The US citizens can not be seen as inherently dumber or smarter than their neighbours. However they are more isolated in terms of understanding the rest of the world. Where I am we get very little news from overseas unless we watch CNN or PBS. There is almost naught in the local papers. I can go for weeks and hear nothing of Australia, Europe or other places. The only places we hear about are the ones that are in argument with the USA, Korea, Iran etc. There is a difference between dumb and ignorant. I can be intelligent but ignorant.
The US has always had a philosophy of entitlement - how else do you explain the movement westward and the displacement of just about everybody or everything in their path. The analogy would have been if England had conquered Europe from 1768 to 1934( when they got Hawaii). They are a people with fire in their belly to fix the world in their image. The rest of the world learnt accommodation a long time ago, it will take a few more Iraqis to convince the US of the need to accept their limitations. I fear with the growth of China and India as economic powerhouses, (5% of the world's population can not out perform the majority in the long run - Clyde ship building industries shows this point well) the US will be displaced and the norms of the 16th century will return. Of course it would help if Europe could sort out its political status and stop trying to be 30 nations. Either you are one or you are not. Regional differences are great but they do not stop the growth of one national government. If China went to war with Europe the divides would come down quickly and efficiently. It is intellectual ignorance that keeps the US in customary units, it is intellectual ignorance that has meant that the dollar has halved in value in the last three years. Ignorance always comes home to roost. They will learn one day, in the mean time they can be left to their ignorance as it only costs them money. My political statement for this decade, from deepest darkest Texas. John M. Nichols Assistant Professor Room A414 Langford AC MS 3137 Department of Construction Science College of Architecture Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-3137 Phone: (979) 845 6541 Fax: (979) 862 1572 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, 18 September 2005 5:37 PM To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:34541] Re:: spelling Ezra wrote: >> Example: should we also spell "saw" differently for the tall tale vs. >> the tool? >> > Benjamin Franklin thought so ... I don't believe this is correct, Ezra. Franklin was very interested in spelling reform (i.e., where words are really spelled as they sound), even proposing some new letters for our alphabet. However, I don't believe he addressed the issue of words having multiple, distinct meanings. I suspect he was far too knowledgable of the language not to realize the incredible size of such a task (think OED). >> My point was simply that Americans are NOT stupid, as Daniel wants >> everyone to believe. They are, on average, of the exact same >> intelligence as the English, the French, the Germans and every other >> people of every other country on earth. >> >> Do you disagree with that, Ezra? You didn't answer this question, but since you posted the Gibbons quote, I would like to know: do you believe Americans are innately smarter or dumber than people of other countries, or (as I do) that there are no innate differences? Jim Elwell
