HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Americans are so stupid....

[phyco126]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12591413/

I'm glad I don't live in America.

*flees*

[lucia24]

hahahaha...

[Zophar]

Wow, us Americans are IDIOTS!

[Alunissage]

You mean we Americans.

[Werefrog]

You mean we Americans.

Justice is served. I'll admit, I myself am shaky on geography. It has nothing to do with being stupid. My brain just doesn't work that way. I have trouble visualizing things.

[GhaleonOne]

I loved geography in school, so I know the US and World Maps quite well. I guess if you never study them, you probably don't know where some places are located, but that is pretty nuts that people can't locate Iraq. It's only been in the next constantly for 4 years or so, and fairly frequently for 16 or so now.

[Alunissage]

Eh, I don't know where it is. Possibly because I get all my news from radio.

I'm not sure if it's that I had Latin ni 7th grade instead of geography or if I just zoned out or have a hard time remembering, but I've just never been much for recalling where places are. Even on the city level, which is why I have a nav system in my car.

[Sonic#]

I understand that not everyone will know where everywhere is. While I'm generally good when it comes to countries in the news, I'm admittedly sketchy on some Eastern European countries (Romania's over... there somewhere!), and I have an embarrassing tendancy to place Benin in that region too. Some of Africa I'm also lost on.

So while I got a perfect score on a geography quiz posted with the CNN.com version, if they were to focus on certain countries (those in the news less often, for example), I'd be lost.

My brother, eerily enough, is better than I am. I can narrow a country name down to region at least. He can point all of them out on a map (and has demonstrated this).

Is it important to know where everything is? Well, to understand part of the way different countries relate to one another, yes. To at least be able to put a place to a name, yes. I don't know though. Are there better reasons than this?

[GhaleonOne]

Travel. It's a pretty good idea to know what part of the world you're going to if you're traveling out of the country. Or even in it.

[Werefrog]

Travel. It's a pretty good idea to know what part of the world you're going to if you're traveling out of the country. Or even in it.

I know how to use a map. Reminds of what my media teacher once said: "The important part isn't knowing information; it's knowing how to find the information."

[Kizyr]

I'm good at geography; always have been.

I don't like the article in that it's trying to paint a picture of all Americans as stupid. Fact is, most folks around the world, 'cept those in good education systems (which is not the case for most people in the world) wouldn't be able to do the same things.

It reminds me of that stupid game show, Street Smarts, where they go around and find some imbecil to make fun of by asking a bunch of questions. What really gets me is when they ask the moderately hard ones, and everyone acts as if they knew the answer to avoid looking stupid themselves. KF

[phyco126]

Eh, I don't know where it is. Possibly because I get all my news from radio.

Psst, it's in the Middle East *gets pelted by rocks*

Nah, I pretty freaking good at geography. I know where the states are all located. Colorado is in Mexico, Washington D.C. is in Mars, and New Orleans is somewhere around The Lost City of Atlantis.

Seriously though, I'm good at these things. I recall helping a friend with a project where he had to find information on countries around the world, and part of that information was the litteracy rate. In most of the countries in Europ, they all had 99-100% rate. Even the poor countries still had 90% or more. Then I got curious about the United States, and to be honest, education wise we are the only world power who is stupid. Quite funny actually. I think our rate was like, 72% or something.

Can't say I was surprised. I do recall nearly half the students in any of my classes who either couldn't read or had trouble doing it. Me, I was the one who failed most of my classes, but only because I hated homework . When I actually studied and did my homework, I got pretty good grades. Not anything compared to some of the geniuses in the school, but certainly above average

[Angelalex242]

I find it somewhat sad that people find it necessary to look down on the intelligence of others in order to feel superior. Instead of pointing out what others cannot do, they would be better served pointing out what they can do.

[phyco126]

I can do math puny human. 1+2 = 248. See? Worship me! BWA HAHAHAHA!

[Aquaignis]

I can do math puny human. 1+2 = 248. See? Worship me! BWA HAHAHAHA

And thus society began...

Anyway, I am a freshman right now (in mississippi) and I can honestly say that there are many idiots around here. However, there is no shortage of geniuses either.
I am good at geography as well. I can point out where Cathmandu, Kyoto, and Berlin are. I can even pronounce Reykjavík!
I think the problem here is that Geography is not emphasized enough. If I taught geog. in America, I would concentrate on Europe and BEING ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN! Honestly! Huge difference.
I plan on taking Advanced Placement Geography as a senior.

[Imperial Knight]

I recall helping a friend with a project where he had to find information on countries around the world, and part of that information was the litteracy rate. In most of the countries in Europ, they all had 99-100% rate. Even the poor countries still had 90% or more. Then I got curious about the United States, and to be honest, education wise we are the only world power who is stupid. Quite funny actually. I think our rate was like, 72% or something.

Are you sure about that? All the statistics I've seen have put the U.S. literacy rate somewhere around 97%. That can be lowered to somewhere around 85% if you exclude the functionally illiterate, but then you'd have to also adjust everyone else's rate (e.g. the UK's rate would drop from about 99% to close to 90%).

[phyco126]

Hey, it was on a website, so I wouldn't bet my life on that.

[Kizyr]

Hey, it was on a website, so I wouldn't bet my life on that.

CIA World Factbook:
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

KF

[phyco126]

The CIA lies! Those capitalist pigs brain-wash you into thinking that! But in Mother Russia, you brain-wash KGB!

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/edu_lit_tot_pop

USA -> 97%

Though I'm more opted to believe the CIA. After all, they did bug my phone to gather information on my attept to take over the world.

[GhaleonOne]

I personally find that list a little hard to believe. I know there are countries with a better literacy rate, but some of those countries above us don't come across as ones that would have 97%+ literacy rate. I think Kiz's CIA figure is more believable myself.