Are Americans Stupid? - Statistics, Studies and Research
Dmitri June 9th, 2007
We made a couple of posts concerning people’s perception of Americans around the world and the things American tourists do to enforce that perception. Now we come to the next part; are there any statistical data that gives any indication in favour of the world perception of Americans? The answer is yes, there is and I have compiled it right below, in this very article. Sources quoted, you can check them out for details on the studies and research methods.
USA scores the lowest in national average IQ among the developed countries of the world, at a national average score of 98. The data is obtained from IQ and Global Equality by Dr. Richard Lynn (professor of Psychology, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland) and Dr. Tatu Vanhanen (University of Tampere, Finland) who have done extensive research on the subject spanning several years. The national average IQ score of Americans at 98 is below 22 countries (including Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, North Korea and China). The low Intelligence Quotient (IQ) score of United States puts the Americans at a lower intelligence level on an average as compared to the other industralised nations.
The mathematical skills and abilities to process mathematical problems put America on a weak spot. American high school students scored 483 in the test Program for International Student Assessment. The average scores of American students were way below those of top scoring countries like South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, etc. all of whom scored between 503 and 544 (significantly higher than US scores). Mathematical skills, scientific temper and the ability to apply mathematical knowledge are essential in the present world and they are the roots of logical and scientific reasoning. If this becomes a weak point, a person’s ability to fare well in science, logical and anaytical thinking would suffer as well.
Another study as a special report by ABC showed that in scientific and mathematical skills, an average Belgian kid scored better than a skilled American. By age fifteen Americans fell behind 25 countries in this test. They scored worse than countries which spend much less in education. The report also states that in US, mediocrity is encouraged by monopoly of public school and opportunity based scholarships, which is hurting the academic ability of Americans when compared to the rest of the world. Yes, monopoly hurts because there is no competition to better oneself against, but when it comes to countries with lesser quality of education it says something. Those countries are not well off either but in spite of that they do better than US.
“American adults in general do not understand what molecules are (other than that they are really small). Fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only about 10 percent know what radiation is. One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.” This is an excerpt from an article by New York Times which did a study and survey of Americans to determine their awareness. Coming from a nation which does not teach the science of evolution, discourages a scientific outlook of the world and a lot of emphasis is laid on religious faith and education, the results are hardly surprising.
Now with all these statistics and research data it is up to you, the reader to decide if Americans really deserve the ’stupid’ tag. As with any nation, there are always exceptions which means not all Americans fit these statistics. But a majority of Americans do which creates the average data at a lower level than the other countries.
- Internationalism , America
- Comments(70)
I like this site! Well written and well spotted.
It will not be strange if Americans start crying foul because they have been PROVEN using FACTS. I like the way it is presented good job!.
I agree with a lot, except I am aware in many other countries the weaker students are place in tech schools so they aren’t competing. But why would you mention that?
@ericoak - I am unaware of such a trend. As far as I am aware, all the economically forward countries have their best students optiong for science and technology related fields unlike the conservative US where science and technology are looked down upon and soft skill jobs like law and consultancy regain supreme. No wonder kids are mathematically weak and uninspired, there is hardly any incentive to do so.
You’re analysis of the data isn’t only totally absurd, it’s also extremely shallow as well, as it shows who really is lacking in intelligence. Of course, when it comes to IQ scores the USA’s scores are going to lag behind all much smaller and more homogenous countries, simply due to the fact that the USA takes in a much greater percentage of immigration from the third world than all other countries! It’s also going to cause a few other statistics to lag as well. Don’t quit your day job you ignoramus!
@ A Zionist
We do not mind normal criticisms from Americans on articles as dealing with touchy and sensitive topics like this one. I did not however, expect blatant insults and personal attacks, false accusations it speaks for itself what you are.
First, all the countries US lags behind in IQ scores are not homogenous and small nations. The PRC of China which scores seven points above US scores has a population of 1.3 billion which is about 4 times that of US. It has a heterogenous mixture of Hans, Tibetans, Mandarins and Russians which disputes your claim of homogenity as well.
Secondly, you made made an errorenous claim that the US takes a greater percentage of foreign immigration than all other countries. The countries with the largest percentage of immigration are UK, France and New Zealand. In France 85% of immigration is from African countries where low IQ rates prevail. While in US, citizens of foreign origin are mostly from high IQ countries like China and Japan which should give it America a boost against France or UK; but seeminly it doesnt. And it is no suprise that the lowest scorers among Americans are not among the immigrant citizens but among the non-immigrant Americans.
Most of the brilliant scientists, doctors and academics are of European or Asian origin despite the fact that these people move to US only when unable to find a satisfactory job in their competitive home countries. You should be thanking the immigrants rather than spreading hate based propaganda against them, it is because of them that your nation did not score at par with sub-Saharan countries.
As for your comments against Dmitri, I would like to clarify that he has a better and more comfortable job compared to what you might have. I can say this for sure as I do not expect a person with the level of your prejudice to be able to do as well as he does.
If you’re between 13 and 25, you should know the answer to every one of theses questions; otherwise, you are a complete and utter idiot raised by derisory, useless parents who deserve a good beating for allowing you to be educated by worthless teachers uncaring of your future.
Who is the Vice president of the United States?
Who is the Secretary of Defense?
Who is the Secretary of the State?
Who is the Attorney General of the United States?
Who is Jeb Bush?
What does the D.C. in Washington D.C. stand for?
What are the Fundamental Orders of 1639?
Where is Iraq?
Where is Afghanistan?
What did the president of Iran do to America before he ever became Iran’s president?
Where is Iran?
Where is the United Nations, who runs it, and is it a good thing?
How would you the reader like to hear the answers to those questions posed to college students in my own college classes? Better yet, why don’t I give you the answer I give back to the 22 year old idiots awaiting Bachelor’s degrees in Law, Social Services—that’s the most popular because it’s a crime to be white and rich, therefore students must be taught to feel guilty for being born white, rich, and attending a private University in a wealthy town; and are brainwashed into believing they must change white society to one of communistic equality where no one has more than anyone and welfare is a wonderful thing for blacks to live on for eternity. And there are the Political Science majors such as myself. Some are conservative and have known the answers to the questions above since they were two and could put sentences together; but others, God help us, think Dick Cheney’s father was Hollywood’s Dracula.
[…] Are Americans Stupid? This is an excerpt from an article by New York Times which did a study and survey of Americans to determine their awareness. Coming from a nation which does not teach the science of evolution, discourages a scientific outlook of the world and a lot of emphasis is laid on religious faith and education, the results are hardly surprising. Now with all these statistics and research data it is up to you, the reader to decide if Americans really deserve the ’stupid’ tag. As with any nation, there are always exceptions which means not all Americans fit these statistics. But a majority of Americans do which creates the average data at a lower level than the other countries. […]
3 children of russian immigrants to the u.s decided to have fun at school. They got 3 piglets from the farm painted the #1 on one, the #2 on another and #4 on the last one, and freed them at school. Apart from causing total hysteria and havoc, the police and fire fighters spent 1 week searching for piglet #3!! After futile efforts the piglet was announced “missing”!! Another case, on my question, “who were the victors during ww 2?” most americans answered germany. I honestly dont know how this is possible. And everyone was so offended and i was given the “terrible” title of “nerd”. Nerd= anyone who has an IQ above 100, who can read more than 2 pages a day, who is interested in other things than just drinking, parties and prostitutes. American teenage translation!!
