How America got so Stupid

[@BritMonkey]

I have no idea why KZbin has only rendered this in 720p, hopefully it fixes itself but otherwise just pretend it's 2010 or something.

[@david.4491]

weird

[@penguinscanfly5796]

what do you mean? it is 2010!

[@rolandtaylor1397]

mines stuck in 360p💀

[@heartycoffee4754]

im watchin in 4k

[@martimpereira7835]

America is horrible the geography

[@Segalocus]

Honestly, as an American, I feel like a lot of people here are becoming proud of how stupid they are. You see it everywhere on social media

[@iamaloafofbread8926]

Idk why you're using media as a source. It's full of biases and stupid people.

[@SpayAndNeuterChristiansNow]

Praise invisible sky 💩

[@shallowgal462]

Especially in Republican, conservative, evangelical, and homeschooled circles.

[@cpaul9269]

Yes, b/c it is a willful ignorance born of hate. For many of these people, this is the first time they have ever been "in the club," instead of on the outside, looking in. Their insecurities and prejudice now celebrated, instead of shunned. It's scary AF.

[@Segalocus]

@@cpaul9269 I cannot agree with you more

[@aaronhumphrey3514]

As an American I'll tell you how, in very simple terms. Our public schools have been terrible for generations. And it was far from accidental. The rich and powerful in this country do not want a well-educated population.

[@WitchidWitchid]

It largely depends on where in America you live. In some cities the public schools were excellent. For example NYC had some top level public schools throughout most of the 20th century. Even today it has some excellent schools such as Stuyvesant High school. The Bronx high school of Science to name a couple.

[@aaronhumphrey3514]

@WitchidWitchid The vast majority of public schools in this country suck. Even the ones that people would call good tend to do a poor job of educating kids when it comes to history, civics, and critical thinking.

[@WitchidWitchid]

Yep, I agree. While there are still some exceptional public schools that offer quality education, many still fall short of providing what people once called a "well-rounded education". This is not only true in the public schools but even in the private school sector. When my parents went to public school back in the 1930s Civics was a part of the curriculum along with Geography, History, Litterature, Art, etc. Good luck finding a Civics course these days. If I named a country my parents (and even my Grandparents) could immediately point it out on a map or a globe. These days you see high school, and even college graduates who can't even point out where the major European countries are. Or even where Canada or the United States is locate. I wonder, did they stop teaching any Geography these days?

[@jamesbunch8932]

Well, I guess if the rich don’t want it, we can’t handed it. No one could work together and try to build networks of education, good information systems / news reporting agencies, etc…

[@erickalear7609]

​@WitchidWitchid And there's the rub. Cities have resources, rural areas don't. As a result, there's an educational desert outside of Metropolitan areas, because small communities don't have the tax revenue of larger ones. It's all about the money.

[@Dreyno]

In fairness, knowing who the British prime minister is at a given time in recent years isn’t an easy question to answer.

[@E4439Qv5]

Sorry Liz. You had a good run.

[@Randomvideos3200]

"Aw shit, who is it this week??"

[@FujiwarnerCo1dj]

also who really cares?

[@fitohoyos]

Swachum suchwami?

[@pbcash7788]

Why would anyone care? Britain is still a large player in the world financial markets but that is about it. That country is far less relevant than the average person thinks.

[@RalphConway]

America is not a developed country. Maybe it has been forty years ago. The education & health system, food quality, work-life balance, family support, legal system, secure life - all this is far behind what developed nations offer their population. Why should Canada, Mexico or Greenland be interested to become a part of the United States?

[@nickislade5533]

I often refer to them as 3rd world, their education and healths system is literally for the wealthy now

[@tankman_tv9332]

Especially because canada is in a far worse state than America, why should one very faulty country be annexed with another?

[@ItsScottJones]

I just got back from Japan and I agree.

[@lwyatt6264]

We own you

[@chrisstewart8259]

Thank you for saying this. Oh so true.

[@Aluben0]

As a brit, my first week living in the US was eye opening. I went to buy cigarettes at a gas station and the card on the counter said anyone born after 1999 cannot buy cigarettes. I was born in 1998. the 50 year old lady at the counter told me she couldn't sell me cigarettes because 1998 is lower than 1999. I literally thought I was getting pranked.

[@lesinhhung6999]

Ok, so that woman lets a newborn buy a pack of cigarette but not you?

[@Aluben0]

@@lesinhhung6999 after 5 minutes of me and her manager explaining that she finally understood

[@nataliadapkus5214]

Lol

[@blakepurdy1214]

@@Aluben0wow I almost can’t believe it but I’ve encountered people just as stupid in my life too

[@Aluben0]

@@blakepurdy1214 this happened like 8 years ago but it always stuck with me as I pass that gas station every day

[@zumazuma568]

Well this aged like fine wine. 70 million of them woke up and decided that a guy who once suggested injecting people with bleach would make a great president.

[@aadhaarmurty1180]

"But I'll bet you couldn't even answer the last five questions. I'll bet you couldn't, they get very hard, the last five questions." -Trump, after supposedly taking the MoCA, a test that is commonly used to detect cognitive impairment and signs of Alzheimer's... Huh.

[@joshuablevins4340]

Spoken like a true idiot. Because only a moron would vote for left-wing policies and four more years of the dumpster fire the current Administration created

[@daghul4785]

And was the best friend of Epstein…

[@AUTI5T1X]

@@joshuablevins4340

[@Unlucky-Dube]

Oooof. and you are still parroting literal corporate disinformation from years ago and manufactured hysteria/consent. THIS is exactly why American's are so stupid.

[@dingleberry4234]

You would expect Americans to be very educated about the world, given how they are involved in so many foreign affairs. Edit: perhaps the reason America can get involved with so many foreign issues is BECAUSE its population is mostly ignorant by design. A country that big, you have to find some way to wrest control. Like an ant colony.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Very true.

[@Stephanie-mv9iy]

Ironically it's the other way. So many foreigners who've never been here or really spent a lot of their own time researching it seem obsessed, while the Americans are fine in their ignorance and honestly don't usually don't talk about any nation that they don't share a border with.

[@Worldaffairslover]

Everyone is worried about us. We don’t even think about y’all

[@Cneq]

@@Stephanie-mv9iy Kind of ironic you say this despite it being a generalization. The peak of ignorance is speaking about a nation of nearly 332 million people and assuming they are all this stupid. The US population most likely eclipses your countries population many times over and the amount of highly educated and globally connected americans also most likely far surpasses the amount of your educated countrymen. For the record I'm a dual citizen of the US and Australia [have lived more than a decade in each] and I'm in the top percentile when it comes to higher education in Australia [6.8/7 GPA in computer science and a OP 2] and likewise I'm very well-read [originally was going to be an historian if it paid more] and also have travelled to many countries. I guarantee you are far, far more ignorant than I am and yet you have the audacity to generalize millions upon millions of people as a testament to your own ignorance.

[@VideoSpectator1223]

We live in a country almost the size of europe, with 3 different time zones, why should we care about the world?

[@bobbybob3865]

In Europe, a common joke is..."What borders on stupidity?".............."Canada and Mexico."

[@tory5340]

Nah y'all should be grateful to the US for handing your arses during any minor conflict, europeans suck at that

[@bp4187]

Fantastic! I will copy this.

[@ezekarrion]

Muy bueno

[@thyblackpanther]

Kinda obsessed😬😬we have no jokes about u guys 🤣✌️

[@Mautifko]

What- I don’t think it’s that common since I’ve never heard it…

[@FullOrange_]

I’m Canadian and lived in the US and I was asked on multiple occasions to speak Canadian. It’s just ridiculous sometimes.

[@fredmorpheus6890]

Répond-lui en français. Le Québec fait partie du Canada 😉

[@Metablex]

You want me to speak in Candaian? Okay! *Frenglish*

[@LosHitman]

America and Canada basically have the same culture they are blatantly dumb

[@Kurameno]

Maybe they meant Canadian French 😂

[@bigwoody4704]

@@Kurameno That's French Candaian

[@joecarom391]

I m a German and was once asked by an American if Merkel was Hitlers daughter. I said no and very kindly asked why she would think that. And it is because European countries all have kings and kings pass on their power to their children. Democracy, that existed only in the US in her world.

[@KnutBluetooth]

Sadly, democracy only exists in Switzerland

[@TokeyIto1865]

Нужно было ей сказать, что кайзера сверг его внук Сталин.

[@peternielsen2156]

if Merkel was Hitler's daughter!.............. hmmmmm I've often wondered the same thing. 😂😂😂

[@TheybyBaby-c9m]

There is actually a maga cult conspiracy theory that she is Hitler's granddaughter. Not because they think it's like a monarchy, but because qanon and maga have made everything into some nefarious plot full of hidden relatives and all powerful Jews whose whole existence is built around lying to "good people with the right values". It's exhausting.

[@ProKoalaGamer]

@@TokeyIto1865 funny thing is the american election system makes sons of former presidents more favourable to be presidents too (happened twice in their miniscule history) so thats kinda dumb cus in europe thats a big nono

[@GeB93]

As an italian I can say that, when I was living in Florence as a student, there was an event caused by 4 american girl tourists I couldn't even think as possible. The local newspaper reported those girls managed to set a whole house on fire because they were trying to cook some spaghetti for the first time. They thought no water was necessary and threw the pasta directly in a pan. I still don't get how it escalated to that point.

[@Shep_isLessThan3]

They've clearly never been to Olive Garden 👀

[@joeblow8379]

This never happened

[@heinrich.hitzinger]

​@@Shep_isLessThan3👁👄👁

[@RichieRichMD]

A hahahaha 😂

[@incognito3620]

I have the answer for you. STUPIDITY. You just made my case.

[@peterc2248]

I recently encountered some American tourists while out walking in the forest near where I live in the UK. They were lovely people, not long retired and on their first trip overseas. In the forest is the remains of an Iron Age Hill fort and they were looking for it. When I explained that they were actually already in it, we had a long conversation about British and European history. They had a very blinkered and limited view of the world from my perspective but as they said, they never had any need for a wider view. Their entire lives were spent in their little town living their lives quite happily. Interestingly while researching my family history, I discovered that both my paternal and maternal lines had essentially stayed put for hundreds of years until the mid-nineteenth century when the trains came, so not much different. In general I like Americans, in fact in general I like most people. In my experience, most people are kind, helpful and warm hearted. You get the odd self interested arse of course - usually a politician, priest or celebrity - but they're just so much fluff. When you think about it, nationalities are pretty silly, remnants of an old world mindset where lines on maps mattered. Everyone and everything on this planet developed in the same primordial soup, we are all related, we are all family. It's a shame our 'leaders' can't think like that because if we are to solve global problems, it will need global action.

[@cloaker609]

You...i like you, you got a nice mindset

[@acaciagirl]

this was so poetic to read

[@Martin-ov5pd]

❤

[@brucethomson3539]

The earth is but one country and mankind it's citizens. Baha'u'llah

[@diamondyoshi6649]

This is beautiful. I wish more people thought like this.

[@moarschtuff9233]

As an American living in Asia, I find myself routinely embarrassed about the fact that I come across many non-native English speakers who can properly speak and write in English better than most Americans do, even when their native scripts use a non-Latin alphabet.

