Added: 3 years ago
From: rickshenkman
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  • I only really liked his moment about the paper...ppl need to read newspapers and not just one. Most of the time im reading two three or more articles from different papers on the same story! But when the comforts are plentyful then the people will indulge until they cant indulge amymore. The united states is very unique. We r different n the wrld hates us for that. Thats y we keep the finger up n enjoy our lives. If americans r dumb then the rest of the wrld is retarded.

  • I am dissapointed with my country. It has so many faults, its ridiculous that some people believe that it is the best country on the planet. 

  • @AntiTroll101

    I think its one of the best countries, but has one of the worst governments. I'd still die for this country, but not for the government. It has made fools of us, and I dont know why we keep letting it happen.

  • A lot of people watching this video have chided me for confusing stupidity with ignorance. Let me state clearly that I believe the problem is ignorance. The word stupid was used in the title of the book to draw attention.

    In any case, you can't generalize and say Americans are ignorant. You can't generalize about 300 million people. What I argue in the book is that our political discussions are conducted at a low level because too few people can follow a complicated debate.

  • @rickshenkman

    "In any case, you can't generalize and say Americans are ignorant."

    6.7 billion disagree.

  • @Ycc145 agree*

  • A significant fraction of Americans may well be ignorant of world affairs, Mr shenkman. That does not mean 'Americans are stupid'. You do understand there is a difference between stupidity and ignorance?

  • my question :i never understood why americans have such faith to the army and belive that they are heroes when america is always the invader and is the only country i know that was never attacked or threaten except of some terrorist attacks.now this is an honest question please don't start a fight...i just don't get this marine spirit.i'm 18 and all i remember is america at irak without a reason and generally america being where they don't have to.how are they protecting their country this way?

  • This man is a hero.

  • 6.9 billion people live on earth. 6.6 billions think americans are stupid. 300 millions are stupid

  • @Wetily

    So basically EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN is stupid. Right?

    Damn boy you're a fucking genius. It totally makes sense because you've met and talked to every single person living there...right?

  • @CFL0LSmilyFace usa's population isn't exactly 300 million

  • @Wetily

    No shit.

    6.9 billion isn't the exact population of the planet.

  • The ultimate idiot proof society.

  • I am sorry but the corporations run the TV industry in America.

  • Just how stupid are we? we are not all stupid but unfortunately the majority of people are and we end up paying for that.

  • Come on.

    We have no democracy!!!

    We don't ellect them, the big corporations and the bankers choose the ones they like and we just vote for the ones we hate the least...

    Hahaha

    Let's get real....

  • on another note...I wonder how the U.S would cope with a parliamentary government...

  • What isn't being discussed is how unequal the US educational system is.If u come from a poor or working class family u won't get the same education as some rich kid living in the affluent suburbs & ur parents won't be able to afford to send u to college as tuition is outrageously expensive. Idiots like GW Bush can go to Harvard Business Schl 'cuz their parents have money while intelligent ppl can't go if they don't have the money.

  • @PurrGrrl this is a bunch of BS, i was raised in a lower middle class family went to public school studied and went on to college. yes the public school classrooms may be over crowded but if you want to learn you will learn and the parents make or break the kids period. Who said you have to go to harvard to have a great college education, these insitutions are screwed up anyway. this notion that going to the best school will make a difference is ridiculous, if you are smart and determined

  • @Tina196712 You're absolutely right. If one is determined, one can get a "good" education without going to the best college. However, a poor kid growing up in a chaotic environment who simply isn't taught what he/she needs to learn in order to get into college isn't going to be prepared for college. Realistically, a ten-year-old isn't going to say to himself, "My teachers aren't preparing me for college. I'm not getting an adequate education here, so I guess I'll have to teach myself."

  • Can't use abbreviations, I guess, since some youtubers don't understand them, so I must continue here. Point is, a child doesn't have the internal & external resources to teach him/herself. If their school isn't teaching them what they need to know in order to acquire adequate social, behavioral, & intellectual skills in order to succeed then they're at a disadvantage compared with wealthier kids who are provided with all the resources they need (& more) from the beginning.

  • @PurrGrrl if you are smart and determined that is all you need to make it in whatever it is you want to do with or without a college degree.