“3 children of russian immigrants to the u.s decided to have fun at school. They got 3 piglets from the farm painted the #1 on one, the #2 on another and #4 on the last one, and freed them at school. Apart from causing total hysteria and havoc, the police and fire fighters spent 1 week searching for piglet #3!! After futile efforts the piglet was announced “missing”!! Another case, on my question, “who were the victors during ww 2?” most americans answered germany. I honestly dont know how this is possible. And everyone was so offended and i was given the “terrible” title of “nerd”. Nerd= anyone who has an IQ above 100, who can read more than 2 pages a day, who is interested in other things than just drinking, parties and prostitutes. American teenage translation!!”
How would you know most americans answered Germany? Did you ask them all on your own?
don’t try to be a smart ass if you don’t know what your talking about. And by the way, Germany starts with an uppercase G. I’m an American teenager and i can assure you we don’t tell people who have an IQ above 100 nerds. And I know for a fact that most people read more than two pages a day. And no, not all americans are interested in drinking partying and prostitutes. And that is not an american teenage translation.
“Coming from a nation which does not teach the science of evolution, discourages a scientific outlook of the world and a lot of emphasis is laid on religious faith and education, the results are hardly surprising.”
oh please, im a high school student and that’s a bunch of bull. Evolution is being tought in schools, and so what if their is faith in schools. Its not like their is such a thing a seperation of church and state (for those of you who dont know, its in a letter written by Thomos Jefferson and he used a “wall of seperation”).
After reading this article I feel sad that this once great nation that was once regarded as a beacon of freedom and opportunity, is now scoring so low in IQ testing. Shouldn’t the promise of opportunity include higher education in one of the richest countries in the world? I am greatly concerned that the “fat stupid American” stereotype has been increasingly a topic of conversation worldwide.
Some of the comments here lash out at this article but never truly address the possible reasons behind it. Our entertainment is garbage, our food supply is full of chemicals, and you can make more money as a waiter than as a teacher, what can one expect when you add up all of these factors. It’s no wonder these stereotypes have become more prevalent.
Americans have lost more than their IQ rankings, Americans have lost their moral compass. Some Americans would rather confront this debate with rage and hatred in their hearts than discuss this issue intellectually with respect for other opinions even if they disagree. I suspect it is the insecurity that deep down there is truth to the stereotype that creates such intense emotions.
If we Americans are to change these scores we must begin with a paradigm shift in our hearts. We must not view those who would point out our shortcomings as the enemy, that is the same logic as killing the messenger. These are not failures which cannot be corrected but instead must be scene as the challenge of our generation. We need to take back control our bodies and minds and demand positive change by voting, informing others and being involved in political action. We must elevate the spirit of our fellow man if we are to deserve the prosperity this country has given us.
Well said my friend Jay. If we are to build a better world we cannot do it with an attitude of ‘nukes and bombs’. Americans can’t hope for peace while they remain woefully ignorant how the world works and their government bombs any country they don’t see eye to eye. There is no ‘evil’ country, it is just difference of ideas and diplomacy is the art of seeing things from different points of view. Americans lack in this diplomacy which is why Switzerland mediated for US in Iran Hostage Crisis and came out successfully while Americans faced a lot of casualties with their ‘bombs and guns’ approach to recue operation. American people must stop being so xenophobic and ignorant of the world and open up more to see how it really is. It isn’t a world of ‘God blessed Americans’ and ‘damn evil commies’.
@ Lisa Richards. Good test questions there, except “Is the United Nations a good thing?” is a question of opinion. Asking if ANYTHING is a good thing is a question of opinion no matter how obvious the answer might be, even as simple a question as “is it a good thing to breathe?” But I guess you can gauge intelligence on how a person answers the “is it good” question, but the important answer would be to the question “why is it (or not) a good thing?”
America teaches and tests everybody. Special Education students attend classes with regular Education students. In the mix are the non and emerging English speaking students. The statistics may show that we are stupid, but we teach our own and everybody elses regardless of their ability. England is the only other country that educates everyone. IQ is a number. I’ve taught plenty of idiots with high IQ’s. The stupid are those that sit on their high horses compiling statics, and believing that’s the whole story. Go solve a calculus problem and get back to me later.
I always see the world as one country,no borders, with people speaking different languages also with all different cultures respecting each other, understanding that no one is better than anybody else and justifying people who doesn’t have manners because the lack of opportunity in their education.
Probably because I was born and raised in a 3rd country (Peru), I am still asking myself how education can be more meaningful for my students? here in US, Spain or in Peru still looking for a good answer …. sometimes I answer with this crazy idea that the goverment need ignorants to continue taking advange and make whatever they want to do with out any kind of oposition.
I don’t know anything, I am still learning … I for sure I’ll continue until I found the answers to my questions.
Yeah, I agree for the most part, however, there are a few things that are skewed. Yes, Americans are ignorant for the most part and cannot think of anything that does not consist of themselves, but here is my reasoning behind that: world affairs do not affect them directly. For example, gas. Gas prices continue to go up, it is the reason for the war, yet all we do is complain and blame a polital party, but we are completely oblivious to the fact the more we drive around in our cars (because we hardly have any form of public transportation), the more the US relies on oil, and the more gas prices go up. See, we cannot think of anything but ourselves - we cannot possibly think that our excessive use in natural resouces is affecting the rest of the world.
School. Students today, take advantage of education. They go because they have to, not because the want to, and whether or not they pay attention…..I think you already know the answer to that. Also, teachers have a strict criteria on what they can and cannot teach. They cannot teach who the Prime Minister of Canada is because they are too busy teaching the nutshell of the entire world history - that’s right, teachers somehow have to teach over a thousand years of history in just a few weeks; most colleges have an entire course on one event in history. Perhaps we have a reason why we do not know everything. Oh, just so you know creationism AND evolution is taught in most schools. Choosing one over the other is extremely controversial and makes the headlines…..or maybe you guys did not know that and maybe you guys need to brush up on your US knowledge.
IG test: WHO TAKES THOSE?! In my entire life - even though it hasn’t been that long - i have never taken or ever known someone who has taken a legitimate IQ test. So I don’t know where you got this research or where “IQ and Global Equality” got their test subjusts, but they sure did not get it from a large sample. Oh, and I went to the link that is listed in the article and it sent me to wikipedia.com. You should know that wikipedia is NOT a credible source because anyone can change/add/delete information from it. So i suggest changing that link because right now i do not believe a word of it - IQ and Global Equality is a book, did YOU read it? Another thing about IQ Tests: they are very controversial here in the US because one cannot possibly measure an IQ. The more you take it, the better you get at it and you can take it one day and be a complete genius and then the next day and you are dumb as a post.
The Media: Sadly, not everyone watches/reads the news, so they would not know what is going on in the world and those who do read/watch can only know what is printed. The media does not print everything that is going on in the world. Lately, all we here about is Iraq and how political figures cause scandals - after awhile, we can only take but so much.
I personally blame the media because there are issues going in the world that they will not write about. Like child soldiers, I had no idea that that was going on and I had to learn about it through 3 young guys and not through the media.
World affairs is not a single and specific event that should affect someone directly like say, a train accident would. It is a complex phenomena that encompasses global politics, economics, cultural differences and social issues so assuming such a thing to affect anyone directly would be logically flawed. World affairs affects everyone in the way it defines the living conditions and choices of a person. Americans can’t run away from it, it will haunt them like the WTC attacks did.
You would have thought of it if the governments didn’t have the luxury of securing oil by coercing or forcing other countries to part with it at cheaper rates for Americans.
