Are American's stupid?

[Mooshi]

I don't like to think so as every country has their black sheep. But after overhearing the news about school statistics..it does make you wonder. Highschool isn't the most difficult thing to do and yet when you report low figures of graduation - it does not look good. The USA has NASA for crying out loud. So to say the entire country is stupid is too much of a broad of ignorant statement. The USA is one of the largest countries in the world and also one of the most diverse. I do think blaming school systems for failing is the most overused excuse. If someone from another country can be successful here, what's our excuse?  Note: I am well aware of the title and how the proper usage is "Americans". It was done as a form of irony and light sarcasm.

[Alsek]

I am infinitely amued by the error in the title of this thread.  Texan here.

[Mooshi]

I am infinitely amued by the error in the title of this thread.  Texan here.

Was that a reference to where NASA is located? :p I was born in Dallas you know. Other things America is good at are making PC parts. Pretty sure the entire world uses AMD and Intel CPUs. EDIT: Ah, I see. "Americans" I know haha. Maybe it was used for sarcasm purposes. ;3

[Spirit]

Well, you can make a generalization simply based on the title... X3 Just kidding. I think if a kid from another country can do better than the average American kid, it's because of the parents. Not necessarily how the child was raised, although that can make a huge difference, but even genetics. You get something good from each parent, but you also get something bad from each parent. For example, my father was very skilled at art, and a lot of people say I am too, but he had problems with pimples when he was younger, which is already starting to show on me. What I'm saying is that if two people who aren't very smart have a kid, there's a pretty big chance the kid won't be real smart either.

[Mooshi]

Aye, the obvious bad grammar of the title. It's funny in a contradiction sort of way. Glad you caught it. It did fit with the generalization image and I'm sure did make you think. (Which was the point.) It's annoying, though. The media seems to make these points all the time after lack of results from pumping so much money into the educational system.

[Alsek]

I was meaning the apostrophe actually.

Americans have their stupid people like anyone else.  Most of us can't say all 50 of the state names for our own country,  and folks especialy in the UK tease about that.  (then again,  it's kind of easy to do in Britain due to there only being 9 reigons.)  Most will only ever speak Americanized English due our fundamental lack of a need to learn another language.

Both of those things are understandable due to the environment and the surroundings we grow up in.  I don't even mind the teasing about it.  I've got skill in survival and weapons training that it's hard to come by in the UK,  and I'm perfectly happy with that trade.

The only thing that bothers me is when people claim that Americans are stupid,  ignorant,  or arrogant because we aren't like all the countries in Europe.

If we wanted to be like European countries,  we wouldn't have had the American revolutionary war.  There's a different mindset here still alive in some places that I really hope we keep. I'm proud that we're different,  and I'm proud that we paved the way in human rights.

Now if we could only manage to keep it to ourselves like we used to,  we'd be set.


That being said,  we used to teach technical skills in school.  There used to be metalworking,  engineering,  electrical training...  I want those things back.

[TashkentFox]

Stop stereotyping us as baby-eating imperialists with bad teeth who enjoy nothing more than roughing up the Irish and I'll stop stereotyping Americans as stupid burger-eating invasion monkeys.


Disclaimer: I know you're not all like that, but the George Bush's and the Ted Kennedy's of this world make everyone think Americans are braindead.

[Mooshi]

I haven't seen any mocking done towards England in this thread...(the bad teeth thing ect.) Only at the dodgey title which made me laugh. That proved that the stereotype isn't true for all Americans. I don't heavyly use Americanized English, actually. Since my best friend is from Scotland, I've picked up on some UK terms. Also know alittle bit of Dutch from a past relationship. So no, not all Americans are cheeseburger eating simpletons. >>; The ones who are sure are not helping our international image.   

[TashkentFox]

I haven't seen any mocking done towards Britain in this thread...(the bad teeth thing ect.) Only at the dodgey title which made me laugh. That proved that the stereotype isn't true for all Americans. I don't heavyly use Americanized English, actually. Since my best friend is from Scotland, I've picked up on some UK terms. Also know alittle bit of Dutch from a past relationship. So no, not all Americans are cheeseburger eating simpletons. >>; The ones who are sure are not helping our international image.   

I know the stereotype isn't true for all Americans (some of my best internet friends are American) but it's still fun to use against Yankees I don't like.

[Mooshi]

I could counter your edit with Great Britian instead and name off Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. But, I know we're just ripping on each other for a bit of fun.

[Avan]

I thought it was the fundamentalists who were the primary cause for the bad image. Not the food.

Anyways:

I might be quite insane, and I might live in America, but I am also highly intelligent, logical, and possess epistemic awareness.

Point in case; proof that not all Americans are stupid/ignorant, but certainly not all Americans are not stupid/ignorant either. Double negative intended.




Now I'm just going to leave before things get heated, knowing these kinds of discussions... [exits stage left]

[Mooshi]

Avvvaaaannn come baaaaaaaccccckkkkkk...D:! This topic shouldn't really get terribly out of hand. Unless you're either an American that ignores all reason and loves to shout "USA! USA! USA!" or someone from overseas who hate's the US because it's the trendy thing to do without giving an actual reason why. Scratch that, this topic isn't even about US vs The World.

[Alsek]

Scratch that, this topic isn't even about US vs The World.

More firepower,  We win! 

   ~Oh wait  
read that wrong....      

[Kobuk]

What I'm saying is that if two people who aren't very smart have a kid, there's a pretty big chance the kid won't be real smart either.

@Spirit: That's a pretty broad blanket statement to be using there. 


