What is Digg?149 Comments
- Drahknon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Yeah, "Americans."
Additionally, all Americans, according to world stereotypes:
-have (a) southern or (b) New York accents,
-live in either (a) a ranch or (b) a skyscraper,
-played high school football,
-know only one language,
-never travel beyond Mexico or Canada,
-eat nothing but Big Macs,
-are white,
-despise high culture, like opera and ballet,
-and are either (a) fabulously wealthy or (b) hideously poor.
Oh yes, and one more thing: we never, ever read the world press:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4317528.stm - blast_flame, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Being australian I find this highly disturbing...
- washyomama, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I find the misdirection and intellectual dishonesty of the interviewer to be shocking. His little ploy to disguise the country of Australia as other countries of dubious reputation is deflecting our attention from the true problem. We must in fact invade and conquer Australia if freedom and peace is to prevail across the planet. Australia's people and leadership are the secret true masterminds behind all things evil in our world. This clip only serves to mask Australia's true role and intentions.
- mpdman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Most Americans are nice people.
That said America is very isolationist. They tend not to educate their people about the rest of the world. (like when an adult citizen argues with me when I tell them Canada burnt down the whitehouse in 1812)"
It wasn't exactly the whole whitehouse. I've seen some models of what it looked like before the fire. It was actually a bit better looking then now. Today it's wide but back then it had a bit more sort of w/ class.
Dolly Madison tried to take most of the paintings out of the building..most I think made it.
The real reason why most americans don't know about locations of other countries and names is frankly if doesn't effect them on the job or where they live they won't bother with it.
It's like when people say that only like what 5-10% of the the usa's population has a passport...well given it's one of the largest countries in the world and a drivers license is valid in canada (although these days I'd go with my passport anywhere outside the country) that's quite a bit of driving and walking without the need for one.
An American views themselves as an american. In the EU I don't know any that view themselves as european...it's french, spanish, german etc. They don't have one common lanaguage but several major ones: english, spanish, french and to a point german. - Canned_Heat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3
I guess I don't get it. I just discovered digg.com.
On the digg main page it states "Digg is a technology news website..."
What the hell does this story have to do with "technology news?" - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"If I told you that the first declaration of the rights of man (freedom, liberty, property, fraternity, citizenship, the right to vote) and the philosophy of democratic rule came from France, would it surprise you?"
Yes, actually, that would suprise me. I think you're confusing the motto of the French revolution (Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité) with Declaration of the Rights of Man. The natural rights outlined there are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
The philosophy of democratic rule doesn't come from France, that would be Greece, circa 5th century B.C.
"Demokratia" - literally "rule by the people."
What the French really contributed was a large number of great thinkers of the Enlightenment, which so influenced our own revolution and constitution in the American colonies. They had a pretty damn good revolution themselves, but couldn't help backsliding every few years or so, with home-grown tyrants, expansionist agression, antisemitism, and the artificial inflation of Jerry Lewis' popularity. - Acill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2No digg, this was lame. Yes I am from the states but any place in the world had people that would do the same thing. I am sick of people bashing the US. The first time your in need you come to us and ask for help and we give it every time.
- ciphex, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I saw this a few days ago.. emailed to me by a friend from the UK... i laughed my ass off. That fat couple trying to figure out which angle would be best to attck from was just funny.
And the North/South Korea thing too.
Its funny but certainly not indicative of the knowledge of the Average American. Who can pick out the hobo?
And how the ***** would someone "make a big GLASS crater out of the middle east"
Morons yes... typical Americans... no. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'm an Australian and what I find disturbing is that some people actually don't know where other notable major countries are in the world outside their own. I remember learning most of the world and geography stuff in 5th grade at school from opening an Atlas, maybe the people who got it wrong in this clip should actually try it sometime. General knowledge sometimes comes in handy.
- Grassmunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think the scariest part is the one dude who was like 'turn it all to glass'. My god, those are people over there, most of them innocent bystanders.
- mpdman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Look at Katrina, look at the Tidal Wave in Indonesia, look at the various ignored Massacres have occured. Insurgencies in Argentina and 'Nukular' theats North Korea and Taiwan. Heck, even World War 2 was heavily delayed. Every time a mobilisation is required, the USA instigates massive delays, until circumstances have forced, or will force a response."
