-- One in Five Believes Sun Revolves Around Earth The Dumbing Of America Call Me a Snob, but Really, We're a Nation of Dunces By Susan Jacoby Sunday, February 17, 2008; Page B01 "The mind of this country, taught to aim at low objects, eats upon itself." Ralph Waldo Emerson http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021502901.html?referrer=digg http://www.gallup.com/poll/3742/New-Poll-Gauges-Americans-General-Knowledge-Levels.aspx
"80% of whites vs. 54% of blacks answered correctly" :eek: Move this thread to the P&R section so we can start with the racial slurs.
You quoted out of context. Here's the quote....... Groups that have higher degrees of self-reported patriotism (see Gallup's Fourth of July release), such as older people and whites, are also more likely to correctly name the country from which America gained its independence. Only 66% of those aged 18-29 know that America gained its independence from England, compared to 79% of those aged 30 and older. The knowledge gap is even wider on the basis of gender and race: 85% of men compared to only 69% of women know that America's freedom was won from England 80% of whites vs. 54% of blacks answered correctly
Here's a fun trick. Go up to somebody and ask them: About 1 out of 3 will answer B or C, which is pretty funny by itself. But you then have an opportunity for some mirth at their expense. Ask that person a followup: Rather than suddenly realizing they are in error, they will attempt to justify their previous incorrect statement. So their answer will almost always be: "Heavy boots".
What's even more embarrassing is that the country put Little George Bush in the White House for another term.
CNN shows the election almost 24/7, puncutated by Larry (I changed my last name) King interviewing a string of vacuous guests. 6+ billion other people in the world but we're not allowed to see what they're doing. And any overseas news is framed in such a way that the people are seen as barbarians. Keeps us scared, fearful that we could become like them. "Vote for me, only I can protect you from the terrorist bogeyman who COULD BE ANYWHERE!!!!"
Yup! An excrutiatingly stupid population! We in Australia watch the USA as an anthropological study. What we see makes us shake our heads in disbelief. However, it is difficult to find better comedy....and it is a comedy!