Yes, I've heard and read a lot of reports in past months and years about how education standards are failing, Kids dropping out, Test scores low, etc., etc. Who's to blame on all that? Well, you can't say it's all the gov'ts fault. The real problem doesn't lie in how much money we pump into the school system or for hiring teachers, etc. The real crux of the problem is the PARENTS. Yep, that's right. I said "Parents". Getting kids educated has to start at the most basic level/beginning and that has to do with the parents helping kids to learn, Teaching them skills, Keeping them motivated to stay in school, etc., etc. Hiring more teachers or pumping more money into the education system are only short term solutions and/or "quick fixes".

[Cimarron]

What I'm saying is that if two people who aren't very smart have a kid, there's a pretty big chance the kid won't be real smart either.

@Spirit: That's a pretty broad blanket statement to be using there. 


Yes, I've heard and read a lot of reports in past months and years about how education standards are failing, Kids dropping out, Test scores low, etc., etc. Who's to blame on all that? Well, you can't say it's all the gov'ts fault. The real problem doesn't lie in how much money we pump into the school system or for hiring teachers, etc. The real crux of the problem is the PARENTS. Yep, that's right. I said "Parents". Getting kids educated has to start at the most basic level/beginning and that has to do with the parents helping kids to learn, Teaching them skills, Keeping them motivated to stay in school, etc., etc. Hiring more teachers or pumping more money into the education system are only short term solutions and/or "quick fixes".

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Mooshi]

I would like to note that I was taught to read and write by my mum before I even started school. So Kobuk does have a point there. In fact, I was also learning multiplication while the rest of the class was on subtraction because my mum would teach me some things at home.

[Avan]

I would like to note that I was taught to read and write by my mum before I even started school. So Kobuk does have a point there. In fact, I was also learning multiplication while the rest of the class was on subtraction because my mum would teach me some things at home.

Me too, though I was generally pretty self-motivated...
I was reading Scientific American magazines since... 2nd grade.

...ooops. I just ended up in this thread again. >.> 

[Shabbernigdo]

i think the usa is just like any other nation. we have our informed and our ignorant citizens.

[Alsek]

i think the usa is just like any other nation. we have our informed and our ignorant citizens.

Informed vs. ignorant is not the same as stupid vs. wise.

Just thought i'd point that out.

[Kr2i]

I think its just to much people in the USA take their education for granted and I am not saying that all Americans take their education for granted but when you compare it to other countries it looks pretty bad

[Yip]

What I'm saying is that if two people who aren't very smart have a kid, there's a pretty big chance the kid won't be real smart either.

@Spirit: That's a pretty broad blanket statement to be using there. 

I don't see a problem with it. She did say "a pretty big chance", not that's it's an absolute rule. There are two major factors controlling someone's intelligence: Genes and environment.

Genes can effect one's capacity for intelligence, and the genes of the parents are passed on to their children. Of course it's more complicated than that, since you have dominate genes vs recessive genes and so forth. Environment is the other major factor in someone's intelligence, and that's what education is all about. But even there, there is truth to what Spirit was saying because a lot of what children learn is from their parents.

[Shabbernigdo]

i think the usa is just like any other nation. we have our informed and our ignorant citizens.

Informed vs. ignorant is not the same as stupid vs. wise.

Just thought i'd point that out.

point remains the same tho.

[Spirit]

What I'm saying is that if two people who aren't very smart have a kid, there's a pretty big chance the kid won't be real smart either.

@Spirit: That's a pretty broad blanket statement to be using there. 

I don't see a problem with it. She did say "a pretty big chance", not that's it's an absolute rule. There are two major factors controlling someone's intelligence: Genes and environment.

Genes can effect one's capacity for intelligence, and the genes of the parents are passed on to their children. Of course it's more complicated than that, since you have dominate genes vs recessive genes and so forth. Environment is the other major factor in someone's intelligence, and that's what education is all about. But even there, there is truth to what Spirit was saying because a lot of what children learn is from their parents.

I really couldn't have put it better. That's exactly what I meant.

[Sky Striker]

An interesting article I read is that the reason so many kids aren't scoring as well on tests is because the U.S. summer break is much longer than the breaks of other countries', however the amount of time we spend in school, speaking in hours, is actually very high.

Knowing this, I believe that kids are dropping out and doing poorly in school because we are pushing them too hard. Instead of having school from 8:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M., have school from 8:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. or even 1:30 P.M., as long as you shorten summer break accordingly. We are pushing our children so much that it is overwhelming them. Our backpacks have gotten ridiculously heavy, to the point that kids are having back problems and other problems associated with heavy loads. Here's a quote from associatedcontent.com.

"According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 6,500 emergency room visits each year by children ages 5-18 stems from injuries related to heavy backpacks or book bags. "

I'm sorry, but if a five year old's backpack is so heavy that it's causing back problems, they're carrying too much. We seriously need to ease up on the speed of our curriculum. The students become stressed at the pace and stress is never good for grades.

[Mooshi]

Yah know, even with some valid points, I can challege your theory of kids being pushed too hard. If we look at the kids that are patted on the back and passed to meet a quota, the kids aren't being pushed hard enough. If the government is telling teachers to pass a kid after they failed X number of times, they never really learned anything and that is the future of America right there. I think a better argument would be the subjects taught themselves. Some teachers even admit that some stuff that you learn in school (before college) will never be used again. Stop wasting their time by teaching state history and all this other nonsense they'll never use unless they want to learn it and teach them things they're actually interested in!