Are Americans Dumb?

[munish]

We do have the same problem, in the rural areas.

[Still Growing]

I love to travel and I've been to dozens of countries and have lived 25% of my adult life out of the country. My wife is not a US citizen, I do business with various other countries on a daily basis and I truly love the uniqueness of each country and culture.

I've been adventurous in the various foods of each country and have eaten many meals on banana leaves, have eaten so many unique foods and have tried my best to learn other languages. I find other cultures to be so special.

I have however, myself, faced discrimination based upon race, religion or origin in other countries just like is in the US. I've seen both the good and the bad that every nation has to offer.

I find it so interesting to listen to someone in a waring nation condemn the US for being a war nation. I've listened to European nations tell me how backward American's are and how we have no taste. I call these people my friends and I see and agree with many of their viewpoints politely. I don't criticize their nations, their policies and I simply realize that they don't know the US.

Some people living in NY and LA call the rest of the US fly over states. They're quick to embrace the simplistic thinking of a backward nation but don't have love for their own nation's simple ways.

From my experience, the US is very diverse, has many religions, viewpoints, many travelled people, many curious people and many kind people that will stop and help you in a time of need.

I think that every nation has its problems, its backward thinking and its own gov't problems.

The problem that the US faces is that it is being JUDGED by the world. Movies, music and our gov't self titled "World Police" policy has made the US the most unpopular nation in the world. Now as I travel around people speak to me like a child. They talk down to me as if an American can't possibly know about the world. They'll make comments about conflicts in Africa that the US doesn't help with yet their own nation does nothing as well.

The US is now being held to a higher standard and more is expected of us. Are we rising to the occasion? I say no.

Its a shame that we aren't but its also a shame that our global friends have lost all respect for us. They think they know what American is but do they? Or do they just know us from our movies as being materialistic, shallow and so forth. We are now judged by our movies people. From my experience, people are very different than the Hollywood experience.

[Marco Polo]

I haven't lost respect for America. In the normal course of events I would be the first to bash it, but these days I usually spring to its defense. The American light is being snuffed out, and I hate to see it happen

As a Swedish person (yes I'm Sveeedish, go ahead picture me eating delicious meatballs and speaking in a funny accent), I happen to like Americans, a lot. Most Americans I've meet are impressive people. Europeans may be thinkers (and yes we have an aura of superiority, sorry about that), but Americans are doers! Highly energetic people. A nation unparalleled by any other in history does not just pop into existence - it is created by the vigor of its people. Americans have vigor.

Granted, the latest generations of Americans have been, according to most statistics I've seen (in terms of erudition, for instance), the least impressive for a long time. I've gathered it's partially due to a crappy education system, although cultural factors most likely played a role as well... there has been a gradual process of "dumbing down" the last few decades. Yet there must be something in general about the American spirit that made the country so powerful. America is still a youthful nation, not completely settled... America is still testing, pushing the boundaries for better or for worse. It's not just a talking nation, it's a doing nation.

I have only ever met expatriate Americans, and have never actually set foot in the country. So maybe I just met the "good" Americans, who knows. I refuse to base my view of America on cheap Hollywood culture though (we should really call it anti/counter-culture). I avoid that stuff like the plague, unless I'm forced into a situation where I can't.

Of course the world resents you by the way - America is the superpower. It's the nation that everyone likes to badmouth, yet the very same destination of choice for anyone aspiring to success. I would love to go there myself someday. If you make it in America, you don't have to make it anywhere else.

The problems facing America are more complicated than "Bush destroyed the world" however. If you think there are no other profound questions facing your society you are probably delusional. In fact I usually make the point that Western civilization as a whole has been on a slippery slope since Fat Man wrecked havoc upon Nagasaki. We're now facing a civilizational exhaustion of sorts, all across the industrialized world really... having failed so often in the past, the West is asking: what next? and not really finding any good answers.

Yet America is the only Western nation where ideas borne of the enlightenment remain strong to this day, where the state has not yet annexed every facet of adult life and where the citizens are not... dormant. (Australia may be a possible exception to this).

