Confederacy 29%
Q32.Great Society Voting Rights Act 30%
Q20.Marshall's Marbury v Madison 33%
Q19.American General at Yorktown 34%
Q28.Battle of Bulge:WWII 37%
Q13.Revolutionary War/Valley Forge 38%
Q22.Nathan Hale:"One Life for my country" 40%
Q33.Washington's "First in war …" 42%
Q18.Lincoln's Presidency 44%
Q12.Date of Jefferson's Presidency 45%
Q16.Tocqueville in America 49%
Q10.Missouri Compromise 52%
Q14.Washington's Farewell Address 52%
Q8."The Federalist Papers"and Ratification 53%
Q25.Panama Canal:Teddy Roosevelt 53%
Q3.Britain's Magna Carta 56%
Q1.Date of Civil War 60%
Q11.Constitution's Division of Powers 60%
Q6.Scopes Trial and Evolution 61%
Q15.Monroe Doctrine 62%
Q2.Patrick Henry:"Give me liberty or give me death" 66%
Q31.WWII:German's Allies 67%
Q26.League of Nations:Woodrow Wilson 69%
Q27.Speak softly …"Teddy Roosevelt 70%
Q34.USSR leader for WWII:Stalin 72%
Q24.2nd President:John Adams 73%
Q29.Abolitionouglass 73%
Q17.Snoop Doggy Dogg 98%
Q5.Beavis and Butthead 99%


ENGLISH (AS NATIVE LANGUAGE)
Of the 70 universities, only 23 now require English majors to take a course in Shakespeare.
Dropping Great Authors requirements might not be fatal if all other English courses
were replete with excellent literature and, of course, many still are. But, at many
universities, new English courses focus less on great literature than on works selected
precisely because they are not great. The study found that, if Shakespeare is “out,” popular
culture is “in.”
One sign of the change is the increasing use of the term, “cultural studies,” which
usually denotes the study of almost anything but Culture with a capital C. English courses
on “culture” now include such topics as (in alphabetical order and in the exact words of the
course descriptions): advertising imagery, AIDS activism, alehouses, atomic age, attitudes
to marriage, big business, best-sellers, capture of the state, carnivals, CD ROMs, cheap
ballads, computer games, consumers, electronic frontier, fashion, feminism, futurism, global
factory, Hollywood films, homophobia, insurgent nationalism, internet, leisure, lesbian and
gay people, living arrangements, Madonna, magazines, mail-order brides, market fairs,
material technology, music videos, newspapers, oppression and marginalization, people of
color, physical movements, politics of representation, Pop Art, power and social change,
print media, radio, rock and rap music, soap operas, sites of conflict and struggle, socialist
struggle, sports, television, textile trade, theme parks.
It matters to employers, especially to the school systems, newspapers,
publishers, and others who hire English majors. Ideally, every student should read
Shakespeare -- if his works are not central to a liberal education, what is? But for English
majors not to read Shakespeare is worse. It is like an M.D. without a course in anatomy. It
is tantamount to fraud. Colleges do not just offer courses; they certify. A high school that
hires an English major has a right to assume he or she is prepared to teach Shakespeare and
other great authors. How will American English language evolute in next x years, given that majority of US student’s won’t do Shakespeare? “Mazafaka =]”

Curley, it is important to have knowledge of the world outside the US. And I'm not talking just geography or map-reading, y'know, what you've forgotten in school - there's a whole mass of culture, religion, people, attitudes, rituals, all sorts of different stuff out there.

Y'know, American culture has spread all over the world - and it's a wonderful big multi-cultural place where people from everywhere want to go - but it needs to take some more notice of what's going on in the world - and, importantly, how it's perceived - and the fact that it's not all positive shouldn't get you defensive - why not do something about it? Why not throw some of those billions you're spending every day occupying Iraq developing the third world - spread some benevloence, spread some love - get some good PR. At the moment the US is seen as propping up Israel, occupying Iraq and calling other people evil. Hell, that axis of evil speech was the stupidest thing I've ever heard from anyone, let alone the President! Man, maybe the guy should've studied a bit more - his perspective is up the ****.

