pmcolt wrote:Does it make me ignorant, or just stupid, if I refuse to believe that our nation's youth could be anywhere close to being as uneducated as the poll suggests?
(Then again, I'm right inside that age group. And I do suck at math. And I can locate the states and countries on a map, but it's been a long time since state capitals in 2nd grade. Ah, crap. )
Lonewulf wrote:I mean, there's over a thousand countries out there, and knowing every single one (and their capitals) is a lesson in incredible memorization.
Also, you have to consider that going up to some random person on the street and asking them questions -- they're probably not in the best state of mind. I mean, first of all, they have a camera and microphone put into their face (not shoved, though) -- they're surprised and not reacting perfectly, and they may "brain fart" far more in that situation.
Khrushchev's Other Shoe wrote:Lonewulf wrote:I mean, there's over a thousand countries out there, and knowing every single one (and their capitals) is a lesson in incredible memorization.
That must be the case, as you know at least 800 of them of which I am wholly unaware...
Khrushchev's Other Shoe wrote:It is also quite likely that what we see is the result of careful editing of many interviews.
pmcolt wrote:I can see that happening for one of those comedy "people off the street are idiots" videos, but for a Roper poll?
And go easy on Lonewulf; he probably got the countries confused with those hundreds of state capitals we all had to memorize in grade school. :wink:
Lonewulf wrote:And that's because there's really only about 192 countries.
Khrushchev's Other Shoe wrote:If I have my facts straight, there are 191 members of the UN, plus the Vatican, which won't join. Then there are various quasi-countries, which won't or can't join the UN, such as Taiwan, Northen Cyprus, the Palestinian Authority (although whether the latter is in control of any territory at all is subject to some doubt), two break-away regions in Georgia, one in Moldova, Somaliland, Western Sahara, etc.
Lonewulf wrote:Khrushchev's Other Shoe wrote:If I have my facts straight, there are 191 members of the UN, plus the Vatican, which won't join. Then there are various quasi-countries, which won't or can't join the UN, such as Taiwan, Northen Cyprus, the Palestinian Authority (although whether the latter is in control of any territory at all is subject to some doubt), two break-away regions in Georgia, one in Moldova, Somaliland, Western Sahara, etc.
It's amazing what google can do. I knew some of that stuff before you even posted it.
Can you and PM Colt get off my back, please?
If you want to call me an idiot, then do so.
Khrushchev's Other Shoe wrote:Now now, just because you have to Google this information doesn't mean I have to...
Didn't realize I was on your back, but I'll revert to my usual attitude. I know how you abhor being on other people's backs...
Thanks for the offer, but if I do that you'll probably talk about your IQ again...
Khrushchev's Other Shoe wrote:Lonewulf, why don't you take a break and come back when you're not so upset.
Keeping them from kicking our asses for talking about it like they aren't going to kick our asses for talking about it is the hard part.
St. Jimmy wrote:This might sound a bit woo-wooish but I believe this anyways:
I think school are starting to be run more and more like a business. Think about it, schools don't care if you're stupid or not, if you fail a class because you don't get it they still keep you in that higher level class just so the number of students in those higher level classes are better. That way more new students come to the school in hopes that one of those new students is either really smart or really good at athletics. If a student is really smart in school, who always tries to take all the credit for that? The school! Same with Athletics too. The school tries to take credit for its students' accomplishments so it seems like a good school, and new students come.
The main reasons for wanting more students in the school:
1)More students brings more money from the state.
2)If those new student are really smart, the school will take credit for that and look good attracting mor new students.
3)If a student is good at athletics, The school will take credit attracting more new students, AND people from the area will want to go to the athletics events, so the school will charge for entry to those events which brings more money to the school.
4)The higher number of sutdents there are in the school the more new students it will attract.
It's like students are another form of money to schools. School are run like a business, just like everything else nowadays. And needless to say, It sucks.
-St. Jimmy
Return to Here There Be Llamas
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 121 guests