Disbelief, dismay, anger, depression, numbness. I felt the same as many of you. And wondered what possessed so many Americans to vote for Bush against the better interests of the rest of the planet, the United States, and even of the Republicans in the bottom 98% income bracket. Aside from all questions of software manipulation, discarded ballots, challenged registrations, and divinely wrought chad hanging, quite a few voters did choose the Cowboy. Why?
There’s been no shortage of explanations in these posts and elsewhere—fundamentalist Christians, biased media, appeals to fear and xenophobia, simplicity of message—probably all of these are true to some extent, along with other factors, but they beg the question: Why are Americans so stupid? Why do they fall for these transparent ploys?
Now, don’t get me wrong: First of all, everyone’s stupid when it comes to politics and Americans are in good company there. And I don’t think Americans are genetically stupider than Europeans, or Africans, or anyone else. Jared Diamond does make a good case in Guns, Germs, and Steel for the superior intellect of the few surviving hunter-gatherers (he has worked for years in Papua New Guinea) who have been rigorously selected up to the present, unlike us well fed agriculturalist/couch potatoes, but probably the important differences are environmental.
Most Americans today do seem different from most Europeans, broadly speaking, Americans are more isolationist, less well-informed about politics and science, less interested in the fate of other nations, and more likely to hold absurd beliefs (astrology, alien abduction, virgin birth, Uri Geller…). The difference is not pronounced—people here (I live in Vienna) swallow all kinds of nonsense too—but no one I know here, from the Greens through the Socialist to the Freedom Party (sort of a neonazi neocon group), likes Bush and everyone (not just my Muslim friend) thinks the war in Iraq is an unmitigated disaster. Why the difference?
My suspicions: First of all, European countries are small, the US is big. Europeans have had to cope with many different neighbors, languages, and cultures for centuries. It’s easier for Americans to think that their nation is the whole world. Second, television. The average American watches more than four hours of TV a day, the average European about an hour less. Television sucks out your brain, especially the simplistic pap that passes for entertainment in the States. Third, Europeans walk more. Many of my friends, like myself, don’t even have cars. Driving around in a metal box and seeing the world through safety glass can lead one to think that it’s all just another TV program.
On the other hand, maybe the main difference is that the US is a major military power, and power corrupts. Americans are manipulated to support stupid wars because the powers that be need the oil, and can get it, through force of arms.
My comparison, anecdotal and undocumented as it is, is between the US and Europe because the standards of living and access to information are comparable—who can blame the Kokovoko Islanders for being superstitious?
Anyway, I’d like to hear your opinions on this.
Ivan, sir Dutchman:
I understand how you feel, but as an American there are (in my opinion) 2 reasons why most Americans don’t know or care about the location of other nations (I do know, by the way):
1) Our public school system is weak in teaching geography and, I might add to the list, economics and history. In order to educate the masses, the amount of information that is taught is reduced so even the slower/less motivated students have a chance to pass and graduate school. Often the failing student is passed on to the next grade, passing the problem on to let some other teacher handle the lugnut who doesn’t want to learn. Please note this isnt the case of all schools but as a Public School graduate this is what I observed. There are “advanced” classes in Public School but their focus is usually science, literature, and mathematics.
2) Americans want to make money. We want to strike it rich (1849 gold rush anyone?), to live big and large and well off: dream big! Our focus is on honing our job skills and abilities to make more money. Knowing the location of some little (compared to the size of the U.S.) country is irrelevant in the dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. If knowing the location of other countries can put more money in the bank then we’ll learn it; otherwise, most Americans don’t care. Our thinking is, if we have enough money we’ll buy the durn-blasted little place if need be!
I have to respectfully disagree that the U.S. is responsible for “wasting” your country (Holland)due to the craze of consumerism. You Dutch were wheeling & dealing, trading in sugar, spices, tobacco, and all manner of goods for big money when America was just a bunch of woodcutters and Pilgrims. You have a very lenient stance towards the use and abuse of drugs which is a rot and stain upon your nation. You have enclaves of immigrants who refuse to assimilate or respect your country, not even honoring the descendants of Van Gogh’s family of artists and art dealers, a cornerstone of your culture. They shot him dead like he was some stray rabid dog wandering the streets.
