Podcast geography and education

[ShamanSam]

I listened to the recent podcast 37 or 38 The media.
Laura was explaining the U.S. comprehension of geography.
I've heard of this, but I never realized, there is such a, serious defect in the education system.
This video I think really puts it into perspective.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/december2005/071205perspective.htm

[Justin]

Wow.  That was funny in a way but also very disturbing.

[Rhys]

That has really opened my eyes - I had no idea that France and North Korea were so close!

[ShamanSam]

I listened to the recent podcast 37 or 38 The media.
Laura was explaining the U.S. comprehension of geography.
I've heard of this, but I never realized, there is such a, serious defect in the education system.
This video I think really puts it into perspective.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/december2005/071205perspective.htm

Maybe US citizens, should watch more videos like this
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/37181/yakkos_world/

[Guest]

When I lived in the US the phenomenon of geographic illiteracy made an impression on me (as it does for most Europeans). I asked a lot of people about this and the prevalent response was: "Who cares where anyone else lives? We're the superpower here. THEY should all know where WE live, THEY should all speak our languague and take up our culture. WE rule and the rest of the world should consider themselves lucky that there even IS an America".

Basically, at the heart of this is an attitude that the world revolves around the US, and what America is and what America does is important. Of course, this doesn't explain why many Americans don't know the Capitals of all 50 States, but it's an excuse I heard over and over...

[Justin]

Basically, at the heart of this is an attitude that the world revolves around the US, and what America is and what America does is important. Of course, this doesn't explain why many Americans don't know the Capitals of all 50 States, but it's an excuse I heard over and over...

Indeed, this ignorance of geography seems to be endemic in the US.  What is most disturbing is than many Americans don't know the geography of the US very well and don't seem interested in learning about it...or at least they are unashamed of their ignorance.

[Cricket]

Perhaps some of you are still under this notion, that America is a country.
It is a continent. It goes from Alaska to Argentina.
As part of the geography and education issue, it has been elaborated the notion of "the Americas" as to refer to "the rest" of the american continent. The elaboration of this idea, "the Americas", has been to defend the nomenclature of the USA being "America" and the pride it is supposed to go on being "American" (USA citizen).
I have exposed this idea with many people, Europeans as well as AMERICANS (inhabitants of the American continent) and with "americans" (USA citizens) too: Why, only the last get surprised, even offended!
Same goes for "North America", which includes Canada and México.
On information coming from the USA, México is positioned as part of South America or even Central America, drawing a rather clear Geo-economic line about the which, pathocracy here in México are quite happy with, orchestrating the plan "Puebla-Panamá" which is an attempt to "begin" Central America economy in Puebla and from this point to begin "American territory".