[@andrelegeant88]

Britons aren't well known polyglots, and even most English speaking Canadians can't speak French with any proficiency. It's a result of speaking the prestige language. The French didn't learn English in the 1700s.

[@codystratman]

Also an American living in Asia. This same thing used to bug me more than it does now but I understand if Thai was the world language and English was only spoken by 70 million people I would have been speaking Thai before I left the US.

[@emil6568]

Well literacy rates in third world countries are higher than those of Europe/America so just keep that in mind

[@josepha.r5839]

I the same in Arabic countries not to mention from the Indian subcontinent where there are many scripts. And then there was Thailand and their script. Challenging.

[@codystratman]

@@josepha.r5839 the nice thing about Thai is you can see a word and know exactly how it will sound unlike English

[@siryeetus6226]

I'm a Romanian studying in the US. Almost everytime I'd mention I'm from Romania, they would ask me one of the following: Where is Romania? What's Romania? Wait, Romania is a country? Oh, where's Romania in Ohio? Wow, you're from Africa? So you're communist? Where is Romania in the US? And when I'd mention I'm from the Transylvanian region, they would immediately ask me about the Hotel in Transylvania movie. Some even debated me if Transylvania is a real place.

[@TheRecklessMetalhead]

Romania is definitely where I am relocating because the US isn't for me anymore. Also, I would recommend you go back to Romania or go elsewhere like Canada, Italy, and Hungary because the cost of living in the US has skyrocketed.

[@tusharsharma8952]

@@TheRecklessMetalhead canada is not much better

[@TheRecklessMetalhead]

@@tusharsharma8952 Yeah, but safer than the US, to be honest.

[@Steveman27]

You seem to like saying Romania over and over again.

[@TheRecklessMetalhead]

@@Steveman27 Someone must be an American

[@googane7755]

As a foreigner watching american news like Fox and MSNBC i was amazed by just how partisan the media is. They will say and do whatever that makes their party look good and diseregard any nuance or intepretation. Its very hard to find information that isn't biased and allow for any critical thought. No wonder america is so divided.

[@davidzwitser]

That seems the case with most media also outside the us. It sells

[@goldschuss2496]

@@davidzwitser Outside of the US, there's often state-affiliated media (not state-governed, mind you), that is available to all members of the public and tries to be as informational and educative as possible.

[@jixer1956]

@@goldschuss2496 The US equivalent of that would be PBS.

[@One.Zero.One101]

@@davidzwitser No. There are countries like mine where the news is strictly about reporting with no opinion columns. In fact news channels here pride themselves in not having editorial content and opinion columns and market themselves as such.

[@uploadJ]

Never watch either one. Don't have cable, don't have satellite. The NBC-based family of 'shows' have been lunatics since inception. Fox used to say 'We report, you decide' something the other networks never even pretended to get close to.

[@Subject106-s9k]

Funny how this video's even more accurate a year later It just gets worse and worse and worse and worse...

[@laidback08-nv4pt]

I was an exchange student in the USA in 1991, Spokane WA, Ferris High School. My favourite questions were like: "do you have cats in Germany?" and a bunch of other questions that basically centered around if we lived in caves and how much we admired the US? Until a fellow US student stepped in and said "yeah. they dont have electricity over there! they only have candles. And by the light of those candles they draw, design and manufacture all those Porsches, Mercedes, Audis etc." That sure helped to shut up that guy.

[@wednesday567]

its called humor, look it up

[@neveniusvondubowatz7705]

Gott in Himmel!🤣

[@Mogwai-z9f]

Hahahaha.😄

[@ShiaminDrew]

Oh, it's really hard for me, a Chinese people, to imagine that even German friends would be discriminated😅Germans enjoy a good reputation in China.

[@gromotion933]

@@wednesday567 Unluckly it is a normal serious thing every foreign student expirenced in the US.

[@Son0fFalse]

I was on an Air France trip to Sweden, I spoke French to the Hostess asking for Orange juice, The Swedish woman next to me asked where I was from, I said America. She was baffled. Then she wanted me to know she has never met any Americans speaking any other language but English in her experience. It is easy to impress with the bar set so low.

[@Anon54387]

Americans don't speak other languages because of the opportunity cost concept. Time spent learning other languages is less time spent learning something else. Take an engineering student. What's a better way to spend time? Learning more about engineering or learning foreign languages?

[@bananrepublik8]

@@Anon54387 Yes, but a second or third language is preferably learnt way before you reach that level of academia. And picking up additional languages early on helps you out with learning in general.

[@Son0fFalse]

@@bananrepublik8 I don't speak French fluently and I wish I was taught at an early age as you've said but our education system does not value languages over other skills in the curriculum.

[@Sprachliebhaber-Languagelover]

@@Anon54387 How about learning before or after being an engineering student or even as an engineering student converting free, spare and leisure time into "foreign language time"? I watch videos and read comments in both English and French without being my mother tongues.

[@Sprachliebhaber-Languagelover]

@@Anon54387What about learning engineering in a foreign language?

[@cadence397]

Last year I was in Italy on holiday, I'm Australian. An older American couple approached me to ask for directions, which I gave them. They then asked me where I were from and I said Australia. They looked very surprised and the woman said "Wow! you speak English very well" I was so suprised I couldn't even respond

[@everlonging3207]

Bet they were thinking of Austria

[@browndogprospecting3141]

Us Auzzie's are Multilingual. We Speak Australian, American and English🙃✌️🐨🦘🇦🇺

[@whiskeyinthejarson8023]

@@browndogprospecting3141 ha Auzzie with a septic twang instead of Aussie

[@paulmoore4344]

She lied. How did you get into Europe anyway? Been building a secret underwater bridge? Water ski across, on the backs of a couple of drop bears? I went to Australia once, to get a flight to NZ 🤣😂🤣 Thanks for Ozzy Man, he's cool. Much love from the North of England where we speak proper. 🤭

[@24Malik23]

Bruh moment

[@GameFiend06]

Man, as an american who's going to be turning 19 next month and is just trying to find his own footing in life. This is really all starting to feel hopeless. We got a dumb orange in office, people who are constantly divided and can't have proper arguments anymore without yelling and screaming, and the world sits back and watches us like we're a circus full of clowns. Because we kinda are.

[@mariembalo3076]

😔

[@alexandrelarsac9115]

As a Western European considerably older than you, I can tell you that this trend is now spreading across all developed countries. Educational standards are declining, people read less and less-it’s easier to spend the day staring at screens than to make the effort to think. Schools are seeing a drop in academic levels. In essence, we’re about 20 years behind the United States, but that gap is closing quickly due to the immediacy of social media. Unfortunately, Europe is following the exact same path as the U.S. Politically, it’s the same-we’re heading in the same direction. Extremes are becoming more pronounced because moderation and independent thinking require more effort than adopting a radical stance. Polarization and populism are increasingly visible across Europe. In this regard as well, we are following the same path as the United States. Idiocracy is spreading all over the world.

[@tadeoguerrero7892]

I work as a tour guide in Buenos Aires. Many of my guests are from USA, they tend to be friendly, but I have to focus things quite differently. Less intellectual, sometimes from the very basics, more about "world records", and walk much less. But the thing that frustrates me the most is when they don't show interest in authenticity and prefer USA focused activities, like going to McDonald's instead of a traditional local restaurant which is cheaper and nicer.

[@josepha.r5839]

True. And then again, when I was working and living in Egypt and UAE in the 90s there were fast-food places ... especially so in UAE where, incidentally, obesity has increased dramatically in countries such as UAE, Qatar, KSA. Shame. KFC was BIG thing to do when I was there. Personally, went to good Lebanese restaurants.

[@beeoo9722]

walk much less lol

[@penelopegreene]

Just emphasize the cheapness. Eventually, it will sink in... 😵‍💫

[@kidsto2612]

​@@beeoo9722 It's a concrete jungle man. The cities and towns in the US are so poorly designed, riding a bicycle is a chore. Theres little to no bike lanes, its a risk to even ride next to cars. To get groceries you ALWAYS need to drive (even if there was a locally owned store nearby, its not like people would shop there anyways, cant give up your precious, corporate-owned Walmart). There's barely any shade, having a tree in your yard is considered a risk where I am, so walking in the summer is a heatsroke waiting to happen. Not to mention the horrible culture surrounding cars, trucks are bought simply to boost your ego, not for hauling anything. People are assholes on the road.

[@josepha.r5839]

This American prefers the reds of Mendoza to any fast-food crap any time.

[@ElizabethReynolds-tg5mb]

As an American yes large percentage of us are very stupid, i got into a legitimate argument with a coworker because he didn't think trees were plants, i asked him what he thought they were then and he didn't know but he "knew they weren't plants", took a Google search and 10 minutes of explaining plant taxonomy to finally convince a 35 year old man that trees are indeed plants😑

[@RaymondPessagno]

Is he unfer 70? I think so.

[@m00nvale.]

bruh that guy is so silly

[@KoKissaki]

You did your job

[@fadhilyudistira8819]

I thought there will be a plot twist that your coworker said "it doesn't produce electricity thus it's not a plant"

[@scottwalker8021]

@@fadhilyudistira8819 Or cars...

[@Diana_L.]

The problem isn't so much the widespread ignorance, as it is the arrogance with which they claim to know everything better.

[@linat.1726]

... which in return can be called ignorance, no?

[@timmansell5602]

Well said 👏 👌 👍

[@Singlesix6]

@@linat.1726 Yes, but having limited knowledge isn't dangerous unless you thing you are really, really, really the smartest person in the room.

[@nicolasrose3064]

The last ten years of Trump lunacy has confirmed the appalling truth that over half of America's population are complete and utter imbiciles.....they regard his statements of intent as declarations of accomplishments : Trump :"I'm going to do amazing stuff, I know more about amazing stuff than anyone, you won't believe how amazing this stuff is going to be, I can do amazing stuff better than anybody.... it's tremendous..." Trump supporters :"Trump Has Done amazing stuff, he knows more about amazing stuff than anyone, you know we couldn't believe how amazing that stuff was, he did amazing stuff better than anybody, it's tremendous...."

[@tyler3201]

Yes, the moto America is number one, we are the best and most free nation is just ridiculous. Then people wonder why we have a huge migration issue. Well you said we are the best so…

[@BruceBoschek]

I was born and raised in the US Midwest, went to school there and got a BS in microbiology from Purdue in 1965. I packed up and left the US for good that year, moving to Europe and settling in Germany. I began studies in biological cybernetics in Tübingen with practical work at the Max Planck Institute. I immediately realized how poorly educated I was, not in science, but in general knowledge. I made sure to remain quiet so as not to embarrass myself for the first two or three years until I finally felt I had caught up with my fellow students. I realized that not just the school system in the US had failed me, but my family, neighbors and friends were all highly uneducated. I did finally get my doctorate and spent the next 50 years at a major German university in the field of medical virology. The US is a good place to be from.

[@jw4879]

Sadly, many Americans die living in the same city in which they were born, not even traveling around the US.

[@Sam-ik6uj]

Same thing is happening to me now…

[@hummelchen6773]

Herzliche Grüße aus Niedersachsen (to US citizens: That is a state in the Northern part of Germany).

[@BruceBoschek]

@ Schrievt Se uns doch mol besünnere plattdüütsche Wöör mit de Översetten in't Hochdüütsche.

