Why Ppl Think Americans Are Stupid

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
21

[quote]lixy wrote:
BostonBarrister wrote:
I don’t think the average American is any less informed/educated than the average European – but the average American is considerably more widely exposed in his ignorance, usually by American media and/or social-science surveys.

But here is some good French TV:

http://view.break.com/335023

Yep, there sure are some dumb people around. But to be fair, the question was quite technical. Physics 101 would have been essential to answer that one. Not excusing the ignorant audience. Just pointing out that the average guy probably doesn’t know what gravitate is in the first place.

Now, why is the American perceived as stupid? Two reasons IMHO.

  1. The majority couldn’t care less about what’s going on outside their borders (despite having the military that stirs up the most shit outside of said borders).

  2. The Bush-effect. When you elect a dumbass twice, people tend to make associations. Reagan, Arnold and the gang add to the sentiment. [/quote]

America is such a large country that one can do a lot of traveling and never leave the country. There are states that are about the same size or bigger than most of the countries of Europe. Additionally our northern neighbor Canada really isn’t all that different. In Europe people have much more experience traveling to other countries.

Arnold did very well for a simple farm boy from Austria. Bush and Reagan are/were unpretentious. Europeans prefer pretentious types who act like they are better than everyone else. Whereas Americans like straight talkers who are more down to earth.

Having gotten rid of royalty over two hundred years ago Americans don’t have a mentality that they need to be ruled by their betters.

22

[quote]Sifu wrote:

Having gotten rid of royalty over two hundred years ago Americans don’t have a mentality that they need to be ruled by their betters. [/quote]

And thus seldom are.

23

[quote]Varqanir wrote:
Sifu wrote:

Having gotten rid of royalty over two hundred years ago Americans don’t have a mentality that they need to be ruled by their betters.

And thus seldom are.[/quote]

Were it that such an animal existed.

24

[quote]Sifu wrote:

Having gotten rid of royalty over two hundred years ago Americans don’t have a mentality that they need to be ruled by their betters. [/quote]

What they feel they need and what they’re willing to allow may be two different things.

Americans rejected the nobility only to have it back full bore in the form of the C.I.A. with security prerogatives and higher missions. And wars we don’t want or need.

25

There are incredible amounts of stupid people all over the world - this is true.

But stereotypes tend to be more accurate than not, and I strongly believe that Americans are, in fact, dumber than Europeans, on average.

26

[quote]nominal Prospect wrote:
There are incredible amounts of stupid people all over the world - this is true.

But stereotypes tend to be more accurate than not, and I strongly believe that Americans are, in fact, dumber than Europeans, on average.[/quote]

Wrong.

http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm

JeffR

27

[quote]JeffR wrote:
nominal Prospect wrote:
There are incredible amounts of stupid people all over the world - this is true.

But stereotypes tend to be more accurate than not, and I strongly believe that Americans are, in fact, dumber than Europeans, on average.

Wrong.

http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm

JeffR

[/quote]
An interesting non sequitur.

I assume the point you wish to make is Americans, who did not start the Communist Revolution, World Wars I & II, and the Holocaust must necessarily be more intelligent than Europeans, who did.

I would put in my cent and a half (that’s about all two yen is worth these days) to the effect that had America stayed out of the First World War, then the fighting would have petered out by itself. This would have destroyed the impetus for the Communist Revolution and Hitler’s rise to power.

But Woodrow Wilson had a mission to make the world safe for democracy, and so prolonged and intensified a war that the Europeans were, by that time, utterly sick of and ready to throw in the towel. In so doing, he started a chain of events that made the 20th century the bloodiest in human history.

28

[quote]Varqanir wrote:
But Woodrow Wilson had a mission to make the world safe for democracy, and so prolonged and intensified a war that the Europeans were, by that time, utterly sick of and ready to throw in the towel. In so doing, he started a chain of events that made the 20th century the bloodiest in human history.
[/quote]

So, if the Americans would have stayed out of WWI, are you also saying there would have been no Great Depression, which also contributed to the rise of Hitler?

If the war ended without the American involvement, would the European Powers not split up Germany and put sanctions into place which also gave rise to Hitler?