Go America! You ARE a great nation. You have lots of creative potential, and intelligent people if you seek them out. You just need to turn the tide and get yourselves back on track (OK, saying "just" is probably trivialising the problem, but anyway). Don't base your self esteem upon what other nations think of you, or upon your internal self-criticism. Nations have ups and downs - historians speak of 'A' and 'B' phases - just like every individual person has good and bad days. You don't give up during the bad times just because they're tough. Kudos on you all.

Marco

[LarryC]

True, they went out of their way to show the dumbest answers for entertainment value. Sort of like a Borat piece. We don't know what percentage of people are *that* ignorant. One problem is that many Americans simply don't feel the need to know about anything going on in the world. Then we can aways blame the media's focus on celebrity culture. I have to admit, though, this video is pretty funny.

[newmark]

As many have said above, every country has ignorant people.
The video was funny though.
I read of a survey in the UK where a large minority thought that Gandalf was a historical figure.

[pdamoc]

Originally Posted by newmark

As many have said above, every country has ignorant people.
The video was funny though.
I read of a survey in the UK where a large minority thought that Gandalf was a historical figure.

That is truly ignorant.... fools.... Gandalf is immortal. He's still alive.

[dendennz]

Originally Posted by pdamoc

That is truly ignorant.... fools.... Gandalf is immortal. He's still alive.

Of course he is. He even came to New Zealand to be a film star!!!

[JSB]

Originally Posted by newmark

As many have said above, every country has ignorant people.
The video was funny though.
I read of a survey in the UK where a large minority thought that Gandalf was a historical figure.

Was that the same survey where a large minority also thought that Winston Churchill was a fictional character?

[UbonTaz]

I noticed the host didn't bother showing any correct answers.

Polls like that can be skewed to show any outcome the pollster wants.

I am sure I can go to his country and get the exact same results.
As well as many other countries throughout the world.

If he talks to 1000 people and 100 give answsers like that and those are the only ones that are in the video than he has confirmed the verdict he wants to prove. But what about the other 100?

The video probably does a lot for the guys big ego and he gets a laugh about it with his friends over a beer but what do we know about the true intelligence of the guy who made the video and if he even knew the answers before he gathered them to do this.

Is he implying the his countrymen spend all of their waking hours gathering data about the world to fill their minds?

[The David]

I'm with pdamoc on this one. You really can't judge someone's intelligence by 'zooming in' on things they don't know. We live in a society that encourages boundaries and prejudice, and as such, many will be ignorant about things such as Buddhist monks, the religion of Israel, and the number of sides to a triangle.

Okay, those last two are a little weird. It's pretty hard to not learn those.

[Dave Kaminski]

Originally Posted by Brutha

On average the masses are dumb everywhere.

I agree - what we should be asking is: Are non-Americans not dumb!?

[schola]

Originally Posted by JSB

Was that the same survey where a large minority also thought that Winston Churchill was a fictional character?

You mean the cat from Pet Sematary?

[Profecy]

What's really sad is the people that made the video and tried to look smart mispelled Kofi Annan's name at 3:00

[LostInHere]

I have defend the people in that video.
Obvioulsy only the people who gave the "dumbest" and most entertaining answers were shown.
What's up with bashing Americans anyway?
I knew the answer to every single question that was asked (yes, the correct answer mind you). --And I AM an American, which is a US Citizen, although the term "American" really is not an accurate title, as an "American" --as the "rest of the world" tends to call us (referring to the title "American") can actually mean anyone who lives in South, Central, North America--nearly the entire Western hemisphere, for crying out loud.
Heck, let's try not to be dumb in here.
How about if we visit some other countries and ask the same questions? Fair is fair. Shall we try Uganda? Nigeria? Morocco? Any one of the South American countries? Anywhere in Asia minor? How about Fiji? Oh and let's not forget New Zealand!
I really don't think the results will be different. --And remember, video crew, show ONLY the dumbest and most entertaining responses!

[srbelnap]

That video was edited to the extreme, but I'm still not surprised, but it is definitely frustrating to see how low the intellectual average is. I'm glad there are smart people here to do the important stuff.

Celebrity smarts don't bode well either... given Miss South Carolina's intellectual faux pas.

