[El Pre$idente]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2491509.stm

[Steve]

"In America, people had heard of London, some had heard of England, no-one had heard of the United Kingdom - they thought it was somewhere in the Middle East."

I hate stupid Americans.

[7Macfreak]

Originally posted by Steve:


I hate stupid Americans.

stupid, or ignorant? maybe both actually..

[SimeyTheLimey]

He told the Commons culture select committee: "Very often people do not understand the title of the country...

"In America, people had heard of London, some had heard of England, no-one had heard of the United Kingdom - they thought it was somewhere in the Middle East."

The technical term for this is an anecdote. Lots of us could come up with anecdotes for any country.

For example: how about the bartender in a pub in Suffolk, England who informed me that all German beers are light-colored lagers. He stuck to that story even after I told him that I was living in Germany at the time and regularly bought crates of dark-colored German beers (e.g. Altbier). No, no, he insisted. All the beers brewed in Germany were light-colored lagers. Of course, he had never actually been to Germany.

I guess that there are stupid and ignorant people everywhere. Shall we have a thread about all of them? Or is this just going to be more American bashing by Kelly Hogan?

[maxelson]

Well, I guess I have only this to say: yes, yes, of course you're right. We're all a bunch of dolts. No, no, it is true. I don't know East Magnolia fro Outer Mongolia. I fact, it was only yesterday that a very helpful French person pointed out that quite a few towns in NEW England actually had originating counterparts in... yep. England. Really, I mean, who knew? Then it hit me: NEW England. England. Duh! Light Dawns on Marblehead (which, ironically, turns out to NOT to be a town in the UK, at leasat not upon several enquiring phone calls)! So THEN, I thought I'd do a little search around... NEW York... turns out there's a York... In England. NEW Hampshire. Same. Worcester? Now, this was tricky because there is no "new" to tip me off, but then I thought about those lovely folks at Lea and Perrins- WORCESTERshire sauce. So then I thought, "huh. Could it be?" Yep. It is. There IS a Worcester in England. NEW Britain, NEW Canaan, Leicester, Dover, Andover, Salisbury, Hastings... ALL of them. What a marvel.
Jeez, you know, I thank God and my stars every day... or OUGHT to... for those folks abroad who can be so helpful as to remind me of my geographical and intellectual place in the world.

[G4ME]

hey your PR sucks you need to get your name out a bit. BTW how can you trust sidewalk survays have you seen jay lenos skits, sidewalk allstars I think it is.

[Lerkfish]

Originally posted by maxelson:
Well, I guess I have only this to say: yes, yes, of course you're right. We're all a bunch of dolts. .....Jeez, you know, I thank God and my stars every day... or OUGHT to... for those folks abroad who can be so helpful as to remind me of my geographical and intellectual place in the world.

(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah! ah LIKES being a dolt frum amurica. Howz else could I remember how much superiror dem europeans and afripeans and asiapeans are thin me! I'd have no senz of my poultry place in the uni-berse withouten that kinda help.

(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah! Dang that smarts! hey, maybe dat will make me smarter!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!(hits self in forehead with large dead fish)
dyaaah! likes I was saying last night...dyuuuahyah!

ow.

[mitchell_pgh]

"In America, people had heard of London, some had heard of England, no-one had heard of the United Kingdom - they thought it was somewhere in the Middle East."

I think the confusion comes when you say "what's the difference between England and the United Kingdom.../"

The US has a major issue with geography... we simply don't teach it in our schools. We make everyone learn the 50 states, and the continents, and that's about it...

Where did they find people that didn't know where the UK was? Alabama or something...

[Mastrap]

Ask the average European a similar question about the US and I'd wager you'd get a very similar result.

I consider myself as being fairly educated, I still don't have the foggiest when it comes to the finer points of US geography.

[Mr Heliums]

Originally posted by Mastrap:
Ask the average European a similar question about the US and I'd wager you'd get a very similar result.

I think many Europeans would recognise the difference between say the continent of America and the United States. But even if we didn't, I don't think we'd place the US somewhere in the Middle East.

But I think that's because the Americans are more insular rather than more ignorant. Nobody has a monopoly on stupidity.