Why are so many people in this country so ignorant?

[Theige]

saying america doesnt exclude anyone within the usa, calling the uk england is forgetting the welsh, scots and northern irish exist and like saying they contribute nothing, and almost furthers the crazy mel gibson inspired omg the english forced scotland into the union thing, so its more like just calling the USA california just because thats the state with the most people

Except England accounts for about 85% of the UK's population, and London is the capital of both England and the UK.

Whereas California accounts for about 12% of the population of the USA, and is 3,000 miles from the Capital.

 

[NedimNapoleon]

A country that starts with a U

 

[dosed150]

Except England accounts for about 85% of the UK's population, and London is the capital of both England and the UK.

Whereas California accounts for about 12% of the population of the USA, and is 3,000 miles from the Capital.

I said it was a better comparison, i didnt say it was a good comparison,

does england really technically have a capital, england doesnt have a government of its own, and a capital is the seat of government so im really not sure

 

[Theige]

I said it was a better comparison, i didnt say it was a good comparison,

does england really technically have a capital, england doesnt have a government of its own, and a capital is the seat of government so im really not sure

I know what you said; it was wrong, and I was illustrating that point.

 

[amadeus]

I wonder if the "lol americans are dumb" chorus would stop if we broke this down by racial or income groups, although I'm sure those same people would excuse their ignorance as a product of institutional racism or something equally ridiculous.

 

[Theige]

I wonder if the "lol americans are dumb" chorus would stop if we broke this down by racial or income groups, although I'm sure those same people would excuse their ignorance as a product of institutional racism or something equally ridiculous.

Breaking it down geographically would be best

 

[BasketCase]

It is my firm belief that these "idiots" would recant these beliefs, (as long as they werent tied to religious beliefs) if faced with strong evidence. Rarely does one cement himself into falsified views when in the presence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Trust me--it doesn't work that way. I have the above problem with people in CFC all the time, because most of them don't give a crap about the truth, they have an agenda they wish to advance, and screw the truth.

A lot of people don't believe in the American Moon Landings. Their claim is that all the evidence was faked. How do you argue with people like that??? You can't. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman tried, but in debunking the skeptics all they actually proved was that the evidence MIGHT be real. The opposite of "impossible" is not "definite"; the opposite of "impossible" is "possible".

 

[Tacitusitis]

I wonder if the "lol americans are dumb" chorus would stop if we broke this down by racial or income groups

No.

And let's chuck in state, and political affiliation while we're at it.

 

[Silurian]

I think it's the idea of national exceptionalism; that we're the best and the other countries can take off.

If people just say USA#1 they are less likely to take an interest since it is irrelevant.

But this will undermine US power.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Or at the very least, teach evolution alone as a possible theory and not a fact.

Why don't you have the same problems with the Theory of Gravity?

A lot of people don't believe in the American Moon Landings. Their claim is that all the evidence was faked.

Funny you'd mention that, a statistic I heard on the QI show and found on the net:

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-07-17/...ing-apollo-astronauts-bill-kaysing?_s=PM:TECH

Sibrel may seem crazy, but he has company. A 1999 Gallup poll found that a scant 6 percent of Americans doubted the Apollo 11 moon landing happened, and there is anecdotal evidence that the ranks of such conspiracy theorists, fueled by innuendo-filled documentaries and the Internet, are growing.

Twenty-five percent of respondents to a survey in the British magazine Engineering & Technology said they do not believe humans landed on the moon. A handful of Web sites and blogs circulate suspicions about NASA's "hoax."

Usual reservations about surveys and polls apply of course

 

[GhostWriter16]

Why don't you have the same problems with the Theory of Gravity?

Gravity is a fact and its been observed. A theory is a hypothesis that hasn't been proven false. A fact is something that's been proven true.

I am willing to call Evolution a theory by that standard. I think there is contradictory evidence, but its hardly conclusive. I don't think its stupid to believe in Evolution.

However, if its a theory, its a very flawed one. There is actually evidence against it. And it has never been observed, so to treat it as fact is insulting to real facts. It requires some faith as well.

 

[Theige]

Gravity is a fact and its been observed. A theory is a hypothesis that hasn't been proven false. A fact is something that's been proven true.

I am willing to call Evolution a theory by that standard. I think there is contradictory evidence, but its hardly conclusive. I don't think its stupid to believe in Evolution.

However, if its a theory, its a very flawed one. There is actually evidence against it. And it has never been observed, so to treat it as fact is insulting to real facts. It requires some faith as well.

No. It had been observed, and it doesn't require any degree of faith to believe it.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Gravity is a fact and its been observed.

Gravity is a fact, just as Evolution is a fact. The Theory of Gravity is a model that is NOT a fact and has in fact been in troubled water after discovering that the observable universe didn't play ball in outer space. Have you ever heard of Dark Matter? More strangely, instead of galaxies' expansion slowing down as a result of attraction by gravity, it's accelerating. Which introduced Dark Energy into the model. What you confidently name as a fact has some serious opposition against it.

The Theory of Evolution likewise is not a fact, but a model which explains how the fact of Evolution works. These are two things you are confusing. We know Evolution is a fact. The model which works with the data we have available indeed isn't. But there aren't the Dark Matters and Dark Energies that the Theory of Gravity has to deal with.

A theory is a hypothesis that hasn't been proven false.

A Scientific Theory is a hypothesis that has been proven to work with the available data.

And the kicker is, there is more evidence against the Theory of Gravity, than there is against Evolution. Yet, you're only willing to accept Gravity as fact.

 

[Methos]

A lot of people don't believe in the American Moon Landings. Their claim is that all the evidence was faked.

I listened to a conversation about a guy who worked for the Missouri state capitol and took a call from an individual who claimed the space landing had been faked and we'd never been into space. The capital employee asked if the individual had satellite TV and he stated he did. The employee asked if we've never been into space, then how do you have satellite TV?

Gravity is a fact and its been observed. A theory is a hypothesis that hasn't been proven false. A fact is something that's been proven true.

You might want to look up the definition of theory before making such statements. A theory is an analysis based on facts (short version).
________________________

I was very surprised to find even in our day that there are people who still believe the Earth is flat. (Flat Earth Society).

 

[Dachs]

Gravity is a fact and its been observed. A theory is a hypothesis that hasn't been proven false. A fact is something that's been proven true.

I wonder how you reconcile this with any study of history at all.

 

[Traitorfish]

No, its you being too picky. It would be like docking for saying America instead of United States of America. OMG AMERICA IS NOT JUST THE US!!! You know damn well what the person meant, but you put on airs to pretend you are superior.

Actually, it's more like calling Germany "Prussia". Yes, we can probably infer from context what you meant, but it's still sloppy, archaic and simplistic.

 

[otago]

Not really since unification with Wales and Scotland was on the books.

The term The United Kingdom of Great Briton would be accurate for that time.
Even though the Irish did not rush to sign up until 1801

Scruffy colonists wanted to send a yank as a MP to London, well I never.

 

[Incodcito]

Creationism is not an "opinion", Creationism is a mythology. It has no more grounding than Norse, Greek, Chinese, Persian or Aztec mythology, and if you are to teach one, you are more or less obliged to teach them all. Fair's fair, after all.

So, yeah, arguing that it should be taught in schools is either stupid or entirely self-serving.

 

[Karalysia]

I'll be honest, that would be pretty awesome.

 

[Dumanios]

Every country on Earth has its ignorant morons, stupid people and the occasional ignorant reatrd stupid dumb idiot brain(less).