Does America force you people to buy Coca-Cola? Do Americans threaten you with invasion if you don’t eat our chocolate bars? I think not. You Dutch, just like all humans, want what is fun and good and will do so given the chance.
We Americans are first & foremost marketers, salesmen, producers, and moneymakers. We’re good at it and we’ve used that skill to prosper ourselves around the world, just like you Dutch did in Indonesia, Curacao & the Caribbean, and in the early colonies of America several hundred years ago before Napolean and all them wars you people foisted on yourselves time and time again drained your coffers dry, allowing America to rise as a world power due to the power vacuum that was left upon the fall of the British, Dutch, French, and Spanish empires.
I do agree that Americans can be ugly. The love of money produces people who are crass, crude, impatient, and rude. Americans like to get to the point, not pansy about with subtle words, hints, and suggestions. Part of this comes from the bible: “Let your yes be yes and your no be no”—don’t bandy and play about with words obscuring what you want or intend to mean. Be clear about it.
I hope this offered some insight. “Pobody’s Nerfect” as a famed t-shirt once said.
This is always good for a laugh; they’re a bit outrageous at times.
hello. To answer the very burning Question of “If we’re so stupid (we being AMericans) Why does half the world want to be like us?” We are looked at as the land of riches and candies. and everyone wants a taste. it’s call jealousy. simple.
I am an american Citizen. I have been since 2004. I was born in china, came here when i was five years old. I’m 22 years old now. Not too long ago, i taken an interest in actually knowing what the heck goes on around the other side of the world. i feel being here, i should at least know something? and i do agree with many of the opinions on this site, the good and the bad. we all have flaws, but when America is being looked at under a microscope, clearly we are deeply criticized for every little mistake we make. It’s the say “oh here goes those Americans again”.. being an american almost all my life, foreigners ask me, “what’s it like to live there??” i respond “it’s cool” i have nothing to complain about. Right? yah. it’s Cool. But there’s MUCH more to it than that, Americans have the freedom of choice to either not give a damn about what goes on on the other side of the world, Or… To really partake and be an active voice. your opinion matters. some are too lazy, so what if they dont know where Iraq is on the world map? does it affect their day to day life.. mostly likely, not. But is that a good way of thinking? Definately not. (we are too comfortable being rich to care) And people are content with their state of knowledge, because it has no significant effect on them. (or so they think)
because we have EVERYTHING. we can do ANYTHING
Not all Americans are stupid, true. But what does “not all” really mean? And what is the difference between the USA and Europe?
1. American idiots think they are geniuses, whereas European idiots usually recogise their own limitations.
2. The share of Americans who are illiterate or part-illiterate is huge. Being illiterate does of course not necessarily mean that person is an idiot. But when someone went to school for 10 years and still cannot read and writeproperly, well, then he/she probably is pretty dumb.
3. Most countries in the world learn from other countries; they look elsewhere to see if there are better ways. Americans, however, are convinced that they are brighter and better than anyone else on this planet (despite contradicting evidence). They believe that there is nothing they can learn from anyone else.
Take gun control: European countries have a murder rate that is much, much smaller than that in the USA. Who cares, America knows best!
Take health care: European countries provide health care for all their citizens. People don’t die on the streets (as I have personally seen happening in New York City); noone is turned back at the emergency ward because they cannot make a down-payment. Who cares? America knows best!
What defines the American Way of Life? Excessive aggressiveness and violence? Waste? Obesity? A rare combination of stupidity and ignorance at all levels, including the presidency? Or all of this?
Generally speeking an idiot is an idiot is an idiot anywhere but their effects are cumulative. People are not born idiots, they are idiotified and unidiotified by different forces in society, but like an illness you have to have had it to become immune. There are also several things to be an idiot about hence varieties (ie emotional understanding, conceptual thoughtlessness, etc
Hi,
After reading your article, I guess you could check this site out: http://europevsamerica.blogspot.com/.
