Why are most Americans clueless about history, geography or world events?

Question

Foreign visitors and foreign students are well versed in these subjects. I was doing research and was interviewing local students in high schools and found them having difficulty answering American history, geography and questions on basic civics.

Why?

Answer 1

Well its because American kids are raised in a culture that admires and embraces stupidity and sex (Paris Hilton, Britney Spears). These girls are the role models of young girls while smart girls such as Ivanka Trump who also happen do be good looking are ignored. It is partly the media's fault. The whole Paris Hilton jail story was on for countless hours on all the major channels such as CNN and MSNBC.

The same thing goes for boys. All these young 13 and 14 year olds have 50 Cent and othe rap artists as their idols. Rap music advocates violence and sex, it is very unintelligent. I'm not advocating censorship or music artists. That is up to the parents. I am just advocating that kids be more exposed to current world events and be taught to think long term.

Americans are too tied up in the short term to ever think about the long term or to look at the big picture of any event, including for themselves. One example is in savings and finance. The average American saves 0% of their income. We are a society that embraces credit card debt. So many Americans think only for the short term with their finances and the kids see this too.

Americans are not only clueless about history, geography and world events, but are also clueless on the importance of saving and investing money. I saw a study and it said that millionaires are more likely to know about world events then those who are not millionaires or savers. I don't know how those are related, but nevertheless they are.

And yes we live in a society where so many Americans no embarassingly little about world events. Bush took advantage of this fact when he was able to convince a significant majority of Americans that Saddam Hussein was connected to 9/11, had Weapons of Mass Destruction, and harbored terrorists. But the Bush Administration is only partly to blame why 1/3 of the American people still believe that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11. If these clueless Americans just simply read and look at the facts, they will find the truth, its not that hard to do.

How are we going to change? It is all in the kids. If we teach our kids to observe the world and not be oblivious then they will be the change. But as long as we let our kids have sex at 14 years of age, idolize Paris Hilton, and watch MTV all day we are not going to change.

Answer 2

What is your deal with bashing America? Is it true that the common citizen doesn't know the things you're talking about? Yes. Most likely. Is it true that the same holds true for citizens of other countries? I guarantee it.

What kind of scientific "research" were you doing exactly? Did you ask a bunch of American students some questions, then go to a foreign country and ask a bunch of other students the same questions? Or did you just quiz people on questions that you knew the answers to?

What if I started asking you questions about certain subjects that I am well versed in and you are not, and after you answered a bunch of questions incorrectly, then I could say, "Why are all the people form the country wherever you're from -- if you were born here, then obviously your parents were not, because you have all these questions about us "Americans" -- so uneducated and ignorant when it comes to (insert subject here)."

I saw another question of yours where you made this reference to us "ignorant Americans" (now that I've been looking, you have TONS of questions that bash Americans). I would argue that it is you being ignorant of different cultures, peoples, classes of people, etc. that brings you to these stereotyping conclusions. And I'm sure, like most races and ethnicities, there are many stereotypes about whatever group of people you align yourself with that you find to be very offensive, as I find your comments to be abrasive and offensive. For all I know, you're probably lashing out because someone hurt your feelings. That or proganda from, wherever you're from, has your head mixed-up to just the perfect consistency to allow for complete absorption of all the baloney that it's presently filled with.

And just for the record, Caleb is a bibliclal name, as in, "a name from the bible". He was a very important figure in the old testament. I'm sure if you didn't already know that, you could have done a two-second search and discovered as much (below is a link to the wiki page), but obviously you get your jollies by constantly asking inflammatory questions with anti-American weighting and sentiments. Please find another forum for your hate, and please beware of ignorance.

Answer 3

Because we have poor schools that continue to pass people even if the don't have the grades. We do not teach as much as most foreign schools. We do not teach geography to the extent of other countries. And in a lot of countries they are taught English as a second language. This is not an "extra" class. Everybody takes it.

Answer 4

Americans are so used to making history, redefining geography and precipitating world events.

If it doesn't have our stamp on it, it elicits a yawn from many of the aware Americans , and exquisite obliviousness from those too busy with the daily goings on of their little worlds to be lugging about what in their eyes is useless information.

One can only wonder what kind of questions you asked the High School students regarding American History, geography and question of basic civics, as you were, as you put it, "doing research."

You're not a researcher. You're just another America basher- another mindless fadist, with a shrill and questionable point to make about a country that must intimidate you. Why else would you memorialize your gratutitous and doubtless biased observations?

Answer 5

So both the USA & Europe are about the same size - between 4.5 & 5 million square miles.

Tomorrow we will be having a pop quizs -
- for Norwegians on the 17th century Moldovan folk heroes,
- for Greeks, on the influence of the Ukraine in Estonian politics,
- for Spaniards on the scientific astronomical discoveries in The Czech Repulbic.
For Brits, on the linguistic roots of Portugese.

After that, let's see how much Europeans know.

Point : the USA is a BIG place, with lots of history & FAR more civics issue than I EVER encountered living in the UK.

Answer 6

Because subjects like these are not taught worth a crap in America. Textbooks are poorly written, teachers are poorly trained and are not really interested. American parents do a crappy job of instilling the value of education in their children....etc.

Answer 7

I found the same thing myself when I was talking to them....
In canada you are taught world history and geography including a fair bit about the US...

Answer 8

What are you basing this on? omit teen united states? besides, this stereotype may well be utilized to human beings everywhere, be it interior the U. S. or in any different case. are you able to element to the place Nebraska is? are you able to call each and each of the North American colonies devoid of looking it up on Google? did not think of so.

Answer 9

dont worry skippy..
there are plenty of Americans out there that can match wits with and soundly kick your "sound reasoning" to the curb. Your so-called research is based on what? Kids that support your idea? Or was it fairly based with a mixture of honor students and regular kids?
Just checking here..
Did you base your comparisons against your opinions of us, or did you actually and scientificallly measure your results with a control group?

Put your"findings" up here for all to see.

Answer 10

I agree. Poor education systems. Students are given way to much slack these days...and miss way too may days of school.