I Found this disturbing...

[Kevmaster]

in a Fox News poll:
48% of Americans DONT KNOW WHO Jacques Chirac IS!
63% of Americans DONT KNOW WHO Gerhard Schroeder IS!

Yet these people still hold opinions both for and against the war with Iraq. Am I the only one concerned what America is going to? Our people love to have their opinions, however half are completely uninformed of the facts. They are just spewing hog wash. the facts just support that notion


PS: I thought about whether this should be in the Iraq thread, but since its really more of a question of "what is america coming to" i figured it would be OK here. feel free to do as you wish Phil

[MagMan5446]

I don't know who they are.

I don't care either, so I guess it doesn't matter.

[Fred]

i heard somewhere that somthing like 60% of Americans don't know how long it takes for the Earth to orbit around the sun once... :rolleyes:

[Hasty8]

They can be manipulated.

One thing I learned during my probabilty classes is that you have to check their source datas and how they selected them.

Obviously you cannot poll every single America so they have to take a sample poll. The first step is to make sure that they poll the right size group. I forgot the formula but there is a way to decide just how many people you should poll to get an accurate predictional rate of the entire population.

Secondly is to make sure they took from a diversified group. No offense but if they just polled people who lived in the mountains then it's high likelyhood that you will get numbers like that.

Always beware the numbers man. IT used to be my job to blatantly lie with numbers.

[Collegeboy]

It is rather disturbing that Americans do no know whose those gentlemen are (I would say it but it would give it away for those who don't know)

Many Americans get caught in the moment and follow whatever the next person is saying and such. That is a very sad thing in this country and something that needs to be changed quick.

Another rather shocking fact is that in the recent world geography test a high percentage of Americans couldn't find the US on a map (these were elementary students), most of them pointed to Russia since it was the biggest country. I am looking for the numbers but don't know them off hand.

[Collegeboy]

Originally posted by Fred
i heard somewhere that somthing like 60% of Americans don't know how long it takes for the Earth to orbit around the sun once... :rolleyes:

Would that be the technical anwser or just a year?

[einhander619]

Aproximately 43% of all statistics are made up on the spot.;)

[MantisMag]

i hate when people have really strong opinions about issues that they know nothing about. we need a way to get people like that to just shut up. sure you're allowed to have an uninformed opinion. but you shouldn't feel the need to argue that opinion and shout it from the rooftops when you really have no clue what you're talking about.

[shartley]

And then those same people who don’t know much of anything get caught up in “anti” this or that crap as well. They follow blindly what group yells the loudest and gets the most “press”. ;)

Oh, but we should follow opinion polls for policy, right? We have a government… USE IT, and let them do their jobs. If you don’t like the jobs they are doing, VOTE them out of office. Pretty simple process.

As for the state of our schools…. Don’t get me started. That is a subject that blows the roof off of my house. LOL

[Kevmaster]

Hasty8,
I too have taken statistics (parts of it...well...not really...but i know the general basics)

I dont remember the exact numbers, but it was the standard for a news poll...744 people sampled (not random) with a +/- 3% error

Sam,
I would like to see another poll. poll the same people with:
Pro War
Pro War only with UN
Anti War

and
Who is JC
Who is GS
Who is Tony Blair



if someone doesnt know one of the bottom three their answer is thrown out of the poll. get the poll of those who know the facts

[pbguy888]

I dont know who either are... Maybe because Im 15? Would anybody care to tell me?

And Tony Blair is the British Prime Minister right?

[Fred]

Originally posted by Collegeboy


Would that be the technical anwser or just a year?

just a year!:eek:

[oldsoldier]

Well, Time MAgazine did a poll in the late 90s, or somewhere around there, asking HS students what countries bordered the US. something along the lines of 60% didnt know. Some of the more bizarre answers; the North Pole (not a country even), France, Chile, none (ok). And, to think, someday these are our future leaders.

[Jack_Dubious]

Originally posted by oldsoldier
Well, Time MAgazine did a poll in the late 90s, or somewhere around there, asking HS students what countries bordered the US. something along the lines of 60% didnt know. Some of the more bizarre answers; the North Pole (not a country even), France, Chile, none (ok). And, to think, someday these are our future leaders.

Ok Mr. Smartie Pants, if the North Pole isnt "a country", then tell me what country is Santa Claus a citizen of???
HA!


:D
JDub

[oldsoldier]

Originally posted by Jack_Dubious


Ok Mr. Smartie Pants, if the North Pole isnt "a country", then tell me what country is Santa Claus a citizen of???
HA!


:D
JDub


Ok you...(this is all in jest, BTW), North pole is not on land. So, technically, it can't be a country. Santa Claus? Well, the tale originated in Germany, but he say "eh?" alot, so I suspect he is a Canadian Citizen now ;)

[1stdeadeye]

Originally posted by pbguy888
I dont know who either are... Maybe because Im 15? Would anybody care to tell me?

And Tony Blair is the British Prime Minister right?

Jacques Chirac is the President of France (the head cheese eating surrender monkey ;) )

Gerhard Schroeder is the PM of Germany

Both of them have come out against the war in Iraq. The French are cheering Chirac. However Shroeder's party lost key regional elections recently in part because of his alienation of the US. That is why you are not hearing much from him lately. Chirac is carrying the "message" of peace at all costs!