  • @Tina196712 Yes, sometimes this is true. However, a child attending a school in a poor, inner city neighborhood who is given an inferior education starts out with more obstacles. There's a reason why the wealthy send their kids to Harvard. They make important connections and are given an extra "edge" in obtaining the best jobs.

  • @Tina196712 I don't know how old you are, but my guess is that you are pretty young. You haven't had much life experience. Being smart and determined certainly helps, but, believe me, there are a lot of other factors that influence your success in life--many of which you cannot control. As you get older, you'll learn this on your own, but, seriously, do you think that all the people who've lost their jobs and their homes today were just not "smart and determined" enough to succeed?

  • 21iunie yes maybe thats true but what country does not exist now that hasnt taken over a people and set up a new government on soil that was not previously theirs. not many. you are probably living in a country that has done the same at one time or another. your an idiot if you think america is the only country to do so probably more stupid then americans. go fuck yourself moron.

  • In a democracy if u don't even know yr rights &/or yr duties, u r a communist actually then. it really wudn't hurt u if u don't really know that United states starts wid U but it's gonna cost u dearly if u don't know why is it called United states..

  • they killed the natives for their land and now they fuck with afghan and pakistan people for their oil....what more there is to say about these people?......no wonder people want to blow up their shit with airplanes and bombs

  • @21iunie You're just evil and ignorant. Scary combination. We are not there for oil. Is that's how we got so many other countries with us. Do you hate all those countries too?

  • Oh my this guy is definitely a classic liberal. I remember this time period well and the Obamania surrounding it. I wonder how many people wish they can go back and change their vote now. Talk about ignorant America, you liberals were took for a self confessed and open socialist and didn't even know it!

  • @joshplume Obama is no socialist. I wish he were, then I would have voted for him.  But I knew, as you probably do as well, that he is just another centrist like all our politicians who buddy up to the financial sector. I agree with you that most progressives were "took" by the Obama campaign. Instead of supporting a real progressive leftist like Kucinich, or a brave and tough talking old school Democrat like Gravel, they chose a sleek, professional, watered-down corporate centrist.

  • Rick, I’m concerned that you think the mainstream news found in newspapers is superior to mainstream news seen on TV. Yes, it takes more intelligence to read a newspaper than watch TV, however, the information is the same and neither is conducive to the well-being of society. You are focusing on the problem and that is the entire problem in a nutshell. The only way to move away from a problem is to focus on the solution. Unfortunately, the average American doesn’t know the difference.

  • hey i can't go to poo without newspaper..lol

  • Thanks for the video

  • Question: (if anyone can answer this) at about minute 3:00, Shenkman asserts that our politics are getting dumber and dumber since the 1940s. This made me think about some of the racists propaganda posters and misinformation going on in the U.S. during that period. So I am asking, is that really true? Are there any studies that can, is any mildly convincing way, prove his statement to be true? If anyone has real evidence, please get back to me.

  • @alexiscooperfly "our politics are getting dumber and dumber since the 1940s"

    There are too many reasons to explain this phenomena, but here's a partial list:

    -Gov't taking over and purposefully ruining education. (started in 1967)

    -Sexual revolution, drugs, women's liberation (higher divorce rates lead to less educated children)

    -Constant wars

    -Apathy of Americans (rather watch Family Guy than question why there are problems in the world)

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  • As an American, as a person who lost faith in Gov. at a young age, I don't see how the heck most people walk around without a conscious. Through the years it has been proven, the rebellious are an elite of intelligence. When you choose not to conform, is when you grow a brain. I don't believe anything not proven; you can't convince me that Osama Bin Laden is Megatron and you dumped him in the ocean. That's just a little example.

  • What this gentleman says is very true. But I come off with the impression that he doesn't have much respect for anything but his own opinion. Newspaper have many biases, much like television does. Everything has a bias. If he would turn the spotlight around on himself he could see that even he has biases, and that promoting an oligarchy doesn't solve the world's problems but replaces them with new problems.

    What this world needs more of is respect and understanding, not "intelligence"

  • @jaskaram I really liked your opinion and what you had to write becuase even at a young age (18) I find that if you take time to learn about a subject on your own and without the bias party then you can see another point of view.^_^

    P.s. I am a american.

  • @MissJocelynne * ">an< American"

  • Come on, people voted for obama, that shows nothing but stupidity and ignorance. Barry is a usurper traitor, HOPE AND CHANGE, YOU F"N Idiots!