Is it necessary for a 9th or 10th grader non-Canadian to know who the Prime Minister of Canada is? If they had such trivia in school, I’d rather consider is a waste of time and teaching effort.
That is what happens in almost every country’s schools. No country can afford to teach in school, world histories in indepth detail. If Americans learned at least what they were taught in school, they wouldn’t have been so ignorant that they make themselves a laughing stock in non-American crowds, whenever they try to talk about world histories. Moreover schools are not the place where a person learns everything worth learning.
Actually we know this one very much, it is another point at the extent of American stupidity. I must say anyone who really thinks a religious dogma should be taught as a school course rather than scientific study is somewhat wrong in the head. An intelligent and reasonable society would never let religious bigots create a controversy over science and logic.
How would you know that did not get the average scores from a large sample? Would you care to elaborate your arguments to back up your point (if any)? You are simply in an illogical denial of a worldwide research because you don’t want to accept it.
This is internet and we have to make do with the best resource that is available online. I would choose Wikipedia over a CIA or US government resource anytime because Wikipedia, due to its open nature is far less prone to one sided bias and opinions, hence one of the most credible sources in the internet. If you have a personal problem with an such a resource, then I suggest you buy or borrow the books I mentioned.
The information about Dr. Flynn’s book was provided by me and I did read it before handing the data. In case you are not aware, we cannot make an online ‘link’ to a paper book using any currently available technology. I suggest you buy the book or borrow it from a library if you want to check it out. The best we can provide online is an encyclopaedic resource that makes a sypnosis of the book and the research methodology behind it..
You have a misconception here. If an IQ test is administered on a person, corrected for Flynn’s Effect, age and other such variables, the score would be more or less same for a person throughout his/her life. You cannot become a genuius by taking a test with the same paper twice or more, that is not a test; it is cheating.
The media gives people what they want to hear - in short it satisfies cutomer demands while keeping the government happy. If American people were more interested in the lives of Palestinian refugees rather than Britney Spear’s latest boyfriend, they would have got that from the media. You can easily notice the bias in the American media outlets when you compare the airtimes that is dedicated to report Isareli deaths to Palestinian attacks against Palestinian deaths to Israeli attacks. Its a 40:1 airtime bias here, which results in American public support for the facist and racist activities of Israelis against Palestinians. An analytical and smart mind sees the trend bias here, while a stupid mind can’t see the difference.
our public schools are not allowed to teach creationism by the way, only evolution. American schools are actually very politically correct about not offending someone’s specific religious beliefs, etc. They actually tend to go kind of overboard in fact. It’s definately clear that students learning and actually retaining that information is a problem everywhere in the world, it takes a real dedication for all people to keep up with those kinds of things.
I actually wouldn’t mind having a real, intelligent discussion about these kinds of issues, bt it always ends up the american viewpoints being insulted back or our country just being mocked, which is quite annoying, and very easy to do with our position in the world.
Anyway, no offence or anything, but this does seem like pretty much an elitist website where your countries are perfect and ours is the horrible one, so i think we should all just show some respect and not be so hostile.
Aby, you obviously misread everything i wrote: I AM AGREEING THAT AMERICANS ARE IGNORANT, myself included. Do I wish I could learn more? Yes. My oil explaination was an example of how ignorant we areMost of the stuff I said, I was calling it as a see it. I don’t know ANYONE who has taken an IQ test and I asked many of them if they knew anyone and they said no as well. Did I ask everyone? No. Does that mean that I think IQ are useless? No. As for you not trusting a US government website, well, that is your opinion. Students are told by their teachers and professor NOT to use them in a credible paper. Does that mean student don not use them for background information? No. If Americans do not use/remember the stuff they are taught when they were in school - which they don’t, I admitted to us not taking advantage of education - it means that their profession does not require it. We have a phase “if you don’t use it, you lose it” and that is what has happened to most of us.
I was not disagreeing, but trying to explain some pitiful reasoning behind our ignorance. Just because I believe Americans are ignorant does not mean that I will not defend. Oh. and by the way I did go back to the wikipedia webpage and your country, the Czech Republic, has the same IQ as the US so I suggest you spending your time mocking the US and worry about your own country since you believe the US has such a low IQ.
Or are you Swiss and in that case your country is 3 points higher. I clearly do not know anything about IQ tests, but what is that one question more.
American schools by and large do not operate on a policy of marketisation. This is quite a stereotypically British policy in which schools compete in order to acquire league table places and more funding from the government. although it has its massive flaws it does in fact drive up standards. All countries around the world have faith schools in which their is inevitably a bias against teaching children scientific methodology and it would be ridiculous to believe that America is the only place where this does occur.
The American education system is based on ascribed status more than achieved status. Never before have i witnessed such an overtly unfair system in which one can “buy” places into top colleges OR get in because they’re particularly good at sports. Even in Britain such elitism exists but in substantially lesser numbers and is ALSO less BLATANT. In fact i am utterly appalled at the fact that one can gain a sports scholarship (some jock who can barely count to 10 taking the place of a gifted and intelligent individual) however this is a real and disturbing reality in America.
American culture is also inherently flawed. its focus is FAR too much in favour of entertainment in the form of overindulgence in foods, sports etc. Go to the Central Business District of any American settlement and there will be buffets as far as the eye can see ( i know since i went to some of these). The average American child is encouraged to worship the Lord and hate Muslims and be good at sport then they are to be curious. This is of course no surprise as once you arm a child with intelligence they start to question the idiotic and racist society that they find themselves in.
NOW at this point you probably think I’m some left wing European who hates America… well you’re half right. Let me tell you a short story to illustrate my point. My family and i were in the Louvre in France when we met and greeted a young American couple. We all spoke in English accents and said we were from Manchester. They seem puzzled and went “what Manchester New Hampshire (in america). In my mind this was a blatant demonstration of the insular mindset of the average American. The poor couple!!! they couldn’t fathom that there was in fact a world outside America.
For a developed country i am constantly struck by the xenophobic and islamophobic attitude of the average American. I strongly believe although that these statistics do have their flaws they can be easily explained by some analysis.Take the American political system and compare it to the British political system. Yes there is a gigantic difference. On the whole British politicians are well spoken/mannered intelligent and can actually hold an intellectual conversation which doesn’t reflect a deep rooted and racist bias.You actually get the feeling that these politicians actually got into Oxbridge on their own merit. On the other hand the American politician is usually a devout Christian who is ignorant of evolution (and the finer details of it for that matter) cannot even begin to describe how climate change occurred and is very happy to manipulate the crowd with some Christian jargon or some display of feminine emotion (Hilary Clinton I’m looking at you) and probably bought their way into Yale or Harvard.
OF COURSE you cannot just generalize based on these statistics but they do an excellent job in reinforcing what I have seen and experienced in the USA. In short, the American education system does not encourage competition (unless in some form of sport) pays lip service to evolution ( but the same old anti scientific bias can be seen if you hold a conversation with a young American child), is completely unmeritocratic, and in fact is actually there to reinforce and maintain the idiotic American world view. In fact these statistics come as no surprise. JUST IMAGINE if an American was in fact intelligent enough to challenge the establishment on intellectual grounds. It would mean the end of American civilization as we know it. Just imagine if instead of eating yourselves to death you actually worked (YES I SAID WORKED) for a place in college ( instead of letting some rich bigot bail you out) and if you actually STOPPED CARING about when Paris Hilton gets out of jail, you might have a higher standing in the view of developed European countries who now easily outstrip the average American in virtues such as tolerance,dilligence, awareness of world affairs and scientific curiosity.