[@TheKevinGHutton]

I'm a British immigrant who's been in America for six years now. I work remotely and my team used to have general knowledge quizzes every week, sometimes for prizes and other times just for fun. I'm honestly not boasting when I say my manager stopped doing them because I was winning every week. The only questions they would beat me on was popular modern US culture like music TV and films. Some of the answers they gave to other questions were ridiculous.

[@batcollins3714]

Thank you for not calling yourself an "expat". In the UK it has a completely different and snobbish meaning.

[@Mogamishu]

@@batcollins3714what does it mean in the UK?

[@jodypalm303]

Sad, but true.

[@aw2584]

​@@Mogamishu same as immigrant but for the "better" people (aka western europeans). For example, a Pole moving to UK for work is an immigrant, but a Brit moving to Poland for work is an "expat", even though at this point economies of both countries are comparable (Poland is still a bit behind reaching around 80 to 85% of British economy despite being an independent country for like 34 years, but economists predict that the average household income of a Polish family will be higher than its British equivalent by the end of this decade). As someone who spent years living in Britain I have to say that although at first I thought nothing of it, it has a racist connotation, or a classist one at least. "We're not like these dirty eastern europeans or indians coming here to do minimum wage jobs noone else wants to do, we go to other countries to do real intellectual jobs!" type attitudes.

[@brawdygordii]

I've lived in Bavaria for the past 32 years (if you're American, that's where Walt Disney built a castle 🏰). I wouldn't call myself Expat because I keep that term for the thousands of Brits who have emigrated to Spain and imported their entire British lifestyle with them. I know some expats that can hardly speak a word of Spanish after 30 years of living there!

[@osokuma07]

In 1935, Sinclair Lewis wrote: “ When fascism arrives in America, it will be clothed in a flag and carrying a bible”.

[@gordonclark5280]

With the Orange Antichrist holding it upside-down.

[@JaredPearson-yv1mz]

nothing resembling the statement "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross" appeared in that book, or indeed in anything else Lewis wrote during his lifetime. And although it sounds like a sentiment Lewis would have agreed with, there is no evidence he said it

[@leysin456]

Wow. If that's a real quote its prophetic.

[@Peter_Joshua]

He wasn't wrong tho.

[@denaseright3579]

And now it’s Nov 5 , 2024 and we just elected a fascist. He pushes bibles with his name on them and humps our flag.

[@sydnorth5868]

To be fair, asking someone who the British prime Minister was in 2022 was a bit of a moving target!

[@DragonTheOneDZA]

The cabbage or the other guy?

[@thenachofan7677]

You forgot the lady... You know, the one that after she met with the Queen, Her Majesty died a few days later? Made me think she was an evil witch or something...

[@Gadavillers-Panoir]

@@thenachofan7677Diz Trust or something.

[@Bf26fge]

Yeah. Americans hardly pay attention to all those lesser countries in the world. Thats not a fair question. Ask us about it something important

[@NinerEmpire5x]

Ha. GB is like the Walmart version of the USA

[@natemartin9298]

In France we have the same school program for everyone, the conditions are not the same for everyone depending on where you live (public schools in working class neighborhoods or private schools in wealthy neighborhoods for example) but the program does not change whether you are rich or poor. In the United States their education depends on their standard of living, they do not all learn the same things and this is very serious, there is absolutely no equality of opportunity in this country (obviously it does not exist anywhere but is particularly present in the United States)

[@SMBWasTaken]

As an Algerian, my American friends ask me what or where is Algeria, I thought that was fair enough since it's not a really well-known country, so I tell them that it's a country in north Africa, and then they ask me this question that always frustrates me: "If you're African, why are you white?" and yes I am indeed white and ethnically 100% African, and for some reason only Americans asked me this question, people need to understand that not all Africans are black, and Africa doesn't mean "no water" "no technology" "only dirt". And for the Americans reading this, no Algerians did not conquer Africa, we are originally Africans, the same goes to Moroccans, Tunisians, Libyans, and Egyptians, and yes Egypt is in Africa.

[@Goochen]

Unfortunately Americans only know Africans as sub-Saharan Africans. Very simplistic view of things as you say.

[@margretblaswich6229]

Yes, but don't tell them it is also in asia. It blew their minds 🤪

[@RonanXI]

⁠@@margretblaswich6229 There’s 340 million Americans, calling all of us uneducated idiots is really fucking stupid.

[@0plp0]

Tell that to the people at Netflix and BLM. Because no matter what they teach you at school, remember that Cleopatra was black. ;-)

[@GotMirage]

Except when youre in America or speaking to an American...The only color in America who use "African" are black.

[@mogumogu-taberuze]

I'm Japanese, but I lived in the U.S. as as kid. One day I was eating lunch at the school cafeteria, munching on an rice ball my mother made for me. An American friend of mine came over, seemingly excited, exclaiming "Sushi! Sushi!" I told him calmly that sushi is made using raw sliced fish and vinegared rice, whereas the rice ball I was eating at the moment was neither. My friend responded with, "No, no, no! That's definitely sushi. You're eating sushi." It remains to this day a bizzare question why my friend thought he was more informed about Japanese food culture than the Japanese kid in front of him, but as I grew up and got to know more about U.S. culture, and met more people like him, I gradually learned to just deal with it.

[@Crimzonium_]

i am surprised that such people even say it as a statement that they are right even if they know very little about other cultures

[@Jim55324]

I'm amazed at how many Americans can't pronounce Japanese words correctly. They say "Pokey man", "sakky", "mayn-ga", ect.

[@snoote533]

"Yo, that's some pretty cool sushi!" "It's not sushi" "SUSHI! SUSHI! SUSHI!"

[@Laidengizer113]

How old was this kid??

[@sonic23233]

Did he get that from watch 4kids dubs of anime

[@6thgraderfriends]

I worked on a military base for a while and would somewhat regularly get foreigners training on US soil for a few months. When I'd ask them where they were from, most of the time they wouldn't want to tell me because other Americans had never heard of Latvia, Moldova, Albania, Thailand, Indonesia, Jordan, Ethiopia, etc. It was kind of disheartening.

[@geoffreytoomey682]

Yes, and I applaud you for using your freedom of life and speech that millions of people died for in WW2 to allow you to be able to choose the Democrats because you believe in looking after yourself as a citizen in the USA. I understand why Obama and the invisible monsters in the Swamp and all Democrat voters must stop President TRUMP from getting control again. He may be able to thwart or even eliminate their plan to destroy the USA as a global problem against their GREAT RESET by 2030, But I don’t understand why the Demon-crats open Border makes no sense to me? Unless they want to destroy the Country’s sovereignty as part of the Globalist Great Reset Global Government by 2030, the USA will be known as District 10! And Australia will henceforth be known as District 8! The WEF chairman Klaus Schwab said in the Great Reset there will be 12 districts governed by 12 Global Government Princes and one supreme Emperor (this sounds like a movie series we watch, right. But this plan to rule the world has been in development for over 60 years, so the Videos are just a warning of our future. I didn’t think that the USA was so deeply involved in the transition from democracy to serfdom, but the actions of the American Demon-crats indicate this is also their dream of their future. Just like China, so, what’s really going on? Global Mass migration is designed to eliminate the Sovereignty of individual Countries; this has always been part of the planning of the WEF=UN=WHO globalist MONSTERS towards their GREAT RESET by 2030. Globally, the other UN government TRAITORS identify themselves with their slogan "Build Back Better". The same thing happens here in Australia under the UN-Australian Labor Govern mess. You have your traitor, Joe Biden, and we have Labor (our Demon-crats) Anthony Albon-sleazy, a true UN Puppets and TRAITOR against the Aussie people.

[@davemccage7918]

Do you know what is actually stupid? Wasting time learning about things that are neither enjoyable nor serve some sort practical purposes in your life. I don’t benefit any by knowing world geography and I’m not an anthropologist, so therefore I’m not particularly interested in learning about foreign cultures unless I’m planning to visit them. You’re line of thinking is implying that someone who writes code is stupid for not knowing how to rebuild an engine and vice versa.

[@6thgraderfriends]

@@davemccage7918Are you responding to a different comment? I didn't call anyone stupid.

[@JoseMora-wc5zz]

Interesting. You need to consider Geography before coming to assumptions about it though. Our brothers and sisters across the pond don’t know our 50 states. Sure, why should they? They’re not countries. However, they’re as MASSIVE as many countries. This much radius makes room for a lot of space and culture within our own country. Nobody here is learning about small countries that have little influence on anyone else because they offer nothing. There’s many nuances to why “Americans seem dumb.”

[@penebrook8330]

@@6thgraderfriends probably replying to you, since it's about some complaining about "world geography" or whatever.

[@tag10uk]

I can highly recommend Mike Judge's excellent film "Idiocracy" if you want to see where America is headed.

[@degeneratemale5386]

As an American, I can confirm that my IQ is in the negatives. The fact that I’m even literate is a miracle from god

[@webmube]

nice username bro :)

[@osheridan]

As a non American I'm offended at the implication that I can read

[@perer005]

Well this video is about ignorance, not IQ...

[@filipbitala2624]

@@tiamabderezai5374i think you dont count the immigrants

[@ricsicsalava3717]

I can't believe Americans have a monopoly on ignorance and won't save any for us non-Americans.

[@andrewwilliams9599]

You forgot the dumbing-down of the American education system--taking civics classes out of schools, as well as music classes; instituting "teaching to the (standardized) test" policies that ignore specialized knowledge, and book banning to remove any literature that is in any way controversial (Bradbury, Vonnegut, Salinger, Steinbeck etc.) If you want to get a well-rounded education in some parts of America, you have to do it largely on your own.

[@Libbathegreat]

Yep, and it's getting worse. I graduated high school in 2004 and in my 12 years of schooling, I had one world history class. My nieces and nephews that have graduated in the last 5 years didn't have even one- and half of them went to private schools!

[@teimy42]

As non American: SALINGER IS NOT IN SCHOOL PROGRAM???????

[@UKWookie]

I still can't get over my American cousin telling me when she went to college she majored in biochemistry and did a minor in soccer!!

[@Libbathegreat]

@@teimy42 Too much cursing. Not kidding, that's the reason 🤦‍♀

[@teimy42]

@@Libbathegreat what the fuck

[@Soapromancer]

I think it's important to mention that not all Americans are stupid. Just the other day I met a guy who could count to 5. Truly inspirational.

[@robertw8225]

That would not have happened if he only had four fingers! 🤘

[@Hashtag-g3u]

😂😂😂

[@williamshaneblyth]

You'd have to be stupid to think everyone thought every American was stupid ... wink ... sorry couldn't resist

[@tenchi586]

And not all Brits are obnoxious. But many of them are.

[@Jb-zx2fw]

@@tenchi586this vid ain’t about the brits 😂 it’s about the dumb dumbs

[@Foffer1337]

Danish guy here. Iv had Americans be mad at me because I laughed at them, after they asked me if I knew any Vikings.

[@zymelin21]

you should answer "yes, you are looking at one!!"

[@quantumblurrr]

@@zymelin21 And then never left the house again after because that is cringe

[@kaebrown5208]

Unfortunately, ignorance has become a symbol of American patriotism.

[@berlin-west4651]

no one is as dumb as Kamala. and AOC...😂😂😂

[@amramjose]

Ignorance has a very close relationship with the extreme patriotism that drives the MAGA crowd and presidential hopeful.