  • @totallystup1d Dude... Instead of "they" you should be saying "their". "They" (when you mean to say "their") is wrong. Also, the plural of "sheep" is "sheep", not "sheeps."

  • the problem with our education system is teachers chastise kids for asking questions , i was treated like shit for questioning the bullshit in my high school books .

  • @MrTony696936 I live in Canada, when I was in grade eight, my classmate would always ask questions. It drove us crazy, and he was smart but always wanted to know more. We made a joke in the olden times that asking too many questions would result in detention or something - just to make him listen first then ask questions later. Today, even now, his curiosity isn't sated. The teacher reminisced about wanting to put tape over our mouths sometimes, or say 'Shut up, you dimwits.' Very funny man.

  • politics has become a popularity contest sponsored by ......."  ( fill in name ) " .

    education should make kids ASK QUESTIONS , not teach them " stuff " .

    dont worry.......most countries are in a similar situation

  • @totallystup1d true but they just dont car

  • we have rights but our government has found a way to undermine them. with good ole fashion manipulation. the political opinion of most Americans isnt worth a shit because they don't find it important to KNOW anything. We rely on the opinions that we are exposed to and surrounded by because we cant pull together enough knowledge to have our own. its the perfect way to control an entire nation without violating the peoples "rights"

  • I'm in college and am amazed at how stupid/apathetic the majority of my peers are. All i can say is something is really wrong with the system we have in this country

  • @friscob1

    Stop going to community college. 

  • @friscob1 Apathy isn't the best thing, I loathe it when people make it seem like it is cool or something to slip into. I have been there. Really scary.

  • i don't know which people are the most stupid ones, and i don't know if it matters so much,... but i can tell this: americans are by far the most charitable people. whithout them this world would be so much worse.

    so i think we would be hypocrites if we would call them stupid. they are generous i personally thank them.

  • If the people cant even read the newspapers, what have we become?

  • Rick Shenkman.....BRAVO!!!...saviou­r of the United States of Apathy

  • You know what. I know that a lot of americans are not EDUCATED. I would not call them stupid. They just should learn more stuff in school. I mean what is it that you learn in history or geology exactly? Cause it seems like you don´t even have those classes sometimes. Just learn more about the world.

  • They need oversight for shows which present themselves seriously as news networks (like Faux News)

  • I graduated from a public US high school the same summer this was posted. This is totally true. I never had to remember history throughout my primary and secondary education. Also, most of my fellow students did not care about voting for a president. It just isn't instilled in American students (children and teenagers) that we really have to remember or take and active role in society in general.

  • Americans are a disease.

  • NY Times is a fucking joke too.

  • As a American whom lives and works abroad the thing that scares me the most is on cable I get the ABC world news and at least 70% of the news is domestic.

  • Americans love to talk big, and act as though they know everything about each country....when they have never left the US before!!!!

    Silly Americans, how many of you have lived and worked in EVERY US state????

    Huh??? You have not even been to each state in your country???

    Wow!!! You idiots are really POOR.....can't afford it huh?? hahahahahahaaaa

  • 8 stupid americans saw and got offended by this video )))

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  • @trustisaliability

    I can't believe you're still going on about 'data' being plural.

    You are wrong, Rick and I are right - get over it. If you're going to be pedantic, then you have to get it right. Just because most people don't understand how plurals work doesn't mean they're right. This is very basic stuff really, age 5 to 7 I'd say.

    You don't have to believe me, I really don't care, just don't go on about it any more, it's embarrassing.

  • another self-hating leftist

  • americans are stupid because most of them are white. just look at how all the jobs go to asians and how more degrees percentagewise go to nigerian immigrants than white fucktards, or how arabs know more about this country than the white people who control it. thats why theres so many skinheads yelling that they want a race war, cuz its obvious that you people are going extinct.

  • @fatephantasm Congratulations you're a racist.

  • @fatephantasm look at race with geographical location on the planet. Then look at the power those areas of the planet hold. You will find that the majority of the most successful and powerful areas are rich with white people.

  • @zipper978 Thats because...when most of the people in a country are stupid, somebody with half brain can become a billionaire. And there are may half brained billionaires in America lol...