I hardly mentioned anything about my countries, far less to claim any country is perfect. I hope people would show some respect and not attempt to put words into others’ mouths.
It is not only a problem of Americans, anyone with an opinion would get mocked in a discussion by someone who disagrees with them. If we can have a reasonable discussion without being abusive and insulting, we need to be resilient enough to withstand criticisms in the interests of free speech.
I didn’t see this as something that warrants a reply and hence I chose to ignore this part. I am not here to prove Americans ignorant because I honestly do not believe that every American is an ignorant moron. I rather think the article author Dmitri put together a few statistical data to emphasise that these statistics point towards the implication that a majority of Americans do come off as stupid when compared to other First World nations. I would rather have you honestly disagree with me than using general ‘icebreakers’ like ‘I agree’ to loosen up a discussion (if that is what you are hinting at).
Considering that IQ tests aren’t a part of any of the compulsory academic assessments, it would not be out of place that none of the people in your circle took them. It goes beyond the practical aspects of a psychological research and statistical method to take the IQ test of every single individual or even a large majority of a country with 300 million people. We can get fairly accurate results if we take 2000 people from different regions and backgrounds of the United States to account for all the variances that one would come across the population of US.
I would trust a US government site to be as unbiased about the world as an Al Qaeda site would be about its ideals on suicide bombing. It has less to do with my personal opinions and more to do with the inherent bias in favour of their ideals. What would make a CIA site any more credible than an Al Qaeda site? Both these organisations are extremist groups that subscribe to their own self-righteous ideals and would break the law to the extent of extreme violence to achieve their ideals.
This is nothing but an attempt at a logical fallacy “Ad Hominem” on you part, which is missed as I am as much a Czech as you are a Tibetan monk. In any case since Dr. Richard Lynn’s tests were based on English questions. It is expected of non-English countries to score slightly lower on verbal assesments than English countries, despite the corrective measures taken. This however does not constitute any lower level of intelligence for those countries any more than your inability to do well on a Greek IQ test would indicate a sub-human intelligence for you.
To “A Zionist”:
No, USA does not take in more immigrants from the third world than all the other industrialized countries. Don’t start with a lot of bullshit to try to make you look like the good guys who suffers because you want to help out the third world. It’s just bullshit. I live in Sweden and we took in SO many more Iraqi refugees last year that even ONE town, called Södertälje, took in more Iraqi immigrants than the WHOLE of USA. Despite this USA does take in more refugees total, from all countries, but in proportion of the population of the country Sweden admitted a lot more. I mention this because the proportion is what matters int his discussion since, the statistics which we are discussing are based on proportion (percentage) so even though USA, in total, admits more immigrants (I’m not sure USA take in more immigrants from the third world, though, but form all of the world they do…) it wouldn’t matter since Sweden admits a bigger percentage of the country’s total population hence, the immigration to Sweden would effect Sweden’s statistics a lot more than the immigration to USA would effect their statistics. Besides, the immigrants USA lets in to their country are mostly pretty well educated, something which has contributed a lot to the so called “brain drain” of the third world, and would effect USA IQ-statistics in a positive way and not in a negative way as you’re implying. Sweden, however, take sin mostly uneducated poor immigrants and refugees (look at the links and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Especially the refugees from Iraq) If you don’t believe me I can give you some links to verify what I’m saying, unlike you, who just comes up with a lot of bullshit to make your country look better than it is. here’s an intelligent discussion. Anyone wants to join it? Or maybe it was just empty words which served to diminish the critique of USA on this post? Anyway, if you’ve, unlike our friend “A Zionist”, got something intelligent and valid to say on this topic, either you’re from USA, Sweden or whatever, don’t hesitate. Here are some links:
http://www.unhcr.se/Pdf/statistics/2007_Asylum_Report.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/opinion/27cohen.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?theSitePK=1572893&contentMDK=20665646&menuPK=1719317&pagePK=64168182&piPK=64168060
besides Sweden is not a homogeneous nation, about 2 million (out of 9 million) people have a foreign background.
Didnt we kick the crap out of, and save the ass of, several European countries, even tho we tried to stay out of WWII but Japan made the mistake of F**king with us (and look what happened)?
Or is the whole “holocaust” a big lie and the USA never bothered to save Germany, England, etc???
Maybe that means Europe is a bunch of lying little girls who cant handle their own past or current problems & needs to rely on a better country to save them???
While a majority of “current” america seems stupid (almost retarded) keep in mind some of us aren’t as “dumb” as you think and will quickly stomp red white & blue into your forehead.
I for one think the USA needs a good kick in the arse to wake itself up from the slacker attitude its come into. Anyone care to Nuke us???
It’ s surprising that Indian IQ is only 81.
I would like to see the IQ charts to see the placement of the country’s. because I wont to know Canada’s score. seeing how close we are to America.
another thing I would have to agree with some of these acquisitions. IQ test are questionable at best, I just don’t think there an accredit, way to test intelligentsias. I remember this one girl in my class got perfect scores all the time, but soon as she opened her mouth, wow. the thing is this girl was a whiz at studying, but she was one of the stupidest people I have ever meet and racist too. The girl didn’t have an original thought in her head, trust me this was the hole classes opinion.
oh ps we here in Canada, have this show were we ask them bogus questions like, the white rhinos, are going wild in Canada, so we passed a law to kill them off by using timbits (timbits are small donuts in Canada). Another of my favorers its we ask there opinion, of how prime minister poutine (poutine is Canadian French fries) has just won the elections.
@ Semperfi - LoL, here we have a angry redneck. USA saved the ass of Europe? Yeah, of coz, you always liberated the whole europe, the whole Asia, Iraq, Philippines and everyone should suck your balls, lol, whatever makes you feel better. The author is right, there is nothing that beats American stupidity.
It is my experience is that Yanks,
just don’t care . . . ignorance is bliss . . .
robban- usa’s immigrants are not well educated. There are some that are but 39% of our immigrants do not have a high school diploma. I also just read an article showing how on average american natives do much better on iq tests than immigrants. I have no doubt that sweden admitted more iraqis than us obviously but most of our immigrants are from latin america and most of those are from mexico - many are poor and very uneducated. Canada and the UK have also seen a substantial brain drain, but like america, there are also many native born scientists and other innovative intellectual people. Also, the only countries to get a higher percentage of immigrants than us were australia, canada, and new zealand.
anyway, i’m really not trying to start a fight here, just giving the simple truth. i don’t know why it is so important for some non-americans to try to “prove” how stupid or bad we are. most of us are against bush and the war in iraq- did you know that? Also, the stats show that america’s iq is the same as australia and it is also higher than many european countries, such as ireland. so how are we the worst scoring or the stupidest?
and i also agree with bryan, iq tests are basically complete bullshit, so why are we all up in arms waving these meaningless numbers at each other?
@ Ben
Can you please furnish us with a link to this article? Also, I think you’re getting stupidity confused with a lack of education.
@ SemperFi
It’s interesting that the terminology you used does not go well with the current disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ignorance certainly is bliss. Are you actually a Marine or just blowing smoke? After all, it’s one thing to voice nationalistic sentiment, but a whole new ball game to make a reasonable point and you seem to be failing on both counts. The U.S. can barely govern weak nations like Iraq and Afghanistan, let alone “save” most of Europe. For the record, Russian actions turned the tide of World War II; we merely capitalized on these gains. I can provide a reference to anyone interested. As for the Japan comment, that one came to bite us in the @$$ in what became known as the Cold War. Clearly, the short-sighted attitude we displayed put (to date) seven explicit nuclear states—to hell with the formal definition in the NPT—and one threshold nuclear state, as opposed to one. Plus, the loss of civilian life was significant. Your comment that the U.S. is a better country is absurd. The standard of living in Europe is much higher. To put things in perspective, the cabs in some European countries are BMW—the UAE utilizes Mercedes for their cabs—as opposed to the Ford Crowns used in the U.S. I can offer more insight, but unfortunately, my time is rather limited today.
