what do you think of the education /knowledge Americans have concearning the rest of the world ?

Question

On yahoo answers I have seen Canada rebuked for celebratting Thanksgiving on a different day then the States.They believe it is to celebrate thier history and the Mayflower.While infact Canadians -Americans did not invent Thanksgiving. It began in Canada. Frobisher's celebration in 1578 was 43 years before the pilgrims gave thanks in 1621 for the bounty that ended a year of hardships and death. Abraham Lincoln established the date for the US as the last Thursday in November. In 1941, US Congress set the National Holiday as the fourth Thursday in November.
I've also seen on yahoo answers them ridiculing Boxing day as something Canadians started instead of it being from Britain .
Most have no clue that Canada in an independant country in the common wealth or that Britain plays a big part in our history.
I also read a yahoo answer just recently that stated Britain and the united stated has similiar history in black slavery .Not sure what they were refering to. Just used for examples

I was even asked on a vaction in florida why Canada uses a foreign queen on our currency

sorry about the typing mistakes I meant to say when in the US I was asked why Canada used a foreign countries queen on our currency .

Answer 1

It appears that in the USA people can go though school, including trade training and know next to nothing about the wide world.
Prolly only the ones who have a good knowledge are those who have gotten through uni.
--Charles, That Cheeky Lad

Answer 2

With regards to black slavery, USA and England do have similar history. We, as Britons, traded in slaves until William Wilberforce, from my home city, called for abolition. Obviously, during this period, Canada was completely neutral and classed as a free state.

With regards to Americans education. They are brought up and trained to believe that they are the best country in the world and that they are better than everyone else.

Only thing is, no one dare tell them they're not!!!!!

I didn't even realise thanksgiving was started by the Canadians. I thought it was the pilgrims thanking God for their first harvest in a new land. The Indians helped than plant crops etc.

Answer 3

I don't think it's as much a consideration of education or knowledge as it is a lack of respect for foreign cultures, which is not at all exclusive to America or Americans. I've seen equal slandering of the United States and it's citizens from other nations, and I've also seen some very specific attacks upon America, it's cultures, and it's people by Canadians. I still don't see that as a reason to assume that Canadians or anyone else is uneducated or lacking in knowledge, but simply lacking in respect.

It goes both ways.

Answer 4

We can all benefit from more education - and don't we just love the internet for giving us access to all of these different views and sources of knowledge!

I guess each generation has the opportunity to improve - we soak everything up as kids (important to our survival) and then shake some of it off as we grow and educate ourselves (important for growth). When education is used to control (such as the dominance of Creationism in very religious US states), you'll eventually get people with a lot more growing to do before they actually have independent knowledge. Then think about all of the distractions from learning - drink and playstations come to mind (mmm, I fancy a beer).

Is it any wonder that so many people are misinformed about the simplest things? I don't think it's unique to the US, but I think the US is a standard bearer for the rest of the world and therefore suffers more when it's citizens are shown as ignorant or arrogant.

Matto

Answer 5

I used to sell cruises on a cruise ship out of Texas, a lot of people didn't know where Alaska was, or Florida. Most didn't know approximately how far Europe was. Some even thought that England was a make believe place. Americans need to travel, the only reasonable/geographically aware ones I've met have been to other places, and not just on stupid cruise ships

Answer 6

I agree with a lot you stated there.
The reason for it? I have no idea..
Have you ever seen the Rick Merer Show? He is a Canadian Comedian that showed the ignorance a lot of Americans had about Canada.
Examples.....
Canada has a 25 hour clock
We just got newspapers
Canada is just north of South America.
The list goes on.
Maybe they just do not want to know.

Answer 7

nicely, i don't understand in the experience that your techniques is real or not so some distance as El Salvador being forward, yet i understand that countless countries ARE previous to he US. there are a number of aspects that pass into this situation. you will possibly desire to spend years studying and then in step with danger you could start to appreciate. even if i opt for to be conscious some issues. only because of the fact little ones initiate Algebra a million in 4th or 5th does not recommend they are going to end all Algebra a million ideas in 4th or 5th grade. The homeschool curriculum i take advantage of introduces Algebra in undemanding (i think of it surely starts off with common Algebraic ideas in third grade), even if this does not recommend that my third or 4th grader could have mastered Algebra a million, or my 6th grader for that remember. It only potential that they have been presented to specific suggestions and suggestions so while they do take Algebra a million the technique won't look so distant places to them. while will they take an entire Algebra a million direction? someplace between seventh and ninth, depending on while they pass a placement attempt attempt for it. i could trust you on one element, that the yank college device is a large number, and desires to alter.

Answer 8

I think of myself as well educated and well read, but I learned something from your "question". Thanks for teaching me that Canada's Thanksgiving came before the first one in the US.

One the other hand, I still don't know what Boxing Day is. I've asked many Brits, and I get many answers.

Answer 9

This type of question seems to elicit knee jerk reactions from people. Phrasing the question in the way you have seems to be generalized to the point that it is meaningless. It almost seems to be a reverse nationalism in response to americans' perceived indifference to the rest of the world. There are Americans who are more informed and those who are less informed.

Answer 10

Generally speaking, very poor! Typical island mentalities wit the few exceptions of people that have actually traveled outside the USA.