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It has often been claimed by people all around the world (Americans included) and of all political stripes that Americans are hopelessly ignorant and naive about the world and world history. I have to agree, Americans are far less aware of the world and more unaware of world history than even the people who most resemble them culturally; Canadians.
Now, there are a lot of explanations that have been thrown around: Americans are too in love with themselves to care about the outside world or
American culture is much more anti-intellectual than European cultures or the American education system is lousy.
Some of these might be true to some extent, but there are two reasons why Americans are ignorant of the outside world. Simply because America is much more peaceful than people give it credit for and America isn't as effected by most nations as they are effected by America.
Take a look at European history, what has been the one constant in European history up until 1945? War. It seems that every European nation has gone to war with ever other European nation in its history. This has even lead to some oddball wars, such as Danes versus the Irish and Norwegians against the Scots. Europeans have a very good reason to pay attention to their neighbors and even when they do not pay attention to their neighbors, their neighboring nations histories and their own often overlap. How could a Pole be knowledgeable about their own history without picking up a decent amount of German, Lithuanian, and Russian history? How could the French be knowledgeable about their own history without learning some English, German, Belgian, and Spanish history?
And it is not just confined to Europe, it also extends to Latin America as well. Latin American countries in the 19th to mid 20th century have waged bloody wars against each other that pale in comparison to American interventions in the region. Paraguay fought a bloody six year war (1864-1870) against Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, estimates range that between 35-60% of the population of Paraguay was killed (making Paraguay the nation that has suffered the most in a war percentage wise). Do you think Paraguayans aren't familiar with this time in their history and who was responsible for it? Also, the current borders of Latin American nations are very different than the original borders. For example, Bolivia used to have coastline at one point.
Now, how many incidents like that have happened to the United States? Sure, Canada (which was a British colony at the time) and the United States went to war in 1812, but that war was a stalemate and happened a long time ago by American standards. Also, since Canada was a British colony at the time, Canada is not often viewed a belligerent in that conflict. There was also the Mexican-American War (which the Mexicans are certainly well aware of), but it was a relatively easy war and it caused the US to gain huge amounts of territory that was mostly unpopulated (not counting Native Americans) or populated by American settlers already.
Now, only two nations have land borders with the US. One wasn't an independent country when the US went to war with it and the other conflict was mostly overshadowed by the Civil War which occurred less than twenty years later.
By world standards, that really isn't all that bad. Compare to the amount of border clashes, invasions, and wars other nations have gone through with their neighbors. Even when you include the dozens of interventions in Latin America, they were mostly small scale troop deployments aimed at protecting American investments in the country during a time of conflict or evacuating American citizens. Many of them are hardly worth a mention in the grand scheme of things.
So while Americans shouldn't be proud of their ignorance, Americans should be proud in the root of their ignorance. Sometimes not having to learn another's history isn't such a bad thing.
Good points...much to think about. It's a little like the statement that "the folks in Bug Tussle, Arkansas know a LOT about New York City. But shucks, most folks in New York don't hardly know much at ALL about Bug Tussle".
All of which, of course, is very much TRUE....but why?
In all seriousness, it's true that in MUCH of the world, a whole lot of people do know at least SOMETHING about the US...(EVERYBODY'S heard of California, New York, and Texas.....maybe not so much Delaware, though)....while MANY Americans can't even name all of our OWN 50 states..let alone the States of Mexico or the Provinces of Canada.
We in the US are "in the spotlight" for better or worse. Why our huge geographical ignorance, though? I'm not sure. But it's there.
When America has game shows about 5th graders having more knowledge then adults there is something wrong. Or when Jay Leno steps out into public and asks questions a second grader should know and some 40 year old moron has no idea its troublesome.
I blame the lack of attention to our education system. Not only the subject of history but as or more importantly- math and science. To blatantly state the obvious there are an enormous amount of Americans that are far from the word intelligent or rationale. The problem is the lack of attention to our failing educational system.
There are many ways education plays a role in the economy. And what is the Number one Issue on voters' minds- The Economy.
There are many ways Education plays a role in foreign relations. And what is the number 2 issue on voters' minds- Foreign Policy.
Knowledge is power. If you have noticed lately America has lost some of its power.
I have come to realize in the school system run by unions and liberals you will find they dont want a informed public. The dumber we are the easier it is for government dependancy. People should find other resources other then public schools. TRY the LIBRARY IT IS FREE, or the internet!!! Watch the histroy channel and watch the stories on the American Revolution and you might understand something about freedom and liberty. Also I think instead of giving the students condoms in school and bibles try giving them a copy of the constitution and give them a test. The Constitution is not a living breathing doc it is list of rights to preserve your individual freedom and to restrict the power of government.
I have come to realize in the school system run by unions and liberals you will find they dont want a informed public. The dumber we are the easier it is for government dependancy. If you want people to educated they must want to be educated and find other sources then public schools. TRY the LIBRARY IT IS FREE!!! Watch the histroy channel and watch the stories on the American Revolution and you might understand something about freedom and liberty. Also I think instead of giving the students condoms in school and bibles try giving them a copy of the constitution and give them a test on that first.
I can't help but notice that our local public schools today...when you factor in elementary, Jr. High, and High Schools (which, of course, some families have kids in EACH of) has a confounding pattern of "early-out" days, "late-start days", "teacher's workshop days", and all manner of other "down time" to the point that the school year here is probably 3 weeks longer than it was in recent years. It would be virtually impossible for a 'working parent' to cope with this, holding a job, while at the same time not leaving the 'kiddies' unsupervised for long parts of the day. It's almost as if the School District hasw set out to make it as DIFFICULT as possible for a parent to 'work with' the system.
I can't HELP but feel a lot of this 'off time' and 'shutting down the class to do routine things' is some sort of concession grated to the teacher's unions during contract negotiations..("No, you can't have another raise...but we WILL give you two more days off during the year")...can't prove it, but that's what it 'smells' like to me. It CERTAINLY isn't being done with the welfare of the students in mind...it's totally disruptive.
Sadly another example is the on-going attempt by radical right Chrisitians to include "intelligent design/creationism" in science courses w/ some success in parts of the South
Sadly another example is the on-going attempt by radical right Chrisitians to include "intelligent design/creationism" in science courses w/ some success in parts of the South
Not to say it is right but Darwin evolution theory isn't fact either. Both are just ideas and nothing more. Maybe we should leave out both and let the individuals students decide for themselves how things were created. In science aren't they suppose to believe in facts not theory.
Not to say it is right but Darwin evolution theory isn't fact either. Both are just ideas and nothing more. Maybe we should leave out both and let the individuals students decide for themselves how things were created. In science aren't they suppose to believe in facts not theory.
Not to say it is right but Darwin evolution theory isn't fact either. Both are just ideas and nothing more. Maybe we should leave out both and let the individuals students decide for themselves how things were created. In science aren't they suppose to believe in facts not theory.
caused the US to gain huge amounts of territory that was mostly unpopulated (not counting Native Americans)
Speaking of ignorance... Why wouldn't you count Native Americans as inhabitants of an area? Were they not affected? Maybe a large part of our ignorance as a culture has something to do with this kind of anglocentric logic.
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