Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy in the USA!

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Posted by Seventh City on Nov-24-2002 18:44:

quote:
Originally posted by tu_face
we didnt need a survey to tell us this its already common knowledge in europe

i have been talking to an american fellow once, i said i had just come back from my holidays in france... he asked if that was near paris

dont worry... i know ur not all that stupid

hmm u and ur shittty accent can go six feet underground

Posted by Greedy on Nov-24-2002 19:56:

The average person could give a shit whats going on in other places of the world. . . .let alone know where they are . . .although it would be nice to. It doesnt make them any dumber or less ignorant than another person who does. Thats why we have ppl that worry about worldly events. Unless youre fortunate enuff to go to a university or read the news every single day, then you would be able to keep up and know these things. Many ppl just dont have that advantage nor the time. Many ppl are worried about getting through the day with clothes on their backs rather than worry about whats a country and whats not.

So if people on the streets score low on tests like these, it doesnt really mean anything. But if the same exact test was given to students in high school and colleges, then we have a problem.

Posted by LiquidX on Nov-24-2002 20:26:

quote:
Originally posted by Busy Child
The average person could give a shit whats going on in other places of the world. . . .let alone know where they are . . .although it would be nice to. It doesnt make them any dumber or less ignorant than another person who does. Thats why we have ppl that worry about worldly events. Unless youre fortunate enuff to go to a university or read the news every single day, then you would be able to keep up and know these things. Many ppl just dont have that advantage nor the time. Many ppl are worried about getting through the day with clothes on their backs rather than worry about whats a country and whats not.

So if people on the streets score low on tests like these, it doesnt really mean anything. But if the same exact test was given to students in high school and colleges, then we have a problem.

Dude, but when a person doesnt know the POPULATION of their own country, which was PART OF this survey, its a real problem also, as well only 65% knew where russia was, its scary ! .. I knew where It was probably when I was in 1st grade, I mean, we are talking about countries who've had great part of history, wars and so on, and if you dont know where a country like Russia, and now, AFGHANISTAN which we all, are supposed to at least know what continent it is, they fail to point out where it is ! .. scares the hell out of me, ignorance is the worst a person could have. If I only care about myself nor care crap whats going around the world, then Id be lucky enough to live as happy during a WORLD WAR.

Posted by Greedy on Nov-24-2002 21:53:

yea, it is scary and im not saying its ok to be ignorant. But no one should be called names for not knowing such information or be flamed.

Posted by Blik on Nov-24-2002 21:54:

quote:
Originally posted by Busy Child
The average person could give a shit whats going on in other places of the world. . . .let alone know where they are . . .although it would be nice to. It doesnt make them any dumber or less ignorant than another person who does. Thats why we have ppl that worry about worldly events. Unless youre fortunate enuff to go to a university or read the news every single day, then you would be able to keep up and know these things. Many ppl just dont have that advantage nor the time. Many ppl are worried about getting through the day with clothes on their backs rather than worry about whats a country and whats not.

So if people on the streets score low on tests like these, it doesnt really mean anything. But if the same exact test was given to students in high school and colleges, then we have a problem.

change the bold part in American and then you are probably right

I am 100% sure that 99% of the Dutch people between 18 and 24 know where Russia is. And I am also sure that 100% knows where our own country is on the worldmap (only 89% of the Americans knew that).

I don't know what Geography and History lessons you guys get, but we get (world)history until we are 16-18 years old...

Posted by Orbax on Nov-24-2002 23:37:

heres the thing, if I wanted to know where shitsville, foreignland was id go onto the internet and look it up on a map. Information isnt hard to come by, its more the question, "why should I care?" If you are talking about a scholarly lifestyle hunched over books to enlighten yourself, most people dont want that. I dont know anything about architecture of the ancient sumerians either. Why? I dont care at all, the knowledge does not further anything in my life.

Posted by Greedy on Nov-24-2002 23:52:

quote:
Originally posted by Blik
change the bold part in American and then you are probably right

I am 100% sure that 99% of the Dutch people between 18 and 24 know where Russia is. And I am also sure that 100% knows where our own country is on the worldmap (only 89% of the Americans knew that).

I don't know what Geography and History lessons you guys get, but we get (world)history until we are 16-18 years old...

Youre right, americans probably wouldnt know where holland is because nothing ever goes on in holland anyway to care. Thats not an insult either, i know the dutch likes to stay out of political issues anyway. . . .or do they?

Posted by astroboy on Nov-25-2002 00:08:

quote:
Originally posted by Busy Child
Youre right, americans probably wouldnt know where holland is because nothing ever goes on in holland anyway to care. Thats not an insult either, i know the dutch likes to stay out of political issues anyway. . . .or do they?

He meant only 89% of Americans were able to identifythe US on the map!

quote:
heres the thing, if I wanted to know where shitsville, foreignland was id go onto the internet and look it up on a map. Information isnt hard to come by, its more the question, "why should I care?" If you are talking about a scholarly lifestyle hunched over books to enlighten yourself, most people dont want that. I dont know anything about architecture of the ancient sumerians either. Why? I dont care at all, the knowledge does not further anything in my life.

You don't exactly have to live a "scholarly" lifestyle to know that russia is the biggest country in the world, or where your own country is located. These are basic facts... It's not about sitting hunched over books all day, it's about not walking around with your head up your ass, thinking that that's the extent of the universe. Believe it or not this global ignorance shapes public (voter) opinion and hence the political climate of your country and how it affects the whole world. The world's becoming a much smaller place, its getting easier to move around, its just as easy to get to CHina, as it used to be to get to another state a few decades ago.

Posted by Blik on Nov-25-2002 00:16:

Posted by Blik on Nov-25-2002 00:18:

quote:
Originally posted by astroboy

He meant only 89% of Americans were able to identifythe US on the map!

indeed

Posted by Greedy on Nov-25-2002 03:22:

quote:
Originally posted by Blik
indeed

lol, thats my bad. Its kinda hard to filter out all the true posts from the flames.

no worries

Posted by Sunsnail on Dec-01-2004 04:45:

quote:
Originally posted by astroboy
By the way here is the test I think the article was based on. IMHO anyone over 16 years of age, living in a developed country, and not mentally handicapped should be ashamed of themselves if they don't get 20/20:

http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic...question_1.html

I got a 100!

Posted by eye_03 on Dec-01-2004 07:55:

i got a few (3, or 4 ?) wrong...but i still dont consider myself to be stupid, when the identifiying countries part came around i ony missed one (sweden)

Posted by trancebrat on Dec-01-2004 08:50:

quote:
Originally posted by Orbax
what it boils down to is that 95% of the population of the world is stupid. Not ignorant or poorly educated, just plain old stupid. America just has 278 million of them which makes it a bit more pronounced.

cheers

Stupid people are everywhere. No country in the world is immune.

Posted by TuanAnh213 on Dec-01-2004 09:34:

quote:
Originally posted by trancebrat
Stupid people are everywhere. No country in the world is immune.

the united states just has a far larger percentage of dumber people than other countries...blame the bible belt

Posted by Mebot on Dec-01-2004 09:43:

You do realize this is an old thread? No need to revive past flamewars...

Posted by Cloudburst on Dec-01-2004 10:39:

quote:
Originally posted by eye_03
i got a few (3, or 4 ?) wrong...but i still dont consider myself to be stupid, when the identifiying countries part came around i ony missed one (sweden)

DIE!

(got 100 btw)

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