Europeans are stupid

[Anonymous]

Which is the exact reason that the Bush administration has forbidden press coverage of dead soldiers coming back from Iraq in flag-draped coffins. That high-pitched whine you hear in the distance is the First Amendment crying.

Not to shift blame for any current... whatever, but that is hardly something new. The United States Government has manipulated the media for as long as this country has been around. As early as the US Civil War, the government abuse the Constitution; Lincoln literally forced a draft upon the nation (with many still believing it is unconstitutional), and at one point he suspended the fifth and sixth ammendments (due process and trial by jury and whatever). The Spanish-American War was all but entirely fabricated, soldier mail from World War I and World War II were regularly censored, figures of dead were routinely under-reported (Pearl Harbor comes to mind; I believe the original government claim was around 200 dead, not two thousand), and Vietnam... well, there's more than enough information about that.

Should we have un-restricted, perfect freedom of speech, press, religion, and whatnot now, some two-hundred-twenty-five years after the Bill Of Rights was signed? Maybe. Even probably. But the fact that we don't now should not surprise anyone.

 

[Onhell]

Yes we should have that much freedom. But from the government's point of view, their job is (or has become anyway) to keep society stable, one of the things that keeps things the way they are is high morale, if you spice things up a bit on how the army is doing over seas, you insure stability in the homestead, cause you already have chaos in one sector, you don't want to deal with more shit at home.

 

[Kynisk Sokol]

Since this thread is wandering all over the place anyway, why not?

If that's the case, I'll put this little test in. >:[ This is just out of curiosity, nothing more.

Don't use google or maps or whatever, just try to tell me which countries they are. If you don't know just leave a blank. I'm really curious. Post it here and don't cheat off each other, so don't scroll down until you finished it.

Thanks.

 

[Albie]

1 - Germany
2 - Spain
3 - Czech
4 - Poland
5 - Netherlands
6 - France
7 - Portugal
8 - Britain
9 - Sweden
10 - Italy
11 - Greece
12 - Norway
13 - Iceland
14 - Ireland
15 - Switzerland
16 - Belgium
17 -
18 - Slovakia?
19 -
20 - Moldova?
21 - Finland
22 - Russia
23 - Turkey
24 - Denmark

The Eastern bloc countries I did struggle with and those against a "?" are dubious.

---

EDIT: From that, I know I got at least three wrong!

 

[Genghis Khan]

If that's the case, I'll put this little test in. >:[ This is just out of curiosity, nothing more.

Don't use google or maps or whatever, just try to tell me which countries they are. If you don't know just leave a blank. I'm really curious. Post it here and don't cheat off each other, so don't scroll down until you finished it.

Thanks.

Spoiler

Germany
Spain
Austria
Poland
The Netherlands
France
Portugal
England
Sweden
Italy
Greece
Norway
Iceland
Rep. of Ireland
Switzerland
Belgium
Slovakia
Czech Rep.
Hungary
Romania
Finland
Russia
Turkey
Denmark

 

[Raven]

Spoiler

1. Germany
2. Spain
3. Austria
4. Poland
5. Netherlands/Holland (If that's what it's pointing to)
6. France
7. Portugal
8. United Kingdom (England, techincally)
9. Sweden
10. Italy
11. Greece
12. Norway
13. Iceland
14. Ireland (Eire/Republic of Ireland/Free State)
15. Switzerland
16. Belgium
17. Slovakia
18. Czech Republic
19. Hungary (Not too sure on this one...it may be Bulgaria)
20. Romania
21. Finland
22. Russia
23. Turkey
24. Denmark

What?  No Former Yugoslavian Republics?  How untr00. >:[

 

[Albie]

3, 17, 18 19 & 20 - I feel ashamed of not knowing (especially 3 and 18).

One point about The Netherlands is that technically Holland is only a region within the country of The Netherlands. Somehow along the way, the country has become known as Holland, which is a bit like calling England - Anglia.

 

[Genghis Khan]

It would have been much harder, Blackie, had you added many more former Soviet republics like Estonia, Khazakstan, etc. and island nations.  No former Yugoslav republics.  Oh, well OK.  I notice that eastern countries are harder to remember for people, at this BB or elsewhere.  The reason is probably twofold: a) most countries are new; b) these countries do not have a large global influence, if any at all.

EDIT: Sorry, for the lack on numbering.  I was in a hurry. 

 

[Onhell]

It's less... well, spooky really, I mean... The NETHERlands? who runs it? Hades? Pluto? Both? Vulcan? all Three? Satan? Holland is less demeaning.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I happen to think it sounds cool  .  A friend of mine born there calls in Holland, too.  I thought that the country got its name because it is below see level.  Maybe Forostar or someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[SinisterMinisterX]

First of all, what is the purpose of this? I already took a geography class in college (in 2002) and got an A. I don't need to be tested again.

