I don't agree with some things written here. There's something about knowing the world around you. And there is something about thinking that world ends at your country's borders.
I'm sorry if this comes out as high horse position, I am not smarter than the average guy wherever we may come from. We're all the same. But we don't prioritize the same knowledge. Actually in my elementary school we had those point at the map tests. The map that's in class isn't a continental map, it is a world map. The tests weren't hard or I don't recall them as such. But I'm sure if you didn't know where France was you'd fail.
The clichéd criticisms of the US are just as tiresome
The criticisms have valid ground. The education system is not actually well there (nor it is here atm), due to a number of internal factors, regardless of the external factors which would be the willingness of a certain individual to learn part of the geography. Many, many good comedians from Carlin to Burr have commented on the education system and loosening the requirements for passing a certain subject. That would be an internal factor.
For example, in Croatia they tried, or succeeded in implementing a priority for veterans kids on university enroll. If class takes 100 kids, and they're all "normal", they go through exam, they need to score above 50%, and then first 100 goes in. But if a veteran's kid decides to come along, he just takes place in 100 without any tests. Someone that actually passed the test, goes out. It is not hard to see how policies like these degrade the overall quality.
But, I don't poke shots at other countries because no other country 1) exerts such amount of influence on others 2) has such power in economy or military 3) considers itself exceptional.
When you have all three checked in a same society, and when those people can't point at their archenemy's territory (ex USSR), then we have a bit of a laughable situation there.
I never said Americans are dumb or dumber, I just said they seriously lack knowledge outside of their own borders. And I blame the education system for that. They vehemently support overseas deployment of their brothers and sisters without actually knowing where or why. I find that fascinating. To be able to have such a strong opinion on something, but lack 95% of facts behind it.
And for conclusion, I like the country and the people. When I was 15 I thought I'll go live and work there for sure. I had a very whitewashed view of the country. Now when I know all the dirty and bad stuff too, I'd still go there to live and work. It is a good place to be for a sizable amount of the population, which is a good benchmark. But I will criticize it as an outsider because America
is special. They have such a cultural reach, they'll influence your life somehow even if you were a Tibetan shepherd. I don't see why he should hesitate to speak his opinion on America loud and clear. And I certainly would give him a pass if he's pissed off if those people don't know where Tibet is.