[@Cat-bg2ge]

We didn't Colonize the World for greed.

[@Cat-bg2ge]

​@@amramjoseyeah, it's called Trumpism. Patriotic to our British forefather's and their constitution. I don't get it either, don't really care for the superiority complex that plague's the British society as a hole 😮.

[@dhammawiwekantara]

Not really

[@TheBakuganmaster99]

I am indian. I have met some europeans who knew more about my country than I did. Europeans in general are very cultured people. They learn about other countries politics and history. Then I met some americans who thought that India was in africa and asked me if rode a camel to work.

[@Isaacqhz]

Ngl, I laughed out loud. Riding a camel to work is crazy 💀😂😭

[@davidsmith7653]

@@Isaacqhz Tell that to a guy who gives tourists to the pyramids in Egypt camel rides.

[@davejacobs9042]

Too funny. I can hear it them now, mistakenly mocking you in what they thought was an Arab accent, calling you a “raghead”, etc. Yup, we have some real winners here in the US. And it’s not getting better, it’s getting ridiculously worse.

[@TheBakuganmaster99]

@@davejacobs9042 Tbf, I've had racism from both conservatives and liberals. The only different is that liberal racism is more subtle and covert. Whereas conservatives will openly say it to ur face.

[@kalanisarpi4731]

Bro I’m from the hawaii, yenno, the 50th state of the USA. I’ve been asked if we speak English,use US dollar, if you need a passport to visit, needed a green card to work(Im living on the mainland) if we had Walmarts or Wi-Fi… I could go on and on. AND THIS IS A STATE APART OF THEIR COUNTRY!! Most Americans don’t care and hardly know much about their own state. Good luck with another country.

[@spthibault]

I just want to say, as a poor kid that grew up in the Southern US.... this place is pretty much exactly what he said. Yall have no idea the frustration i felt as a kid being able (at the time) to actually name other countries i wanted to visit only to have people look at me like i was speaking some ancient forbidden language.

[@evansnyamesah1755]

It's getting better t

[@MicroUrb]

As someone educated in private school in the Northeast and now a resident of Texas, I can confirm your pain. Its like being in Stupid Land. Come to Texas and just watch how Texans destroy all the trees on their land....in a place where its hot as hell and the Sun burns hot enough to give you skin cancer and these morons and tearing down ALL the trees they can get their hands on...the epitome of stupid and thats just scratching the surface you need to see how their home made tool sheds look, horrendous, like Pebbles and Bam Bam built it. Also Texas leads in accidents where idiots cannot patiently wait for the train to cross on the railroad tracks so they risk crossing the tracks as the train is coming.

[@ethansprague2005]

​@@evansnyamesah1755is it?

[@rob3539]

Hope you managed to 'escape' even for a few days, to see your desired destination.

[@ellasmommy9278]

I have a... fairly slow friend, who has never even left the city that we are living in. I was describing the town I was living in before I moved there, and she couldn't even identify the interstate that runs through it on a map. And let's say we have political differences.

[@yuefenggao7483]

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” ― Isaac Asimov

[@duelenigma7732]

I love the uneducated said the great hater

[@jediman8989]

I will never forget when I went to America on a college exchange for one semester. I’m Australian and when I introduced myself to an American classmate and told him I was from Australia he said ‘wow you speak American so well, how long have you been learning?’. I told him I don’t speak American, I speak English, the same language he’s speaking, and that we speak English in Australia. He was embarrassed and said ‘you probably think I’m a dumb American’. I couldn’t help myself and said yes, yes I do.

[@heinrich.hitzinger]

👁👄👁

[@dickbandanaken]

of all the things that never happened, this never happened the most

[@מיכאלסרברניקוב]

No way you're serious!!! 😂

[@gavwah]

I'm also Australian and was asked by a family from Kansas while sharing a chairlift in Colorado "how long I had been learning English for" and "if we used money in Australia". Also met an American in Rekjavik while I was visiting some Swedish friend who had just moved there. The American told me he was "getting annoyed at not being able to speak with native enlgish speakers - no offense". And then gave me a look like I was an idiot when I told him I was a native speaker. So i definitely believe OPs story as similar things have happened to me, and most Aussie will have a similar story.

[@Ootatobag]

​@@dickbandanakenbop bop

[@andrewpinedo1883]

As an American, I have never been so offended by something I 100% agree with. edit: 3.5K? Wow this blew up. (23.08.31)

[@pippoguarnera8941]

Chapeau for such articulated and ironic comment Sir 😄

[@MS-xp4vt]

And what is that?

[@k.b.392]

LOL

[@youre_dad740]

As someone who is also an American, yes, I can agree!

[@playdiscgolf1546]

For real. Kinda ironic, though, that he used “reading the news paper” as being informed. The news paper tells the truth about 47% of the time

[@davidcdavenport]

Once flying back from Tasmania to Melbourne there was a bunch of very cold underdressed Americans boarding the flight. They had found it a bit cold in Sydney and thought that by flying south to Tasmania it would be like Florida - wrong, a little matter of knowing which hemisphere you are in makes a big difference.

[@TrevorDennis100]

Now that's classic.

[@jmi5969]

Cold in Sidney?! Really? I thought they only have a few occasional subzero (celsius) days in the winter. Hmm... can I qualify for being American then?

[@gon_a_i]

​@@jmi5969absolutely freezing during winter, especially in the old homes that not only have any heating options but if you do find a way, the houses don't hold heat for too long, if outside it's -1°c inside it's a nice 10°c

[@ribbonsofnight]

@@jmi5969 it's not very cold in Sydney. You are correct.

[@DinoBryce]

​@@gon_a_iIn South Africa its same, it can get to -5⁰C in the winter

[@joseemartin1689]

On a castle tour in Scotland, one American lady wanted to know why there was no electricity in the castles. Could they not just install it and another wondered why the castles were built so close to the freeway

[@masscreationbroadcasts]

This video is unfair. As a non American, I can be stoopid too, it's my God given right.

[@namansharma6561]

it's in blood of americans jk

[@CasualSpud]

Stupid is ok.. Never go full Murican tho

[@Itchybol]

bro were talking about an entire nation not. individual

[@masscreationbroadcasts]

@@Itchybol I'm as stupid as a million if I try. Who are you to stifle my dreams?

[@unicorntulkas]

We all know God only gave rights to the Americans, they have the monopoly on God given rights.

[@blackhole927]

As an American, I’m completely offended. As an American, you’re completely right.

[@malcolmboynton7652]

HEY! I was going to say that.

[@F16_viper_pilot]

@@malcolmboynton7652Except you weren’t smart enough.😆

[@matsumoku1]

Not really. This has been a trope ever since I was a kid in the 70s, when my teacher would talk about how the pope spoke three languages, including English, and we don't know one word of Polish. This is because America was THE dominant culture and English was one of the international business languages, along w/French. None of this is our fault and we can't be criticized for not speaking other languages or knowing other cultures because we were the leading culture and language. To be sufficiently cultural, we'd have spend all our days studying hundreds of other cultures. Are we supposed to have time for that???? Which ones do you all deem so important that we need to know about? Meanwhile it's quite obvious why everyone knew who Michael Jackson was. Stop blaming Americans and start looking into why this all played out the way it did.

[@RBH69]

​@@matsumoku1it's your countrys fault for being so emperialistic becuz of money

[@davidsr9719]

Felt like a sucker punch to the nads, when I realized as much well read as I am; I would have failed those questions. 😢😢😢 Fuck

[@mncubing8160]

“What used to be an American only pay-to-win awards show is now an international pay-to-win awards show” bro completely demolished them.

[@thomasdjonesn]

Yeah I laughed out loud at that one 🤣

[@chriswilliams6568]

Cannot understand your point, sorry.

[@bAtACt1X]

When my friend went to the US, as a german end of the 90s, he was asked if we already had cars in germany. He just answered: "Yes you drive them."

[@cinziam457]

Did you see this comment? @laidback08-nv4pt. 11 months ago I was an exchange student in the USA in 1991, Spokane WA, Ferris High School. My favourite questions were like: "do you have cats in Germany?" and a bunch of other questions that basically centered around if we lived in caves and how much we admired the US? Until a fellow US student stepped in and said "yeah. they dont have electricity over there! they only have candles. And by the light of those candles they draw, design and manufacture all those Porsches, Mercedes, Audis etc." That sure helped to shut up that guy.

[@A44Presto]

As an American who has gotten pretty tired of Europeans calling us “chucklefucks,” it’s so refreshing to hear a non-American rationalize why we’re perceived as so ignorant to anything within or outside of our own country. Good video

[@hitrapperandartistdababy]

As a European I aswell am getting quite fed up with the hole “america the evil empire, cause of all evil” Its frankly dangerous and it risks actual bad places like China, North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran and of course russia from going under the radar

[@thecatalog7188]

This is just one man, the bad ones are xenophobes, don't tolerate it and call them out

[@wrongthinker843]

"Perceived"

[@johnmanpls5577]

Perceived

[@curbyourenthusiasm9874]

​@barakato no air conditioning?

[@Quillo153]

I remember having an argument with an American about if Spain (my own country) was a colony of Mexico and he didn't want to admit that it was the other way around. BASIC HISTORY.

[@dulcecelestepalacios5194]

I would die laughing if this happened to me 🇲🇽

[@darbyheavey406]

Americans got tired of sending US boys to die in European wars so excuse me. American companies operate everywhere on the planet and thousands of servicemen serve all over the globe. I regularly see European tourists try to climb on bisons or approach grizzly bears. European tourists act like our NPs are Disneyland.

[@darbyheavey406]

Spain was a fascist state until 1975 and not a functioning democracy until the 1980s. Also Juan Carlos was a great statesman but Spain has rejected him. BASIC HISTORY.

[@CloneMarine0]

@@darbyheavey406no

[@Quillo153]

@@darbyheavey406 What does it have to be with this?

[@aspen1606]

I say this as an American. Something you forgot to mention more in detail is how scary it is spontaneously being under camera. I’ve gotten approached by a tik toker in one of those random pedestrian videos where someone approaches you randomly with a camera. I felt like I was getting robbed and I had fight or flight responses. I’m exceptionally stellar at geography but even in that moment I probably couldn’t answer a geography thing well. I have immense sympathy for the LA people at the beginning.

[@honkhonk8009]

Yeah theres alot of studies that support this too. Those videos are retarded.

[@SomeoneNooneTomatoes]

Yeah fair, if someone did that to me I’d probably panic and go with the first thing that came to my head.

[@MaticTheProto]

Meh, mumbling „my mom“ would still be possible

[@albinjohnsson2511]

He did mention it though.

[@MrDj232]

He kinda did point it out with the "name a woman" clip.

[@Dragorosso95]

I think that the problem isn’t just ignorance, but the fact that they still think they’re the best country in the world and are legitimated to do what they like while not even knowing what’s beyond their borders. And we’ll all suffer the consequences.

[@alexandrelarsac9115]

It's because they have been bombarded since early childhood with an astonishing level of propaganda that drills into their heads how they are the best in every field and how incredibly lucky they are to live in this great country. Nothing else interests them; they are so self-centered that they end up being ignorant about everything happening outside their country. In the end, this great democracy has reached a level of internal propaganda aimed at its own population that is almost on par with Germany between 1933 and 1945.