Anyway, it'd just be nice PR (not to mention a nice thing to do!) for the US to put some money into something else than invasion.

Mate, I'm glad your kids are learning stuff though. Just concerns me there's nothing coming through via CNN or Fox.

It amazes me how much the rest of the world must think how good Americans are. Thinking that we can go to war overthrow a the Iraqi Government get out ALL of the insurgents and rebuild a new government and country in a matter of 6 MONTHS.

It has been SIX months since the start of the war people. You are not even holding US to the same timetable as Afganistan where it has 2 years. I know we are good but come on, we are not that good.

President Bush said that this would take time, possibly years, not weeks, not months but years. He said that from the beginning. It was the media that said months by comparing it to the first Gulf War. Which I might add had more American war related deaths then this war has to date. And that war lasted less than three months.

The war critics that were opposed to this in the first place are doing everything in their power to turn this into a failure. It is not a failure! Water and electricity are above the pre-war levels. Most of the old regime have been captured. Saddam is on the run with nowhere to go. 95% of the Iraqis are thankful of what we did, and it's that 5% that are giving us problems. There is a representitive interm government and an Iraqi police force of at least 10,000 to 15,000 and growing.

The resolution being presented to the UN is because some countries who actually want to help, will not unless there is a UN Resolution. That is the reason for a new resolution. We can do it with the 31 countries that we have now but it will be a strain. A new resolution will enable Pakistan, India and a few other countries that I can't remember to provide troops and money. If we do not get the resolution that is okay too. We will continue and it will still be a success.

the amount of homework kids have today is mind-blowing.

Another stupid measure that was supposed to increase education levels. Instead it makes students remember material by heart thru solving 1000s of examples, but doesnt let them understand what they learn.

But back to the subject of map readin', you know what, it just ain't that important, pardner. Look at Bush. He's the President of the most powerful nation in the world. He's virtually the most powerful political entity on Earth. How are his Geographic skills? Probably a lot better than they were but the real answer is: who cares?

What do you mean "who cares"? A president should know geography like the back of his hands.
If any of you saw Terminator 3, you probably remember how terminator threw out his power cell and a nuclear explosion took place right 100 feet behind them. Probably neither the director, nor anybody from his team knew that a nuclear explosion wipes out everything in radius of 2-3km with heat and over 20km with air wave. Ofcourse you would argue that a movie producer is not supposed to know things about nuclear explosions, but there you have a result - STUPID scene in what was supposed to be a block-buster movie.
Well i dont think majority of the audience thought the scene was stupid - i dont think they are too bright when it comes to nuclear explosions too.

But this highly trained individual is not going to be necessarily an expert?or even highly knowledgable in ALL areas.

Not even highly knowledgeable, but some basics in ALL areas have to be available to everybody.

But if America does lack 'perspective,' as you put it, then the rest of the world is still in the 'perspective' dark ages.

Dont compare america to the rest of the world - there is africa that has NO education at all. Does not mean america should follow it's example. Always try to achieve something better, without looking at losers and saying "hey, they suck, why shouldnt i?"

Originally posted by Coogee Beach

Curley, it is important to have knowledge of the world outside the US. And I'm not talking just geography or map-reading, y'know, what you've forgotten in school - there's a whole mass of culture, religion, people, attitudes, rituals, all sorts of different stuff out there.

Very right, Coogee!

At the moment the US is seen as propping up Israel, occupying Iraq and calling other people evil.

That's completely different issue, and the problem comes from people who benefit from instability and chaos. If there were no such ambitions, world's opinion about the US would be completely different.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MrJukoVette
[b]Another stupid measure that was supposed to increase education levels. Instead it makes students remember material by heart thru solving 1000s of examples, but doesnt let them understand what they learn.

Not true. This is the method by which memory is trained and the capacity to then learn during later stages becomes greater.


A president should know geography like the back of his hands.

He probably does. But if he doesn't all he does is LOOK AT A MAP.


but some basics in ALL areas have to be available to everybody

It is.

