23 Sep 2007, 10:01 am
23 Sep 2007, 10:54 am
23 Sep 2007, 5:34 pm
24 Sep 2007, 9:21 am
24 Sep 2007, 3:17 pm
UncleBeer
Veteran
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 683
Location: temporarily trapped in Holland
24 Sep 2007, 4:12 pm
monty wrote:
You can dismiss the Zogby poll as biased, but what about the USA Today/Gallup poll that found similar results?
Or the fact that 3 of 10 Republican candidates for President are on record as not believing in evolution?
Or the fact that 3 of 10 Republican candidates for President are on record as not believing in evolution?
Or the fact that from your very same USA Today poll (hardly a bastion of scientific polling), 70% of respondents said a candidate's view on creation / evolution was "not really relevant" to their campaign, or that 54% of respondents said a candidate's view on creation / evolution would not make a difference in whether or not they would vote for him / her.
But feel free to skip over these 'inconvenient facts'.
24 Sep 2007, 4:22 pm
UncleBeer
Veteran
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 683
Location: temporarily trapped in Holland
24 Sep 2007, 4:31 pm
24 Sep 2007, 7:25 pm
24 Sep 2007, 8:31 pm
UncleBeer
Veteran
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 683
Location: temporarily trapped in Holland
25 Sep 2007, 12:50 am
username88 wrote:
Macbeth wrote:
So its not just a matter of not teaching evolution. Its about the accuracy of ANYTHING. Or lack thereof.
After all, when an American tells you that he was taught in school that the city of hiroshima was not nuked, but firebombed, and that it wasnt a city, but a military base.. you really have to wonder.
After all, when an American tells you that he was taught in school that the city of hiroshima was not nuked, but firebombed, and that it wasnt a city, but a military base.. you really have to wonder.
Not only that, but its not even manditory to learn another language, Hell, your lucky to learn Spanish in the states.
I'm not usually the spelling Nazi, but the irony of someone belittling others for their poor language skills or general lack of education, via an error-riddled post; just too good to pass up.
Maybe polish up your English before castigating others for their lack of a second language?
25 Sep 2007, 8:37 am
UncleBeer wrote:
username88 wrote:
Macbeth wrote:
So its not just a matter of not teaching evolution. Its about the accuracy of ANYTHING. Or lack thereof.
After all, when an American tells you that he was taught in school that the city of hiroshima was not nuked, but firebombed, and that it wasnt a city, but a military base.. you really have to wonder.
After all, when an American tells you that he was taught in school that the city of hiroshima was not nuked, but firebombed, and that it wasnt a city, but a military base.. you really have to wonder.
Not only that, but its not even manditory to learn another language, Hell, your lucky to learn Spanish in the states.
I'm not usually the spelling Nazi, but the irony of someone belittling others for their poor language skills or general lack of education, via an error-riddled post; just too good to pass up.
Maybe polish up your English before castigating others for their lack of a second language?
I think username88 IS American, in which case .. they went through the American education system, and therefore any poor use of spelling and grammar comes from low quality teaching.
Cheeky comments aside, I'm informed that a second language is no longer mandatory in UK schools either, though it has been for a very long time. Thus there are large numbers of us who can speak a second language, but whether the newest crop of school-leavers can is anyones guess.
We also learn about certain aspects of America in school. I recall doing studies on the American west, circa 1865 to 1900, for example. Also, because much of what is shown on our TV is american in nature, we have a tendency to pick facts up. Theres also the overwhelming selling power of Hollywood thrown in. We see a LOT of america, and hear a lot about it. From what i am told, the US is rather more americo-centric in the nature of its lessons, doing a great deal about american geography and history (what there is of it) but not so much about everywhere else. Curiously, UK schools are a bit lacking in teaching about UK history, yet generally we are more immersed in it, so we pick it up anyway.
27 Sep 2007, 2:45 am
27 Sep 2007, 8:24 am
27 Sep 2007, 9:20 am
UncleBeer
Veteran
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 683
Location: temporarily trapped in Holland
27 Sep 2007, 9:50 am
Macbeth wrote:
BazzaMcKenzie wrote:
Macbeth wrote:
... We also learn about certain aspects of America in school.....
Us too. And in University (Economics)
My economics lecturer made no apology for teaching about America. The reason given is that since its such a dominant economic force on the world stage, its important to know about it. While it may not do our national pride much good, the same can't be said about most other countries. While its important for Antipodeans to know about America, its not important to Americans to know about the Antipodeas.
In a small open economy trying to compete in a big world, you need to know about other countries. America doesn't need to, but it does anyway. I think criticism of all Americans is a bit harsh.
I think the main criticism of americans is a curious juxtaposition of the individual as a group. Every forum and server on the internet has at least one, often more. The loud-mouth american (often a teen, but just as often not.) who is convinced that there are no other countries than america, that america has won every war ever, including the ones it wasnt in, and has such an egocentric view of the world that the rest of it barely even exists to them, except as somewhere to laugh about or bomb. They owe nothing to the rest of the world, and believe that only America should even exist. Yes, these are individuals, and not reflective of the mindset of all americans. But they exist as a group. They lack at times even basic knowledge of world history, or of events that have helped shape it, which is a sad state of affairs.
In my experience, the most able and potent debaters of world issue on the net seem to come from smaller nations, and other ex colonies. More willing to listen to reason, more willing to accept that they may be wrong, or unaware of facts.
Is this a product of the varying education systems? Hard to say. it may be that this vocal group have never passed through the education system efficiently, why is why they act like they do. But if the core cause IS the education system, then its certainly lacking something.
My oh my. What a lot of broad-brush generalizing.
It's said that AS presents in some as oversystematizing: having to be able to conjure a rule for everything, classify, pigeon-hole everything and everyone. Maybe that's what allows you to make absurdly prejudicial and insulting statements about 300,000,000 people you don't know.