[@maree1403]

As an Australian travelling on a bus in Germany mid July, I sat next to an American lady and we chatted about the weather. I told her that where I come from, right now it’s winter. She couldn’t seem to get her head around that and actually asked “but when do you celebrate Christmas “?

[@randymillhouse791]

Did she tell you about her LOVE for Trump?

[@julians9763]

Sadly the lady travelling with you in Germany forgot that Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere. She may not even know about the climate variation of Australia. When travelling we should think beyond the neighbourhood we come from.

[@niklasnaper6596]

Haha funny that you mention it as my best friend just found out australia has inverted seasons, at 21 years of age

[@julians9763]

@@niklasnaper6596 This could prove lack of interest in geography and the world beyond his neighbourhood.

[@randymillhouse791]

@@niklasnaper6596 So, do they call Summer "Inverted?"

[@Orion225]

They're not just ignorant. They're wilfully ignorant.

[@JOHN----DOE]

Worse. They absolutely refuse to believe that some dumb high-school dropout with a conspiracy theory doesn't know more than the consensus of the international science community. It's the REFUSAL to become educated because "I'm just as good as that perfessor" that constitutes American anti-intellectualism, as noted from de Toqueville onward.

[@David-iv6je]

Arrogant. It's embracing the Dunning-Kruger. Americans have been told for generations that they are superior in every way. It was a response to the Cold War but it has proved to be incredibly toxic.

[@James-kv6kb]

I would say they're proud of it

[@NorbertoBorrego]

​@@James-kv6kbat this point, we Americans should start to go on the Internet and talk shit about your nation and you to see if you like it

[@KatieBelle777]

Oh, please….

[@mylandaigle7160]

Thing is that Europeans don’t realise just how prominent American isolationism was to American culture. Even though we abandoned it nearly a century ago, it still impacts the way Americans today think. Similar to the way the impact of social-darwinism gives Europeans massive god complexes.

[@travisfountain5160]

It never really left tbh. You see it with many of our more populist politicians, most notably Donald Trump recently. However Bernie Sanders has proposed some isolationist policies in the past so its not just one side of the spectrum.

[@LucasFernandez-fk8se]

America was founded as an isolationist nation. The 1920s period of isolationism was a return to what Americans needed. America thrives in isolationism and dyes in globalism. When trump isolated the US we had an economic boom after the 8 year Great Recession, isolationism in the 20s caused the roaring 20s, the founders always said not to get involved in the rest of the world and it’s petty bullshit

[@edwardburroughs1489]

@@travisfountain5160 Is Trump isolationist? I wouldn't say so, but I'm not American so it might seem different to me.

[@landonpatton7997]

@@edwardburroughs1489Donald trump in 2016 ran on the thin vale Regonomics domestically while having an protectionist view globally. Most people forget that because by his 2020 campaign he completely abandoned this for haha sleepy joe is funny

[@toifel]

If they think at all.. seems like almost 50% of Americans have given up on thinking and just blindly follow their dear leader.

[@mrgiant7926]

I was visiting Philly for work and was in a store explaining to the assistant that I was tired because I’d just got in from Portland. She replied that she’d never been abroad.

[@chriswilliams6568]

Well there is a Portland in the UK, but you guys have 2.

[@mrgiant7926]

@ I should have said I’d flown from London to Oregon via Dallas…

[@SamAronow]

I think it's worth noting that a major reason only 40% of Americans have passports is because no US state has paid vacation time and some even lack unpaid vacation time. Even then, the time usually allowed is no more than two weeks. "But what about the gap year?" You may ask. Well, no such thing exists in the US as all university degrees require four years of study, including 50% general and elective studies outside one's major, instead of the three years required in the UK. And that's not even factoring in the lack of increase in real wages that's been plaguing the median American worker for the last twenty years. Finally, there's the proximity issue. The US is big and far away; the distance between New York and Los Angeles is equal to that between London and Baghdad; I'd be curious to see figures for the percentage of Europeans who have traveled that distance from their own homes in their lifetimes. And given the financial and time burdens I've already mentioned, most Americans don't even see that much of _the US itself._ I've visited 30 US states plus DC, and I'd venture a guess that that's more than most of my countrymen. tl;dr most Americans have neither the time nor the proximity nor the disposable income to be able to travel for leisure.

[@sunohonmy4024]

wish i could bookmark a comment

[@sudormrf]

40$? edit: he fixed his comment but it first used to say 40 dollar sign

[@asmodiusjones9563]

What the hell is a gap year?

[@Davey-Boyd]

You made some great points there Sam, a few I'd never considered. Thank you. As for Europeans that have travelled as far as London to Baghdad, well in 2003 I drove London to Baghdad. It took us three weeks, though we did a weird route and stopped off in some nice places.

[@schalitz1]

A passport is also good to have for proving citizenship. For example when getting a new job you typically need to forms of ID to prove you're a citizen, but if you have a passport you only need that single form.

[@Earwaxfire909]

When in graduate school my adviser once said to me: "Stupidity is the combination of ignorance and arrogance. You can be gifted and stupid at the same time." He was trying his best to avoid calling me stupid, but getting me to pay attention to a wrong assumption I was making about an experiment. I do my best to avoid forgetting that embarrassment, but it really helped me understand my weaknesses.

[@wingdingfontbro]

Ever heard of the Dunning Kruger effect?

[@brmbkl]

@@wingdingfontbro maybe unintentional, but the brevity of your comment make it sound crass. what he was recounting is the opposite of the Dk effect, in that he recognized his mistake.

[@believeinthenet]

​@@wingdingfontbroirony of the dunning-kruger effect is that it isn't what people say it is

[@MrDj232]

It's my policy that all people are stupid at least some of the time. We let our guard down and make mistakes even when we know not to. So if something isn't going how you expect, take a moment to reevaluate what you're doing and what mistakes you might be making.

[@wingdingfontbro]

@@brmbkl oh, my apologies. Looking back now it does seem a bit brash and blunt. Thanks for realizing I didn’t mean it that way. I was commenting on the quote “Stupidity is the combination of ignorance and arrogance. You can be gifted and stupid at the same time” as it reminded me of the DK effect.

[@ParagonFury]

As American, I never thought myself particularly smart. Sure I went to college, but I never FELT particularly intelligent or well-informed especially compared to some of my more intelligent peers. I figured I was perfectly average, maybe a tiny bit above average if I really was feeling up to overselling myself that day. I've since realized I was selling myself short. After graduating college, having worked jobs in 3 different fields, I actually feel incredible frustration at how astonishingly, incredibly and INSANELY stupid and uninformed so many other people are. Not in like, specific "smart-people stuff" like specific history topics or higher math or science or specific obscure laws or anything. I mean in absolutely basic "Elementary School children should know this stuff" kind of things. Like how US citizenship works. Like how vaccines work. Basic math. Basic reading comprehension. Lack of ability to recognize basic patterns or use basic reasoning to figure out a task or issue. But the cherry on top is the complete apathy - no, the complete disdain for curiosity, learning and intelligence. It's one thing to be dumb; no one is born smart after all. It's another thing completely to have a complete and total lack of interest or initiative in changing that, and another worse thing still to actively view with suspicion or disdain others who ARE curious and try to better themselves and broaden their knowledge. The confused looks I get from coworkers when I read a book during lunch just because I want to just seem so unreal. They straight up say they don't understand how someone can "Read just because". These are people much older AND somewhat younger than I am too.

[@outmatrix8881]

To realize all this must be a mark of intelligence.

[@drivewayturtle65]

You are spot on the mark. It took me until I was 35 years old to realize that not only was I as smart as most people, I am miles ahead if a large percentage of Americans who don't even realize how ignorant they are.

[@MrMalvolio29]

AMEN! And very well articulated!

[@goldenager59]

Alas, book-reading has always been a minority activity in America (outside the Bible, that is). It's a nation where, by and large, the Zoroastrian ideal of "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds" is listed in ascending order of importance. (Assuming, of course, that your average American has even heard the word "Zoroastrian," let alone knows what it means.) About one hundred years ago, an American legislator -never mind exactly where from - said that only three books were enough for anyone. First, the Bible (that teaches one how to behave), then the hymn-book (which "contains the finest poetry ever written"), and lastly the almanac (which tells how to guess the weather). This fellow led a successful fight against a bill that would establish public libraries in his state. I sometimes wonder how many Americans of today would agree with that literary selection. (Even I myself might...if the hymn-book was replaced by a complete omnibus of Shakespeare.) 🤓

[@mahs2psytrance]

What do you spect of a country who tells it is the entyre America? bear in mind it is North America and not only America :D

[@m.entera3196]

I was born shortly after WWII and during my 1950's school days, America was totally onboard with education. The GI Bill had made possible a free college education for a huge swath of Americans who would otherwise never been able to afford it and gave low interest loans to those GI's who bought their modest first home, and we built the American Miracle. Today when elections are held, Education is the first place budgets are slashed and especially when current Republicans are in control. Eisenhower was the last good GOP President and he championed Education while taxing the super wealthy at 90% to pay for it, and America built the greatest economy and culture the world had known. Trump has promised to eliminate the Department of Education on Day One of his new term and Republicans are cheering and investing in Christian run expensive schools only.

[@ale4122]

I'm Chilean, I traveled to Las Vegas for a festival last year. I met some ppl on the line, and we were talking about where we came from, or rather, they were talking. They talked all the time about the US. I mean I flew 12 hours from Chile to get here and no one asked a single thing about my country. They were like 'ok, I don't know where that is, let's talk about Kentucky' I guess they're not interested.

[@MatthewRX]

Jesus I’m from Kentucky and the fact they’d rather talk about that is just sad. I’d be grilling you about Chile.

[@Laidengizer113]

Yep, that's us americans. Always talking about Kentucky. Can't talk about it enough.

[@Laidengizer113]

@@MatthewRX They didn't. He was making a bad joke.

[@adrobestia262]

No les interesa nada fuera de sus fronteras, salvo que seas enemigo.

[@kingkazuma2239]

"You mean you're from chili beans" - average American probably

[@catedavis4008]

No one is more acutely aware of this situation than US citizens to whom it doesn’t apply. The degradation and hobbling of the US public education system by either incompetence or by wilful neglect and conscious sociological sabotage is a global tragedy.

[@GrikWorldNomad]

@catedavis4008 that's because private schools have flourished, thus enabling segregation, with the college system even more skewed. Americans have all the tools to educate themselves yet choose not to. Canada is right next door, yet 9 of 10 Americans know next to nothing about it. Same with Mexico. Ignorance is bad enough, and apathy compounds it.

[@Queensland-girl]

And the broader global community has harnessed its hope to those ‘acutely aware’ US citizens!

[@mdrudholm]

@@Queensland-girl We're trying. Trust me, we're trying. Fun Fact (well, sad fact, really): My first US passport was issued in early 1988 and the serial number was less than 9 million. I'm pretty sure they don't reuse passport serial numbers.

[@w0mblemania]

God that sounds pretentious.

[@peterhelmore2766]

well you have all heard the American anthem AND THE HOME OF THE _____ what ???

[@eadld]

Lived in USA for two years. I am from Uruguay. They constantly confused Uruguay with Paraguay. They also asked me if there are monkeys in the street, why I am white, if there are buildings in my cities and if we have computers (I am a IT developer). Many times I had to say "I speak English because is the language you speak, you speak English because is the only language you speak".

