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...

[Hasty8]

Be careful with statistics Kev.

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...

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]

[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!

[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!



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!



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