  • @fatephantasm

    You might want to research PISA scores among black students compared to that of white students. White students outperform both black and immigrant students by a large margin. In nations such as Canada and Australia however, most immigrants do very well standardized tests (often times better than the students born there), which proves how careful these nations are about who they allow in.

    Arabs and Nigerians are smart?? I think you just proved your own stupidity.

  • @JohnQRandom it's all political lies to make dominant well not anymore dominant white race feel better in real life asian and african immigrants outperform white students so much that it's even too hard to explain. for example when i came here 3 years ago i scored so high (on some sort of test it was simple) that they placed me a year higher in my class and gave a sh*#$t load of hard classes and then my junior year they offered me to graduate early not mentioning most nhs students were asians

  • @KGSultan

    50% of black America does not graduate high school my friend, you seem to be pulling your "facts" out of your ass. Asian students do quite well, I know first hand because I'm currently teaching English in Korea. Also, China produces tens of thousands of engineers a year. As for Africa, I can assure you that poverty, corruption, and the IMF bank have sent that continent to hell in a hand basket. Sorry Sultan, I won't hate you because you're stupid. ; )

  • JohnQRandom well your comment just proved you being more ignorant than i ever was first of all you wrote "black" americans, while africans are not considered to be black, and besides everything i wrote is from my personal experience because i outperformed all of my classmates by at least 2 classes all of the classes i was taking in my 10th grade calculus etc. i was taking with mostly seniors and few juniors so idk if you're white or not if you got offended by this comment it only proves my point

  • @KGSultan

    I really care what you are. You claimed "African immigrants" perform white American students. Africa isn't exactly a place noted for its universities and sure as hell isn't famous for its innovation and invention. Provide a source for your claim concerning African students' success in the US public school system. If you're smart, congrats, but you don't represent most Africans, nor is there an influx of Africans enrolling in the US public school system.

  • @JohnQRandom ok here's the thing i didn't say all of the africans are smart aiight? i said some perform better than those white crack heads who try to act and be like blacks. Now i'm not even black or african i'm asian alright, and i'm just telling you the truth the fact that you don't want to face it is your choice it doesn't harm me either way

  • @KGSultan

    Yes I know, many Asians perform well on standardized tests. Korea and Japan rank 1st and 2nd year after year, and many Asian immigrants in Canada and Australia out perform the native population. (However many factors surround PISA statistics.) I've never heard of African students performing well as compared to industrialized nations. 50% of Black Americans do not finish high school, that statistic you can easily google and find many articles on it.

  • @JohnQRandom hehe i'm from Kyrgyzstan we stii use the soviet schooling system when i came to us i was 3 years ahead of my classmates)))

  • @KGSultan

    I really don't know what your point is. On one hand you're speaking on behalf of Africans (and false stats) and on the other Asians. What exactly is your debate here.

  • @JohnQRandom my point is americans are lazy and today are mostly ignorant that's what i've been trying to show you all this time

  • @KGSultan

    People world wide are ignorant. Lazy? Absolutely not, Americans are very hard working people and slaves to the bank just like everyone else.

  • @JohnQRandom hmmm mexicans are today they play a role of slaves you pay them much less than you would to a "white" person and they take all of the crappy jobs now they are hard working americans are not

  • @KGSultan

    My friend, you are simply stupid, I'm sorry.

    1. Unless you're specifically refering to Libians, Egyptians or white South Africans, the word "African" conotates being "black".  Regardless, Africans are not known for being very smart.

    2. The migration of Mexicans illegally into the US is their choice, not white peoples', and Americans do hard working jobs as well.

    3. It's simply impossible for you to have been 3 years ahead of your classmates with such stupidity.

  • @JohnQRandom hmmm here's why i'm ahead you're a living example make my opinion based on facts and personal experience, you on the other hand live in your dream world where every "white" person is smart and hardworking

  • More bullshit. You're the one living in the fantasy world, and your claim that "Africans" perform well in school compared to white people proves it. Never did I say all white people are smart and working, becasue I'm well aware that there are lazy and stupid people belonging to every race.

    I've been living abroad for 10 years and come to conclusions based on facts in experience, you don't, which is why you've been getting you ass kicked on this thread for the past several days.

  • Well first of all my friend i've lived abroad in many countries myself. Those countries would include Turkey, Cyprus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and United States. So let me tell you out of all Russians and Americans are the laziest. They base their opinion on the brainwashing media that tells them that they're the best which obviously causes that false patriotism in everyone. Now i never said africans perform better but they have will to study, the same with asians. Whites are lazy!!!