[@SanityDrop]

Absolute classic

[@davebarton6824]

The truth is that the single largest influence on the rate of STUPIDITY in the US is FOX NEWS. A company who's business model is to keep their audience IGNORANT and FEARFUL. Every night they tell their CULT what to believe and who to FEAR.

[@Couchbeing]

Sadly enough, that confusion also occurs in Europe. To be fair, I'm surprised they've even heard of Paraguay. 🇺🇾

[@dennisweidner288]

Fair enough, but then why are so many Nobel prices won by Americans and virtually none by Latin Americans? (There are twice as many Latin Americans.) And why are so many Latin Americans lined up at the southern border trying to get into America?

[@panashegwaze3181]

😹 "you speak English bcz it's the only language you speak" ..... nice😹

[@rlh1984]

A lot of Americans take cultural ignorance as a point of pride, like they haven’t been corrupted by outside influence.

[@quantumblurrr]

There's a word for countries like that... Starts with an 'f'

[@YaxKukMo1426]

'Underachiever and proud of it'. Bart Simpson

[@turtle3023]

As a 10 year old American that was born in the us it frustrates me that some people 5 times my age don’t know that Africa isn’t a country

[@jfields3036]

So true

[@traviskelln9724]

@@jfields3036 George W. Bush was quoted as saying "Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease". You should run for president when you get older.

[@MatsYoo]

Rare 10 yo W

[@MrKillerno1]

That is not only in the USA, every country has those people, it is like a virus that spreads now faster than ever thanks to Internet. The masses don't bother to learn, someone tells you about it, is much easier (twitter, tik-tok, fb, yt etc). Good to know YOU are not among them.

[@destiny6129]

Bro you’re not a 10yr old, stop the cap 🧢

[@nicolasrose3064]

Asked an American for their views on Euthanasia and he told me that - "they need to stay in Asia and stop taking American's jobs..."

[@edwardofgreene]

Wow. We are not all that stupid here. However, it saddens me that so many are.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

"Youth in Asia" 😂 that's hilarious.

[@EliasMalaver-yz5kw]

Ja Ja! 😁

[@marypevitt174]

You have to be joking surely ?😅

[@Alex_Mitchell]

@@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812 Oldest joke in the book.

[@CapitalistDeathCult]

As an American this title might’ve upset me. If only I could read.

[@rootbeer586]

We’ll figure out what it says one day

[@evolve117]

Hold up wait a minute

[@Usabby1776]

Have the best colleges in the world and the most bright minds lived here and yet we are dumb ???

[@smellbag]

Please don't respond with a firearm.

[@HaggardPillockHD]

​@@Usabby1776yup

[@DeadEyeDave]

McDonalds stopped trying to sell their 1/3 pound burger because Americans could not understand that 1/3 is bigger than 1/4, since 4 is bigger than 3.

[@Daudran]

I traveled the US for a while, and my Dutch accent was mistaken for Canadian. My capital city was the name of the country Denmark, and some people asked what version of English we spoke in the Netherlands. The blank disinterested stares I got when talking about how things are done in the Netherlands or Europe in general still baffle me to this day. They truly don't understand that most of the world is not like the US. At the same time, for me it was very easy to adjust to life in the US, because it's very familiar through media exposure. Had a great time!

[@franjkav]

You definitely did not talk to the right people

[@debra1363]

Do you mean to say that the Americans you talked to thought Denmark was the capital of The Netherlands? That is sad and scary!

[@Timberella3003]

​@@debra1363And BS.

[@debra1363]

@@Timberella3003 If it's BS then please explain what you did mean.

[@heru-deshet359]

@@debra1363 Probably the same people who think a quarter hour is twenty five minutes.

[@ktmb098]

I saw a French exchange student at an American university serving some French cuisine for an international day in 2005. I asked her where in France she was from. She got a strange look on her face and said, "Lille." I thought for a minute and said, "Wasn't it the European Cultural City last year?" She looked stunned and said, "You're the first American I've met who knows my city!" "Sorry," I answered, "I'm Canadian." Another time in college, three of us Canadians played Trivial Pursuit versus three Americans. Not regular Trivial Pursuit, the All-American version where all questions are about America. The Canadians won. I got a Master's from a school in Buffalo, on the border with Canada. One professor happened to admit she had never been outside the US despite living 20 minutes from another country. She must not have anticipated the reaction because the amount of incredulity we showed her finally seemed to embarrass her.

[@ChillyUltraKill]

Yeah. But do remember, some of us Americans actually listen to information and know the world. We may not know EVERY country or province but we do know the world.

[@johnl9977]

It is pretty obvious to the rest of the world that the average American is stupid, at least half of them anyway. All you have to do is look at the politicians the Republicans elect, they tend to be the most "poorly educated" as trump, their elected president says. You listen to their elected Congressmen, Senators, they talk like grade school morons, even though they do tend to be educated themselves. They have to so that their electorate will understand them. That's also why we only tax the wealthy a token in this country, the Republicans have told the goobers that vote for them that all the money the wealthy get to keep, will trickle down to them! The dumb bastards believe that and vote for them. That's why the American Dream" that you have heard of is going extinct in this country. Our wealthy are insatiable, and they have bought all the Republicans so they do not have to pay any taxes, only the people that work for a living pay the taxes when things are run by Republicans. OK, as I said the wealthy pay a token, about one third to one eighth a percentage of their income as a working person does. That's why people can't afford higher education, healthcare, or to buy a home. Yes, Europe is superior to America in all those, probably Canada also. What do they have in common? No Republicans.

[@LilLingLing6789]

​@@ChillyUltraKillit's just a pitty when you all see this information, you have your twisted little minds molding it into a narotive.. We have the Internet so finding info just happens by accident.. Its what Yanks then do with that info The funny thing is if I were to do that I'd know that I'm twisting it but Yanks lie about something learning their own lies Yanks are almost there but they're currupt at heart and most have so little self awareness they don't realise it... Honestly thick as pig shit

[@horse69outside]

Bruh, Canada is just the fucked up part of America.

[@gregraj]

Lolll, the "Sorry, I'm Canadian" tracks 😂 ... and I'm Canadian too!

[@trudieangelica]

Anecdotally as a Brit living in Berlin, I will say that Americans who live here are very knowledgeable about the city and its culture and make a larger effort to speak German than the Brits I know. I think the problem is Americans who have never left the US or escaped their conditioning.

[@mrbachittarsingh9243]

Germans should be speaking English anyway so don’t know why you’re moaning!

[@trevordavies5486]

As an ex-Brit, living in Berlin for over 40 years, Brits don´t even try. Most Brits ( english ) and Americans seem just unable to overcome their sense of exceptionalism. After many years I´ve just started to ignore them.

[@brooklyna007]

You all should be happy that you don't see those people. They are terrible. We don't like to show them off to the world lol.

[@lukemullet]

As a Brit living a couple of hours West of Berlin I agree with you. There's an American living in my small town who knows a lot about the local area, the history and speaks great German. Me on the other hand has terrible German and I know very little of my area. Granted I've been here a far shorter time but I was just surprised how knowledgeable he was. You are correct that it's the Americans that don't leave America that are the issue.

[@mildredwetbed9791]

@@trevordavies5486i’m from hamburg but went to uni in london. the brits i met were always 10x more motivated to make an effort learning german or anything about germany than the americans i met

[@teuilagracetualaulelei1609]

Sick & twisted society - a felon can't get a job at McDonald's BUT you CAN be the President of the U S of A - good one.

[@toydude3508]

Being an Aussie being in America I got asked “what language do we speak over there”. When I said English, she asked why then did I have an accent? But my favourite was “you drive on the left hand side in Australia?” In which I replied “yes we do”, to which he asked, “so when you drive into America, where do you swap lanes”? I lost my shit!

[@alexmation1634]

Americans can't comprehend any form of transportation other than cars

[@mikejankowski6321]

Half way to Hawaii when we stop at the mechanic to flip the dashboard. Coming out of the parking lot we’re on the right side.

[@tldw8354]

Holy Sheet Lord. That is ..... 🤯

[@sweetpurple8812]

When americans learn they have accents and theres many accents regionally in america, it will blow their minds.

[@myweirdsecondchannelwithap9070]

@@sweetpurple8812we already know that, at least the regional part. Midwestern, southern, californian accents are all very different. A lot of people think there is no such thing as an American accent though which is weird

[@user-cc7vx7sw4z]

I’m an American who was raised mostly outside the US. I always thought that because the US is such a large, diverse country that sure there are a lot of really dumb people, but also a lot of smart people. After going to college and working in the US, I have a more nuanced view. I’d say Americans, in general, seem to only value knowledge that is specifically relevant to their work or their hobbies. Anything else (often including history, geography, and foreign cultures) is completely neglected. I’m an aerospace engineer, my colleagues are generally very intelligent, but a lot just don’t know some basic, general knowledge that anyone with a high school education should know. One was going to Alaska and thought it was an island another thought it was part, not just connected to but actually territory, of Canada! These people have advanced degrees!

[@_Jay_Maker_]

It's only "neglected" because we're not taught how important those facets are, _particularly_ if you go to a Public school, especially if you grew up in the 2000's. We spend 12+ years having information stuffed into our brains, without being taught why or even if that information is important, as if data is all that matters - because thanks to testing requirements, it _is._ What really matters isn't just learning what you learn, but learning _how_ you learn - something we never, ever teach children.

[@SierNotsruht]

To be fair, knowledge of math and science is much more important than knowledge of geography and history most of the time.

[@autoteleology]

@@SierNotsruhtIf all you care about is making money, sure.

[@LancesArmorStriking]

This is a result of the education system. Pretty much every system in Europe (for better or worse) crams more subjects into the curriculum. Russia has ~13 per year, I understand US has ~7. This makes students have a wider range of knowledge at the cost of some depth (though I think it's better since most of the depth is forgotten after final exams anyway, I assume this is true in the US too).

[@niallrussell7184]

US lacks one cornerstone of the education system.. the Pub Quiz.

[@Julde1]

My sister went to USA as a exchange student in the 90's in North Carolina and her high school geography teacher asked where in America is this place called Finland she comes from located. My other sister went a couple years later in Arkansas and she was asked if we have automobiles or doors in Finland. I did not enter any exchange student programs after my older sisters.

[@herokopite]

You know there are other countries beyond USA right? So it shows how stupid europeans are as well thinking they would only gain something coming to the core of the Empire, that's why you are now county vassals

[@dickbandanaken]

ah from the mouths of babes. Well you get what's coming to you when you take teenage girls' stories at face value

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

That’s really sad and depressing-as an American l would like to apologize to your sisters for the ignorance and stupidity they encountered in my country.

[@dickbandanaken]

lol you people from ghetto ass places love to pretend that the real places are somehow worse 🤦

[@MicroUrb]

One went to North Carolina, the other went to Arkansas...that right there says it all. So instead of depriving yourself of what you can learn from the exchange program, here is whar you do. Ensure next time the place is Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont or some place where there is likely to be more educated Americans, keep going to Southern states and you will be disappointed every time and this is from someone who lives in Texas and I can tell you, Texans are pretty stupid...so do yourself a favor, just choose a northern state and you will most probably be okay...OR...are you suggesting there are no stupid people in the podunk parts of Finland? In other words, no uneducated areas of Finland?