Dont compare america to the rest of the world - there is africa that has NO education at all. Does not mean america should follow it's example.

America doesn't

Always try to achieve something better, without looking at losers and saying "hey, they suck, why shouldnt i?"

Goes without saying. America as a nation is in the forefront of achievement.


REMEMBER, JUST A THANK YOU WILL DO.

Originally posted by Curley Joe

Not true. This is the method by which memory is trained and the capacity to then learn during later stages becomes greater.

Who needs trained memory? Memory is not as important as logical and analytical abilities, which are NOT developed in american (canadian as well) schools. To become a good engineer, scientist, etc. you have to understand the material, not just remember it.

but some basics in ALL areas have to be available to everybody

It is.

I dont think so. Check out the poll again. It clearly shows that America is behind many european countries and is comparable to Mexico, a 3rd world country.

I guess we don't have engineers and scientist in America. The most advanced country in the world.

The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)

Founded in 1896, the IUOE today has 400,000 members in some 170 local unions throughout the United States and Canada. The IUOE is the 12th largest union in the AFL-CIO. Further, nearly 100 apprenticeships and training programs ensure that IUOE members are highly trained, highly skilled craft workers.


Federation of American Scientists

The Federation of American Scientists is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501c3 organization founded in 1945 as the Federation of Atomic Scientists. Our founders were members of the Manhattan Project, creators of the atom bomb and deeply concerned about the implications of its use for the future of humankind.

Known in its early years as the "scientists lobby," FAS combines the scholarly resources of its member scientists and informed citizens with knowledge of practical politics. Endorsed by the nearly 60 Nobel Laureates in biology, chemistry, economics, medicine, and physics as sponsors, FAS is uniquely qualified to bring the scientific perspective to public policy. FAS' strategies include advocacy, briefings with policy makers and the press, public education and outreach, collaboration with civil rights, human rights, and arms control groups, and grassroots organizing.


American Federation of Technical Engineers.

On July 1, 1918, the AFL granted a charter to the American Federation of Technical Engineers, AFTE, a group of ten local unions representing engineers and draftsmen at many of the U.S. shipyards. Thus, the first labor organization, dedicated to the welfare of the American technical engineering employees, was born.

Today, we are the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO & CLC, a progressive labor union representing more than 75,000 men and women in professional, technical, administrative and associated occupations.

AAPS Pharmaceutica is the Web portal for the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), a professional, scientific society of more than 10,000 members employed in academia, industry, government and other research institutes worldwide.

-------------------------
Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit membership society of more than 70,000 scientists and engineers who were elected to the Society because of their research achievements or potential.

Thanks for putting me straight Curley. When I said I thought America was a wonderful place I didn't know I was full of sh!t.

But okay, fair enough - when I wrote about 'nothing' coming through on Fox and CNN - obviously that didn't read well. I meant that it's not varied or wide enough. I mean Fox isn't much more than war propoganda. Infotainment. A bunch of reporters on tanks pretending to be marines, telling America that hot dog we're kickin 'Raqi ass. Not a good look. It's not balanced.

Funny you mention two networks that have complete opposite views. CNN is on the Left and Fox leans to the right. ( they try to be balanced and present both sides but their right view come across more often). So if you don't believe the far of CNN and you don't believe the right of FOX, what do you believe?

Ron you still miss my point, probably because a man cant judge the crowd he is part of. I think you got in defensive position due to misinterpretation of my posts. You probably think i am accusing americans of being stupid or something - no! Just pointing out at weak sides of your (and my) culture.
If you want to turn a blind eye on this issue - it's your problem...

You just can't make a blanket statement that young Americans are ignorant, uneducated and lack the ability of logical thinking, it's simply not true. It's based on a survey of a very select group of 15 to 24 year old most likely in one specific area of the country or even a city.

Originally posted by Ron Ackerman

You just can't make a blanket statement that young Americans are ignorant, uneducated and lack the ability of logical thinking, it's simply not true. It's based on a survey of a very select group of 15 to 24 year old most likely in one specific area of the country or even a city.