This is not the first time I have come across this topic. Unfortunately “facts are facts” and if it was an isolated incident where Americans score lower on their IQ’s or in mathematics, this would be a time to debate but it is not. So argue all you want…it wont change a damn thing and will not make the scores any higher. I think part of the problem is not just the education but the fact that a lot of Americans are lacking the will to learn. They do not feel the need to pick up an encyclopedia or read an educational book. This does NOT mean they are dumb, it has more to do with the society that they are living in. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that they are just interested in getting wasted and taking drugs (which someone has posted earlier) but I would say that ones they leave work or school all the want to do is entertain themselves. That’s normal except that to an average American that means watching a football game or reading a gossip magazines. To most people in other countries, a well written history book or even a math book is considered a form of entertainment as well. PART OF THE PROBLEM
Source: National Geographic
33% of respondents couldn’t pinpoint Louisiana on a map.
Fewer than three in 10 think it important to know the locations of countries in the news and just 14 percent believe speaking another language is a necessary skill.
Two-thirds didn’t know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.
Six in 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.
Forty-seven percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia.
Seventy-five percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.
Nearly three-quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language.
Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world.
Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.
It is well-known fact that the youth of a nation is the nation’s future. American sociologists from the National Geographic Society decided to do a research to find what the future of the USA will be. And actually their findings were far from being promising.
More than 500 young American adults between the ages of 18 and 24 took part in the survey. They were asked geographical questions about the modern world. At the end of the test they demonstrate a limited understanding of the world beyond their country’s border. In this survey young Americans answered about half (54%) of all the questions correctly.
The results showed causes for concern. Here are the most evident examples of young Americans’ illiteracy.
Only 37% of young Americans can find Iraq on a map - though U.S. troops have been there since 2003.
6 in 10 young Americans don’t speak a foreign language fluently.
20% of young Americans think Sudan is in Asia. (It’s the largest country in Africa.)
48% of young Americans believe the majority population in India is Muslim. (It’s Hindu—by a landslide.)
Half of young Americans can’t find New York on a map.
Three-quarters cannot find Indonesia on a map – even after images of the tsunami and the damage it caused to this region of the world played prominently across television screens and in the pages of print media over many months in 2005.
The majority of the American young adults overestimate the total size of the US population and fail to understand how much larger the population of China is.
Three-quarters believe English is the most common spoken native language in the world, rather than Mandarin Chinese.
Only Two-thirds (67%) can find Louisiana on a US map and half (52%) can find Mississippi – leaving a third or more who cannot find these states, in spite of months of intensive media coverage of the 2005 hurricanes and their aftermath.
These results suggest that young people in the United States - the most recent graduates of our educational system - are unprepared for an increasingly global future. Far too many lack even the most basic skills for navigating the international economy or understanding the relationships among people and places that provide critical context for world events.
Source: National Geographic
http://www.vdare.com/rubenstein/051222_nd.htm
Bharat - there’s the website. this is only one of several sources supporting similar data also. read the whole article. enjoy.
Bharat- here’s another one. this source shows 31% of immigrant adults do not have a high school diploma. again, there are several sources on there. i also do think that the continental european schools are most likely better than the north american and british ones, especially with our current lacking governments, but this is a point to be made.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-28-immigrants_N.htm
I am an American working abroad. Reluctantly, I must agree with most points made in the article. I come in touch with many different cultures and I must say that ignorance among American kids is, unfortunately, rampant.
Thank you so much Semperfi….. you have flawlessly demonstrated the American condition which is “Americans bailed out the cowardly Europeans and we have lots of nukes therefore making us a great nation.. GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS AMERICA ( its quite saddening to realise that this is how Americans communicate)”. This therefore gives even the dullest American an unjustified superiority complex. Here’s a reality check: 1. your economy is in complete tatters- all China has to do to dig America’s grave is to ask for all its loans back ( although i can’t see this happening). 2. throughout history America has displayed itself as an extremely cowardly nation. Take WW1… America only joined when it was clear that it was no longer in their interests NOT TO retain its isolationist policy.. in short the USA only joined to conserve their own selfish interests. 3. The majority of all Americans are clinically obese… yes what a great a nation… a VERY GREAT nation (if you catch my drift). 4.America will not reign supreme in worldwide political affairs for much longer as the political might of China is set to rise exponentially in the following years 5. despite your military superiority.. you were stalemated by Vietnamese villagers (obviously much more intelligent than the average American… they used their brains and realised that the average dim USA soldier would be easily outsmarted by guerrilla warfare) 6. your president is by all standards an idiot and a disgrace… you know what they say.. a political leader is more often than not a good representative of the people. 7. the proficiency of the average American child in terms of mathematical and linguistic ability is now falling below Asian levels (it fell below western European levels A LOOOOONG time ago) according to a recent Gallup poll. 8. despite the idiotic fixation with patriotism that the average American possesses, your country has a very limited and superficial history ( LOL you only gained independance from the UK about 230 years ago) 9. most Europeans including myself ( to some extent) utterly deride and ridicule Americans now…. you are the PUNCHLINE of all the world’s jokes. 10. America really doesnt have a very good track record for human rights…… GUANTANAMO BAY… enough said.
Just as a sidebar, to set the record straight - ignorance is by far not limited to Americans. I was in a meeting with a gentleman from Scotland the other day and over lunch we chatted about travel. I mentioned I had spent most of last year in Bavaria. His astonishing comment was “Where is Bavaria”? It is like asking some hillbilly from the depths of Appalachia where California was. Even he would probably know.
@ neworleanian - For the average Scot, it is not a sign of ignorance if he is unable to tell where a quaint nondescript German state is. If I were to ask an average American over lunch, where Manaus or Maracaibo is, we would meet the same results.
You’re right neworleanian. No one (or i hope no one) is suggesting that Americans are uniquely stupid. HOWEVER they do display a complete disregard for political affairs or even general knowledge about other countries ( you’d think this type of knowledge would be necessary for the world’s foremost economic power… well apparently not.) and on average their aptitude in science and maths is disproportionately low with regards to the country’s wealth and ability to provide a better quality education.
Miloy04 - I agree with you. Generalizations are dangerous, but I will agree that average Americans display more ignorance about the rest of the world than average Europeans. I have worked and lived in a bunch of different countries around the world, therefore I can say that.
A well made point Aby. However even if you did not know that Bavaria was a German state, i would be surprised if one had absolutely no idea about even the general location of Bavaria
Generalisations are indeed extremely dangerous and potent tools for generating hatred. It is important to understand that not ALL Americans display these traits. However having said this there are observable patterns within American culture which i have witnessed first hand and have compared to European culture. I’ve noticed that Western Europeans usually have a much greater command of other languages (and a greater willingness to learn them) then Americans (and to some extent Britons). Quite amusingly i have also noticed how countries like France have such a low regard for American culture and their foreign policy in general.
The question “are Americans stupid” is very emotive and inflammatory. In its essence this question is MEANT to cause controversy… this is what sparks interesting and a varied debate. The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no. The question probes for a response which is well thought out and based on real experience and sound evidence. That’s why i find it highly annoying when the “American condition” is displayed so blatantly even in this blog. After hearing senseless lies about how America “bailed Europe out” and how America is therefore deserving of respect I am almost tempted to answer this question with a plain YES.