  • @KGSultan

    Americans can't afford to be lazy and neither can Russians. The governments of both also can't afford to support lazy people and if someone doesn't work then they're generally extremely poor, homeless or both. With that in mind have a look at the poverty in your home country (but I doubt you're foreign). You yourself are brainwashed my friend and you're proving your ignorance and stupidity more and more with every comment you post. You're probably a black American. 

  • @JohnQRandom ur an idiot and not probably, but certainly a white american

  • @finkjunior

    Congrats finkjunior, you're yet another idiot who has announced their stupidity and ignorance to the viral world, kudos!

  • @KGSultan

    And actually, you haven't been trying to tell me your opinions concerning ignorance or lazyness in the US all this time, you've been defending blacks by claiming they're smart, while the statistics among black students say otherwise.

  • @JohnQRandom not blacks africans there's a big difference

  • @KGSultan

    A Nigger remains a Nigger.

    You can justify that you're not a full-black Nigger, but the world still sees you as a NIGGER.

    Silly NIGGERS are very talkative, and love pretending that racism doesn't exist anymore.

    But when they hear NIGGER, they explode with anger, because their fake bubble of confidence has been PRICKED!.

    Don't hide from reality, NIGGER.

    You're as fucked up and useless as your slave ancestors.

    Now...kneel down, and blow me NIGGER.

  • @USisfuckedup hmmmm..... if you're referring to me i'd like to let you know that i'm not black or african and word nigger doesn't offend or represent me in any way. In fact i'm from Central Asia though if you want to call me nigger or whatever do so it's not like i give a damn about your opinion

  • the most powerful country in the world at any one time will naturally take control. It may be America at the moment policing the world, but before that it was Britain, and before that it was the Romans. These things move on, but people will generally stay the same. Politics and a number of people in any one country do not represent an entire nations interest.

  • Yes, most Americans are very IGNORANT and STUPID.

    These silly imbeciles have the mistaken notion that US is the No1 in everything, and they talk as though they know lots of stuff.

    In reality, what Americans know about other countries are mainly derived from its OWN media system and the Internet, which feeds them with messages that the Govt wants them to see.

    Do you ever see YT videos exposing US's wrongdoings, and loads of Americans supporting it?

    You only see GOOD STUFF about US.

  • @USisfuckedup

    "You only see GOOD STUFF about US."

    Just like on stupid American videos all you see are wrong answers. All media is propaganda and everyone is misinformed. I've lived in 5 different countries over the past ten years and I've seen plenty of stupidity the world over. Wake up.

  • @USisfuckedup have you ever been here?

    why don't you complain about the pace where you live?

  • @MushroomPictures

    I'm American, silly numbnut.

    Fort Bend, Texas.

    Being an American does not mean I have to BLINDLY support America.

  • @USisfuckedup

    You're obviously not American, refering to Americans in the "2nd person" is a dead give away dumb shit (I'll go ahead and let you try to figure that out.) If anything, you're walking proof that stupidity and ignorance is a global problem and not just exclusive to the US. I'm American, and have lived in 5 different countries over the past 10 years, I've seen plenty of it, and at the same time I've been well respected in every country I've lived in. Now shut your cake hole.

  • @MushroomPictures

    There's absolutely NOTHING to complain in the country I live in.

    1200 highly educated, intellectual Americans in the banking and corporate circle LIVE in this country, and they LOVE it.

    No Beaners, No NIGGERS, Ban on firearms, DEATH for drugs.....etc.

    Even the US President could not stop the CANING/FLOGGING of an American teen caught vandalising cars with spray paint. LOL!!! It's to TEACH you Americans that your imbecile behaviour is NOT acceptable here.

  • @USisfuckedup Like youtube. :D

  • @USisfuckedup I pretty much agree except that media in other countries like to portray the U.S. as stupid with having no smart people. many countries are also anti-american in their media as well.

  • @USisfuckedup Lol. Have you ever been in the U.S? WTF, Americans are not ignorant, they just stand up for there country when people like you make a comment/video hating on the U.S. Besides, how many British people make videos about Britain's wrong doings? NONE. You prob. have not even asked 1 American if they think America is No. 1, and after all they LIVE there why shouldn't they think it's No. 1. So what do you want to do, make AMERICAN'S hate America?

