Americans don't even know where Iraq is.

I came across this article in another forum, and thought it was quite fecund. It's postulates that "that eighty-five percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 could not find Iraq on a map." That's absurd, not the statistics, but the fact that American education has been hijacked by ignorance and outright conservative innuendo; this push for Christian sciences in the class room; the lack of Media agencies to report "true" world affairs, and just ejaculating whatever the Government deems pliable with thier current train of thought.

What's wrong America ?

www.pewandgatesforpeace.org...

Deep

a number of young Americans (although I'm sure it's not a majority... I hope) can't find Canada or Mexico on a map... and a minority can't find Washington D.C.

But hey, you guys aren't alone... some years ago, a newspaper in Montreal conducted a survey of university students in education... the most hilarious finding was that 29 percent of them thought that during a solar eclipse, the Sun passes between the Earth and the Moon.

Hey ZeroDeep, this is nothing new..anterior in my class at geography, the teacher asked a class mate, where she was in holiday..show me on the map! You should have see her!!..reaction...eerr, errrrr We were in Italy...humm i think here..(she pointed to France)...

Its the same on the TV! at CNN! they placed Switzerland instead of the Czech Republic on the map..

Why am i not surprised

Not so long ago i saw a survey that showed that a disturbingly large percentages of young Americans thought Iraq was in south eastern Europe.

Please Educate Your Youth

as posted by UK Wizard
Please Educate Your Youth

What? Huh?!

UK Wizard, WTH you laughing at and saying that your not surprised?
Seems that you folks in the UK are just as bad?

Among women and the under-35s, the figure is as high as 60%. The survey also uncovered shocking levels of ignorance about the Holocaust. Of the 4,000 adults surveyed, 45% said they had never heard of the Nazi death camp in which one million people died.

Survey reveals Auschwitz ignorance
UK + auschwitz + BBC poll

Seems that despite the "great divide" that the kool-aid on both sides the ocean tastes the same, eh?

BTW: an associated ATS thread:
Nearly Half of Britons Unaware of Auschwitz.





seekerof

[edit on 7-12-2004 by Seekerof]

Originally posted by Seekerof
Seems that you folks in the UK are just as bad?

I humbly apologise for my ignorant country men and women.

Sadly we live in a world of ignorance and stupidity.....

Sorry for the delayed response....was busy.
No need for an apology, was just giving you a hard time.
Peace.


seekerof

Well, i guess this would be a good time to take notice of the proposition in the link i provided.

The philanthropy world is buzzing with a new idea. What if America's top foundations pooled their resources to launch a $1 billion a year plan for peace? One idea currently circulating is America Looks Beyond, a plan to offer every high school student in America a six-week trip to a third world country. To broaden their horizons. To gain a more intimate understanding of the world. And to fight the global war on terror in a positive way, through education and first-hand knowledge of how so much of the world struggles to survive. What if the foundation community worked together to make America Looks Beyond a reality?

I think that's interesting. I fully support it. I'am sure the American government could allocate monies to fund such an endevour. The ramnifications would be tremendous and heart felt.

Deep

The pathetic state of American public education is widely recognized, but don't blame the conservatives. It's the liberal agenda that has hijacked education in America.

www.aft.org...
www.nea.org...
209.217.49.168...
www.campusreportonline.net...
www.encyclopedia.com...
newsmax.com...
www.nysut.org...
www.amazon.com...
www.amazon.com...
www.washingtonpost.com...
www.educationpolicy.org...

Yes, because if conservatives had their way, American children would be well educated... they would know that God created the world 6,000 years ago, that the Ten Commandments are the supreme law of the world, that homosexuality is the most hateful sin (other than liberalism) and, oh, that the United Nations is evil.

It does not surprised me at all, Puerto Rico is an US territory and some of my fellow "teachers co-workers" did not knew that PR was part of the US and that is not "attached" to Mexico and that I did not required a "green card" to be here.

Now, these are grown up and teachers also.

