I just get irked more and more every day.

[Sarah Palin]

I was watching television earlier today and on the station (MSNBC I think), they were talking about Bill Maher's comments regarding how stupid Americans are. The host was half-assedly saying yes, Americans are dumb. But he was arguing the biggest fucking asshole on the planet, who thought that Americans are not only smart, but the SMARTEST people on the planet. Angered, I went to Youtube to see how dumb some Americans actually are. I then proceeded to laugh my ass of at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0RH0cYs4lw


Note: I am American. I'm not some crazy nationalist from across the pond who really fucking hates Americans. I'm a fervent anti-nationalist who really fucking hates Americans from behind enemy lines.

[Pinko Panther]

What program is the video from?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

It's incredible and utterly infuriating how anti-intellectual general culture of the US seems to be. American stupidity is at the level where it has to be a learned thing - it goes beyond simple naive ignorance - it's actually embraced.

[Manifesto]

:crying: This is what I have to deal with most of the time.

[Il Medico]

I have to say, the fact that these people are so utterly nuts that they can make a communist side with Sean Hannity makes me very afraid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XkgOdb8tdA

Scary part? Nearly 100 people believe what she does.

[Revy]

Yeah, a lot of Americans can't get their geography right. One person I know told me they thought the Bahamas was part of the US.

[Jimmie Higgins]

This is what happens when they build prisons and bombs rather than create affordable decent education.

As someone who went to public school in the US, we never had a geography class, our High School Advance Placement US History class didn't get past WWII and our textbook stopped at the 1960s.

The American ruling class decided sometime in the 1970s that it wasn't important for everyone to be educated anymore.

[Killfacer]

Yeah, a lot of Americans can't get their geography right. One person I know told me they thought the Bahamas was part of the US.

In fairness most English peoples geography is pretty off.

[scarletghoul]

"It is to the advantage of despots to keep people ignorant; it is to our advantage to make them intelligent." - Mao Zedong

[Killfacer]

"It is to the advantage of despots to keep people ignorant; it is to our advantage to make them intelligent." - Mao Zedong

he should know about despots.

[Jimmie Higgins]

In fairness most English peoples geography is pretty off.
Well to be fair to the English, it's hard to get a good understanding of geography when you live on an island/continent in the southern hemisphere:laugh:

[Killfacer]

Well to be fair to the English, it's hard to get a good understanding of geography when you live on an island/continent in the southern hemisphere:laugh:

:lol:

One of the main ones is that people think Africa is a country.

[NecroCommie]

I have known this since puberty (my own dawn of enlightment). I find it in bad taste to comment on this however, because I am not an american myself and my position might be mistaken for racism or just excessive generalization. Yet I am not entirely sure if most finns are any better.

[Nwoye]

he should know about despots.
fucking pwnt :lol:

[*Red*Alert]

Its something I've always noticed, since some of my relations are American. Its beyond normal, its institutionalized.

It's incredible and utterly infuriating how anti-intellectual general culture of the US seems to be. American stupidity is at the level where it has to be a learned thing - it goes beyond simple naive ignorance - it's actually embraced.
Agreed.

[Killfacer]

Agreed.

pardon?

[*Red*Alert]

pardon?
I pardon you, please proceed?

Having experienced current American culture and, save for a small number of exceptional people, my three months spent in the United States has convinced me of NoXion's assessment.

[Killfacer]

:glare: he dun geddit.

[*Red*Alert]

:glare: he dun geddit.
Nope, explain please?

[Pirate Utopian]

Nope, explain please?
Agreed.

[Il Medico]

I think Europe probably has a better education system then here in the states. I put into evidence that my Senior English teacher used as an example of what our senior HONORS reports should be like a Freshman English student's paper. (that student had moved to the states from England, her paper was probably better then 2/3 of my class) Scary thing? She was a regular ed (not honors, AP, etc) student back in England. So in short, an average Freshman from England's paper was the standard expected from Senior Honors students from America... and most failed horribly.

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

America's education system has some serious flaws, but is it really that much worse than in other countries? It (supposedly) has some of the best universities and colleges in the world.

The first video makes me want to cry. :(

[*Red*Alert]

America's education system has some serious flaws, but is it really that much worse than in other countries? It (supposedly) has some of the best universities and colleges in the world.

The first video makes me want to cry. :(
Not trying to be anti-American or anything, but even the University education over there is quiet dumbed down from comparisons with how hard it is to get into Queen's University in Belfast or Trinity College in Dublin, that were done a few years ago.

European countries seem to have a better all round system, whereas the US system concentrates on Majors and Minors. Although the Government's here, or in Ireland atleast, have realised that they've to direct cutbacks at education to make it harder for people to attention it.

[Raúl Duke]

European countries seem to have a better all round system, whereas the US system concentrates on Majors and Minors. I had a different impression.

In the U.S. you have to take general education courses which includes 2-3 courses in certain sections of subjects (math, humanities, science, social sciences, language/English).

Some one in Italy told me that if you are a history major (persuing a laurea in history) you don't need to take math courses...but in the U.S. I do unless I go to a liberal arts college.

Although my source could be wrong...they just got into college this year I think.

[*Red*Alert]

I had a different impression.

In the U.S. you have to take general education courses which includes 2-3 courses in certain sections of subjects (math, humanities, science, social sciences, language/English).

Some one in Italy told me that if you are a history major (persuing a laurea in history) you don't need to take math courses...but in the U.S. I do unless I go to a liberal arts college.

Although my source could be wrong...they just got into college this year I think.
In my experiences the course content is quite broad, but every nation has a different system so I imagine Italy is different than Ireland.

[Angry Young Man]

I have to say, the fact that these people are so utterly nuts that they can make a communist side with Sean Hannity makes me very afraid.
Do you mean makes Sean Hannity side with a communist?

ED: I spazzed up a bit ther. Misread. I wanna see her put through Paxman! For those of you who don't know who Paxman is,...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwlsd8RAoqI

[NecroCommie]

Some one in Italy told me that if you are a history major (persuing a laurea in history) you don't need to take math courses...but in the U.S. I do unless I go to a liberal arts college.

Your sources are right. The problem lies in the fact that the Italian education system is an anomaly when compared to other european ones. It is as bureucratic as shit.

How do I know this? I have a dozen Italian friends with whom we have talked about this shit. I have had the chance to compare it to my brother's english education, and the Swedish education of my other friends.

[Raúl Duke]

It is as bureucratic as shit.
I was also beginning to get this impression when they discuss these end-of-year tests that happen after the semester (right in the middle of your summer)....

I mean, in the U.S. I just take my final test for a class mostly on the last day of that class during the semester. (Not after)