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Old 03-19-2013, 05:16 PM
 
19,045 posts, read 25,151,745 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LCSDays View Post
Bill Maher calling ANYONE stupid is somewhat akin to a tree calling a forest green.

That being said, I agree with him. First time ever. People of this nation ARE stupid. Have you ever seen Jay Leno asking the simplest of questions of ordinary people on the street? It is laughable how stupid people really are in every day life.
But don't you see how naive you are, which no offense, actually puts your own intelligence into question? Have you not stopped to think that perhaps those interviewers on Leno interviewed 100-200 people and then in the copy room edited the footage to highlight the dumb asses? with implication that it was random of course. TV is not real. That's not to say it couldn't happen how presented, but it's impossible to know.

 
Old 03-19-2013, 05:17 PM
 
1,276 posts, read 1,927,293 times
Reputation: 3444
I think stupid is the wrong word to describe so many Americans. Uninformed or maybe disinterested and driven to distraction yes, but "stupid" suggests a lack intelligence. To achieve what has been achieved in this country in less than 240 years is quite astounding. So, no I don't think Americans are stupid--but they are, indeed, overwhelmingly uninformed and seem to be suffering from mass, collective attention deficit disorder.
 
Old 03-19-2013, 05:18 PM
 
Location: Southern NC
2,203 posts, read 5,074,265 times
Reputation: 3834
Living in the bible belt...I have to agree with Bill.
Just look at the comments on local news stories in the south...there's your proof.
 
Old 03-19-2013, 05:19 PM
 
19,045 posts, read 25,151,745 times
Reputation: 13485
Quote:
Originally Posted by TotallyTam View Post
I think stupid is the wrong word to describe so many Americans. Uninformed or maybe disinterested and driven to distraction yes, but "stupid" suggests a lack intelligence. To achieve what has been achieved in this country in less than 240 years is quite astounding. So, no I don't think Americans are stupid--but they are, indeed, overwhelmingly uninformed and seem to be suffering from mass, collective attention deficit disorder.
This makes sense. Agreed. Although, there is great disparity in this country so I suppose it depends on where you go.
 
Old 03-19-2013, 05:31 PM
 
Location: moved
13,608 posts, read 9,644,958 times
Reputation: 23389
We should consider that factual questions asked in rapid-fire succession in confrontational context might catch people off-guard, resulting in bumbling and stumped answers. The "man on the street" interview elicits hilarity not because the interviewee is and idiot, but because he/she is just discombobulated by the cheek of the interviewer. It's the same reason that people have trouble remembering names at a cocktail party; not because they lack short-term memory, but because they're flustered by the multi-tasking of shaking hands, looking clever, being polite and so forth.

If the same people were sent a questionnaire to be filled out at their leisure, perhaps the answers would be more accurate. Of course, self-selection is also possible; the only people who care enough to mail the questionnaire back, are the ones who have answered most questions correctly.

The larger point, however, is not that Americans are dumb or uneducated, but that American society tends to regard with suspicion "book learning", as effete and of minimal relevance. America is home to some of the world's best universities, including those in the liberal arts. But at the same time, university professors are viewed with opprobrium on par with that directed to, say, used-car salesmen. Young people graduating with a degree in Philosophy or English are regarded as dissolute fools who wasted their parents' money and society's resources. This is a cultural issue, rather than one of familiarity with facts about civics.
 
Old 03-19-2013, 05:49 PM
 
Location: Santa Monica
36,856 posts, read 17,304,172 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Braunwyn View Post
Those examples are more about ignorance than stupidity, and I wouldn't use those examples as a rubric for determining what is and isn't important to know. I'm of the opinion that the populace should be more informed IRT maths/sciences from technology to medicine to our own physiology and adequate nutrition since we utilize these things every day and being uninformed enables a culture of depedence.
This thread should have been closed after this response cuz this dude nailed it.

Self-determination and independence in regards to natural law are dangerous concepts to those with power cuz their fat lifestyle is based off controlling the inner workings of man made devices.
 
Old 03-19-2013, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Newport Beach, California
39,044 posts, read 27,462,475 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil306 View Post
Possibly. However, these same people who consider themselves intelligent and cannot answer some simple basic questions, such as their states capital, etc can sure as hell recite to you the last 5 American Idol winners, including their dates of birth and home towns.

They could tell you what was on The Kardashian's, everything about Paris Hilton, and tons of other inane and worthless junk.

However, ask them one question about ANYTHING which effects their day to day lives, their retirement, their so called "civil rights," their anything and its, "Huh? What? Who? Wait. Where we going this weekend? Is that a new reality show?"

Like it or not, in GENERAL, American's ARE stupid when it comes to IMPORTANT issues. They couldn't think themselves out of a wet brown paper bag. Worthless, meaningless garbage, and hell, they could win a Gold Medal.
I absolutely agree with this.
 
Old 03-19-2013, 05:54 PM
LLN
 
Location: Upstairs closet
5,265 posts, read 10,694,982 times
Reputation: 7188
Half the people have less than average intelligence. What else needs be said?
 
Old 03-19-2013, 06:15 PM
 
Location: Land of Free Johnson-Weld-2016
6,470 posts, read 16,359,217 times
Reputation: 6518
Wut?
 
Old 03-19-2013, 06:17 PM
 
Location: New Orleans
530 posts, read 1,128,754 times
Reputation: 500
Unlike Bill Maher who gets paid millions of dollars to know that info a lot of us Americans did learn all or most of that in grade school, middle school, high school. I cannot remember diddly squat from any of those classes. In my day to day operations I focus on finances.
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