Having said that, I got 22 right out of 24. I blanked on 19, and didn't see 24 until I started checking my answers.

So my % correct was 91.67%.

Now be honest: how many Europeans on this board think they could get over 90% of the US states or Canadian provinces correct?

 

[SneakySneaky]

Fine point.  I'm too ashamed to attempt and number the countries  .  Giving them a look,  I'd screw a few up.  Argh,  I hate my ignorance. 

 

[Onhell]

I haven't taken European geography since 6th grade (yup middle school) and like SMX, don't feel the need to test that knowledge. I'm quite content with my world geography. SMX, I don't think it's the same to name countries on a CONTINENT, however small, to states in a COUNTRY. For example can you name all the french or spanish provinces? probably not, but I bet you our European friends would fair well in naming countries off of North, Central and South America. And I'm sure that everybody here, for the exception of maybe 3 people ( I not being one of them) couldn't name more than 6 African countries and 7 Asian ones. I maybe exagerating, but Westerners are rather ignorant as far as those two continents are concerned.

 

[IronDuke]

I haven't taken European geography since 6th grade (yup middle school) and like SMX, don't feel the need to test that knowledge. I'm quite content with my world geography. SMX, I don't think it's the same to name countries on a CONTINENT, however small, to states in a COUNTRY. For example can you name all the french or spanish provinces? probably not, but I bet you our European friends would fair well in naming countries off of North, Central and South America. And I'm sure that everybody here, for the exception of maybe 3 people ( I not being one of them) couldn't name more than 6 African countries and 7 Asian ones. I maybe exagerating, but Westerners are rather ignorant as far as those two continents are concerned.

I agree with you, Onhell. But don't you think the average Hans or Francois should know the general location of Texas? Or that California is off to the left of everything else (politically and geographically! I love my own jokes!)

 

[Raven]

I agree with you, Onhell. But don't you think the average Hans or Francois should know the general location of Texas? Or that California is off to the left of everything else (politically and geographically! I love my own jokes!)

And that Florida is 'the one that looks like a very small cock'. 

 

[Albie]

Not as much as Kintyre does.

 

[Raven]

Not as much as Kintyre does.

May I direct you to the Euro coins?  Because, since Norway is not part of the Euro zone, it cannot be featured on the map of Europe on all Euro coins, leaving Finland and Sweden looking...well...

 

[Anonymous]

And I'm sure that everybody here, for the exception of maybe 3 people ( I not being one of them) couldn't name more than 6 African countries and 7 Asian ones.

Africa: South African Republic, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, Mocambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Congo (Rep.), Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Erythrea, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauretania, Western Sahara, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Niger, Nigeria, Liberia, Côte d'Ivorie, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychells.

Asia: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Kambodja, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Brunei, Philippines, China (People's Rep.), China (Rep.), Rainbow Country, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tadjikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Maldives.

That was all from memory, so I may actually have missed a few. I suppose I'm among the three people Onhell mentioned


(No, I don't have anything to prove, it's just another one of those uninspired Sundays.)

 

[Albie]

And I'm sure that everybody here, for the exception of maybe 3 people ( I not being one of them) couldn't name more than 6 African countries and 7 Asian ones.

I just re-read this post after seeing Perun's. I think 6 African countries is not that difficult - if we are just naming them. Very quickly I could think of at least 12/13 (I've visited three of them). Maybe we should suggest to name 15 or more.

As for Asia, again 10 or 12 is not that hard.

However, if we were to ask where they are located, that would prove a tad more difficult.

 

[Anonymous]

Now, to get serious: I don't think everybody needs to know about every country in this world, but I do think people should have heard of most countries at some time or the other and be able to roughly locate them (by roughly, I mean when hearing of the Congo, you should be able to say it is in Africa, or when the name "Ecuador" drops, you should place it in South America). Even if it serves no direct purpose, it has something to do with education. It's the same thing with integrals or the Thirty Years War: Even if knowing about them does not have a real purpose to you, they are things you should have heard about and be able to roughly tell what they are or were. Education serves to give us an image of the world, and to be able to put things in the right drawer when hearing about them. Of course, it is funny when somebody hears about an algorithm and immediately asks: "Is that something I should see my doctor about?", but it's not really favourable to the way others view you (I know that's not that important, but then again, sometimes it is).
I'm not saying everybody should get a doctor's degree, but I think a minimum of education is necessary for us and our society to function.