[litestab]

i don't know who they are either. i also don't give a damn about the war in iraq.

[Collegeboy]

Originally posted by Fred


just a year!:eek:

That is sad. I could have understood if it was the 365 days 6 hours 40 some mintues and some odd seconds (This is just a guess from what I could remember from high school science.)

[Thordic]

Schoeder is widely despised by his own citizens. I have some friends in Germany. He isn't a very popular PM by a long shot.

Not saying the Germans are for the war in general, but they don't like him much in any case.

[joeyjoe367]

hehe, this is why sometime I believe an Oligarchy with just the smartest elite should run the country.

[FutureMagOwner]

the problem i have with schools is that i make mine look good by doing well on these tests and crap when they ask questions i never learned in school every bit of knowledge i know about 15%(see statistics!) at MOST came from school


yeah i was gunna say a year is technically 365 and 1/4(about)days long hence why theres a leap year

[pito189]

Originally posted by Thordic
Not saying the Germans are for the war in general, but they don't like him much in any case.

I will give it to the Germans they are tough cookies. They just don't have to much luck in war. They always end up fighting everyone, and that is just a tough war.

I would say I didn't know either of those people are either, nor do I know who Tony Blair is.

I don't have a tv in my dorm. I study like 5-7 hours a day. The only time I get to watch tv is when I am in the cafeteria, and then it is only Sportscenter.

Does that make me uninformed?

[ShooterJM]

See it's things like this that make me want to have some sort of test for people to vote. You don't pass, you don't get to vote. Uninformed blithering idiots shouldn't be able to negate well thought out, informed votes.

[paintbattler]

Originally posted by Fred
i heard somewhere that somthing like 60% of Americans don't know how long it takes for the Earth to orbit around the sun once... :rolleyes: hahahaha 1 day? 24hrs?

[FalconGuy016]

Originally posted by MantisMag
i hate when people have really strong opinions about issues that they know nothing about.

You have no idea how much I agree with you

[FESTUS33]

Originally posted by paintbattler
hahahaha 1 day? 24hrs?


UMMMMM!!!
That would Be a Day Dude! {the Period of time it take's the Earth to rotate around it's Own Axis, Not The Time it take's to make an orbit of the Sun!}:rolleyes:
BTW How Many People Know the Sun's True Name?;)
Rick:eek:

[SirOssis]

Originally posted by MantisMag
i hate when people have really strong opinions about issues that they know nothing about. we need a way to get people like that to just shut up. sure you're allowed to have an uninformed opinion. but you shouldn't feel the need to argue that opinion and shout it from the rooftops when you really have no clue what you're talking about.


which actor/actress did you have in mind?

[FESTUS33]

Originally posted by SirOssis



which actor/actress did you have in mind?


HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
ROTFLMAO!
Rick:eek:

[Kevmaster]

Originally posted by SirOssis
which actor/actress did you have in mind?



I too LOVE that?
Dave Matthews?
Dixie Chicks?
THE REST OF HOLLYWOOD?

[Jack_Dubious]

Originally posted by FESTUS33

BTW How Many People Know the Sun's True Name?;)


I think its George.


JDub

[Collegeboy]

Sort of like that new country song called "Have you forgotten".

[FESTUS33]

BTW the True name of our Sun is Sol, Hence the term Solar System!

[Xerces]

Originally posted by MantisMag
i hate when people have really strong opinions about issues that they know nothing about. we need a way to get people like that to just shut up. sure you're allowed to have an uninformed opinion. but you shouldn't feel the need to argue that opinion and shout it from the rooftops when you really have no clue what you're talking about.

well lets say someone researchad a topic, developed an opinion based on the research. they feel really strongly about this and urge other people to see it their way. some guys call them ignorant and says they don't know half of what they are talking about and he points out a few facts. should we hate them for not being expoed to certain facets of the situation?

you can't call someone uninformed if they havent been exposed to all of the details. with your logic, we can put down people just because they haven't been exposed to everything that you have. "i know more about this than you, therefore, you are speaking half-truths"

[Kevmaster]

no, but when all these joes who dont know ANYTHING regarding the issues formulate opinions (based largly on the vocal minority who opposes war) it kinda annoys me that they too count just as much as I do. If you have some reasoning as to what the issues are in the middle east and such then I have no problem with you being pro or anti war.

[1stdeadeye]

Originally posted by Kevmaster
no, but when all these joes who dont know ANYTHING regarding the issues formulate opinions (based largly on the vocal minority who opposes war) it kinda annoys me that they too count just as much as I do. If you have some reasoning as to what the issues are in the middle east and such then I have no problem with you being pro or anti war.

USA...One Citizen, One Vote. Those are the rules and the breaks! If you want to put the literacy test back into the voting requirements, good luck! The ACLU, NAACP, PTA, Etc... will fight you to the last. Plus, we would have presidential vote totals of like 563 to 365!:p

[MantisMag]

xerces- as i stated in my post i dislike people who know NOTHING of the situation and want to argue and make a big fuss about it. for example some people are spouting the "blood for oil" line. i ask them why they say that. they tell me that's what the war is really about, oil. how so? they can't explain it. they just keep parroting the line that that's why we're really going to war. if they could come up with some kind of reasoning. anything at all. even flawed and based off of misinformation i would respect them more than someone who hasn't the foggiest idea what they're talking about.