I did find it funny that no one recognized an incorrect map! Basic geography!
However, I do this it's important to say that it's not only Americans. There are stupid people everywhere!

[Keith]

Why on earth is the video subtitled (and poorly at that)?

A few of the answers were understandable: Confusing Germany (a WWII Axis Power) with the Axis of Evil, for example.

A couple were even valid:
* Utopia is a country starting with 'U', albeit a fictitious one.
* Tony Blair's a politician - so of course he's an actor.

[Lanya]

I'm a complete idiot.

[Still Growing]

Originally Posted by Dave Kaminski

I agree - what we should be asking is: Are non-Americans not dumb!?

What do you mean?

Who is saying that non Americans are dumb?

[dali]

Only the ones in power.

[Calimero]

I would like to see the reporter ask those questions in Cuba.

Really I think every country has a percentage of ignorant people.

And I know at least one American that I don't consider as dump at all and he says it always so nice: "Americans are great and fantastic but poorly represented....as it comes to their government and media"
But that same thing can be said for all other countries in the world.

[Dan.Linehan]

Tomgram: Rick Shenkman, American Stupidity

30% of Americans don't know what the Holocaust was.
51% do not know that the US was the first country to use a nuclear weapon.

[Marco Polo]

What's wrong with your education system and how are you going to change it?

[Dan.Linehan]

I could develop a site to knowledgify people on these issues. Unfortunately, the people who need edumacted most would probably never visit it.

[garentee]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

Tomgram: Rick Shenkman, American Stupidity

30% of Americans don't know what the Holocaust was.
51% do not know that the US was the first country to use a nuclear weapon.

Thats not dumb, thats ignorance. I do not think that Americans as a whole are dumb. I think the words would be more like ignorant, lazy greedy selfish,and the granddaddy of them all.....Entitled. All that said though I think there are some incredible and amazing thinkers all around us. Evferybody has something to bring to the table some of us though do not know that we have anything to bring to the table my take. Thanks G

[Still Growing]

Originally Posted by garentee

Thats not dumb, thats ignorance. I do not think that Americans as a whole are dumb. I think the words would be more like ignorant, lazy greedy selfish,and the granddaddy of them all.....Entitled. All that said though I think there are some incredible and amazing thinkers all around us. Evferybody has something to bring to the table some of us though do not know that we have anything to bring to the table my take. Thanks G

America has a huge upper middle class and a huge lower middle class which creates an over all lower test score and averages. So when it comes to education and world knowledge it would depend upon which American you are speaking to. What I mean to say is that the US has a system of disparity which skews data. Socialistic countries have higher averages however this does not mean that the US cannot compete going head to head in int'l commerce. If you asked a general laborer in a socialistic country a question about the world he is more likely to know the answer than his American counterpart. Kudos but it doesn't tell the full picture.

As for the remark about Americans being lazy, greedy, selfish and entitled; I think this is more a result of modern society. As we loose more of our culture and the world becomes more Californicated into pop culture, fast food , etc. it has an affect of desensitizing the masses. The US does not have a strong cultural base as France, for example.

Some other adjectives that you left out when discribing Americans are hard working, ambitious, ingenuitive and free thinkers. On average, Americans work hard (maybe too hard) and are very upwardly mobile. Also, Americans have free thought and less restriction in problem solving on average. Not to mention any nations by name but some countries are too regimented (on average ) and they have their own unique approach to product manufacturing. In addition, Americans are great marketers and it is home to the concept of franchising and other modern marketing techniques.

I hope those int'l readers to this post don't think that I'm a "typical arrogant American" who thinks they're the best. I'm merely stating that each country has strengths in its system. Thats what makes the world interesting. I am simply giving the other side to the notion that Americans are stupid or ignorant. We all know that you can take data and manipulate it and we all know that American must be doing some things right to be a member of the world economy. I don't think the US is number one but it is unique; just like Germany is unique, Japan is unique and so on. As I travel around the world I receive negative feedback about being from the US. To lump an entire nation of people into a group is stereo-typing and anyone who does this is the ignorant one. (clearly). Whenever you generalize you simply show your own limitations in understanding....