It depends. You have to understand that unless something happens or it's obvious. For example with WW 2 we already gave lend lease to the USSR and the UK years beforehand.Food, arms, clothing etc. Also is that after the battle of britian is was obvious that germany couldn't invade north america, they simply didn't have the navy let alone the airforce to cross the uk.
"Instead, you fight in Iraq, Vietnam and Afghanistan, killing innocent people in senseless violence to fuel your own political self esteem. You seclude yourself in a little bubble from the rest of the world, creating sarcastic and negative (sometimes downright malicious) stereotypes to justify yourselves. Ignorant, while we wait. 5.7 Billion people are 'out there', and you know nothing about them."
We learned this from europe. Where was europe when one millon were killed in rwanda, where was europe when one million were killed in cambodia, where was europe when there was srebranica! The yugoslav wars had a meeting in france but the treaty is of dayton ohio. There was also the treaty of the russian-japan war of portsmith nh.
Every country in the world is in it for themselves. Russia is giving nuclear technology to iran...who might actually be sponsoring chechen rebels that attack russia... Most of the world in the 80's supported either iran or iraq (or both!) in the war in the 80's.
Some arguments sound odd at first but few notice. Like the nuclear plants of north korea were made by the west.North korea cannot test a nuclear weapon because that might be all they have. If they nuke anything it ends all trade from china to the usa and since the usa accounts for 40% of chinese exports they don't want to risk it.China replaced boarder guards with actual army troops on the boarder with nk. - modpancake, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1How many people did they have to ask before they found someone who didn't point out that the map was mislabeled?
You've got a camera and mic in your face and someone is asking you questions rapidly... you're probably not the most at ease you'd ever be. - Carbito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You can find more CNNNN clips at: http://abc.net.au/cnnnn/
CNNNN discovers Americans support war on Kyrgyzstan, 'wherever it may be' : http://www.abc.net.au/cnnnn/video/s02ep10/story16.ram - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Woooooow.
Effing hilarious video. I love how some people on here got VERY defensive right away. "Oooh Oooh, I love America! Don't make fun of stupid people! No fair! No fair!"
I think this one belongs next to the thread about fat people and their iPod nanos. It seems the moment someone has a bit of fun with an American stereotype (in a comedy bit, c'mon), everyone gets SO upset.
a) It's a comedy show.
b) Most Americans really are pretty damn stupid.
c) A lot of 'em are fat too (oops, wrong thread)
d) It's a comedy show.
There's nothing wrong with making fun of stupid people. If anything, they deserve it more than anyone else. I say humiliate them, laugh at them, point, throw rocks, drop rubber chickens on their heads, whatever it takes to shame them into learning a damn thing or two. - st0ney, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm an American, I know the difference, still funny. Esp, the end where the guy realizes that N. Korea is much bigger than S. Korea. LOL
- Apple_fanboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Oh and also i can tell half tourists from the usathat i tackle and subdue crocodiles and they belive me :O
Its like when everyone cracks up over here when someone says "Lets put a shrimp on the barbie"
LMFAO - Lynn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Walk the streets of any city in the world and you will find the same percentage of idiots. These people are not exclusive to the U.S.
- Drahknon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"There's nothing wrong with making fun of stupid people. If anything, they deserve it more than anyone else. I say humiliate them..."
Well, first off, that's not really the issue here, is it? The reason people are angry isn't because of what's in the clip, but rather the inference people in the thread seem to have drawn from the clip: that all or even most Americans are stupid. That's fallacious reasoning, but it feeds into existing stereotypes so it gets believed. Therefore, while it is certainly true that there are ignorant people out there, the inferential leap some make here is not justified.
That said, for me, "humiliating" "stupid" people is not ethical sport. In fact, I would draw a bright line between "stupidity" and "ignorance." Some people simply have not received a quality education. For them, I do not think it proper to ridicule them, as (1) it is not necessarily their fault and (2) just because one can't find Korea on a map doesn't mean they are stupid. People have different sorts of expertise, and an utter lack in one area does not nullify the rest.
Doesn't it bother anyone to generalize in such a way? Some of you from other countries have friends, good friends, who are Americans. Do you care at all that you might be engaging in such bigotry? Do you care about how your friends feel about that? And how would you feel if they did it to you?
Bigotry really is an amazing thing. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The guy doing the "Charles Firth" character on one of those other clips sounds exactly like one of Chris Morris's characters. I wonder if they're ripping off Brass Eye, or if that's a common voice on British and/or Australian news.