Its about the diffences between Europeans and Americans.
Post your article there too.
Americans are utter idiots, they get literally everything wrong.
Their main crime is thinking apple pie is American.
Infact they think everything is American.
The world will be better when they all kill each other.
I am an American. As much as it pains me to say this, the average American is quite stupid. The country is very diverse. There are immigrants and people of all type of backgrounds. You would think in such a melting pot, people would be more aware of the other cultures around them. But No! It seems as if Europeans are more aware of the world around them. British folks know the difference between a Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim. Many Americans still think that Sikhs are bin Ladin supporters even though Sikhs are completely different from Muslims. If it weren’t for the immigrants of the past and present (skilled and unskilled) who keep the country humming along with hard work, the United States would be a mess. Too many Americans born and raised here (young and old) spend money they don’t have and have the nerve to complain that they are broke! A true sign of stupidity. The American people are complacent and it leads to the decline of the society. I think we are seeing that now in the USA.
In fact, I heard somewhere that fully half of all Americans are below average! Shocking.
For me
Hindu = dothead
Sikh = towelhead
Muslim = more difficult to tell but the ones I’ve worked with are none of the above (though I know some elsewhere do wear turbans)
I can’t really give an opinion on americans, I havn’t met that many but they seem alright, at least you can tell which are worth talking to as with any culture – with organisations generally the scum often floats to the top, but america is big so we see their scum under a magnifying glass, or the organisations they control have more clout
Americans aren’t necessarily dumb, but many of them are ignorant. They don’t want to focus on learning – just looking good. It’s that superficial Hollywood mentality, which implies that if you are rich and look good life must be wonderful. American culture takes things to insane extremes e.g. beautiful girls will have plastic surgery done to themselves and end up looking God-awful, or like plastic Barbie dolls. Or, like Anna Nicole Smith, who slept with everything that moved but apparently hated sex. Or the obsession with dieting instead of enjoying cooking and eating excellent food. What the Europeans have over us, hands down, is that they still focus on real things and culturally rich experiences. Many Americans are emotional zombies – even the smart ones. They have trouble understanding shades of gray and the complexity and beauty of the human experience because lots of them are drugged up on anti-depressants – no longer sensitive to life and others. Our whole news is about catching people doing sexual naughty things, like closet-homosexual Senator Larry Craig. Or President Clinton with Monica Lewinsky – the cultural message is that sex, whether homo or hetero, is bad because we are going to, like a nation of voyeurs, catch you at it. It’s a high-school, childish mentality – very nasty, invasive of peoples’ privacy and dignity. I can think of no other civilized culture on the planet that creates such extremes of thinking and has so many serial killers, and indifference to human life and pain. Why are so many Americans grossly obese and have no respect for themselves? Why do I think the French are such snobs? They have to be because they know they have a superior culture, and in order to maintain it, they have to view foreign influences with suspicion because those influences might destroy the beauty of their traditional culture. It’s not so much snobbery as self-preservation, skepticism, and the ability to discern the difference between bad, mediocre, good, and great, which Americans have trouble doing. Americans are super-tolerant of every kind of bullshit, and it amounts to the shutting down of the brain in order to accept all the bullshit that is thrown at them daily. Plus, Americans are too super-religious, as opposed to spiritual. It leads to hypocrisy because people can’t live up to the religious rhetoric, and overly-strict ideology. It’s not dignified Church of England religion, which is woven into the fabric of the daily culture of that outstanding country, but fundamentalist dogma. And, sadly, this is what happens to a country when the only thing that counts is money and materialism – the cynicism of milking people for all they are worth/using people for gain underlies everything in America. It’s just a vast super-mall out there, where goods are pushed 24/7. And yes, I love to shop but it’s not the be all and end all of my existence. Why do people like to live here? Because it’s still a beautiful country with nature unlike anywhere else on earth. And America, despite its sometimes scary extremes, still has its share of decent people. Americans have the cognitive/emotional ability to be thinking, educated, sensitive people – all it takes is lots of effort.
