Is it because geography and social science is not taught enough in American schools and that the Media has taken advantage of their lack of understanding? I was astonished to find some schoolmates from America, not even being able to locate Washington D.C. on the American map!
2007-07-09 00:01:06 · 26 answers · asked by 2012 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Vinnie : Ignorance is bliss:
"Our country simply cannot afford to remain ignorant of the rest of the world. The stakes are simply too high," said former Education Secretary Richard Riley, honorary co-chairman of the Strategic Task Force on Education Abroad.
http://www.amerispan.com/travel/article/America_s_ignorance_of_the_world_is_now_a_national_liability/140
2007-07-09 00:15:22 · update #1
Because world news / issues aren't on our "infotainment" (news) channels. They're censored up the a_ _.
Local news channels might show 1 minute of the war in Iraq on average per broadcast. 1 minute ! For a sham of a war that is without cause....again, it's all censored. Every station runs the exact same stories, which are incidentally owned by a few huge conglomerates.
Not to mention the blatant stereotypes the general US public has against the rest of the world, backed up by our pop culture.
Plain and simple, the government likes to keep us stupid and not asking questions. I mean what other developed nation in the world has to import 65,000+ college/university grads to fill local jobs? NONE.
TV, along with radio is the opiate of the masses and it's not independently owned, it's one sided and it's brainwashing us into hating every other country.
2007-07-09 00:38:08 · answer #1 · answered by Izzy N 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
As Canadians we'd better not get too smug, as alot of Canadians according to the Dominion institute can't answer many of the questions we ask of our immigrants to answer to pass our citizens test.
However, I think it's because Americans, for the most part aren't interested in any other country than their own. Their's is the best , they are the best people, why be interested in anyone else who isn't as great as they are.
Alot of them don't even know their own country, if Jay Leno's Jaywalking is any indicator.
However, as Pierre Trudeau once characterized Canada it's like a mouse sleeping beside an elephant. The mouse better know the elephant's every move and characteristic or risk getting crushed or killed in the interim.
2007-07-09 17:48:58 · answer #2 · answered by Lizzy-tish 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ever since political correctness and cultural fairness was introduced in the classrooms, thanks to Liberals and the ACLU, I believe much of this really took hold around the early to mid nineties.
I was taught geography, social sciences and civics. World History and the like and can pretty much read a map and find cities all over the world.
Kids today can be asked, who is our current secretary of state, and most don't even know that.
This is exactly the reason I'm all for vouchers, and also exactly the reason my wife and I are seriously talking about keeping our kids in private schools.
The U.S. public education system is nothing short of a joke thanks to the liberal mindset of things like black history month, or asian week, or hispanic week and ebonics.
PUUHHHHLLLLEEEEEEESEE!
2007-07-09 09:39:49 · answer #3 · answered by scottdman2003 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as school subjects like Geography & European History remain elective subjects, most kids probably choose to do something less dry
My 5th or 6th grade Geography was most countries in the world. One each lesson (basic history, map, culture, natural resources and major imports & exports). I also played the board game Risk when I was younger so had a pretty good idea where things (roughly!) fitted together..
There is an argument that you don't need to know about what doesn't directly affect you ..
2007-07-09 07:09:47 · answer #4 · answered by Hasski 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It is because many of us watch Fox News. I will match my ignorance with anyone's. No wonder the student couldn't find Washington D.C. on an American Map. Everyone knows it is in Mozambique.
2007-07-09 09:04:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i suppose it's because we are the greatest nation on the planet, and the rest of the world is just that,...the rest of the world...don't take it so hard..it's us, not you..we can still be freinds.
but this thing about the map...now was the map marked with the names or was it just blank and you had to guess which specific area was washington d.c.? because washington d.c. isn't a very large area and that whole northeast area is pretty dense with many large cities. so one might be hard pressed to locate it without it's name on it. i can spot washington d.c. from a sattilite photo as the entire city has the free-masonry compass and square built into it's make up...pretty cool actually.
2007-07-09 07:10:16 · answer #6 · answered by federalistcapers 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Jay Leno has popularized a sort of "dumber-than-thou" culture in which some people think its cute and funny to be stupid.
People who know the location of Washington, D.C. and other geographical trivia questions are generally not the types to go on TV and allow themselves to be the butt of the joke.
Plenty of us are educated. Those who aren't educated have consciously chosen a state of ignorance, which is sad.
2007-07-09 07:11:35 · answer #7 · answered by chocolahoma 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Because you don't have to be smart to live in america. And its sad. Hell President Bush most likely can't identify Washington DC. In america this is the rules. If your rich and famous thats you can do anything.
President bush was a C student
2007-07-11 00:43:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
American are very nombrilists.
You cannot imagine how you miss taste and culture.
Much American always thinks that there are the USA and nothing other...
A few years ago, in vacancy in the United States, a teacher of geography thought and explained me that Africa was a country. She did not want to believe me when I explained to her that Africa was a continent... each time she answered me really! really! I even wondered whether she were a really teacher because she could not locate France in Europe.
2007-07-09 07:36:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's sad. Welcome to the new world. Public education in this country is pretty lame thanks to liberal policies and "fairness."
Why did we stop requiring Latin as part of an education?
You can't even have a pledge of allegiance because of the words "Under God" that some idiots put into it.
And what was the fascination with Ebonics?
It's the same liberal thinking that just says "Oh well, that's the way it is. Might as well accept it and deal with it so that we don't piss anyone off."
WRONG!
But don't worry, there are enough Americans that actually care about their education and their children's education to fill the void.
2007-07-09 07:12:21 · answer #10 · answered by Chef 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