I have spent almost my whole life outside the USA myself, and though I saw these things in American movies etc., I wasn’t really aware of how little Americans know about what’s going on in the world, and how tilted all the information they consume is, in school and in the general culture, until I spent some time living in the USA. You make a good point though, and I wasn’t the most perceptive.
Soo many of us are total fucking idiots. I’ve known people who were proud to have never, ever left their home county (no r, smaller than the state). Education has been extremely watered down and NEVER included anything that wasn’t in someway tied to or implied to involve the u.s. The teeeensy bit of world history is glossed over quickly with dry dates and facts to memorize until that class is finally over.
Higher education for the rich is for socializing and pretending you learned things other than that.
For a lot of the poor, higher education isn’t even possible, many of those poor folk that are rural even scoff at the idea it’s needed or think it’s the devil’s knowledge or some shit. A local, near my current area, said “I don’t believe in science”. …Like, at all??? I was part of a group that split off right then, wasn’t able to question about it. …But, like at all gravity, chemical reactions… nothing?
People are both proud of being and, think you called them something else, now hella angry, ignorant.
Now, they are more worried about being in good christian, republican (white) private schools than funding public education (California, by law, will not allow any textbook that Texas approves for their schools, in use for their public schools. That’s how useless the bible belt education has become). I have now met more than a few children who don’t “see the point in learning to read”. Various ages. And I dont have kids or close young family around. It fucking kills me to hear that shit.
Movies, tv, YouTube, anything mindless is way more approved for discussion in mixed random social gatherings than anything historical, higher arts related, scientific, god forbid global not involving the u.s.! Instantly labeled libruhl, demoncrat, fanatical left… ugh.
Anyway, yeah, it’s hard to get a world/outside view for so many over here, to the point that I think most have nooo idea a view other than a us-ian one even exists. I wish exchange programs were more of a thing and more available to ‘lower class’ folks. Just getting out of the fucking bubble of constant, subconscious propaganda, from everything one encounters, might really help a number of folk.
Sorry, I love learning, reading, cultures, etc., it has hurt my soul all my life to feel this country smothering learning and curiosity! Even seeking it, it has been hard to come by, especially pre-internet. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
Eta: I am not sure how I came across, so I want to mention, yes! We should be smart enough to see a lot of this shit, but not only are we too dumb, we are proud of being dumb for some fucking reason. I hope I didn’t seem argumentative, I’ve got a love of learning and it’s irritating to have been raised and educated over here. Glad y’all see it, cause in general, we really don’t.
I have spent almost my whole life outside the USA myself, and though I saw these things in American movies etc., I wasn’t really aware of how little Americans know about what’s going on in the world, and how tilted all the information they consume is, in school and in the general culture, until I spent some time living in the USA. You make a good point though, and I wasn’t the most perceptive.
Soo many of us are total fucking idiots. I’ve known people who were proud to have never, ever left their home county (no r, smaller than the state). Education has been extremely watered down and NEVER included anything that wasn’t in someway tied to or implied to involve the u.s. The teeeensy bit of world history is glossed over quickly with dry dates and facts to memorize until that class is finally over.
Higher education for the rich is for socializing and pretending you learned things other than that.
For a lot of the poor, higher education isn’t even possible, many of those poor folk that are rural even scoff at the idea it’s needed or think it’s the devil’s knowledge or some shit. A local, near my current area, said “I don’t believe in science”. …Like, at all??? I was part of a group that split off right then, wasn’t able to question about it. …But, like at all gravity, chemical reactions… nothing?
People are both proud of being and, think you called them something else, now hella angry, ignorant.
Now, they are more worried about being in good christian, republican (white) private schools than funding public education (California, by law, will not allow any textbook that Texas approves for their schools, in use for their public schools. That’s how useless the bible belt education has become). I have now met more than a few children who don’t “see the point in learning to read”. Various ages. And I dont have kids or close young family around. It fucking kills me to hear that shit.
Movies, tv, YouTube, anything mindless is way more approved for discussion in mixed random social gatherings than anything historical, higher arts related, scientific, god forbid global not involving the u.s.! Instantly labeled libruhl, demoncrat, fanatical left… ugh.
Anyway, yeah, it’s hard to get a world/outside view for so many over here, to the point that I think most have nooo idea a view other than a us-ian one even exists. I wish exchange programs were more of a thing and more available to ‘lower class’ folks. Just getting out of the fucking bubble of constant, subconscious propaganda, from everything one encounters, might really help a number of folk.
Sorry, I love learning, reading, cultures, etc., it has hurt my soul all my life to feel this country smothering learning and curiosity! Even seeking it, it has been hard to come by, especially pre-internet. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
Eta: I am not sure how I came across, so I want to mention, yes! We should be smart enough to see a lot of this shit, but not only are we too dumb, we are proud of being dumb for some fucking reason. I hope I didn’t seem argumentative, I’ve got a love of learning and it’s irritating to have been raised and educated over here. Glad y’all see it, cause in general, we really don’t.