Hey, you down in Canada, thanks for pointing this out.

I love it when people here in Arizona tell me they're going up to Florida or down to Canada for the hollidays.

These people dont know their OWN geography let alone someone elses

Originally posted by Otts
a number of young Americans (although I'm sure it's not a majority... I hope) can't find Canada or Mexico on a map... and a minority can't find Washington D.C.

But hey, you guys aren't alone... some years ago, a newspaper in Montreal conducted a survey of university students in education... the most hilarious finding was that 29 percent of them thought that during a solar eclipse, the Sun passes between the Earth and the Moon.

Ouch, now that would really hurt. The state of education is indeed in a sad disarray. We hear about these surveys each year and I have yet to hear of a survey with good results. Of course, that would not make good news; but still it would be nice to know if our future generation is learning anything.

Originally posted by ZeroDeep
I think that's interesting. I fully support it. I'am sure the American government could allocate monies to fund such an endevour. The ramnifications would be tremendous and heart felt.
Deep

Yes that would be nice but I would much rather see the money that would cost allocated to increased public school funding. I am a Republican but the state of our education system frankly scares me. Where the hell are our values anyway? Oh I forgot, we're motivating the single mothers to have more children so that they can collect more welfare. How silly of me. Are we a capitalist society or a socialist society? Increased education spending would lead to a more motivated youth which would lead to more innovation.

Originally posted by Otts
they would know that God created the world 6,000 years ago

hold on now...the heathens might pipe up with 'but what about carbon dating? Human remains have been found dating back much earlier than 6000 years ago....' In such cases, of course, a quick reference to the bible is sufficient to quell this pesky problem of logic.

Sorry to bring life back to a dead topic. Yes the American education system is in bad shape. Though if you didn't know that Iraq is in the Middle East, you are not the sharpest. Also to start getting technical, it is located between the Tigris and Euphrates River. Mesopotamia was located in MODERN Iraq. Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of life/civilization, not Iraq. I saw people posting saying Iraq is when it is clearly not.

Originally posted by Believe
Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of life/civilization, not Iraq.

Well, it's one of the four cradles of civilisation, including the Nile valley, the Indus valley and the Huang Ho valley...

Yep You are right HowlrunnerIV, I just thought to stick to the one that was closest to the title, on how Americans(i am one) do not know where Iraq is. It's appaling to see how many people who dont know what should be common knowledge. Especially people complaining about the war, who couldnt locate it on the map. Life is very funny

People, how bad is it? I can't find Uwangandaliezdabern on a map. Why should I know? Am I planning on going there? Am I learning something about them? Ask people where Greece is, or where Zaiire is, or even Brazil. Not just teens, but adults. Bet they won't find them cause they never had to know where they are. So, anyone here be able to find every country on a map? What? You can't? STUPID! Everyone knows Yelliuntysbdfjdfgjdfkmsdhj is right here on a map.

Of course, not being able to find Canada and live in USA, that kind of bad. But if you lived in say, Switzerland why should you have to know where Canada is?

Also, to GP, yes, those damn liberals. I swear, if we didn't have liberals blacks would be slaves, women slaves, poor slaves, religon would control the world, the planet would be dieing due to the mass destruction of the forests and animals. Damn liberals, if they had power, which they don't since the republicans are in control so blaming say, education or economy on liberals when they don't control the government, is stupid. It would be like blaming Australia for the education and economy of Cambodia.

First off there is a War going on in Iraq. If the country you live in is in the war, I think you should at least know where you are fighting. And no one here was saying if you don't know where every country in the world is you are stupid. There are countries like Qatar who are rarely talken about on the news and they are very tiny. You don't have to know where they are.(fyi it is next to saudi arabia, and above united arab emirates.) Before i start getting off topic, it is just that if you don't know where a country that is highly talked about, that armed forces from your country are fighting in, you are not the brighest.

And you are not stupid if you don't know where something is, but if it is of importance, and a lot of news comes from there, you should.