[@jasminewilliams8944]

As a northern American that is pursuing a graduate and regularly travels outside the country, this video is accurate for about half the country and I want to scream. The other half wants to change these stereotype and we’re being held hostage by idiots.

[@SargentoBonzo]

Many people think its just as simple as point out "the education system". So glad to see a video who gives alternative answers.

[@CasualSpud]

Control the media.. They're a bunch of brainwashed morons

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

I have learned the vast majority of what I know IRL or online, very little in school.

[@SamAronow]

There isn't even "an education system" in the US. Each state has its own.

[@killerbug05]

To be fair, the education system and the quality of u.s media are some of the largest factors.

[@maxminton3693]

Yes, I definitely expected more of an explanation of our shitty education system. I was pleasantly surprised about the alternative take, but I do think the educational system is a far FAR bigger factor.

[@michaelburbank2276]

Yup as a reluctant American, I'm baffled by this country! My uncle recently passed away and I was charged with disposing of his belongings, he was a science teacher and had an incredible book collection of 750 books on geology, religion,physics, astronomy, electronics. Had a house sale for a weekend but didn't sell 1 book? That's when I realized I was in a prison. Could someone in the wide world of 179 countries adopt me?

[@Chloe7270]

I want books! You can never have too many!

[@bluemarineboy3091]

Sorrt bro, My country is on fire 24/7

[@InitiatorAlly]

Maybe go to Philippines? (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

[@zyancuerdo1615]

Sorry dude our country has a president almost as incompetent(but not as corrupt) as the president from both of your political parties

[@maikbiturbodospa8115]

Sorry bro, people in my country use old books and anything made from paper to light up a fire to make a barbecue

[@dWFnZWVr]

I was in the Czech Republic catching the metro and this couple in front of me were taking ages to buy theirs from the machine. I went up and asked if I could help and they said they couldn’t use it because it didn’t have their language. The first flag was the Union Jack 🇬🇧 for English; but they were looking for the star spangled banner 🇺🇸, because they thought they spoke American. Americans not realising that they speak English is quite common, I must say.

[@LMB222]

Fair enough, we need icons/symbols for languages. Austrians don't want to use German flags as a label for their language.

[@MelGibsonFan]

“Americans not realizing that they speak English is quite common I must say” -Simultaneously makes up some nonsense for internet clout, but also can’t understand how an anecdote doesn’t at all make anything “quite common”.

[@dWFnZWVr]

@@MelGibsonFan *realising - I speak English. And it’s a true story, fella. I live in the UK, and I used to frequently travel to the Czech Republic for work. I have plenty of similar experiences with many Americans. The smartest one I ever knew, I ended up dating at one point. Not all are thick, but many are.

[@MonarchOfIrvine]

​@@dWFnZWVr statistically asians in america are smarter than the people in UK and all other european nations, and even white americans are smarter than the white people in most other nations lol

[@wrongfullyaccused7139]

@@dWFnZWVr : There is a huge difference between being "thick" and being uninformed. Intellectual laziness is a human weakness and the communist dominated public education system in America has capitalized on that. The public school system has been dumbing down American students since the 1950's. Speaking as an American to you who said you live in the UK I have a question. Did they teach you in your school that America spent 60,000 American lives in the air to keep your country free from Nazi Germany? Yes, 60,000 dumb Americans gave their lives because America considered you guys an ally and went willingly to their deaths to save your backsides. Your welcome.

[@soapybanana1]

In Australia, we sell "Ketchup" and "Tomato Sauce". Exact same brand, exact same size bottle, they're the exact same thing, the Ketchup is literally just for Americans who can't figure out we call it by a different name.

[@Gredddfe]

I was once told by an American, "But you're not an American so I don't expect you to understand freedom". The terrible irony is that between the censorship, the book burning, and the refusal to look beyond their own borders (and like a dozen other things) means they're the one of the most oppressed of all the first world countries. And they do it to themselves.

[@spaceman9599]

After that exceptional news day I was told by multiple USA citizens whilst in the country that as a British person, I had no idea of what terrorism was. The irony of having spent a part of my life checking under my car, and having had several people killed nearby over one memorable weekend - both due to terrorists that had a sizeable private US financing, was lost on them. Nor did they appreciate my opinion that said eventful news day could be viewed as one of their major export chickens coming back to roost....

[@evgeny7]

There’s an excellent comedy bit by Jim Jefferies called “Freedumb” that’s just about that.

[@User-54631]

@@evgeny7poor example being he lives and works in the US. Not 100% sure a autistic person should be calling anybody anything.

[@LegendTD]

i aM fReE tO oPpReSs MySeLf

[@BushnoSkillzz]

​@@spaceman9599Really? As an american I didnt know about that. I have tons of questions. What was the ethnicity of those terrorists and what was the name of the island they were trying to remove the British from?

[@peterritchie2990]

From Canada: A few years ago in Texas I was having lunch with a few college instructors. One insisted adamantly that Texas was bigger than Europe. He absolutely refused to hear a differing opinion. Aghast I fashioned a small bet and loaded up the facts for our meeting the next day. I pointed out that France is about 70% the size of Texas. Then adding the size of Portugal I pointed out these two countries were bigger than Texas. I went on to present a few more European countries and soon the numbers showed Europe to be manymultiple sizes bigger than Texas. Without the slightest morsel of chagrin he very reluctantly paid the tiny wager and said “yah, but you included the Scandinavian countries”.

[@evandyer5265]

It's because our education system is about not hurting people's feelings instead of teaching them and it sucks.

[@erajal-wasi9318]

Plot twist: You re-elected Trudeau.

[@АндрейКуцый100летназад]

​@JKNitro-vt5qsI'm russian, and there are some people (I don't know the numbers, but I've met some of them) thinking, they're right just because of their age... "I'm older than you and etc." (just to point out that if he says anything, it's right) At this point, I just calmly ask them any facts about planes (What's APU or anything else), then they say "-I dunno...". -So, it means I know something, that you don't... So, age doesn't matter on knowledge, right? And then I can continue arguing😂 I think it's not a nation thing, it's just dumb people... We even have a joke like: "the biggest organization in the world is stupid people, they have their agents everywhere!" :D

[@josepha.r5839]

The Scandinavia countries?! You included them?? Hur vågar du!

[@erajal-wasi9318]

@@josepha.r5839 To be fair, your cultures won't exist in 50 years thanks to the terminal demography and immigration policies.

[@rephill54]

Americans see no need to learn of other countries or cultures. When you are told all your life that you live in the greatest country on earth what could anyone else possibly teach you?

[@raestera]

I've heard an Italian say "the most stupid and intelligent people I've met are both from America". I'm American who's travelled abroad alot and I can confirm we really are at the extremes where a majority of us are very ignorant, much more so other countries, but a small handful of us are on the other extreme

[@DumplingDoodle]

america fosters extremes in general is what i'm beggining to notice. politics, social class, types of media, education level, and anecdotally, kindness. though i can't identify exactly why.

[@hainleysimpson1507]

Might be genetic, remember the USA when it was British was the biggest dumping grounds, for poor people, very uneducated people, peasants, country bumpkins and criminals of all stripes, then brilliant business men, scholars and educated clergymen came over.

[@Iamwolf134]

​​@@DumplingDoodle Mainly because those on the extreme ends of the spectrum just really hate change. Even the most basic of educational reform programs are fiercely opposed by the chief benefactors of the status quo.

[@DumplingDoodle]

@@Iamwolf134 right, i get that, but why? clearly shit is not working right now, so why are we just so stubborn that we refuse to acknowledge it? i get being scared of change, but when a country is on the line, you kinda gotta suck it up i feel.

[@sonicxdudex765]

​@@DumplingDoodleProbably because of extreme capitalism. Differences between economic classes are much more than their european counterparts.

[@toeg1]

You're too kind, no really, you're too kind. I was born in the 50s and thought, like millions of other Americans, that everyone on planet Earth spoke English and only occasionally spoke in other languages because they wanted to. We would say, "If you speak to a foreigner and they doesn't seem to understand, just speak louder. It's because they are hard of hearing!" By sheer happenstance, I wound up moving to Geneva, Switzerland, as a young adult in the 1970s. OMG!!! Just two words: CULTURE SHOCK. Americans are ignorant and dumb about the rest of the world and they prefer it that way. But thanks for attempting to put a light-hearted, "awe shucks," spin to our ignorance. You're just too kind and I mean that.

[@A-Milkdromeda-Laniakea-Hominid]

Cool story bro and I mean that. 🇨🇦

[@kioumim]

I would love to hear more about the Cultural shocks you got in Switzetland if you don't mind ^^ cultural shocks are always fun to hear

[@toeg1]

@@kioumim You're right. They are some of the funniest and most insightful moments of my life. I even wrote a book about them. I'll see if I can be a bit concise here so it doesn't go over 1,000 words. Here's a preculture shock one: In 7th grade I remember taking a semester of French and thinking I was somehow fluent. At a French restaurant in Sausalito, California, I wanted to impress my Mom by ordering a glass of chocolate milk. "Une glace de chocolat," I told the waiter. He smiled and brought me back a chocolate ice cream cone.

[@A-Milkdromeda-Laniakea-Hominid]

@@toeg1 You did order chocolate ice cream in French lols. More please :)

[@CaptainAmerica001]

America is a continent, not a country. Plus, an American is from the Continent of America.

[@CarlClinton-gf5gg]

I was in a taxi in Washington DC and the driver had an intersting accent, so I asked him where he was from. He replied Ghana and I said "oh, near Togo and Benin." He told me I was the first American he met who knew where in Africa he was from.

[@jackthehacker05]

Ermm isn’t Benin in Germany?? Smh

[@iykury]

@@jackthehacker05 jfk famously once said "ich bin ein beniner"

[@FreddieK66]

I wouldn't have gotten near Togo and Benin ..... but I could have said on the upper west coast of Africa.

[@JD-ny3vz]

I literally had a similar experience in NY with a can driver who was from Togo. He told me he hadn't met a non African NYer who had even ever heard of his country far less knew where it was.

[@florianh.5135]

In '92 I worked in Oklahoma City for about six month putting in operation a system we sold to the then new plant of Xerox. I still remember some eye opening moments: One day browsing a store I overheard a teenage girl asking her friend how much are 50% off $30, the answer was about $17. On site I was asked how long my DRIVE from Germany had taken me. Back then, most of my colleagues from the commissioning team from our client Xerox were first or second generation immigrants from all over the world. The real Americans were gophers and shovel holders.

[@brendatrezires4249]

As a 16 year old South African I was very interested in world history....and loved geography. I saved every penny to travel in Spain in 1979 I met an American couple...so you from South Africa are you not scared of the lions😮 roaming the streets? I was not surprised cos I knew back then how stupid the Americans are, I just smiled😊

[@valerieanimagus6230]

I once went to visit my grand-uncle who migrated to the US many, many years ago. We went out and someone noticed my accent, and asked where I was from. I said ‘South Africa’, and they said ‘No, because you’re not black.’ Mind you, SA consists of mainly Whites, Blacks, Indians and our mixed race we call ‘Coloured’. I’m a light-skinned Indian. I got so angry at this man that my grand-uncle told me to wait outside the store we were in as he calmly explained the nature of SA to him. I did get an apology, but f***ing hell!!!