“The irony of reading this on the American made and designed internet (Tim Berners-Lee), on what I’m sure you have typed on an American made computer has not escaped me. (btw, how are things in your country? Perfect, I suppose… I mean, why else would you feel free and arrogant enough to criticize the U.S.?)
I can go on with further innovations that came from America to make your life easier (cars, telephones, planes, all things electrical)… but we’re soooooo stupid, right?” .=e=.
Ummm, yes you are soooooo stupid…allow me to enlighten you…
Berners-Lee is BRITISH!
Alexander Graham-Bell who invented the telephone is CANADIAN/BRITISH!
The car invention is disputed; however it was invented by a FRENCHMAN (Cugnot is the credited man)
And while we are on the subject of cars, your interstate highway system was based off of the GERMAN autobahn network!
The Wright brothers did not invent the aircraft, that was a EUROPEAN invention, they only got credit for the first “controlled flight”
Even funnier, guess who invented the sport known as basketball that you once dominated, Dr. James Naismith…and he is…CANADIAN!
Man, you don’t get out much do you…
Um, while we’re at it, the Internet is indeed an American invention. It derived from Arpanet, a hardened network designed to enable persistence of command in nuclear war. The World Wide Web could be said to be Tim Berners-Lee’s innovation.
Another American military innovation that became vastly important to the world’s economy is GPS. Fascinating story, that.
It doesn’t matter who did what historically though, since it is written by the people who kill the rest of the people.
I’ll chime in here: while it’s moot who “invented” the airplane (I personally think insects should get the credit for the “first powered flight”), what the Wright Brothers accomplished was much better than anything that came before them (at least anything convincingly documented). So if we have to draw lines, then the Wright Brothers deserve to be considered the inventors of human heavier-than-air powered flight.
To be fair…. This makes yanks look thick!! … Which for the most part (of this vid) is true… However, like every populated country on earth.. there is a fair share of idiotic people & clever people….
However….. If you live in a country like mine (The U.K.(England – just across the pond for those stupid yanks who have never heard of us.)) then you may notice that the media seems to tend favouring stories about idiots more than they do about intelligent people.. therefore, idiocy tends to be more publicised.. giving the general public a distorted idea about the general populus of a country… America has it’s fair share of geniuses, as does other countries..(Britain seriously included here(bias!)).. Yet this is not publicised… Stupidity is publicised everywhere!!!
WHY IS THIS?? Is it to make jon doe public newspaper reader feel better about themself that they are not as stupid as the person they are reading about?? or is it propaganda…
Whatever it is, it’s simple… stupidity is publicly available… Intelligence isn’t…
Gentlemen/Ladies, it’s ignorance, not stupidity. Ignorance can be cured…Stupidity can’t.
I will only say that most Americans don’t watch as much TV as you think, we are busy working hard to take care of our families and preparing for war. We are extremely patriotic due to the fact that we are the greatest thing since water and the most powerful nation in the solar system. We are the best at everything we do and the most intelligent and strongest people. Americans have awaken to the hatred from the third world and the rest of you and we preparing to wipe everyone else on the planet out i.e. bio weapons. Any American with half a brain can make biological weapons in their kitchen. So good luck see you on the battlefield.(;
…but most Americans choose to get them at McDonalds.
Aside from the fact that you implied that the election was rigged through software manipulation (do you even understand what you’re talking about? I think not) and ballot stuffing and what not.
Aside from the fact that you think Americans are stupid for voting for Bush when he didn’t do what people hate him for (or even claim he WAS going to do it) till after he was elected.
Aside from the fact that Obama has clearly outlined everything he wants to do which will destroy America and idiotic liberals like you STILL vote for him.
Aside from all that, your article came off as the rantings and ravings of a bitter loser. Someone who is intimidated by his own low IQ and wants to blame the country he was born in for it. I see you. You have a small head. That’s genetics, bud.
