Comments on: Are Americans stupid?

By: Grandad

Grandad — Mon, 28 May 2007 12:52:45 +0000

Well, you must admit - it is only a few inches from New York to San Francisco. It is on my map anyway.

Actually, since I wrote this, I have corresponded with quite a few Americans, and not all of them are thick. Just a few very loud ones!

By: cma

cma — Mon, 28 May 2007 12:17:58 +0000

Last time I went to the US (South Carolina) I was looking for a money exchange bureau as I had some cash (euros) I had brought from home (Italy). After lot of asking I thought I had found the right place. I went there and told the guy (one, but he looked as if they were four, if you know what I mean) I wanted to exchange euros for dollars. he looked at me and said with a puzzled face “what kind of money is that?” I informed him it was european money. He replied they only handled “spanish money”. “Mexican, you mean?” I asked and he went “yeah, whatever”.

Way before that, right after the train attacks in Spain, some American friends I have (who’ve always known I am Italian) called me to ask whether me and my family were ok. it was nice and thoughtful, I admit, but I couldn’t help pointing out Spain and Italy are NOT the same country. they apologised and said “but they look so close on a map…..”

By: Grandad

Grandad — Mon, 14 May 2007 07:01:39 +0000

Light comic relief, Navdia.

I completely agree about making an edited video in just about any country.

On the other hand, I think most people should know how many sides a triangle has, or where Australia is?!

By: navdia

navdia — Sun, 13 May 2007 22:57:34 +0000

Other than light comic relief, I cant see what all of the fuss is about the video. Plenty of Irish people are pretty thick and ignorant of international affairs. If we did interviews around the country and then edited them down to only the stupid answers then we could have another right old laugh.

What is the Irish interest in trying to demonstrate how stupid Americans are? I just dont get it. Maybe to try to avoid our own “stupid Paddy” stereotype? Inferiority complex?. If the real reasons why we hate Americans are their political choices, then so be it, but it would be a much more compelling argument to debate the topics than using the arrogant and simplistic approach of presuming that people who have different opinions and viewpoints politically are stupid. This video is just a joke, or else propaganda.

By: Grandad

Grandad — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:27:30 +0000

I have just found a lovely web site which I have to browse. It is so American it is great. Every page I read, I get a laugh. Watch this space - I will be posting about it in the near future…..

By: Deborah

Deborah — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:42:32 +0000

I did about 5 years in the public education system in America. My Dad just about had a coniption when we learned that World War II started in 1941! I was in third grade when we moved over and the kids could barely read. I’d just finished Jane Eyre (which admittedly made little sense to a nie year old, but I read it nonetheless) and they were barely through the last Dick and Jane book! LOL! But I will say they were ahead of me when it came to maths and science. I think we had just finishing what was alive - an animal and what was not - a rock!!! But one of the reasons we moved back to Ireland was to get our kids a decent education, although I just found out I should have put their names on school waiting lists? Oops…

By: laurie

laurie — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:40:40 +0000

well, that’s definitely true, rambling man. are you taught criticial thinking in ireland? my memories of public school in the US are that you’re rewarded for being obedient and for not making waves.

i remember in school the biggest concern was this: “do we need to know this for the test?”

if the answer was no, we didn’t bother with it, no matter how important the teacher might have thought it was.

they have to “teach to tests,” you know, because state aid and other things are tied to how well students do on standardized tests. that’s what bush’s “no child left behind” is all about–test scores. if students don’t do well on the tests, the school is penalized. so teachers are frantic to stuff information into heads, and it has to be precisely the same information that matches up with the questions on the tests.

anyway….i have co-opted your blog. sorry. it’s an interesting blog! i’ve been to ireland four or five times (my grandmother was irish, of course, all american grandmothers are irish, right?) and i enjoy reading your thoughts. even when you’re poking fun at my country.

oh, and one other thing: i’ll tell you about the grand canyon some time, if you like. i bet it wont’ be what you expect.

By: RamblingMan

RamblingMan — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:36:14 +0000

theres a difference between going to school to learn and learning to think at school. i think where our american friends fall down is the latter. are they thought to think ? anyone can learn things off by heart for example, but understanding is the key to developing the mind.

By: Grandad

Grandad — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:10:16 +0000

Of course there are articulate and thoughtful Americans. Probably millions of them.
.
Good question about ‘after’. It could come from the Irish ‘tá me tar éis smaoineamh’ Which would translate as “I am after thinking”, which implies it was in the recent past, as distinct from “I was thinking” which could have been last year. I’m not an Irish scholar alas.

By: laurie

laurie — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 19:46:02 +0000

i’m pretty interested in all that and i would love it if you could blog thoughtfully on that topic. i took a day-long course in Irish language a year ago, not to learn it, of course, but because i hoped to learn a few basics of pronunciation so that when i came across irish phrases i could at least say them in my head. not a chance; far too complicated. i do remember, though, how to say hello.

i’m interested, too, in the speech patterns–why it’s common for irish people to use the word “after”; i know there’s a gaelic reason but i’ve forgotten now. (as in, “he’s always after going down to the pub.” what purpose does the word “after” serve?)

anyway, i’m not trying to turn your very readable and entertaining blog into a linguistics site.

but i hope you do know that there are plenty of americans who are thoughtful, articulate, and (i think this was one of your main points, if i’m not mistaken) interested in the rest of the world.