Again a misinterpretation.
Anyways, as i said, if you can not or dont want to understand that problem is already here and something has to be done - it's your problem. I'm out.

I didn't get a chance to answer this so here we go.

Are you really sure the importance of your questions is international?

I beleive an American should have no problem to find the USA on the map. Or New York in the USA. I'd say everebody should be able. Even a Frenchman or a Russian or everybody else.
If he/she even an IT specialist.

Why "American Idol" is that important? Is it really a cultural paramount?

Look at these quiz and tell me whether knowing the answers is essential for an American 15-24 or not. By the way. do you know the answers yourself??

History Survey 1
Q1. When was the Civil War?
a. 1750-1800
b. 1800-1850
c. 1850-1900
d. 1900-1950
e. after 1950
Q2. Who said “Give me liberty or give me death?”
a. John Hancock
b. James Madison
c. Patrick Henry
d. Samuel Adams
Q3. What is the Magna Carta?
a. The foundation of the British parliamentary system
b. The Great Seal of the monarchs of England
c. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man
d. The charter signed by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower
History Survey 2
Q4. The term “Reconstruction” refers to:
a. Payment of European countries’ debts to the
United States after the First World War
b. Repairing of the physical damage
caused by the Civil War
c. Readmission of the Confederate states and
the protection of the rights of Black citizens
d. Rebuilding of the transcontinental railroad and
the canal system

Q6. The Scopes Trial was about:
a. Freedom of the press
b. Teaching evolution in the schools
c. Prayer in the schools
d. Education in private schools
Q7. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln stated that:
a. Slaves were free in areas of the
Confederate states not held by the Union
b. The slave trade was illegal
c. Slaves who fled to Canada would be protected
d. Slavery was abolished in the Union
History Survey 3
Q8. The purpose of the authors of “The Federalists” papers was to:
a. Establish a strong, free press in the colonies
b. Confirm George Washington’s election as the first president
c. Win foreign approval for the Revolutionary War
d. Gain ratification of the U.S. Constitution
Q10. The Missouri Compromise was the act that:
a. Funded the Lewis and Clark expedition on
the upper Missouri River
b. Granted statehood to Missouri but denied the
admission of any other states
c. Settled the boundary dispute between
Missouri and Kansas
d. Admitted Maine into the Union as a free
state and Missouri as a slave state
Q11. Which document established the division of powers between the states and the federal
government?
a. The Marshall Plan
b. The Constitution
c. The Declaration of Independence
d. The Articles of Confederation
DK/Ref 4%
Q12. When was Thomas Jefferson president?
a. 1780-1800
b. 1800-1820
c. 1820-1840
d. 1840-1860
e. 1860-1880
DK/Ref 6%
Q13. What was the lowest point in American fortunes in the Revolutionary War?
a. Saratoga
b. Bunker Hill
c. Valley Forge
d. Fort Ticonderoga
Q14. In his Farewell Address, President George Washington
warned against the danger of:
a. Expanding into territories beyond the
Appalachian Mountains
b. Having war with Spain over Mexico
c. Entering into permanent alliances
with foreign governments
d. Building a standing army and strong navy
Q15. The Monroe Doctrine declared that:
a. The American blockade of Cuba was
in accord with international law
b. Europe should not acquire new
territories in the Western Hemisphere
c. Trade with China should be open to all Western nations
d. The annexation of the Philippines was legitimate
History Survey 5
Q16. Who was the European who traveled in the United States and wrote down perceptive
comments about what he saw in Democracy in America?
a. Lafayette
b. Tocqueville (TOKE-ville)
c. Crevecoeur (cre-VA-see-aire)
d. Napoleon
Q18. Abraham Lincoln was president between:
a. 1780-1800
b. 1800-1820
c. 1820-1840
d. 1840-1860
e. 1860-1880
Q19. Who was the American general at Yorktown?
a. William T. Sherman
b. Ulysses S. Grant
c. Douglas MacArthur
d. George Washington
Q20. John Marshall was the author of:
a. Roe vs. Wade
b. Dred Scott vs. Kansas
c. Marbury vs. Madison
d. Brown vs. Board of Education
History Survey 6
Q21. Who was the “Father of the Constitution”?
a. George Washington
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. Benjamin Franklin
d. James Madison
Q22. Who said, “I regret that I have only one life to give for my country”?
a. John F. Kennedy
b. Benedict Arnold
c. John Brown
d. Nathan Hale
Q23. What was the source of the following phrase:
“Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
a. The speech: “I have a Dream”
b. Declaration of Independence
c. U.S. Constitution
d. Gettysburg Address
Q24. Who was the second president of the U.S.?
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. James Madison
c. John Adams
d. Benjamin Franklin
History Survey 7
Q25. Who was president when the U.S. purchased the Panama Canal?
a. Theodore Roosevelt
b. Jimmy Carter
c. Franklin D. Roosevelt
d. Woodrow Wilson

