Is the American Perception of the World a Dangerous Game?

[EL]

Americans treat the rest of the world as a game of Risk.

Check out clip (klipp) 7 here:
http://www.kanal5.se/templates/page.aspx?id=11876

Funny...but also a bit scary?

 

[Pengwuino]

Do Europeans get all their information off of propoganda videos fed to them by their media? Why not learn about France's rich history through the back isles of a Blockbuster video store's action and drama section. While we're at it, I bet I could learn some German politics through watching 1940's European theatre propoganda films. Maybe steven spielberg could give me an indepth look at the india-pakistan affair while we're at it. Hell while I am at it, I can do what this film does and film 20 hours worth of interviews with European citizens and cut and paste information so I can feed it to willing ideologs within a small, unquestionable 2 minute timeframe and hope they think that's how all Europeans are.

 

[EL]

It's never funny when it comes to close to the truth, right Pengwuino?

No seriously, this is a clip from a comedy show, and not ment to be objective. However I can find it a little bit scary people can be that uneducated in rich countries. (Not just in US.)

 

[Azael]

So you watched 100 höjdare as well EL :)

 

[Smurf]

Umm, did anyone actually watch the movie? They managed to trick people into thinking that Iran was in Australia. I think that was the main point (that and the aggression), nothing about Risk.

 

[ek]

The United States have a large amount of smart people compared to other "have" countries, but they also have way more than their share of dumbasses.

It comes directly from their (public) education system. They are taught nothing outside of their country and thus are ridiculously ignorant of the outside world. I bet if you asked 10,000 Americans to point out Canada on an unmarked map, 3000-4000 would not be able to. Maybe more.

Conversely, if you asked 10,000 Canadians to point out Mexico, I'd bet 9950 would get it right.

 

[scott1]

Why did you post somthing about a internet video in swiss on a site where most people speak english

 

[rachmaninoff]

They are taught nothing outside of their country and thus are ridiculously ignorant of the outside world.

Why did you post somthing about a internet video in swiss on a site where most people speak english

....

 

[edward]

Umm, did anyone actually watch the movie? They managed to trick people into thinking that Iran was in Australia. I think that was the main point (that and the aggression), nothing about Risk.

Hmm what nationality were the people who were tricked?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Young Americans may soon have to fight a war in Iraq, but most of them can't even find that country on a map, the National Geographic Society said Wednesday.

The society survey found that only about one in seven -- 13 percent -- of Americans between the age of 18 and 24, the prime age for military warriors, could find Iraq. The score was the same for Iran, an Iraqi neighbor.

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/11/20/geography.quiz/

 

[EL]

Why did you post somthing about a internet video in swiss on a site where most people speak english

In swiss? Wow, I could bet they were speaking english. But anyway, I don't know any swiss at all, but I didn't think it was that similar to english. In fact, I didn't know there was any language named swiss. I thought they spoke german, italian, french and romansh in Switzerland.

In fact scott1, what you just wrote, was indeed a nice example of the US citizens ignorance of the rest of the world!
(I really don't know where you are from, but I would indeed bet al ot of money for USA.)

 

[gravenewworld]

Right... and its not like Europeans killed millions of people in Africa, India, China, and the Americas during the age of imperialism.

 

[EL]

Right... and its not like Europeans killed millions of people in Africa, India, China, and the Americas during the age of imperialism.

Eh, yes. But what does that have to do with this discussion?
I'm just saying I find it scary that people in rich countries could be so uneducated. I think you should start a new thread if you want to discuss the imperialism.

 

[gravenewworld]

Eh, yes. But what does that have to do with this discussion?
I'm just saying I find it scary that people in rich countries could be so uneducated. I think you should start a new thread if you want to discuss the imperialism.

No I just hate how a lot of Europeans are snobs and think that they are more mannered and civilized than the rest of the world when they are perpetrators of some of the worst acts of barbarism in the history of the world. You don't think the Europeans didn't treat the world like a game of risk during imperialism? LOL.

 

[scott1]

In swiss? Wow, I could bet they were speaking english. But anyway, I don't know any swiss at all, but I didn't think it was that similar to english. In fact, I didn't know there was any language named swiss. I thought they spoke german, italian, french and romansh in Switzerland.
In fact scott1, what you just wrote, was indeed a nice example of the US citizens ignorance of the rest of the world!
(I really don't know where you are from, but I would indeed bet al ot of money for USA.)

Thanks for the correction sorry I got little confussed that Americas offical isn't english it's American

 

[EL]

You don't think the Europeans didn't treat the world like a game of risk during imperialism? LOL.

What are you LOL:ing at?
I totally agree with you that Europe treated the world "like a game of risk" during the imperialism. When did I say anything else?

No I just hate how a lot of Europeans are snobs and think that they are more mannered and civilized than the rest of the world.

It's funny you say like this. Just switch "Europeans" with "Americans" and "snobs" with "cowboys", and you'll get a nice picture of how the rest of the world looks at US these days.

Anyway, the headline "Americans treat the rest of the world as a game of Risk" is just a translation of the Swedish title of the comedy film clip.
My main point is still that I find it a little bit scary that people can be that uneducated in a rich nation. (And I'm not just talking about the US, but rich countries in general.)

 

[EL]

Thanks for the correction sorry I got little confussed that Americas offical isn't english it's American

Que? Was that a rebound attempt?

 

[scott1]

What are you LOL:ing at?
I totally agree with you that Europe treated the world "like a game of risk" during the imperialism. When did I say anything else?
It's funny you say like this. Just switch "Europeans" with "Americans" and "snobs" with "cowboys", and you'll get a nice picture of how the rest of the world looks at US these days.
Anyway, the headline "Americans treat the rest of the world as a game of Risk" is just a translation of the Swedish title of the comedy film clip.
My main point is still that I find it a little bit scary that people can be that educated in a rich nation. (And I'm not just talking about the US, but rich countries in general.)

I think if your country and the U.S. swicted places(not loction superpower)the world will see your country just like the U.S.

 

[EL]

I think if your country and the U.S. swicted places(not loction superpower)the world will see your country just like the U.S.

No way. The mentality differs a lot.

 

[Math Is Hard]

This thread reminds me of a TV program I saw last night:

It was called "Stupid in America: How Lack of Choice Cheats Our Kids Out of a Good Education".
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=1500338

American schools don't teach as well as schools in other countries because they are government monopolies, and monopolies don't have much incentive to compete. In Belgium, by contrast, the money is attached to the kids — it's a kind of voucher system. Government funds education — at many different kinds of schools — but if a school can't attract students, it goes out of business.

Hope that wasn't too far off topic. I just thought it was a very interesting program on problems with public education in the U.S.

 

[EL]

Hope that wasn't too far off topic. I just thought it was a very interesting program on problems with public education in the U.S.

This was definitely on topic. Thx for the link, it was nice reading.

 

[Kalimaa23]

Well, I can certainly recommend the Belgian school system. I'm in my last year of my master of physics. Tuition paid : €80 ('bout $100). And I can locate Iran on a map