29

[quote]Gkhan wrote:
If the war ended without the American involvement, would the European Powers not split up Germany and put sanctions into place which also gave rise to Hitler?[/quote]

The war would have ended in a stalemate or even a minor win for Germany. The other powers would not have been in a position to impose crippling terms.

WWI was the greatest disaster ever inflicted on humanity…not least due to what it spawned. It remains the watershed event of the modern era.

The Great Depression was caused, in large part, by the Federal Reserve, another product of Wilson’s administration.

The worst president this country has ever had, who served as the ideological role model for the original neoconservatives.

30

[quote]JeffR wrote:
nominal Prospect wrote:
There are incredible amounts of stupid people all over the world - this is true.

But stereotypes tend to be more accurate than not, and I strongly believe that Americans are, in fact, dumber than Europeans, on average.

Wrong.

http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm

JeffR[/quote]

Countries in Europe and Asia don’t have an entire continent surrounded by two oceans to themselves. Not to mention, they’ve been around longer than 250 years. That’s why they’ve been involved in more wars and had greater numbers of deaths. We’ve been doing our best to catch up since 1917.

31

[quote]Nominal Prospect wrote:
Gkhan wrote:
If the war ended without the American involvement, would the European Powers not split up Germany and put sanctions into place which also gave rise to Hitler?

The war would have ended in a stalemate or even a minor win for Germany. The other powers would not have been in a position to impose crippling terms.

WWI was the greatest disaster ever inflicted on humanity…not least due to what it spawned. It remains the watershed event of the modern era.

The Great Depression was caused, in large part, by the Federal Reserve, another product of Wilson’s administration.

The worst president this country has ever had, who served as the ideological role model for the original neoconservatives.[/quote]

Amen.

32

Why does everyone think Americans are stupid? Cuz so many are. (Love that word, cuz.) It’s funny that any other country thinks they are any more intelligent.

Way too often it is almost painful to try to have an intelligent conversation with a lot of people.

I have recently been told that a pregnant person should not try to give up smoking because quitting would cause stress hormones to rise which are �??way worse�?? to the fetus then smoking is.

Another person about got into an argument with me because I disagreed with her belief that turning up the thermostat on your house would help burn fat. (Just being hot makes you burn fat, yup I believe that.)

Then there are the people who, no matter the subject, somehow Bush must be brought up, and put down, or be blamed for something. (I only bring this up because it already has appeared in this thread.)

Another person told me excessive protein was bad on the kidneys, which she learned in college. (Higher edumacashun.) The next time I saw her I had a study in hand refuting any link between kidney damage in higher protein. She refused to even glance at the papers, and said, �??Your funny.�?? And walked away.

Now say the following out loud:

I AM WE TODD IT

I AM SOFA KING WE TODD IT

33

[quote]Varqanir wrote:
JeffR wrote:
nominal Prospect wrote:
There are incredible amounts of stupid people all over the world - this is true.

But stereotypes tend to be more accurate than not, and I strongly believe that Americans are, in fact, dumber than Europeans, on average.

Wrong.

http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm

JeffR

An interesting non sequitur.

I assume the point you wish to make is Americans, who did not start the Communist Revolution, World Wars I & II, and the Holocaust must necessarily be more intelligent than Europeans, who did.

I would put in my cent and a half (that’s about all two yen is worth these days) to the effect that had America stayed out of the First World War, then the fighting would have petered out by itself. This would have destroyed the impetus for the Communist Revolution and Hitler’s rise to power.

But Woodrow Wilson had a mission to make the world safe for democracy, and so prolonged and intensified a war that the Europeans were, by that time, utterly sick of and ready to throw in the towel. In so doing, he started a chain of events that made the 20th century the bloodiest in human history.
[/quote]

You don’t even mention the begging, wailing, and gnashing of teeth the Euro’s did to get us into the war.

The U.S. can’t catch a break: wWe listen to Europe in 1915 and we are the cause Nazism, the cause of WWII, and the Cold War. We don’t listen to Europe 88 years later and we are baby killing imperialists.

I guess that’s just part of the price you pay to sit at the top of the hill - everyone has 20/20 hindsight (or thinks they do), and you get blamed for everything up to, and including Natural Disasters.

Woodrow Wilson was, however, the reason we have the UN. Which is reason enough to hope his place in hell is considerably hotter than the rest of the tenants.

