[QUOTE] [b]pittrek wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]The Fairy King wrote:[/b]
Czech porn is awesome. <3[/QUOTE]
German porn from the 70's is the best :-) [/QUOTE]
Nah...too hairy :D
The Fairy King
Thread
Posts in chronological order
thomasquinn 32989
Did this discussion just go from having a laugh at people who think Chechnya = Czech Republic to pornography for the discerning connoisseur in one easy step?
The Real Wizard
[QUOTE] [b]catqueen wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]
Just to clarify: I'm not saying Americans are stupid, I'm saying the vast majority of Americans are ignorant of geography outside their own country. In all fairness, I don't think most Europeans could point out more than about five American states on a map.[/QUOTE]
Why should they? It's non-essential knowledge of one country.
Knowledge of states in one's own country should bear no comparison to being able to name (and locate on a map) five other countries.
I bet you my entire music collection that more Europeans can name 5 US states than Americans can name 5 countries other than their own (with the exception of countries the media has told them they should bomb at some point in the last 50 years).[/QUOTE]
Ah, most americans could name a few countries -- remember Canada, Mexico, and England would all be well known to Americans. They might struggle beyond that (with a few additions -- Germany, France, China, Afghanistan, Iraq, India, Australia, Antarctica, maybe a few others). But i think 5 is a really low number. What i've noticed is that a lot of americans have HEARD of countries (limited countries -- or they have heard of Paris but don't know it's in France, that kind of thing), but they haven't a clue WHERE they are. Like don't ask them to find it on a map, or even to reliably identify the continent it's in.
I still remember the time i was asked how long of a train journey it was from Ireland to the USA. And the comment of 'hmm... Ireland... that's interesting... is that off the coast of New Jersey?' I guess it is... a looong way off the coast of New Jersey! I also remember LOTS of people in america asking slowly and carefully if i speak english (cos obviously i was from somewhere foreign).[/QUOTE]
Encouraging.
So do we launch the full-on war on xenophobia and ignorance now, or when?
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]
Just to clarify: I'm not saying Americans are stupid, I'm saying the vast majority of Americans are ignorant of geography outside their own country. In all fairness, I don't think most Europeans could point out more than about five American states on a map.[/QUOTE]
Why should they? It's non-essential knowledge of one country.
Knowledge of states in one's own country should bear no comparison to being able to name (and locate on a map) five other countries.
I bet you my entire music collection that more Europeans can name 5 US states than Americans can name 5 countries other than their own (with the exception of countries the media has told them they should bomb at some point in the last 50 years).[/QUOTE]
Ah, most americans could name a few countries -- remember Canada, Mexico, and England would all be well known to Americans. They might struggle beyond that (with a few additions -- Germany, France, China, Afghanistan, Iraq, India, Australia, Antarctica, maybe a few others). But i think 5 is a really low number. What i've noticed is that a lot of americans have HEARD of countries (limited countries -- or they have heard of Paris but don't know it's in France, that kind of thing), but they haven't a clue WHERE they are. Like don't ask them to find it on a map, or even to reliably identify the continent it's in.
I still remember the time i was asked how long of a train journey it was from Ireland to the USA. And the comment of 'hmm... Ireland... that's interesting... is that off the coast of New Jersey?' I guess it is... a looong way off the coast of New Jersey! I also remember LOTS of people in america asking slowly and carefully if i speak english (cos obviously i was from somewhere foreign).[/QUOTE]
Encouraging.
So do we launch the full-on war on xenophobia and ignorance now, or when?
The Real Wizard
[QUOTE] [b]catqueen wrote:[/b]
The country is very insular and it shows in their foreign policies, among other things. Maybe if they were more educated about other countries and peoples, they might be a little more understanding of immigrants and of other cultures[/QUOTE]
And that is exactly why the situation is never, ever going to change. There is way too much money to be lost if the population were to be properly informed of the way the outside works. The NRA, private health care, the FDA and the military industrial complex all require mass public ignorance in order to exist with impunity.
The country is very insular and it shows in their foreign policies, among other things. Maybe if they were more educated about other countries and peoples, they might be a little more understanding of immigrants and of other cultures[/QUOTE]
And that is exactly why the situation is never, ever going to change. There is way too much money to be lost if the population were to be properly informed of the way the outside works. The NRA, private health care, the FDA and the military industrial complex all require mass public ignorance in order to exist with impunity.
The Fairy King
[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]
Did this discussion just go from having a laugh at people who think Chechnya = Czech Republic to pornography for the discerning connoisseur in one easy step?[/QUOTE]
Just taking it to the next logical step.
Did this discussion just go from having a laugh at people who think Chechnya = Czech Republic to pornography for the discerning connoisseur in one easy step?[/QUOTE]
Just taking it to the next logical step.
waunakonor
I've never been to the Czech Republic.