Anyway, if those guys came up to me asking stupid questions, I would give them stupid answers. I don't think half the people in those "man on the street" segments are as dumb as they look. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Oh my god. I just read the complete set of posts that I was answering to before. I'm sorry, theone3, I was picking on some little issue like whether the French Declaration of Rights included the right to possessions or the right to vote, and here it had started with this quote:
"(like when an adult citizen argues with me when I tell them Canada burnt down the whitehouse in 1812)"
SERIOUSLY? You ARGUE this with people? Does anyone ever point out to you WHAT COUNTRY we were fighting in the War of 1812?
Dude. Here's a hint: the British call that war the "British/American War" in their history books.
The White House was burned down in 1814, by the British.
No wonder these "adult citizens" are arguing with you. - maskd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Security should not be paid for with freedom. One thing I've wondered is if American's know the difference between a privledge and a right.
- glasgowrossco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1SOOOooo.... these are the people who voted Bush?
- Lynn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1canned heat, report the story using the problem dropdown box. If enough people do this Digg can get back to bashing MS.
- singa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1what really disturbed me was how easy the thought of going to war came to those people. that's the type of mentality that got Americans into the trouble their in today (no foreseeable exit from Iraq).
- lollerskates, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0steve693: Get Media Player Classic and RealAlternative codecs.
- mkjones, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Cool video :-)
The BBC did a similar thing a while ago but with a map of Europe. Most Americans asked didn't know the difference between Spain and the UK.
Now I am not saying that ALL Americans are idiots. Bill Gates for example has some good ideas :-)
In fact this thread has simply proved one thing, that Americans are VERY uptight! Loosen up! - SupaDawg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Most Americans are nice people.
That said America is very isolationist. They tend not to educate their people about the rest of the world. (like when an adult citizen argues with me when I tell them Canada burnt down the whitehouse in 1812) - gconway, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Actually, I think most Diggers would be astounded by the level of stupidity of the average American. Diggers are, by self-selection, informed and news-conscious. Most Americans are, by upbringing and education, uniformed and proudly ignorant. To illustrate, it was only a few years ago that the Governor of New Mexico had trouble getting a passport renewed because the woman he spoke to at the State Department refused to believe that New Mexico wasn't part of Mexico. And then there's my friend, who tried to mail a package to Spain, and waited several minutes while the postal employee tried to locate Spain in South America. Americans cherish their stupidity; we are, indeed, the Marching Morons.
- theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"like when an adult citizen argues with me when I tell them Canada burnt down the whitehouse in 1812"
Yeah, well, most people are too ignorant of history. That's why it keeps repeating itself. If I told you that the first declaration of the rights of man (freedom, liberty, property, fraternity, citizenship, the right to vote) and the philosophy of democratic rule came from France, would it surprise you? - foxhoundadmin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"Whine some more why don't you guys. I am American also, but I think this is suprisingly true of the American public - that we are ignorant."
no, it's not.
"Anyway, just because the post says, "American" doesn't mean I'm applying it to all Americans."
actually, it says "americans." so, yes you are.
you know what i find funny. people actually sit here and try to pick the biggest words to put in their posts just to sound smart. i'm willing to bet that most of these people only use these words in situations where they aim to make other people feel less important, because they're not "smart" enough to use "big" words. if they were physically speaking to real people, they wouldn't have time to flip open their thesaurus.
to be frank, i find this video amusing. these people were actually stupid (or vain) enough to point out australia as other countries on a map, such as france and iran. it's almost as amusing as the people who believe that all americans think australia is france or iran, because two or three people in a comedic sketch believe that australia is france or iran. you know what i think? i think that these people don't actually believe that all americans can't point out australia on a map. they're just trying to blow things out of proportion, just like the people in the sketch who believe we should bomb and/or invade every other country on the map. wait. did i just make a like-comparison? - mpdman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's off of ABC of Austrilia's CNNNN part...so it's probably still there.
- lollerskates, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh, and by the way, the guy who looked homeless was obviously crazy.
"CHINA, RUSSIA, CANADA, THE MIDDLE EAST YEE HAW NUKE THEM ALL" - domc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Just another reason why america will not be a super power for very long.