[garentee]

Originally Posted by Still Growing

America has a huge upper middle class and a huge lower middle class which creates an over all lower test score and averages. So when it comes to education and world knowledge it would depend upon which American you are speaking to. What I mean to say is that the US has a system of disparity which skews data. Socialistic countries have higher averages however this does not mean that the US cannot compete going head to head in int'l commerce. If you asked a general laborer in a socialistic country a question about the world he is more likely to know the answer than his American counterpart. Kudos but it doesn't tell the full picture.

As for the remark about Americans being lazy, greedy, selfish and entitled; I think this is more a result of modern society. As we loose more of our culture and the world becomes more Californicated into pop culture, fast food , etc. it has an affect of desensitizing the masses. The US does not have a strong cultural base as France, for example.

Some other adjectives that you left out when discribing Americans are hard working, ambitious, ingenuitive and free thinkers. On average, Americans work hard (maybe too hard) and are very upwardly mobile. Also, Americans have free thought and less restriction in problem solving on average. Not to mention any nations by name but some countries are too regimented (on average ) and they have their own unique approach to product manufacturing. In addition, Americans are great marketers and it is home to the concept of franchising and other modern marketing techniques.

I hope those int'l readers to this post don't think that I'm a "typical arrogant American" who thinks they're the best. I'm merely stating that each country has strengths in its system. Thats what makes the world interesting. I am simply giving the other side to the notion that Americans are stupid or ignorant. We all know that you can take data and manipulate it and we all know that American must be doing some things right to be a member of the world economy. I don't think the US is number one but it is unique; just like Germany is unique, Japan is unique and so on. As I travel around the world I receive negative feedback about being from the US. To lump an entire nation of people into a group is stereo-typing and anyone who does this is the ignorant one. (clearly). Whenever you generalize you simply show your own limitations in understanding....

I fully agree with your statement.I did not mention the overwheming positive aspects of Americans because the bent of this post was negative. I was trying to paint the picture that the negative aspects of America are as such. I actually do think there are a LOT of hard working people who are very intelligent.I guess maybe I should have expanded on my post, but I was running late thanks for your in-put. G

[Lehrling]

I was sitting there thinking, "ISRAEL IS HINDU! DUH!" jk.....

I knew it was muslim. /sarcasm off

Some Americans really are stupid. I knew almost all of those immediately.



Immediately after i looked them up on google..... again, jk.


Ah... i have fun typing by myself in a room... I lead a full life, eh?

[Bitsy]

Originally Posted by Still Growing

JSB,
Slowly, however, I notice that they are also fed misinformation that slants their view to be pro-socialist. Its done in a very honest and open way with less corporate and gov't intervention however it is slanted just enough to form some inaccurate popular opinion....

I wondered if you could provide an example of this phenomenon for me? I lived in Europe for over 10 years and I have no idea what this slant could be. Also, which languages are you fluent in and on which European country's news are you observations based?

After avoiding this thread, I finally watched the video, including one Rick Mercer one (a Canadian comedian). The video by the guy from New Zealand seemed quite even-handed. Of course he didn't give any answers, because most of them are common knowledge to Europeans, and, I suppose, to New Zealanders. I think anyone who has lived in Europe would have known the majority of the answers to those questions, not all of the answers, but the majority.

I, for one, don't really like living in the U.S. I recently arrived here from abroad and I feel totally cut off from the world here. News here is all about America. If there isn't an American connection, it's not in the news. Even real American news isn't reported in this country. This is not where things are happening. Being here is like being in a bubble, far away and cut off from the rest of the world. Canada was less cut off from the rest of the world, because there is such a large population of immigrants from the United Kingdom and they seem to have brought more of Europe to Canada than the U.S. has. Still, though, Canada is too far away from where the world is happening. Europe is close to the news. It is close to the Middle East, it is close to Africa, each European country is close to the other. This is where the world is for me. It's no surprise that Americans (which I am) don't know anything about other places, and they don't need to know or to care; even I don't know what's happening in the world anymore since I've been in the States, due to the "news" here.

[Sam988]

Don't worry it isn't just americans. 95% of the world's population don't care and don't have a clue about what's happening around them, politics and economics wise. People are ignorant, very ignorant.


