Quote:"Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005).
The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).
Americans are now spending more money on gambling than on movies, videos, DVDs, music, and books combined" (The European Dream, p.2.)"
I do not know whether these figures are result of some statistically accurate research based on a representative sample, but I am afraid if we take an 'average' resident of any country including Russia, we would be astonished at his/her lack of elementary knowledge. I am afraid Americans are not the only 'stupid' nation in the world.
As to wars, what scares me in Americans (sorry for generalization but it really seems to be the fact) is their conviction that they know how things should be done in other countries and readiness to make wars on anyone to 'promote democracy', punish 'dictators', establish 'free market' etc. without any shade of understanding what indeed concerns those people who are expected to 'enjoy freedom' after US involvement. Here I mean general attitude and not only the government's approach.
And in relation to this:
Green Witch wrote:Well I certainly can't defend our record here in America when it comes to education and bad decision making, but my experience of life in Russia wasn't much better. The amount of alcoholism and romantic longings for facism shocked me. I was not at all surprised when Putin was secured back into office. The Russians seem happy to have their police state, as long as no one takes away their vodka and cigarettes.
Green Witch, I myself am concerned about the rise of intolerance and downright fascism in my country, but please do not blame Russian people's 'common mentality' for it. In the early 90's the police state here was enthusiastically supported by Clinton administration when the fist law was used against the advocates of 'left choice' for Russia. In 1993 it was considered quite legitimate to ban federal and local parliaments, newspapers and TV shows and kill those who dared to resist what was the unveiled violation of the constitution because at that time pro-western 'democrats' suppressed 'commies'. When the same gear, which was thoroughly created to curb the very possibility to turn in the 'wrong' direction, started to be used against other people (was it so unpredictable?), there emerged alarms at the fate of democracy. I tend to regard it as an example of the same type of ignorance.