- KNon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"++digg! That's incredible and seriously funny. I wanna go to the US and be a heralded a genius. I could go round holding up a world map and educating people. I could probably even make money from it, as long as i go to republican states ill be fine :D
/gets passport"
Please stay away from Virginia! You don't know how easy that would be! - Bindibadgi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0++digg! That's incredible and seriously funny. I wanna go to the US and be a heralded a genius. I could go round holding up a world map and educating people. I could probably even make money from it, as long as i go to republican states ill be fine :D
/gets passport - Drahknon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Don't try to suggest that people who call Americans "stupid" are stupid themselves, that's just ridiculous. These people aren't trying to be directly offensive, they're just saying how stupid it was of them to incorrectly spot Countries like Iran or France."
Have to disagree with this bit. It is entirely evident that __some__ people in this thread, when they refer to "Americans," most certainly __do__ mean to insinuate that all or most Americans are stupid.
What would be ridiculous would be to claim that this is not so. It obviously is so. - SilverSands, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"An American views themselves as an american. In the EU I don't know any that view themselves as european...it's french, spanish, german etc."
Right. American... because it's our COUNTRY. Theirs would be FRANCE, SPAIN, and GERMANY. We don't call ourselves North Americans, now do we?
"They don't have one common lanaguage but several major ones: english, spanish, french and to a point german."
...to a point... ?? *twitch*
"This is ***** stupid. Anyone who believes that this group is representative of Americans in general is gullible and lame. Remind me to go to Europe or Australia with a mislabeled map of the US and ask people to point out New York (City or State) and put together a video of everyone who gets it wrong."
Those people were asked about countries. There's 193 of them (depending on who you ask, of course). New York, (city OR state), is not one of them. Could you point out Brisbane or Belgrade? How about Bulgaria?
"And yet, the USA fails to attack the right people, every time. It's nothing to do with
capitalism. It's to do with neo-conservatism."
It's to do with Bush. (And wouldn't it be hilarious to hear him attempt 'neo-conservatism')
"As a truly bitter citizen of the USA, I ***** love this. Now i know who voted for georgie."
Absolutely. This actually supports a theory I've had for a while now...
The terrorists dropped a stupid-bomb on us. - binarypower, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I am American but I my family is Iranian. I thought this was pretty funny. I loved the bit "I think they are going to have a revolution" as being a reason to invade. The thing is (for those Americans AND others that don't know) that the revolution is by open minded western thinking college students trying to overturn the anti-western goverment... lol... good stuff though.
- Zivko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0France?
Italy?
Pakistan?
Never mind the fact that the people don't know where these countries ARE, but invading any of those three is just retarded, I'm sorry, but some of these people seem to just have "ATTACK, INVADE, DESTROY" on the brain.
And people, CNNNN is NOT the media, they are a comedic show on Australian television basically trying to look like a real news channel (i.e. CNN)
I'm honestly not too surprised by this. The US population has been portrayed in other countries as stupid/insane/crazy/retarded for quite some time, mostly being responsible from the media. - CaptSnuffy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0As a truly bitter citizen of the USA, I ***** love this. Now i know who voted for georgie.
- MWWLSE, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Thank you drahknon, I was going to post that as well.
- markdamo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I would bet that all the people in that clip could name all the American states on a map.
- Drahknon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Americans are VERY uptight! Loosen up!"
What? Look at some of these comments directed toward Americans in general. Some of this went far beyond poking fun and was just beyond the pale. - Gneisbaard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0is this... real??
scary ***** :S - theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Evidently, You.
Actually, Bush confused Switzerland with Sweden.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/101704A.shtml - F15diablo71, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0INDIA - no
- Fatalis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Breaking news — Scientists discover uneducated morons in America.
The knee-jerk defensive comments here are amusing too. - republicoftexas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Iran is just so fricken cold!
J/K - Cameleopard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"(And wouldn't it be hilarious to hear him attempt 'neo-conservatism')"
No-convervicism, no-conservationism, conversationism, no-no-neo-conturtleprism, knee-neato-.... *****, I'm gonna drop a nucular bomb on this word. It's a terrorist plot to make me look like a dumbist when nothing could be no furtherer from the truth. Now give Georgie banana, banana, banana! - lollerskates, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0ciphex: Supposedly, silica turns to glass after it gets heated. Sand is largely silica.
It's disturbing that maybe 10% (more or less, assuming they had 100 people or so to interview during the afternoon) of Americans are not aware of the world around them. -
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