  • @Whyhellothere4721 So sad you miss the point!.......I love Americans, most of the people in the world love Americans, but we hate America's foreign policy, we hate them when they are using their powerful army to abuse weaker countries, like Iraq.....we hate when they spread their powerful army throughout the world "to protect their interest"......American people have been brain washed by the corporate media for too long and they believe everything they told you, Please wake up America!.

  • @USisfuckedup Well (about your last statement) not really. There are alot of videos on YT from the US that talk about bad stuff in their country and criticise themselves. The majority however may be more supportive. I don't know, and no one else will, until we have actual statistics about that.

  • @USisfuckedup Wait, what? America isn't #1 in everything 

  • @USisfuckedup Same thing could be said about many other countries and people.

  • @USisfuckedup well what the hell, where do you see videos about wrongdoings of the uk, france or russia with brits, french or russians rallying to support hatred against their very own country? also, what most people on this planet know about foreign places is 'derived' from our tv and the internet...how else am i going 'derive' my information, fly to madagascar just to get an idea of what the place looks like?

  • @USisfuckedup I am an American. I see every day the ignorance of my fellow Americans. that being said your statement is not quite true. Every month I see some tragedy in the world in which the US was involved, and all this on my local news station. The reason that Americans are so ignorant is simply that they take no interest in world affairs. People here keep busy paying bills or shopping for shoes or watching videos on YouTube.

  • @00shadowLord

    actually i am busy paying bills, shopping, and youtube watching but i still have time to investigate world affairs.

  • @thegoochieguy Well that's great that you do, but I know too many people that don't take the time to pay attention to things around the world.

  • ....americans are paying thousands not for education. They pay for diplomas, for a "high salary certificates". This is why there are so many college graduates, who think Europe is a country!

  • People need to be skilled at something not taught.

  • It is the same across the world, not just America.

    90% of people in this world are stupid. The other 10% run this world.

  • To be honest, i think this guy is actually trying to aid those idiots, we scottish just look on at them and they don't even care. Every one of their problems is just "i dont care" or "we can just nuke them or start a war"

    Fucking idiots, making the intelligent people of America just look stupid

  • It's not the general ignorance of the U.S that's the issue. It's the blind defence of the goverment that illegaly invades countries. Americans will say 'we don't support (Name Here)'s actions.' But as soon as you, as a foreigner, challenge the actions of America, backs go up. Self-righteous. It shocks america that other countries see them as obese, even though statistically, over half are. We see you as stupid as most American's couldn't find Iraq on a map. We base stereotype on fact

  • @quincy is a fucking loser with nothing better to do than hate what he doesn't understand. Do the world a favor n fuck off. Go get laid fucking waste of space

  • America was set up to be that way....so the the elitist government can do what they want

  • Hahahahahaha typical yanks. STUPID AS FUCK

    Maybe if they were taught more than four subjects at school and stopped using Hollywood movies to educate themselves they wouldn't be so stupid.

  • @QuincyAD87 stupid? dont you mean uninformed. americans arent stupid

  • @joseph14295 uninformed = stupidity, as knowledge comes from information

  • @QuincyAD87 haha educate my ass,they do take 4 classes but pay attention on 1.5 maximum and they only watch movies to see hot girls or guys or special effects...

  • @QuincyAD87 Actually It's because of the poverty in america doing this, I am taught more than 4 subjects and I don't watch movies, maybe on the history channel, but not about stupid things. If poverty was below 10% then we would rise above Finland.

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  • @bcroger2 ....thought or taught?

  • When the media sets out to deliberately mis-lead people on important issues - Guess what happens; people remain uninformed and mis-led on important issues.

  • Does more school = smarter?

  • Americans are no less intelligent than other countries citizens but they are proverbly the most socially conditioned people in the western world.

    Blind national pride is the problem in the US because it's turned from just 'pride' to an unrealistic 'vanity' and most americans will simply ignore or deny themselves the truth because of it.

    Any negative critique of the US is almost certainly going to recieve a hostile reception from most americans, regardless of if it is accurate or not.