No, You can't answer these questions because you don't care about these issues. Just like a 15 - 24 year old about world politics.

Not world politics but simple geography. Questions asked were like "Where is Iraq?", "Where is Saudi Arabia?", etc. Location of different countries have NOTHING to do with world politics.
Also you mentioned that surveying some group of people living in the same state or city is wrong. Well if you go somewhere else it maybe higher or lower, but i dont think across the country results would be much different. If 300 people were surveyed from the streets and 150 of them dont know where New York is, then it means that somewhere around 150 out of every 300 dont know the answer either. Sounds sad doesnt it?
Same applies to Canada as well - same school courses, same college/university requirements, and so on. But i have noticed that Canadians are aware of NAmerican and especially Canadian geography.

It's that perspective thing again Curley - you gotta broaden it if you want to have informed opinion.

Al Jazeera aren't the "baddies" - this isn't the movies - they're just reporting an occasionally opposing viewpoint. They're the messengers of the other side. You don't have to agree but you should at least hear what they've got to say.

Righto mate - you just listen to Fox, or get your ideas from the boys at the pub, or wherever it is you get your ideas from - and we'll leave it at that.

Jeez A...aah - that mastermind status will be in jeapordy you keep making pot and black kettle statements like that. Just stick to the thread of this thing, eh? Ie, the PERCEPTION in the rest of the world that Americans are ignorant. It's a blanket generalist statement, true, but it's no less true that plenty, even a large majority of the world PERCEIVES that Americans are ignorant. Maybe it's more US-bashing - maybe there's an element of truth in it. Probably both.

Originally posted by scottc

I do believe that the point of the survey,

Since when do surveys have points?

as is the point of the post, is that Americans are so inward looking, that they only realise that Iraq exists because of the President pushing for war with them.

Your style of writing President with capital letter shows your deep respect towards him...

All of a sudden, they then become guru's of Iraq/Afghanistan/Bosnia/wherever the US decides to drop bombs.

Where did you get that from, another survey? Can you post a link, please?

The US do not care about the rest of the world because of upbringing. They are lead to believe that the US IS the world,

And the planet of Iraq is defeated in a 3 month star war. Good story for a new thriller.

Would you believe that Australia is evil?

No, i would not. Country can be rich, big, over-populated, but evil... never heard of that.

I ask this, because of the American intervention in Australia in the seventies, when the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED leader of Australia, (read, one of America's closest allies), was removed by the CIA.

Are you an ex-CIA agent by any chance? You are certainly well informed about it's operations thru quite large period of time.

He was anti American hegemony, and supported nationalisation policies, in addition to supervision of the CIA in Australia, and as a result, he was removed from power. Then again, most American's could not even point out America on a globe, let alone Australia. "Australia?, arent they British?" LOL

Nationalisation... such a sweet, and more importantly, good promising word. Ever heard of Sylvio Berlusconi and italian state oil company? How about Vladimir Putin with his gang of billionaires whom he peridocially tries to arrest? They all nationalised or did not privatise their natural resources. What do you think, is it better for a country to have natural resources nationalised or no? Please explain your answer.