Ignorance
2Wise4theUSA @ Mon Dec 02, 2002 6:30 am
I just read this and want to share...hey, it's Christmas! I think the last two sentences say it all (almost).
$1:
Know nothings
Survey compares ignorance between Canucks, Americans
By CP
MONTREAL -- Canadians are much more informed than Americans when it comes to knowing the identity of their neighbours' political leader, national capital and largest city, an opinion poll suggests.
The Leger Marketing survey found that only 8% of 1,500 adult Americans named Jean Chretien when they were asked to identify Canada's prime minister.
Five per cent gave other answers, including Pierre Trudeau, who died two years ago after last being in power in 1984.
A whopping 86% said they didn't know or refused to answer.
The Americans were polled Oct. 7-13, long before Chretien's communications director, Francoise Ducros, created a stir in the United States and elsewhere when she called U.S. President George W. Bush a "moron."
Conversely, 90% of the 1,502 adult Canadians who were polled Nov. 6-10 (also before the Ducros brouhaha, which led to her resignation) knew Bush was U.S. president, compared with 3% who gave other answers.
When asked to name the capital of the other country, 88% of the Canadians said Washington and 21% of the Americans got Ottawa right.
Such numbers didn't surprise Colin Campbell, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia who recently spent 19 years in Washington, D.C.
'Citizens of the globe'
"Canadians are much more citizens of the globe than Americans are and I think they're much more attuned to their own nation than Americans are," Campbell said in an interview.
"Canadians are really intrigued by the world around them in a way that Americans aren't."
But Campbell wasn't about to let all Canadians off the hook.
"That 12% (who couldn't name Washington) must be incredibly ignorant people. It just shows that in any population, there are some people who probably couldn't even give you the name of their grandfather."
Stephen Clarkson, a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto, said the lack of knowledge about Canada south of the border shouldn't surprise people.
"Americans are much more insular," said Clarkson, who has recently written a book entitled Uncle Sam and Us.
"It's not (just) Canada they don't know a lot about. They might have trouble with England.
"We're not important to them. We're not ignorant about the United States because they are important to us."
Survey compares ignorance between Canucks, Americans
By CP
MONTREAL -- Canadians are much more informed than Americans when it comes to knowing the identity of their neighbours' political leader, national capital and largest city, an opinion poll suggests.
The Leger Marketing survey found that only 8% of 1,500 adult Americans named Jean Chretien when they were asked to identify Canada's prime minister.
Five per cent gave other answers, including Pierre Trudeau, who died two years ago after last being in power in 1984.
A whopping 86% said they didn't know or refused to answer.
The Americans were polled Oct. 7-13, long before Chretien's communications director, Francoise Ducros, created a stir in the United States and elsewhere when she called U.S. President George W. Bush a "moron."
Conversely, 90% of the 1,502 adult Canadians who were polled Nov. 6-10 (also before the Ducros brouhaha, which led to her resignation) knew Bush was U.S. president, compared with 3% who gave other answers.
When asked to name the capital of the other country, 88% of the Canadians said Washington and 21% of the Americans got Ottawa right.
Such numbers didn't surprise Colin Campbell, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia who recently spent 19 years in Washington, D.C.
'Citizens of the globe'
"Canadians are much more citizens of the globe than Americans are and I think they're much more attuned to their own nation than Americans are," Campbell said in an interview.
"Canadians are really intrigued by the world around them in a way that Americans aren't."
But Campbell wasn't about to let all Canadians off the hook.
"That 12% (who couldn't name Washington) must be incredibly ignorant people. It just shows that in any population, there are some people who probably couldn't even give you the name of their grandfather."
Stephen Clarkson, a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto, said the lack of knowledge about Canada south of the border shouldn't surprise people.
"Americans are much more insular," said Clarkson, who has recently written a book entitled Uncle Sam and Us.
"It's not (just) Canada they don't know a lot about. They might have trouble with England.
"We're not important to them. We're not ignorant about the United States because they are important to us."
(I changed it to bold type.)
RoyalHighlander @ Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:14 am
Well they must have other things on thier mind and dont have time to learn about us... What could those "other"things be I wonder ? ? ?
jmjinks @ Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:27 am
RoyalHighlander RoyalHighlander:
Well they must have other things on thier mind and dont have time to learn about us... What could those "other"things be I wonder ? ? ?
Keep in mind, RH, 11% of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. They still have a great deal to learn about themselves, before they can even consider learning about Canada.
RoyalHighlander @ Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:31 am
You are here ^
jmjinks @ Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:37 am
RoyalHighlander RoyalHighlander:
You are here ^
That may still seem confusing to those 11%.
eh2brute @ Mon Dec 02, 2002 3:30 pm
i read that article too, but did not find it suprising at all
after all the criminal almost never wants to know about the person he is stealing from
Johnny-Canuck @ Mon Dec 02, 2002 6:30 pm
Americans arent ignorant, their just to caught up in their own pride and glory to think about us.
sk1d @ Fri Dec 13, 2002 12:10 am
![[B-o]](./images/smilies/drinkup.gif "Drink up")
RoyalHighlander @ Fri Dec 13, 2002 10:01 am
sk1d sk1d:
check out www.whatreallyhappened.com to avoid from being ignorant
Ever listen to the G. Gordon Liddy show???
sk1d @ Sat Dec 14, 2002 12:51 am
I've never heard of him. What's his show about?
RoyalHighlander @ Sat Dec 14, 2002 8:56 am
sk1d sk1d:
I've never heard of him. What's his show about?
Well, He was one of the watergate burglers, and the only one whodidnt rat out Nixon and stuck by his boss. He did his prison time and now has a talk show in the US He is a former CIA operative.. Look him up on Google to read more
Twila @ Thu Dec 19, 2002 2:47 pm
New here, sorry to barge in like this but....
Do you know what would happen if the American people were to learn more about their country and other countries? Mass suicide! Huge amounts of guilt and then they'd be too smart to be ruled over by good ole' Dubya.
Ignorance is bliss, and you know its kepts that way for them. Think of it as a public service.
Thank god I'm Canadian and can think for myself.
RoyalHighlander @ Thu Dec 19, 2002 8:41 pm
Twila Twila:
New here, sorry to barge in like this but....
Do you know what would happen if the American people were to learn more about their country and other countries? Mass suicide! Huge amounts of guilt and then they'd be too smart to be ruled over by good ole' Dubya.
Ignorance is bliss, and you know its kepts that way for them. Think of it as a public service.
Thank god I'm Canadian and can think for myself.
Do you know what would happen if the American people were to learn more about their country and other countries? Mass suicide! Huge amounts of guilt and then they'd be too smart to be ruled over by good ole' Dubya.
Ignorance is bliss, and you know its kepts that way for them. Think of it as a public service.
Thank god I'm Canadian and can think for myself.
Hooyaaa that calls for a BUBBA ! ! ! !
markc @ Sun Feb 02, 2003 9:42 pm
there is a simple reason why americans don't know who the canadian prime minister is: canada is not a world player.
RoyalHighlander @ Sun Feb 02, 2003 10:12 pm
markc markc:
there is a simple reason why americans don't know who the canadian prime minister is: canada is not a world player.
Sorry we are a world player but we do it so low key we dont cause any waves, well most of the time any ways