34

What about the European theater in WWII? It was the Japanese who attacked us. Should we have stayed out of Europe and solely stopped the Japanese? If we did, you’d be bitching about America now in Russian.

35

[quote]Varqanir wrote:
JeffR wrote:
nominal Prospect wrote:
There are incredible amounts of stupid people all over the world - this is true.

But stereotypes tend to be more accurate than not, and I strongly believe that Americans are, in fact, dumber than Europeans, on average.

Wrong.

http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm

JeffR

An interesting non sequitur.

I assume the point you wish to make is Americans, who did not start the Communist Revolution, World Wars I & II, and the Holocaust must necessarily be more intelligent than Europeans, who did.

I would put in my cent and a half (that’s about all two yen is worth these days) to the effect that had America stayed out of the First World War, then the fighting would have petered out by itself. This would have destroyed the impetus for the Communist Revolution and Hitler’s rise to power.

But Woodrow Wilson had a mission to make the world safe for democracy, and so prolonged and intensified a war that the Europeans were, by that time, utterly sick of and ready to throw in the towel. In so doing, he started a chain of events that made the 20th century the bloodiest in human history.
[/quote]

Ever read ‘The Creature From Jekyll Island’ by a guy named Griffen? He documents pretty extensively how the Russian Revolution was initiated by elites in the USA and Britain. I know, its easy to dismiss it all as ‘conspiracy theory’.

But when its documented how Lenin took orders from American capitalists (through the Red Cross Relief Mission, of all things) and its a wide variety of sources, I question.

Wilson was a sock puppet.

36

I have recently lived in in the UK for three years, as a matter of fact I just returned to the States in November. I have seen both sides of the US and Euro stupidity.

While in the UK, there was a show called Celebrity Love Island, a “lets hook up the idiots” reality show. The token US contestant, when shown a map of the world, could not find the US. That was sad, and the UK press had a field day with it.

But don’t take that to mean I am just ragging on my fellow countrymen. The UK has more than it’s share of idiots. The chavs are front and center. Celebrity and fashion obsessed minions whose most complex thought of the day is who to text and whether Kat and Alfie will ever get back on Eastenders.

Much like their American counterparts, they could care less about world events, current news, politics or anything else, except maybe collecting ASBO’s (Anti Social Behavior Orders).

This video could have been made on the streets of the US, the UK, or any European nation for that fact. Hell, I bet the streets of Australia, where this was from, would not do much better.

It is sad in a way, that being able to name a country, find it on a map, know the world leaders and such simple knowledge, now will actually put a person into a higher intelligence bracket.

Suddenly I feel like one of them there rocket scientists. That is a sad state. I must have slept in a Holiday Inn Express or something.

37

[quote]rainjack wrote:

The U.S. can’t catch a break: wWe listen to Europe in 1915 and we are the cause Nazism, the cause of WWII, and the Cold War. We don’t listen to Europe 88 years later and we are baby killing imperialists.

I guess that’s just part of the price you pay to sit at the top of the hill - everyone has 20/20 hindsight (or thinks they do), and you get blamed for everything up to, and including Natural Disasters.

Woodrow Wilson was, however, the reason we have the UN. Which is reason enough to hope his place in hell is considerably hotter than the rest of the tenants.

[/quote]

It is completely documented that Churchill pulled the Lusitania’s escort destroyer, when the Lusitania entered an area where a german sub was known to be prowling.

The German Embassy tried to put an ad in 50 USA newspapers warning Americans NOT to sail on the Lusitania. The Lusitania was registered as a British Naval vessel, had armaments and was carrying ammo. The US State Dept pulled the ads, except from the Des Moines Register, of all places (the ad slipped through there since Des Moines is far from our east coast).

The fact is that Britain and France were nearing bankruptcy and needed to end the war soon, or bring in America. When America was finally forced into it, JP Morgan’s company was agent for all the British and French bonds which now had a market here. They made millions.

38

[quote]senatorjaiz wrote:
I have recently lived in in the UK for three years, as a matter of fact I just returned to the States in November. I have seen both sides of the US and Euro stupidity.