Hi Aby - sounds logical but your argument seems to undermine the whole point of this forum. If a Scotsman cannot be labeled ignorant for not knowing where Bavaria is, then - applying equal logic - the average American Joe cannot be labeled ignorant for not knowing what or where Manaus is. But that’s not what this forum is about, is it? I thought the whole point of this forum was to show that, on average, there are more ignorant people in America then there are in Europe. Maybe there needs to be a commond definition of “what is ignorance”?
I have to disagree here. On the contrary it will be virtually impossible and extremely dangerous to live a life without generalisation. When you visit a doctor, you generalise and trust that the doctor is going to treat you. You would not employ convicted paedophiles in schools because you generalise that a paedophile would sexually predate on children. One shouldn’t mistake generalisation with stereotypes.
I agree with that. Something that is already made clear in the article above, by Dmitri when he said, “there are always exceptions which means not all Americans fit these statistics”.
Something that can be found anywhere in Europe, not just Western Europe. Most Russians (I have met) for example, have a strong command over Russian plus French, German or their native ethnic languages.
The ‘culture’ and foreign policy of United States is in its early adolescence, with the same level of superficiality, angst and immaturity. This is the reason why American ‘pop’ culture finds so many takers among youngsters in the developing world, it represents what they want to live life as. For the average French who lives a better life than an American, there is no reason they would hold high regards for the US culture or foreign policy.
Agreed. Precise answers and political correctness rarely leave a room for a discussion.
I’m afraid you missed your own point and changed stance. You seemed to make the suggestion that a person’s intelligence can be judged just by their awareness of a non-descript state in a foreign country. Yet you bash me when I give you a taste of your own assumption.
Not really. If the point of this article is what you say it is, then it would have become an elitism of sorts. Rather I think, the aim of this article is to point out that Americans in general are far more intellectually deficient than they are supposed to be.
Generalisations in their broadest sense means forming patterns amongst groups of unique individuals. This in itself is very dangerous. We do generalise a lot in aspects of our lives. However these generalisations are ones of convenience. Humans couldn’t function if they couldn’t form some patterns about the world they occupy. On the other hand the context in which we are speaking prohibits the use of generalisations since this offer far too simplistic a view. For example it would be incorrect to state that in general Americans are stupid. In fact it would even be a pinch (although amongst Europeans and people who have been to the US would accept that this is mostly a fact) to say that Americans are less willing to learn other languages. This is why I stress that i have noticed this phenomenon and not that this phenomenon is in itself a fact.
The formation of stereotypes in itself is as a result of a generalisation that has been widely accepted. This generalisation then goes on to be amplified and overexaggarated leading to the formation of a stereotype. In this context the generalisation is made that on the whole Americans are either stupid or their culture is such that they do not lay heavy emphasis on educational enrichment and therefore appear ignorant. This generalisation is amplified into the form we see it today…. all Americans are stupid,ignorant neo conservative zealots who are totally unaware of world affairs. Most would agree that this is not true but in are liberal European anti American paradigm, it has been accepted as an accurate depiction of the average American.
However analysis of the statistics coupled with personal experience would inevitably lead most (even those using strict scientific methodology) to conclude that Americans are stupid. Instead i choose to believe and I also conclude that on average an American adult is far less academically orientated then any European equivalents. This comes as absolutely no surprise when American culture is studied in detail. Religious fanaticism ( which does bot by enlarge encourage scientific curiosity as being more important than the stalwart adherence to the dogmatic nature of the religion) coupled with the rise of an overabundance of cheap energy rich food, and with the heavy emphasis on sports and other forms of entertainment, academia is therefore given a lower priority and lower status. This is clearly shown by the negative connotations that arise from the “nerd” archetype in American culture who is socially awkward, perceived as overly interested in academics and gets the least attention from females.
Here’s a little something to make you all feel better…
Stupid people are EVERYWHERE, and they can be ANYBODY.
Last time I checked, there wasn’t a whole lot of common sense being used in the last few centuries, which is why we seem to keep wanting to blow each other up over whose God is bigger.
Just a thought…
In response to what some where saying… I got a huge chuckle out of that person who ran into an American in Europe who didn’t know that Manchester was in England and then went on to say, “Americans don’t realize that there’s another country besides America”. This is funny for me because that stupid American was IN ANOTHER COUNTRY! lol
How contradictory?
By the way, those VERY same stupid Americans don’t even know about their OWN country, so I don’t understand the “xenophobic” or “Amerocentric” labels placed on them. Could you call an American who cannot locate NY on a map, “Anti-American”? Just something to think about.
Next, Racism.
Racism, prejudice, bigotry — they’re all quite alike, right? It’s pretty much judging someone before even meeting them. It’s a collective hatred based on a group to where someone belongs to. My advice: If you’re going to take constant pot shots at Americans for being stupid (See, you cannot do this with blacks, right?), don’t pretend that you’re the tolerant person that you say you are. Again, I’m speaking to ALL - not just the person who posted this.
Knowledge of Multiple Languages:
We boast no more bilingualism than that of the Canadians. We take courses in Spanish here (well, at least I did). Canadians take French. But can either of us carry a conversation with a Frenchman or a Hispanic? That’s a different story.
Next, it is only natural that Europeans can speak 2+ languages. Look at where you’re living! For example, you can hop on the chunnel in England and be in the next country in no time and even visit several countries in a day. Your borders are all so close to one another and the sizes of most countries in Europe aren’t even half the size of California. The continent of Europe is similar to the country of the US in terms of borders. If each state in the US was another country, well of course, we’d be multilingual too! I am currently living in TX, and it takes 12 hours just to drive out of the state!! Additionally, contrary to popular belief, Americans cannot afford to travel AS MUCH. We aren’t as rich as the stereotypes proclaim. Plane tickets to go abroad? Thousands of dollars. Plus, we have the least amount of vacation time compared to the rest of the world. These are just some thing to take in consideration. Are there many Americans who just don’t care? Sure, there are. I’m just explaining some of the possible reasons that are more than often overlooked.
I will agree that Americans are ignorant. I’m not pretty sure that we’re the most ignorant, though - after my having lived in Japan for 6.5 years. The Japanese people, generally speaking, are VERY politically apathetic. They have very limited knowledge of the world around them. They, just like Americans, watch silly meaningless TV shows and “ooh” and “aaah” over their favorite celebrities. And just like Americans, they are superficial and materialistic (in the general sense of the term). They also have the same kind of light-hearted nature many Americans exhibit.
Now, I’m not talking about anyone in here as I didn’t notice any blatant ignorance about the US, but being a member of Facebook along a part other social networking sites, it never ceases to amaze me the misconceptions and distorted views that many from other countries have about the US. And the reason this confuses me is because it’s those very same people who brag that they are the experts of “worldly matters”, the “experts” on America, and they’re the same people that cannot have a conversation without taunting Americans.
Now, I do realize that the author said that there were exceptions to this “rule”. How many exceptions? How many Americans don’t fit this “stupid” mold? 3? 4? 20? We are a nation of 300+ million people that come from all over the planet. I will agree that the Christian religious fanatics play a HUGE role in making American look as dumb as dirt. As an atheist, I am embarrassed by these people. They really, really, really, are DUMB. My bias, but I feel it free game to talk about their stupidity. And we have a lot of fanatics here, you know? The quiet Christians, though - I’ve met a lot of them and they have a significant more intelligence compared with the fundamental Christians. There’s a HUGE difference. So, just because someone believe that a God exists, doesn’t automatically qualify them as “stupid”. I just qualify them as a people that need a crutch to handle the “rough bumps” in life. They use an imaginary figure to “lean on”.
