Sputnik Down

[Clinton Huxley]

The take home message is that almost everyone in the world is a moron.

[Atheist-Lite]

Any formal attack on ignorance is bound to fail because the masses are always ready to defend their most precious possession. - Hendrik Van Loon

[Coito ergo sum]

Yeah, but CES, 66% old chap. 66% You can't argue with statistics...

66% of idiots polled say American idiots are the stupidest idiots. Hard to argue with that, yes.

If your idiots are the most idiotic idiots, and there is no evidence to prove they aren't, then that's going to pull your bell curve to the left.

I like pure idiots better than an idiot who thinks he can point out which other idiot is dumber.

[Clinton Huxley]

American Idiots. Russian Idiots. But which are the MOST idiotic...? There's only one way to find out.....

[Coito ergo sum]

Why would they have to post that? People post plenty of stuff about Americans without posting any off-setting similar information about other countries.

Well they probably shouldn't.

Why? They do it all the time on this forum, and I've never seen one person suggest that there is anything dishonest or wrong about posting such material about "merkins" without scouring the web for similar information about other nationalities.

And, why would a post about Russian stupidity automatically need to be offset by information about Americans? Why not post the similar information available about Brits or other nationalities?

Sure, and any other nationality would probably have similar results. The more data the better, as far as I'm concerned. It's just annoying to see statistics that say "this country's scientific understanding is as bad as the rest of the world", manipulated by thousands of posts and comments to say "this country's scientific understanding is really bad, aren't they stupid, har har har". Same applies whichever country you're talking about.

I agree. I see it all the time leveled against Americans. Like the obesity stats - 60% of Americans are obese, and whatnot. Funny to hear Brits, whose own country boasts over a 50% obesity rate, mock Americans for being a bunch of fatties. The difference is hardly noticeable. The same thing is with these intelligence surveys. 80% of everybody is fucking stupid. Some countries excel, but even most of them are morons too. The stats, when you really examine the differences, are not encouraging.

[Coito ergo sum]

American Idiots. Russian Idiots. But which are the MOST idiotic...? There's only one way to find out.....

My money is on the Brits. Someone must have put lead in your drinking water or something. Hard to believe you blighters ever ruled the world.

[Clinton Huxley]

China is heading towards total domination. I bet they will be number one in idiots soon.

[Coito ergo sum]

China is heading towards total domination. I bet they will be number one in idiots soon.

China already has more idiots than any other country.

[PsychoSerenity]

Why would they have to post that? People post plenty of stuff about Americans without posting any off-setting similar information about other countries.

Well they probably shouldn't.

Why? They do it all the time on this forum, and I've never seen one person suggest that there is anything dishonest or wrong about posting such material about "merkins" without scouring the web for similar information about other nationalities.

It's not about scouring the web, and to be honest the article in the OP is fine because it's only reporting the facts - it just annoyed me, when I decided to do a quick search for more info, to find blogs and forums, listing the msnbc article as the source, and having comments like "their education must have been bad because of communism." Like I said, the more data the better.

[Atheist-Lite]

China is heading towards total domination. I bet they will be number one in idiots soon.

China already has more idiots than any other country.

Their leaving the rest of the world behind.

[Coito ergo sum]

Why would they have to post that? People post plenty of stuff about Americans without posting any off-setting similar information about other countries.

Well they probably shouldn't.

Why? They do it all the time on this forum, and I've never seen one person suggest that there is anything dishonest or wrong about posting such material about "merkins" without scouring the web for similar information about other nationalities.

It's not about scouring the web, and to be honest the article in the OP is fine because it's only reporting the facts - it just annoyed me, when I decided to do a quick search for more info, to find blogs and forums, listing the msnbc article as the source, and having comments like "their education must have been bad because of communism." Like I said, the more data the better.

Sure, but next time there is some anti-American item posted, run the same procedure on it to discover the similar information about other countries. In almost all instances, you'll find it.

[PsychoSerenity]

Sure, but next time there is some anti-American item posted, run the same procedure on it to discover the similar information about other countries. In almost all instances, you'll find it.

I suppose the difference is that sometimes, far from being anti-American, the data on America may be being used as a significant sub-sample of the western world - and it's assumed (by some) that to a reasonable degree it does apply to many other places anyway.
Other than that,

[Coito ergo sum]

Sure, but next time there is some anti-American item posted, run the same procedure on it to discover the similar information about other countries. In almost all instances, you'll find it.

I suppose the difference is that sometimes, far from being anti-American, the data on America may be being used as a significant sub-sample of the western world - and it's assumed (by some) that to a reasonable degree it does apply to many other places anyway.
Other than that,

I.e. - if it's anti-American, it goes without saying, and if it's anti-some other country, it ought to be specified? Generally speaking?

[PsychoSerenity]

Sure, but next time there is some anti-American item posted, run the same procedure on it to discover the similar information about other countries. In almost all instances, you'll find it.

I suppose the difference is that sometimes, far from being anti-American, the data on America may be being used as a significant sub-sample of the western world - and it's assumed (by some) that to a reasonable degree it does apply to many other places anyway.
Other than that,

I.e. - if it's anti-American, it goes without saying, and if it's anti-some other country, it ought to be specified? Generally speaking?

Well yeah, sort of - I mean the data itself isn't anti-anything, it might be something positive, - but I think stats about America are often assumed to be representative, to one degree or another, of many other countries in the west that have similar economic/political systems. Whereas stats about Russia aren't assumed to represent anything other than Russia (and possibly some other former soviet states). But maybe that's my mistake about other peoples assumptions.