  • @AUSSIEDAVEROCKS patriotism is not questioning authority

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  • @Whyhellothere4721 Yes I'm good friends with quite a few Americans and I've even spent time the US. (NYC & LA)

    They are all intelligent and educated but they are so ignorant of the rest of the world it defies belief.

    IMHO Americans have been conditioned to believe their country is far superior to any other and believe they are the center of the universe.

    Decades of american TV and propaganda have brainwashed the population into giving up their free-thinking and turned them into Lemmings.

  • it is easy to control stupid people...

  • @mitkooo1 I HONOUR U FOR UR GOOD WORD U R A CLEVER AND I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR ONE HONEST INTELLEGENT WORD U R THE BEST . BRAVO.

  • 'What the data show' is correct. 'Datum' is the singular form, many fall into the trap of using this plural as a singular.

    In Britain too we have the same problem that Rick Shenkman highlights here.

    It's very unfortunate that 'trustisaliabilty' fell into his own trap! I just hope he's an American! Only joking, but I agree with Rick's book, on a wider scale too, and I include Britain, France and Germany. The people have to accept responsibility for their poor Governments.

    Good book Rick

  • @winemeister

    You Brits might well be as screwed as we Americans are on this, but I've spent considerable time in Germany and in France and young people in both those countries are MUCH more literate than young Americans are. Agreed, there are still too many people there who know WAY too much about vapid pop music and too little about world politics, but comparatively the US is FAR, FAR dumber. And I suspect Brits are too.

  • @MrFarcry1966 Britain is in Europe we get a good education we learn about history and we aren't an ignorant nation dont insult us by putting us in the same category as America just because they speak the same language as us.

  • @winemeister what trap.

    I have never seen anyone uses data as a plural without adding the "s" on the end of the next word, and I'm still sticking to my guns on this one.

  • I'm going to be honest I never knew anything about the world until this year.

  • The cerebral deficit in America is its Achilles' Heel. We are already seeing the decline of America due to 8 years of counter intellectual leadership of the Bush administration.

  • @curetheingorant That's so true. We're doomed.

  • Im not gay but this dude is sexy

  • @bestbboymusicchannel I believe your American.

  • America is a great nation, But it seems from an outsider that you come across as teenagers without parents to tell you right from wrong. America is a teenager without parental guidance; America parties in their parents house with no sense of responsibility and no parents to come home to discipline them. America has yet to mature. But you will!

  • Datum is the singular. Data is the plural.

  • Americans are really stupid and unfortunately it's finally taking it's toll. It's a sad fact that other countries are getting smarter and americans are getting dumber and fatter.

  • @Trustisaliability The word "data" can be treated either as a singular or a plural, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary.

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  • actually data is plural and datum is singular

  • @rickshenkman Interesting point. The Oxford English Dictionary says 'data' is only a plural. The singular is 'datum' - meaning that which is given. I think the title is actually right. It's interesting how different countries use the same language.

  • @rickshenkman It's not the word "data" that's wrong.

  • @Trustisaliability it shows americans are stupid

  • @Trustisaliability

    data is both plural and singular, so if you are using data plural, then this title is grammatically correct. Thanks for showing your ignorance.

  • @Maethirion

    It may be grammatically correct, but that doesn't stop it being bad practice.

    "is generally not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was collected over a number of yearsare now widely accepted in standard English" < The Oxford Dictionaries Online.

    One ought to check their facts before being so rude.

  • @Trustisaliability But the original use of data was strictly plural, so it would be pointless to correct people who use the word as it is originally intended. 'Information' was never used as plural, so you really don't have a case here - at least I can not see why it would be a "bad practice" to use a word in its original form and meaning and not only within the most recent trends in language. Only when linguists determine that it is an OBSOLETE use will it become meaningful to correct it.

  • @Trustisaliability Don't be redundant. If you want to criticize grammar, then you should know what you're talking about. It is not bad practice to use Data and Datum for the plural and the singular respectively, and many scientist use "data" in the plural form.

  • @Maethirion

    It's not the word data that I have a problem with. It's the word "show", which should read shows.

  • @Trustisaliability ....hes saying since "data" is plural, u can use "show" without the (s). think.. replace 'data' with any other plural. u dont say the "pictures shows". u either say the "picture shows" or the "pictures show"

  • @Biohazard1997X

    I understand the concept but, it just reads wrong to not put the "s" after show.

    I was always taught to do so.

    I think it's an English/American difference.