When were the Americans and the Europeans ever crazy about one another? For over 200 years we have been at odds with one another. I think the Europeans are abit more thoughtful, as well as more obsessive, about the issue. Most Americans aren’t really aware of the issue, nor would they care much about it if they knew. I have rarely heard any American ever base Europeans, or any other continent for that matter. Even the Iraqi people don’t get the abuse heaped upon them that we obviously get from other countries.
I have traveled extensively in Europe (a dozen lands spread-out from Ireland to Romania) and I have lived in two European countries (Ireland and Germany). I have also lived in Japan and Saudi Arabia. I have been greeted, for the most part, with decency and courtesy…which is all I ask. I don’t assume I’m any better than anybody else. I expect the same from everybody else. You may come from the land of Shakespeare, but you also have given us the Spice Girls and football hooligans!
Many of the charges made on this sites towards my country are all too true. However, many of them are sweeping generalities perhaps based on ignorance, stupidity and simple sour grapes. I think many people on this ole globe of ours are ignorant, stupid and petty. The Irish still fight over an insignificant battle fought in 1690. The Italians are still thumping their collective chests over an Empire that crumbled into dust 1500 years ago. The Germans and French need to shower, use deordorant, shave their legs and stop worrying about the weight of Americans in a compulsive, anal retentive manner. And the English…well, sorry, mates…need to get rid of that ugly queen of theirs and get over the fact that the sun has set on them decades ago.
So you see: no one is perfect!
Whoops, accidentally clicked the ‘unsub’ link. Resubscribing.
Glad to hear you speaking your mind for a change, dof
Americans are fucking stupid.
Seriously, the mentality of a Conservative is so sickening to me.
btw you guys in European countries, DO NOT let them take away your universal healthcare. By them I mean friends of the Republicans here in America.
We’re not stupid. We are content, spoiled and perhaps even biased. We butcher the English language and set new standards for that butchery. We rally towards causes that are not of much substance and choose to stay clear of the really tough subjects. We love our prejudices and will defend them at all cost. We will spend millions of dollars to save the Buluga whales while caring less about poverty in the inner cities. And yes, some of us vote for retarded politicians.
But on the flip side. We are a God fearing nation that eventually gets around to doing the right thing. In our prejudices we have learned acceptance, in our biased judgment we have learned fairness. Through our troubled past we have forged a far better future. We are an experiment in Democracy; and while basically still a young nation we are setting the standards for the rest of the world to follow. When you look at the fact that we are a county less than three centuries old, our accomplishments are amazing—astonishing even.
In the big scheme of things, we the American dream are only toddlers on the earth’s surface. We are young and growing, making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. But by no means are we stupid.
Gonna go bake an apple pie…….Oh say can you see, yadda yadda yadda
That appears to be part of the problem
do you realise you are partially quoting Churchill?
Unfortunately there is no one to say a stern “NO”- look what happened to the French when they did over Iraq- just made baby more wilful.
Wait, Marcus… NTSC is some kind of mind-control format? I didn’t know the science of neurology was that advanced in 1953 when the National Television System Committee standard for color broadcast was first published. NTSC is nothing more than a technical standard for getting an image on your screen. Most video technicians I’ve met just call it “Never Twice the Same Color”.
Anyway, that standard is being supplanted by digital systems.
Marcus’ comment appears to be spam of an unusual sort. I’m deleting it as such.
I’m almost sorry I missed Marcus’ comment. But I alway thought NTSC stood for “not that same crap…”
Oh, and LH- it’s hard not to partially quote WC, isn’t it? He did say a lot of eminently quotable stuff. Not that I agree with everything he did, but thank Darwin he was there for WWII, eh?
You should read some of the stuff Lord Alanbrooke says about him., somewhat less than compimentary.
Of course, LH. But is it possible to do grand things without doing wrong? I can think of a lot of things to criticize Abraham Lincoln about too, but I’m still glad he was at the helm during the Civil War.
I think Americans that live in the south are dumb but people you live up north are smart.
That’s one hell of a generalization there, Kristie. I know plenty of smart people in the South. Quite a few of them read this blog which just shows their intelligence right there.