But I don’t see where Canada’s or Europe’s Christianophobia is any different from America’s Islamophobia? Yes, Christian zealots are violent and immoral - and I feel that they are self-righteous hypocrites too. But fanatics of any religion will be DUMB and a bit dangerous, no? As for me, I just very well may be Islamophobic. Why? Because I don’t like Islamic FUNDAMENTALISM. If you’re a moderate Muslim, no problem. If you’re a quite Christian, no problem. Let’s just say… I don’t like violent people?
Paris Hilton? We H-A-T-E her here. Just like you guys do. If we watch her on TV it’s only because, just like some of you Europeans, like to watch STUPID PEOPLE make even bigger fools out of themselves. Please don’t judge us over Paris Hilton. But at the same time, being that I’m a subscriber to several European newspapers online, it never ceases to amaze me how often she appears in the Daily Mail.
Coincidently, yesterday I had written a post in my blog about American stupidity. If you want to take a look at it, be my guest.
Last but not least, if those IQ statistics ARE correct, America’s not doing too bad, actually. Just a few points behind some developed countries. Mmmm… not bad. I sometimes got “B’s” in school. I could have easily called myself “dumb”, but I didn’t. I thought making a “B” in my class was… not so bad.
Anyway, once again, I’m not replying DIRECTLY to the author as much as I am replying to all the comments that I read.
Thanks for letting me share my feelings here.
@ Virgomonkey going to a foreign country does not automatically provide awareness of that country. I see no contradiction in the example you provided. The example provided was merely a demonstration of how despite blinding evidence that the people in question were English and therefore much more likely to come from Manchester in Britain than Manchester New Hampshire in the USA, the couple, armed with their ignorance blurted out ” what Manchester New Hampshire” without a second thought.
Although this has been covered in another blog American tourists are renowned for their lack of awareness and their innate superiority complex when visiting other countries. Ive seen many on the “stupid American tourist blog” attest to this. This is not to say that ALL Americans behave like this.
No one in this forum (I hope no one) is suggesting that all Americans are stupid. They are merely identifying cultural trends which may contribute to this label. As i have gone to GREAT pains throughout this WHOLE forum to emphasize, unsubstantiated generalisations about the American people cannot and should not be made.
Proximity to another country does not determine the ability to be speak multiple languages. British people (and i can attest to this) are renowned for their lack of ability to speak French fluently, while the French are renowned for their ability to speak English fluently.
i don’t know about the whole IQ thing, yes it is standard and such but there is much bias in IQ tests. Realistically IQs should be uniform and to suggest they are not would be saying certain races are “dumb” and others are superior, which is unture. I myself have taken two IQ tests when I was 13 I scored 154, at 16 I scored 146. That makes absolutely no sense.
as far as diversity, it is moot, but the U.S. is quite diverse, truly more so than most countries. Whites, which make up about 75% of the population are really just all Caucasians so you could be Ukrainian and be that same as an Italian.
btw, about china, Han makes up about 90% of the poulation so it may be big but no so diverse.
” @ ben - “Anyway, no offence or anything, but this does seem like pretty much an elitist website where your countries are perfect and ours is the horrible one, so i think we should all just show some respect and not be so hostile.”
I hardly mentioned anything about my countries, far less to claim any country is perfect. I hope people would show some respect and not attempt to put words into others’ mouths.”
True, i would like to point out though you only seem to criticize the U.S., I don’t really care but youd think you would spend more time talking of the problems of your home country as opposed the U.S.’s problems.
just putting out there, I don’t mind discussing Americas issues but there is a definite air of superiority. Lets discuss the fact that Europe’s Universities are lagging behind or the problems facing the European union right now.
I can not believe some of what people say!
First, the US does teach evolution in our schools. It has, at least in most schools, removed religion.
Second on IQ tests, I have taken many IQ tests and do believe there is validity there. I scored 132 on my last test, and have consistantly scored with in a few points of that on every IQ test I have ever taken.
The fact that we have so many immigrants does change the way you look at standardized testing in this country. You can not expect some one from another country to necessarily score well on American history.
We have 2 big problems with education in this country as I see it. Technology is being used by many incorrectly. It should be a tool to help us improve our lives, and in some cases make things easier. It is used as many to replace using their brain instead of as a tool, and is making us lazy. There is so much knowledge available but we tend to access the unimportant things while ignoring the significant. We also tend to take what we are told by the media and believe it instead of taking a little initiative and investigate it further.
Second is our school system. In some public schools academic achievement is very important and honored. In many though that is not the case. Many inner city schools that have students from mainly lower income families are under staffed, over crowded, and under funded. These are the students that we tend to have lower expectations for. Less is expected of them, and so many make it through with out the knowledge they should have. These students have the abilities to be more, but the effort is not there to promote more. People will say that standardized testing is racially or culturally biased, and is not fair. That is sadly true. If it is standard, then it should be what is being taught across the board to all schools, and all students. Because of the sorry state of our education that just isn’t happening.
@Sophocles this isn’t elitism at all. We accept that our countries have major problems. However since America is such a powerful country, the problems that it has are of more concern since they have more of an influence then let’s say problems that Britain has. (although they do have a minor influence). The fact that as you put it “European universities are lagging behind” is an unsubstantiated red herring. Even if they were lagging behind, what effect does this have on world affairs? On the other hand, the fact that the average American has a very limited awareness of countries outside the US is very influential and very dangerous as it means they are more susceptible to government propaganda (making the average citizen easier to pacify and more likely to endorse the actions of the government, which they otherwise wouldn’t if they perhaps knew for themselves what the issues were) as they are very unlikely to have experienced first hand the mannerisms of other people. this problem has manifested itself in a multitude of ways which I am sure you are all aware of.
I agree very much with the last comment by miloy04. Ignorance in the hands of people who do have the power to elect just about any yo-yo as Commander-in-Chief, who controls perhaps the most powerful military in the world, sounds very, very scary. Sort of like the Third Reich, doesn’t it?
This is a very well researched and thought provoking article.. You have rightly pointed out that Americans have a lower IQ than any other “Developed” country. Now the question is, why do Americans have a lower average IQ?
What I am about to say is extremely politically incorrect. It is likely to upset many readers. However that does not make it any less true.
Average IQ varies by race.
East Asians centers around 106
Whites, about 100
Blacks about 85 in the U.S. and 70 in sub-Saharan Africa.
Source- http://www.news-medical.net/?id=9530
America has the highest Black population of all the “Developed” countries mentioned.
wow, that was really racist.
i would also like to ask why my posts take forever to come up. I know you have to “moderate” them but it seems like i post and they dont show up till 2 or 3 weeks later and some of mine still dont show.
I would like to say to miley that U.S. universities are generally higher ranked internationally than European Universities, much for the same reason that European Public schools are better. Funding and organization. American schools often get more money from private funds and trusts and can ask for higher tuition with public universities still getting money from the state. and if you think this fact is an unsubstantiated red herring…? look at most lists of the worlds best 10 or 50 universities and you’ll see that U.S. universities make up a majority of the schools listed.
I would like to expand on Sophocles’ comment above. I did my university studies both in the U.S. as well as in Europe. From my experience, I see a greater spread in academic standards among American universities than among European ones. Among American universities there are some top-notch ones, but also some very piss-poor ones. From what I saw in German schools for instance, they were much closer to one another in terms of academic standards. You take schools like Stanford or Harvard and they will be hard to match. But take an average American university and compare it to an average European university….
