:] I like what seibzen said, about people choosing to be ignorant or informed. That's how I feel about it. If you want to know or learn something, you have to take the time and make the effort to gain that knowledge. Don't be lazy and decide it isn't worth your time. It is. No matter how trivial it may seem, knowledge is knowledge and I'll bet you, at SOME point in your life, it will be applied to something, even if it's only between you & your own mind. Like, "Hey! I know that answer! It's blah blah blah! I learned that blah blah blah!" And you'll go on with your day, not even realizing that you bitched about that class or seminar or article or whatever it was. :] It's always good to be aware of things, past, present, & possible future. Nice blog, Spunks. ily. < 333 :]

funny vid. Although it's quite obvious that anyone with correct or semi-intelligent answer was cut out to poke fun, the part with the mislabeled map was HILARIOUS.

P.S. Who should we invade next? Italy. lulz those evil Italians...

I laughed when a guy was asked a question about how many kidneys are in a human body and he responded 1 with the quickness XD, but seriously this is a good conversation you two had and i'm glad you took the time to share it with everyone and write it down in a blog really good read for me :), here's a personal favorite quote of mine on Ignorance, Albert Einstein: "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."

One point you have to realize about these videos is they interview hundreds of people, many of which have basic or above basic answers, and they cut those out. What they are left with are the hillbillies who give humorously ignorant answers to the questions, thus portraying any demographic in the light the filmmaker wishes.

On the note of the rest of the blog, and I mean no offence by this, but the bits about Islam and Saudi seem copy/pasted from a source which is not cited, as the writing style and voice of the article changes completely from the first paragraph as it goes into the history of Saudi and Islam. You simply are not going to change anyone's views on how Americans are portrayed by copy/pasting someone else's work.

Also, you have failed to mention that religious extremism is not unique to Islam, and it represents an extremely small minority of the total Islam faith. Islam itsself is actually a very peaceful religion, one that promotes tolerance and goodwill. In conjunction with this, you are sorely mistaken in your interpretation of the Qu'Ran. God, or Allah or by whatever name any of us choose to address Him, is promoted in the Islam faith as well as that of the New Testament of the Christian faith as a just and loving God. When people distort this fact, or start mistranslating texts extremism is born.

These of course, are just my opinions.

No big deal. No offense taken. I never said otherwise though.

i don't want to be mean, but what was the point on going on about saudi arabia and all of that? i stopped reading about halfway through, just because i forgot the point of the blog. what are you trying to say? are you writing all about saudi arabia to let us know that YOU know why the woman in the vid said it? the first couple of paragraphs of this blog were good, but as it went on... it just felt like a history lesson. is that what you were trying to do? i mean i'm just curious, no hate! i just want to understand better what the point of this was.

I know you aren't being mean. It's a good question. The blog's initial point was to show people that America isn't as ignorant as everyone believes. I was making a point about the video. They were asking questions that the average citizen of ANY country likely wouldn't know the answer to. They chose to ask such a variety of questions that the odds of the person they interviewed knowing the correct answer was highly improbable, and the ones who happen to answer correctly are cut from the video.

Then I decided to copy-paste the meat of my conversation with Neil last morning. I'm not sure why I did it, I guess I just wanted to make some kind of point to our foreign members or something. I don't really regret doing it, I feel it's all stuff people should know. But the conversation was me explaining to Neil the cause and effect of invading Iraq. Perhaps somewhat irrelevant to the initial point, but a good point in itself nonetheless. That and I like to let loose once in a while and write a really long blog. :P

Probably should have written a separate blog. Oh well. It all fit together nicely last night when I was talking to Neil. We were discussing American ignorance. One thing led to another and we were discussing the invasion of Iraq (well, really just me talking to myself while Neil was wishing I'd go to sleep :P). D:

I surprised myself and read the whole thing. It was a good article man and I think you're absolutely right on whole ignorance thing. Don't think I'd have the energy to write something like this but props for doing so. Bumped.

Oh yes, some of the people are definitely stupid, and I did find the video genuinely hilarious. But the variety of questions drastically lowered the odds of finding someone capable of answering correctly, which is why videos like that can't be taken seriously. It's meant to make America look bad. Let's all pick on big bad America because they're at the top. If England were the most powerful nation in the world, you can bet people wouldn't give two shits about making fun of America.

It's fun to pick on the guy who sits on top. That can be applied to anything.

And I might add, at first I thought the video was bias and was only looking for unintelligent people to question, but then I got to thinking that some people really are kind of stupid, and I guess the video makes me feel better about myself and that I could answer the questions in the video.

The people only have themselves to blame for being ignorant...if they even know they are ignorant, and if they do, do they care? The way I see it, if you want to know about something, it's up to you to learn it. I won't judge someone because I know something about Sao Tome and Principe and they don't...how I chose to study the history of the Qin dynasty, and they learned about Bazooka Joe and his crazy eye-patch antics.

This is a VERY refreshing read...but is it the right audience? Bumped for sure though...

Hum hum hum.
Still reading.
I hate everyone.
Win.

Pfft, you don't hate everyone. I'd hope you don't hate me haha. >:O

can i jsut let it be known that i wasnt hating on americans during this conversation

neil's rather good at loving on Americans =D

I suppose. But we both know that wasn't the case. ;)

yeh but people will look at this and think i was hating on americans and you had to put me straight. when i wasnt.

I know that, it's all good. We were just talking.

Very well thought out. It's nice to see someone using their brain for once when they discuss these types of issues. Most people who debate this stuff don't educate themselves about what it is they are trying to debate. As for ignorance in America, you're absolutely right. People know what they need to know to get by. It's not sad, it's how humans survive. In the past, people have survived on bare minimum knowledge that is not directly related to them. Why? My belief is that there is just too much to take in. No one can be expected to know everything. So between trade knowledge (skills and knowledge for the job they perform) and family and local knowledge (when the next big to do in town is or who has what platform in the upcoming local election or what little Amy is allergic to) there just isn't much room for anything that isn't directly practical to our existence. I'm not saying to cease your search for knowledge, I'm just saying I sympathize.