This bit of shameless self-promotion brought to you by the letter S.
There is no country nor kingly title before our Lord, only us, children of God, forgetful of His lessons in humility and humbleness. To cowardly to force the hand of oppression to loosen its hold on us, to cowardly to put aside the golden ox laid in front of ourselves. allowing our lives to be once again directed by and governed by man. To put back into our lives without interjection our Lord our Father in front of our eyes and in depth into our hearts ,we will be returned our beloved gifts from the heavens,then and only then will we enjoy these beauties and wonders that He has created given with love. Only then will we be equal. No one man should be ruled by one man. May God judge me and find me not wanting nor wavering in my convictions. May we stand strong upon His rock once again. All of our brothers and sisters. Together, blind of color and border. Blind to all inequality. Blind to the bate of man and evils of Satan’s temptation. United, Loving and finally eternal…
The Blunt Minister
Gotta love people who show up and post pointless sermons in totally unrelated threads. I sometimes wonder if they do this out of some weird reflex that makes then regurgitate platitudes at random wherever they happen to be at the time.
How is this thread still alive? Five years later? And what the hell was that post by the Blunt Minister? Sounds like he’s been smoking Blunts.
“That is a distinct possibility, captain.”
/Spock voice
Jared Diamond is pure propaganda. “Guns Germs and Steel” is an attempt to say that basically the success of european culture is somehow haphazard, and if it ows anything to anyone it’s those advanced folks in the “fertile crescent” (read: the chosenites.
I read on your website:
“I don’t think Americans are genetically stupider than Europeans, or Africans, or anyone else. “
You’re quite wrong there. There is a clear drop when you go from central europe to, say, Portugal, and a clear drop when you go from central Europe to the U.S. I’d say a solid 15 I.Q. points.
That is primarily genetic so there’s not much you can do about that.
You obviously haven’t bothered reading “Guns, Germs, and Steel”, so there’s no point responding to this.
Can you support this allegation with data? Until you can, it’s just racism, and there’s not much point in engaging racists in reasoned debate.
Europe Win?
Sorry- couldn’t resist that last one!
As Wittgenstein said, “about that concerning which one has nothing to say, one should remain silent.”
I think that people need to realize that every person is simply a person, and nothing else. We’re all people, and what government is in control of the land you happen to live on should not mean you are automatically slapped with a stereotype. That is just low level thinking, and if anyone thinks americans styereotype too much, you’re just being hpocritical because you are lumping them all together. oh, and by the way, i’m an american whose best friend is from finland and i currnetly have a grade point average of over 4.2
With a GPA of 4.2, you should recognize the difference between ignorance and stupidity. Many Mensa members are very screwed up and do stupid things. Like Forest Gump’s momma says, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
I have lived in the usa for 12 years. Americans are not more stupid than any other nation they are simply exposed to the best propaganda there is in my opinion. I have some experience of the communist propaganda and the difference is that communist propaganda was stupid so nobody believed in it and everybody waited for the system to collapse. American propaganda is much smarter. It is in every aspect of american life beginning with the “world baseball league” and ending with the name of the latest american invasion called “iraqi freedom”.
It has been in american movies ever since hollywod was brought to life and it will be here even when this nation is brought to its knees. I am in love with the idea of america but what has happened to this country since its inception is just a joke. They call it a land of the free where in reality it is a country of well fed slaves. There is so much to say about this country. Who wants to listen?
43% of Americans still say they would vote for Sarah Palin.
Yup, Americans are fuckin’ stupid.
Actually, I will have to disagree with you there.
I DO think that Americans are genetically far stupider than any other race on the planet. I mean, the level of ignorance and utter stupidity that most americans are at, is totally insane. Go to a different country, and see for yourself. People are a lot nicer, happier, and more intelligent outside of America.
America is actually the worst country in the fucking world, and yet the idiot Americans are so goddamn stupid they think they are the best people in the world. WAKE UP SLAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL, yeah, THAT’s worth responding to!
I refuse to engage in a war of wits with someone who is totally unarmed.