Not, unless a different language is spoken in every state of US. The states of US have much lower cultural and lingual diversity as compared to the countries of Europe, hence a comparision is pretty off the mark.
Which is quite understandable considering that the Japanese have been heavily influenced by American way of life since their occupation in 1940s. Japan is undoubtedly one of the most Americanised countries in the Eastern part of the world map.
They are no different from the majority of Americans who cannot hold a decent conversation with a person from another country without making nationalist and arrogant remarks against that person. A lot of what Americans get from the people of the world is what they have earned for the past sixty years or so.
I am afraid this is a very blase and unsubtantiated remark. Would you care to elaborate perhaps, with factual evidences to back up? The concept of Universities in European countries are vastly different from what they are in United States, hence a vis-a-vis comparison is practically impossible (unless you are a fan of Apple vs Orange’ comparisions).
Well spotted. Did you ever ponder over the question why? If not, try reading the next few comments that followed yours, especially the one made my Mr. Miloy04.
I am an American, and I agree that many Americans seem stupid. I am not sure if it is really stupidity, though. The ones that stand out - the masses - the sheep in the mainstream are the ones that give the few of us who are intelligent a bad name. These people are just not ‘thinkers.’ Also, the issue of immigration may impact the test scores, as the tests are often ethnically, culturally and class biased. It is not that stupidity itself is the problem, it is the ignorance and accompanying arrogance that cause problems. Generally, though, we should admit that people are stupid. The people posting on this site are in the minority. You all need to see “Idiocracy” by Mike Judge - here the natural consequence of stupid people indiscriminately reproducing results in the dilution of the gene-pool.
As an American who periodically studies and lives abroad, yes, I’ve seen the Stupid American Tourist phenomenon, and been embarrassed by it. I’ve also been frustrated by the ignorance and insulated thinking of people back home. Much of what I want to do in my career centers around the benefits of international experience and connections for Americans–maybe we can wise up a bit.
“A lot of what Americans get from the people of the world is what they have earned for the past sixty years or so.”
This is where I have to disagree. Bigotry against a group is still bigotry, whether it’s “yee-haw, bomb the Muslims” American prejudice, or polite and rational-sounding European prejudice. It cannot be justified, and is actually much more disappointing to hear coming from the so-called “more intelligent”.
I should not ever have to pay for the actions of someone else, even if they are from my country. Sadly, I have, on many occasions. And yet I still pursue an international life and encourage other Americans to do the same, because in the long run, we need this more than we need to worry about bigots on either side of the Atlantic.
Believe me, if you treat guests to your country like crap, and then insinuate that they “deserve” it because of where they are from, you are making yourself appear ignorant and regressive, and embarrassing your country.
Yes it’s true that the majority of Americans are stupid (among other things). However, Americans also produce many extremely gifted minds. The sad thing is that America cares more about investing in destruction then education. The reign at the top is over. I’ve done quite a lot of traveling and I can assure anyone that the average European is a lot more knowledgeable then the average American. Unless, of course, you consider knowing all about “American Idol” to equate intelligence. We Americans are addicts for everything and we are allergic to moderation. This has been and continues to be our downfall. Personally, I’m trying to emigrate to Europe. Anyone have any ideas on obtaining a visa. P.S. We (America) elected the most ignorant leader in the history of the world… TWICE!!! If that doesn’t define ignorance I don’t know what does.
>Another case, on my question, “who were the victors during ww 2?” most
>americans answered germany. I honestly dont know how this is possible.
It helps to understand it if you understand the relationship between European industrialists, American industrialists, fascism (the corporate state) as a general form of government versus the specifics of German Nazi rule. And the history of the CIA and the Bush family.
But in a lot of ways it’s not unreasonable to say the fascists lost the battle (and a charismatic though insane leader) but ultimately won the war.
I mean, be honest - look at the changes the neocon dynasty (Bush/Reagan/Clinton/Bush) has made in American law. Are these changes towards fascism or away from fascism?
Returning to the race/IQ concept…
Are we to assume, therefore, that the Netherlands, with an average IQ of 107, has an exceptional percentage of Asians in their society? greater than the 12%, as the percentage of black Americans is? I think not. It appears that a number of people above are trying to use race as some kind of excuse for having a relatively low IQ.
Also, I’m sick of Americans claiming they ’saved Europe’ during WWII. The Russians, if anyone, take that title, and the majority of American military resource went toward the war in south east Asia, not Europe, and there are a number of factors that meant that Europes liberation was possible, not the overwhelming force of American arms as many American antionals would have everyone else believe. If the RAF fell would D-Day or anything wimilar have happened? No
what are you talking about?
really, your statement made absolutely no sense at all.
[…] The big reason this bothers me has to do with the nature of the illustration ( a racial caricature) and the response of all the white pundits I have seen on TV today (Gee guys, what’s the big deal? It’s funny, if you’re smart enough to get it!). Because, you know, Americans are smart. […]
Hi all,
First of all I would like to point out that ignorance and stupidity is NOT the same thing, because the former is due to lack of knowledge and the latter due to lack of intelligence. Americans IMHO are therefore not stupid, but suffering from an educational system that has yet to experience the consequences of not investing enough effort and money in schools.
Another, far more personal opinion of mine based on what I read and hear in American media, is that politicians and people in power seem to be able to hide their real intentions or mistakes behind propaganda and patriotism, without the possibility for the average man to question it. Tags like ‘neo-con’ and ‘liberal media’ are often used to blatantly silence what the other side has to say. The result is normal voters who let themselves be guided by careless or strategic propaganda and discretion.
I would like to express my optimism in this case, because I believe that when enough pressure has gathered American intellectuals will take measures, ignorance simply can’t last forever.
I am an American teenager and I have gone to public schools and charter schools. I have to say that it is the fault of the public schools and the religious fanatics who run them. I know many would disagree but we all have to be very careful not to hurt peoples feelings so things have to be evened out, such as the whole evolution thing. Also in public schools they have special needs kids in the classes with us. Now isn’t that great motivation? You’re as smart as a special needs kid, and that’s not even the sped classes. On another point, people from the military, or family members of military people, should be discarded as Americans. Look at Semper Fi, all he has the ability to do is look at a past war, which has absolutely NOTHING to do with intelligence. We didn’t save anyone during WWII Germany would have fallen whether or not we helped, and you should thank Europe because we wouldn’t even be a country without Frances aid during our Revolutionary war. I would just like for foreigners to step back and see us Americans that try to understand other countries culture and try to keep up with as much news coming from the outside as we can, not just look at the fat American standing in front.
After living in the USA for 9 years, I found that Americans are not only stupid, but egotistical, bigots, ultra-religious (if you can name anything that’s negative, that’s probably a good fit for 70 to 89% of your average Americans) Here’s what I found out/experienced:
1)I was born in Hong Kong and was 15 when I came to USA. First day of school, some Americans asked where I was from, I said Hong Kong and some “smart”-ass just busted out teaching the others it is in Japan) I even heard from some dumb-ass saying China is part of Japan). Some even asked if I know Bruce Lee or not as if he’s the most powerful person from Hong Kong.
2)A girl from my driver’s education class even asked if I speak Hong Kong well … I was surprised at the level of stupidity of an American high school student..needless to say I ended up explaining my background and language to her.
3)American News media is full of political propaganda, always saying how great their government is and that they bring stability to o