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Post by gregfordyce on Aug 26, 2019 19:56:06 GMT
I'm talking generally here. We've all read the statistics (I'm assuming) - how something like 40% of American HS seniors can't locate the US on a map, 60% can't locate Russia on a map, 30% don't know who won the Civil War, 50% can't say how many branches there are in the federal government, or what the Bill Of Rights is; The US is like 48th in education among industrialized nations, etc, etc.
What does this portend for our future? What correlation is there - if any - between it and the fact that over 40% of Americans look up to morons like Trump? That the same percentage have no problem with authoritarianism? And so forth.
This video is a few years old and just a little snippet of this subject, but I thought it was rather amusing (and sad). (The reporter's "liberal" comment aside).
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Post by ErixonStone on Aug 26, 2019 20:20:13 GMT
I hate these types of videos. The responses are cherry-picked for entertainment and are designed to support a pre-disposed narrative.
Also, the interviewer is correct that the Democratic party was fighting to maintain slavery at the time of the civil war, but he left out an important detail: the new Democratic party - led by Lyndon Johnson - was responsible for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and since then, the parties effectively switched ideologies. Republicans like to leave that part out.
This is how misinformation spreads; it's always coated with some truth.
Search YouTube for phrases like "Party Switch 1964" or "Southern Strategy" to get a better feel for American politics as it relates to party ideology from 1860-1960.
Then ask yourself which of these parties is fighting for equal rights today?
The answer to your question is: No, Americans aren't particularly stupid, as a group. But they surely are uninformed, misinformed, lied to, and really busy trying to make ends meet.
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Post by karma4u on Aug 26, 2019 20:44:03 GMT
Agree with Erixon, late night shows do these all the time. However, you gotta kinda wonder when they ask folks who Joe Biden is and show his picture they have no clue. That is just one of many, many examples. Hey, there's a lot of uninformed, misinformed and lots of folks who don't give a shite. It's pretty sad actually.
It all comes down to education.
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste".
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ray
Politico
Posts: 225 
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Post by ray on Aug 27, 2019 0:39:39 GMT
Yes. As a people, the most insular, uneducated people I have ever encountered. Horrendous travellers, arrogant, intolerant.
The exceptions only prove the rule.
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Post by paulus on Aug 27, 2019 22:52:23 GMT
No. We have the same fecking idiots over here... every country has 'em. Only the proportions of educated to non/ill-educated are subtly different country to country. USA average IQ is 98, putting it 27th in the world rankings - not as high as it's education spending per-capita should achieve, but OK-ish. UK average IQ is 100, putting it 16th - also under-performing compared to it's education spend. Top ranking are the far-east countries - Singapore at no.1 with average IQ of 108  They massively out-perform their education spend - partly due to cultural differences - but they also have a highly regimented & rigorously scientific approach to schooling - getting a lot of bang for their sing. On the anecdotal side - I have the opposite experience of American's to Ray... but then I'm mostly dealing with the educated ones  Source: www.worlddata.info/iq-by-country.php |
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jacobkessler
Global Moderator
Fight corruption before it's too late.
Posts: 23
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Post by jacobkessler on Aug 27, 2019 23:17:32 GMT
Problem I have is the kids who never try to develop their own opinions. It goes both ways, too.
You take a far right, Christian, homophobic couple who raises their kids on the principles of “homosexuality is a sin,” “the Bible is all that matters,” “abortion is murder,” “guns are the only way to feel safe,” etc. and if those kids aren’t smart enough to question their beliefs* they’ll be blinded into far-right nonsense their entire life.
*I’m not saying conservatives aren’t smart- I respect their ability to make decisions independently, even if I don’t agree with them
And the same thing happens on the other side. “Straight people are evil,” “men are inferior, not equal, to women,” “eating meat is like cannibalism,” (all things I’ve heard, by the way) and more. If their kids don’t challenge these beliefs, we’ll get nowhere.
At some point as a teenager or young adult, every single child needs to not only think about their beliefs, but challenge them. “Is this truly what I believe?” “Does the other side have a good point?” “Why is this the idea I believe in?” and more. Otherwise, how do kids know if they agree or disagree with their parents, friends, politicians, etc. when they go to vote? I feel like young uneducated voters wanted Trump in 2016 because he was a meme. They thought it was hilarious.
I’m by no means a centerist- you’ve seen the stuff I’ve posted. But especially as voting participation is expected to rise with Gen-Z, these kids can’t just be blinded into past beliefs. I don’t share my political opinions with my kids (although I occasionally slip re: Trump because he’s unanimously stupid in the minds of rational human beings). I will, however, encourage them to dig into politics and develop their own opinions. I mean, my second child is really to young to understand a lot of it, but my oldest is okay to defend her positions. To be fair she’s actually very similar to my wife and I, but neither one of us intentionally pushed her in that direction. Many Gen-Xers and even some Millineals have seen Gen-Z now- they will be the generation to change things. They’re sick of seeing tragedy on the news as teenagers and young children.
Sorry if that got a bit rant-y or preach-y, I just needed to say it.
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Post by boffo on Aug 27, 2019 23:44:24 GMT
No. We have the same fecking idiots over here... every country has 'em. Only the proportions of educated to non/ill-educated are subtly different country to country. USA average IQ is 98, putting it 27th in the world rankings - not as high as it's education spending per-capita should achieve, but OK-ish. UK average IQ is 100, putting it 16th - also under-performing compared to it's education spend. Top ranking are the far-east countries - Singapore at no.1 with average IQ of 108 They massively out-perform their education spend - partly due to cultural differences - but they also have a highly regimented & rigorously scientific approach to schooling - getting a lot of bang for their sing. On the anecdotal side - I have the opposite experience of American's to Ray... but then I'm mostly dealing with the educated ones Source: www.worlddata.info/iq-by-country.phpCanada coming in first with the lowest daily max temperature which is really the most important stat when measuring intelligence. Also, keep in mind that the US average IQ is highly skewed since Donald Trump has one of, if not the highest IQ in the history of the universe. If you exclude him the average probably drops to the low 90's because he's just that smart. |
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They massively out-perform their education spend - partly due to cultural differences - but they also have a highly regimented & rigorously scientific approach to schooling - getting a lot of bang for their sing.