The funniest is when people are asked which countries the US should invade next, LOL.

[Still Growing]

Originally Posted by Bitsy

I wondered if you could provide an example of this phenomenon for me? (referring to pro socialist news) I lived in Europe for over 10 years and I have no idea what this slant could be.

So you don't think that there is a subtle slant to providing data and statistics to how socialism is better than America's form of capitalism in Europe? You are kidding right? Hey if I paid 40% to 80% in taxes like most European countries I'd tune in to see how bad America is.

Some examples are:

1. Focus on comparing European high school education with US high school education and downplaying the US college graduates. Did you ever notice that most studies only compare high schools and not colleges? The US colleges are great and a large portion of Americans do attend college so should this be taken into consideration?
2. Focus on how few Americans have health care and playing down the quality of American health care. My German colleague pays the same for health care per month as I do. In addition to higher taxes he is also paying monthly for health care. But yet he tells me how bad the US healthcare is. He has some valid points but you can tell he's fed only the bad news.
3. A lot of attention in European news is on comparing their system to the US's however there is not as much talk about their high taxes that pay for that system. Are you prepared to work half the year and give the taxes to the gov't? You know if you'd like to mail the US gov't money I'm sure they'd accept it. I don't see the gov't managing anything properly myself.
4. Focus on the freedoms that the US has lost while ignoring the freedoms that we have. My German colleage tells me that Germany has more freedoms than the US now. Did you know that the German gov't even regulates what names you can give your child? If you want to call your child "Moon Beam" it would most likely be denied. I love Germany and its so well ran but at the expense of higher taxes, a larger gov't and more regulations. Yes they have free speech and yes their media is better than ours in my opinion but it does have a pro socialist slant to it.
5. Focusing on "Stupid American" videos. Where's the "Stupid French" videos? Believe me, there are un informed people all around the world.

In my experience educated Americans seem to know more about Canada, Mexico and Asian more than educated Europeans. Just because an educated and worldly European knows more about Italy and France doesn't make them any more international. Canada and Mexico are our neighbors and don't they constitute international countries? As for Americans not speaking other languages, I live in Florida where Spanish/English is common. Again, our neighbors speak mostly English and Spanish. I would say there are more Spanish speaking people in the US than in the UK. Do you agree? Does Spanish not constitute a second language?

Originally Posted by Bitsy

Also, which languages are you fluent in and on which European country's news are you observations based?

I am not sure why this is important but I bet you'd assume that since I'm an American I speak no other languages. I happen to also speak, read and write Japanese. I speak a little of various other languages as well.

Originally Posted by Bitsy

I, for one, don't really like living in the U.S. I recently arrived here from abroad and I feel totally cut off from the world here. News here is all about America. If there isn't an American connection, it's not in the news. Even real American news isn't reported in this country. This is not where things are happening. Being here is like being in a bubble, far away and cut off from the rest of the world. Canada was less cut off from the rest of the world.

I have a huge beef with the American news too. I think that the American news channels are far worse than the European or Asian ones. My point is only that the European news that I have seen have been very pro socialist and that they seem to revel in reading about how bad the American system is.

You feel like you are living in a bubble in the US? The US is a melting pot and maybe you could befriend someone from Cambodia, Brazil or Puerto Rico. Or do those countries not cut the mustard for you? Why don't you watch BBC and subscribe to the New York Times? You obviously have an internet connection so can't you obtain information about the world?

To me it sounds like you are buying into the Anti American rhetoric you obtained from abroad and you are only looking for the bad. If thats what you are looking for then thats what you'll find.

Let me also add that the US has 50 states and a very large land mass. You could drive 15 hours in every direction in most cases and still be in the US. If you are in the center of Europe you could be in a multitude of countries. Its not fair to compare. Secondly, the US is a young country that is a melting pot. Most second generation people only speak English and they merge into the US's pop culture. Now that you have the Euro, how much longer before Europe's culture and languages slowly eroded like they have been in the US.

In a five thousand years the world will most likely have one language and many races and languages will be forgotten. You might even say that the US is the start of that transition. Hey, maybe I hate the US too.