[@jeffrobodine8579]

He evidently has no clue who Elon Musk is. 😅

[@valerieanimagus6230]

@@jeffrobodine8579 EXACTLY so many people are shocked a white man can be African as well. 😧😧😧

[@rcjdeanna5282]

They actually said, "NO, because you're not black?" We're not only stupid but proud to let people know it with a finger in the chest remark.

[@maureenjackson2041]

L​@@valerieanimagus6230 Sorry white South Africans are NOT African they're South Africans of European descent. Posted from Britain

[@kacperaskawski3461]

@@maureenjackson2041 And what does it prove? Technicaly our ancestors originated from Africa, so we are all Africans: Europeans, Asians and even native Americans. But anyway this is simply racist, Europeans created and lived in these countiries for over 200 years(also suffered genocide because they fought against Brits), around five or six generations now, they are as African as Arabs in North Africa. This is just like telling black or white Americans that they are not Americans because their ancestors originate from Europe and Africa.

[@wngmv]

I was once asked "what's the weather like in china". When i answered by saying China is as big as Continental US, spanning roughly from Maine to Florida they looked at me stupid.

[@josepha.r5839]

'Cool in the evenings with mild, fresh breezes and warm temperatures during the day with slight humidity' That's how I would have answered it. The person asked would have been impressed.

[@鬼塚アレクセイ]

@@josepha.r5839 There is no need to impress somebody like that. People sometimes just want to hear genuine replies. Greetings from Russia.

[@josepha.r5839]

@@鬼塚アレクセイ Спасибо!

[@nunya___]

They likely meant...where _you_ are. Showing an interest in you. Pleasantries.

[@RickMyBalls]

that's not what they asked

[@laggedesusse2636]

I once spoke with an American who told me he had seen the world and been to places such as Texas and Florida.

[@truantmale]

im sure that happened

[@chanceriordan]

I love when British people think they're well-traveled because they've visited Paris or spent a holiday in Spain. Your country is so tiny, it's only the size of Ohio. Lmao.

[@Junichsen]

Do we tell the American?

[@arlenesharida9215]

​@@Junichsendon't tell, the Americans will say you're lying 😂

[@eurosonly]

This reads like a movie quote lol.

[@Sage24555]

I had a person telling me about a week ago about how South Africans have no freedom and that America leads and we all follow (the rest of the world). Despite many places having arguably more freedom than they do, also tik tok is now banned, so rip😂

[@FrodMoon-sr9no]

As an American myself I can say that this is completely true. When I was a student I can’t tell you the number of times that my classmates had no idea about our own history, let alone anyone else’s.

[@MrRockSteady]

I assume you're the same as them right?

[@wantedmaniac0191]

He is because this video was not at all about them knowing their own nor our history@@MrRockSteady

[@FlashySenap]

Not that all surprising.. not saying its the peoples fault but most people live day to day just trying to survive in a country that doesn't provide for its people like européans do. Leading them to not waste time on things that's good to know, tho more often than not, trivial to ones navigation through their personal lives. This isn't a soley american thing as well but Americans simply don't have the time nor the energy to absorb foreign culture and history when most live on the brink of homelessness or constant enslavement of their profession.

[@roymerritt9927]

I'm a soon-to-be 75-year-old American and it certainly seems to me our country contains the dumbest most narrow-minded nitwits in the world and it is a result of a variety of problems. Certainly, our American-centric attitude is as if the rest of the world is some fiction someone invented until our government decides we have to dispatch our awesome military to assert our hegemony in the region of the world where the problem exists. I grew up in rural poverty on a farm in the south which has always been a redoubt of racist ignorance personified, but even then I think overall my countrymen were more intelligent than they are now. At least it didn't seem to me that there was a strong anti-intellectualism and anti-science attitude as there is among the great unwashed. And there is a concerted effort by certain factions in the country namely Republican politicians and their obscenely rich benefactors and white supremacist Christian Nationalists. People that are nothing more than Fascists who prefer an abjectly stupid population because the stupider you are the more easily persuaded by demagogic rhetoric about culture wars and nonsensical conspiracies that are beyond far-fetched but in fact insane.The MAGA cult and the affinity they have for Donald Trump who is a definitively corrupt individual who in all likelihood is a traitor. And many of these people are in the working class and have been screwed over by those Republican politicians and their monied masters since that disgraceful Ronald Reagan inflicted himself on the country declaring it was "Morning in America." again. But those people are so busy trying to survive in this new Gilded Age they don't have the intellectual wherewithal or curiosity to see it although it is as clear as the nose on your face. If humanity is continually evolving which I'm sure it is it doesn't seem as if that is the biological fact in this nation. It has seemingly halted here to our detriment. Indeed it seems to this keen observer of our country that we may be evolving backward to our primitive roots. And if that is the case I'm concerned we may have become so stupid we may not even be capable of the rudimentary tool-making that early homo-spaiens were able to fashion. We have achieved the Idiocracy that god awful 2006 movie seemingly predicted we were headed for. And you can be sure the catalyst for the severity of it we have recently experienced began after November 2008 when Barack Obama had the temerity to run for and win the presidency and a whole lot of racists here lost their shit. And then by god, he had the audacity to get re-elected in 2012. Oh, the ignominy of it all, a person of color occupying the WHITE HOUSE!

[@GerritsRem]

Thats the whole problem America refuses to accept the fact that they are not as great as they say. Not as loved as the claim. Can't accept that in some areas its sometimes worse then 3rd world countries. And that has an effect on future generations. Just like many generations have been ruined by it. And it will never chance untill America sees that it needs to help and police itself more then it needs to help other countries.

[@albertwong1182]

This reminds me of when I was working at Target a long time ago. A lot of people I worked with didn’t know that the US fought in World War II, where China is on a world map, that Joe Biden was the Vice-President at the time (2010), that Washington DC is the capital of the US, and that Europe is a continent instead of a country.

[@superiorsoldier57]

I guess I can sort of understand the China one -- although I know where it is on the map, don't get me wrong -- but the rest? No way, man.

[@ankhpom9296]

Their ignorance is based partly on a dumbed down school system and on an individual basis their intelligence level.

[@diegoneyra8227]

​@superiorsoldier57 bro, China is a really huge country and the most popular asian country

[@cantinadudes]

​@@diegoneyra8227aKsHuAlLy ☝🤓 india overtook china recently and china is kinda having a population collapse. They're still the 2nd biggest country by far which is impressive but they're not number 1 anymore

[@ЛевАндриенко-ъ3ч]

I once thought that Europe was a city in Russia.

[@mottbone]

The problem with videos like these are they're never reached to those who really need to see them.

[@Manuel2395-g6m]

Tell me one better country than America?

[@mottbone]

@Manuel2395-g6m Ok, to start with... how about Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway... Happiest and the most well taken care of people on earth.

[@jdcp8976]

​@Manuel2395-g6m Better on what? If you don't specify what exactly usa is better we can't really tell you shit. Yet I'm gonna let you know a secret: the only thing America is superior to other countries is power. That's all you guys have that we don't have or couldn't achieve in a lifetime. Why? Because you spend an amount of money on that shit that a truly sovereign state would never do. Does that make you the strongest country? Definitely, but of fucking course! But when people want to achieve peace it's would be about us all winning... NOT JUST YOU. Call me jealous or whatever, at least my country doesn't prioritize the military over the people's health.

[@user-um1np8fx3j]

​@Manuel2395-g6maustralia, literally anywhere in europe tbh, japan, canada

[@SplotchyBag82]

@@user-um1np8fx3jwrong, a lot of Eastern European countries are experiencing economic collapse. The bst countries to live in are scandinavia, finland, thailand, bali.

[@HueyTheDoctor]

As an Australian idgaf if you all just stay off our island.

[@pbosustow]

I worked with an American girl in Australia in around 2008/2009. To make conversation I asked about the capital cities of American states, and why they're often not the biggest, or most famous city in the state. Her reply, "it's because of terrorism". I was taken aback so I probed some more. Was it because they were once the biggest city in the state and have now been overtaken, or was it purely a question of geography? "No, it's because of terrorism". True story.

[@GordonWulfman]

Did she have creaky-voice and end her sentences as if they were questions? Yeah I think I know her. (but I'm glad that I don't)

[@annalieff-saxby568]

"I do not think that word means what you think it means".

[@richard2720]

Hah proof positive. That by millions shows how stupid this population has decided to all to sit down and hide. Wrong democracy no matter how hard painful it gets

[@bubbercakes528]

So sad I know!

[@Park501]

did she mean tourism? Because than at least the answer kind of makes sense

[@kalebrosenberg8294]

I was really suprised about the passport thing. Turns out, in Germany only 41% of the population own a passport, so quite similiar. The difference is, that they can travel to 27 other european countries using only their regular ID.

[@ironhell813]

Only 1/3 of Americans have one so that’s another thing they’re dumb on, I guess they know most of the world doesn’t want them.

[@WaxPaper]

Travelling around Europe is like travelling around the US. It would be more accurate to ask how many Europeans leave the continent, and how often. Or at least, how many travel to Russia, China or the Middle East? Something tells me the disparity between US and EU wouldn't be that big anymore.

[@kalebrosenberg8294]

@@WaxPaper You know, travelling abroad is not about making distance but to experience different cultures and people. Yes, I am aware that the US are quite a big country. No, Europe is not just one country. We could also compare average income and GDP of US citizens with southern europeans for example, eg their means to travel abroad.

[@WaxPaper]

@@kalebrosenberg8294 I agree, I'm just saying, travelling to another country from the US isn't as simple as hopping on a cheap flight. US to Europe starts around $1000, one-way. Also, passports cost a decent amount of money over here. It was around $200 in 2002, last time I got one. I think it's double that now.

[@zerggydoggy7696]

@@WaxPaper but russia is the same continent. it`s literally Europe

[@lalloligyst718]

Social media and the notion that everyone deserves to be heard. Instant gratification and nonstop entertainment. Celebrity worship. The worship of the rich based on acquired luxury objects. Entitlement galore. Zero empathy. Zero compassion. Judgement. Am I missing anything?.?.

[@CypressSaint]

I would add the refusal to acknowledge luck and the role it plays in everyday life. When you think everything good you have is because you are a hard-working person who deserves it you start to look down on the have nots. Which I think is the root of American animosity towards the poor.

[@lalloligyst718]

@ precisely!

[@notvalidcharacters]

Commodity Fetishism (although that's somewhat included under "worship of the rich"). And the bigly one, the Cult of Ignorance, a direct result of that historical plague, "American Exceptionalism".

[@tenderandmoist5011]

Capitalism

[@danyoutube7491]

This is far from being an exclusively American thing.

[@seendabeen1740]

I had to explain to my parents how cell phones and microwaves can physically not give you cancer it took me two hours before they finally realized how stupid it is

[@tiamystic]

My mother bought a shugite necklace she believed had magic powers that will protect her from radiation like something out of a fucking Disney movie. She has two shugite pyramids on both sides of her laptop and a radiation sticker above the microwave. She brought that stupid necklace up to show to everyone at Thanksgiving all proud. No, Thanksgiving this year was not fun. And my mother tells me that she isn’t stupid like LMAO, we love a delusional queen.

[@chaisekarateka5254]

That kind of stupid is in every country, not only the US