While in the UK, there was a show called Celebrity Love Island, a “lets hook up the idiots” reality show. The token US contestant, when shown a map of the world, could not find the US. That was sad, and the UK press had a field day with it.

But don’t take that to mean I am just ragging on my fellow countrymen. The UK has more than it’s share of idiots. The chavs are front and center. Celebrity and fashion obsessed minions whose most complex thought of the day is who to text and whether Kat and Alfie will ever get back on Eastenders.

Much like their American counterparts, they could care less about world events, current news, politics or anything else, except maybe collecting ASBO’s (Anti Social Behavior Orders).

This video could have been made on the streets of the US, the UK, or any European nation for that fact. Hell, I bet the streets of Australia, where this was from, would not do much better.

It is sad in a way, that being able to name a country, find it on a map, know the world leaders and such simple knowledge, now will actually put a person into a higher intelligence bracket.

Suddenly I feel like one of them there rocket scientists. That is a sad state. I must have slept in a Holiday Inn Express or something. [/quote]

You must have read Orwell’s 1984. The goal IS to create stupid unquestioning people. Thinking people stir things up and might demand change. Who wants something like that?

Far better to have the vast majority be ‘Duckspeakers’ and the only change they demand (or even understand) is the change you get after a purchase.

39

[quote]senatorjaiz wrote:
Much like their American counterparts, they could care less about world events, current news, politics or anything else, except maybe collecting ASBO’s (Anti Social Behavior Orders). [/quote]

Well, remember that they’re an island whose last been invaded in 1066. Why should they care what happens elsewhere.

Now, if you went to Spain or France you’d find out that people actually care a bit about what’s going on. Not that they’re smarter or anything, just more informed about what’s outside their borders.

I highly doubt that asking the people of a European nation to locate on a map a country they’re willing to nuke will result in something as proportional. Of course, we don’t know how much time the clip took to make, but it’s my general feeling. Europeans don’t go to war easily because they experienced the horrors of it and it’s still fresh in the collective memory.

That’s at least the general feel you get when bringing up wars of aggression. People are ardently opposed to it. Overall, Americans seem to be complacent.

40

[quote]Gkhan wrote:
What about the European theater in WWII? It was the Japanese who attacked us. Should we have stayed out of Europe and solely stopped the Japanese? If we did, you’d be bitching about America now in Russian.[/quote]

Hitler had no intention of going West. After the Battle of Britain, it became clear that he wouldn’t have been able to defeat England, so he turned his attention east. Had we stayed out of that fight, it’s quite plausible that the Nazi’s and Soviets would have gone at it alone and wiped each other out.

That’s not just a conjecture of present-day, revisionist historians - prominent diplomats of the time voiced similar beliefs.

We should have stayed out of Europe and also shouldn’t have provoked Japan into war, which is exactly what FDR’s policies did. They attacked us because we explicitly rejected diplomatic overtures on their part and gave every impression that war was inevitable.

It’s not a “conspiracy theory”, by the way - it’s public policy. Provocation of other countries is how the United States has been entering wars for the past century. It is still happening right now.

After the middle of the 19th century, there was no power on earth that could physically invade and conquer the United States mainland. Basically, every war after that has been a scam conducted for the benefit of financial interests. The only thing that could possibly destroy this nation, as one of the founders presciently noted, would be the overextension of her resources.

We didn’t really need the Philippines, or the Orient, or Latin America, or the Middle East. It wasn’t in the overriding national interest. It wasn’t worth compromising the Republic for. We had a magnificent lot all to ourselves, and then we got greedy and imperialistic. The rest is history.

The Allied victory in WWII marked the final defeat of the old-world concept of national sovereignty. Hence, we have been edging closer to one-world-government ever since. It has been in the works for nearly a century and the final stages are now being put into place. The US is the last “great power” in history. There will be no others. This is what the top socialist policy makers have been repeatedly stating for 50-75 years.

Both world wars should be considered part of the same event.

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
Ever read ‘The Creature From Jekyll Island’ by a guy named Griffen? He documents pretty extensively how the Russian Revolution was initiated by elites in the USA and Britain. I know, its easy to dismiss it all as ‘conspiracy theory’.[/quote]

Holy shit dude, you’ve actually read it? I keep telling everyone to read it. Well, that’s great. Awesome book, isn’t it?