Survey Says- 'Those stupid Brits'

****More than two-thirds -- 67 percent -- did not know the year World War II
ended. Another 64 percent did not know which country the French Alps were
located in.

jay
Sun, Jan 4, 2004





The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com
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Brits can't find Chicago, Dallas in geography test
By Jennifer Harper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published January 4, 2004
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****Oh, those "stupid Yanks," those "stupid Americans."
****We've taken a drubbing for a while now in press reports that paint
Americans as dim bulbs with big mouths, big cars and lousy foreign policy.
**** The threads of this ongoing America-bashing include differences over the
war on terrorism and resentment of American culture in general and President
Bush in particular.
****Anti-American sentiment grew so piquant in Britain that Lord Carey of
Clifton -- the former Archbishop of Canterbury -- called for an end to it
while praising the "wonderful innocence and independence" of Americans, the
London Times reported Nov. 24.
****But a new survey reveals that the duh factor is not confined to these
shores, Jessica Simpson notwithstanding. The British are not exactly the
sharpest tools in the drawer themselves.
****Sixty-five percent of Brits could not figure out which U.S. city served
as the setting for the hit musical "Chicago," according to a survey of 1,000
British adults released yesterday by the London-based broadcast network
Channel 4.
****Such geographical shortcomings are not limited to musicals.
****Another 57 percent could not quite figure out which city was the setting
for the famous American TV series "Dallas," while 66 percent could not
identify the setting for "Streets of London," a tune by balladeer Roger
Whittaker.
****Things also were a little hazy for the British on the European continent.
The survey found that 70 percent could not identify the host city for the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
****More than two-thirds -- 67 percent -- did not know the year World War II
ended. Another 64 percent did not know which country the French Alps were
located in.
****The complete survey will be featured in tomorrow's broadcast of "Beat the
Nation," a daily British quiz show that claims to be Britain's "fairest" by
pretesting all questions on 1,000 persons, then ranking them for difficulty.
The survey was conducted by YouGov, a London-based market research group.
****To be fair, the British are not the only folks who are geographically
challenged.
****In its own survey of 300 persons between ages 18 and 24 released in
November 2002, America's own National Geographic Society found that 87
percent could not point out Iraq on a world map. Three out of 10 could not
find the Pacific Ocean.
****The young Americans ranked second to last in the poll, able to identify
only seven of 16 countries in a map quiz. Swedes ranked first, identifying 13
of 16, with Germans and Italians next, at a dozen each.
****"Someone once said that war is God's way of teaching geography.
Apparently, war or even the threat of war cannot adequately teach it,"
National Geographic President John Fahey said at the time.
****"More American young people can tell you where an island on the
'Survivor' television series is than can identify Afghanistan or Iraq," he
added.
****That poll has been quoted repeatedly by a gleeful global press since its
release.
****At least one British official agrees that his countrymen, well, can use
some smarts.
****Former Chief Inspector of Schools Chris Woodhead told the BBC on Friday
that "most Brits are not bright enough for university."
****The British government would like at least half of those between 18 and
30 to get a degree -- up from the 2 percent who went to college in the years
following World War II.
****"I don't think that 50 percent of people are actually able to study an
academically demanding degree," Mr. Woodhead said.
****
Copyright © 2004 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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--

Legend insists that as he finished his abject...
Galileo muttered under his breath: "Nevertheless, it does move."

Following up to Go Fig

****More than two-thirds -- 67 percent -- did not know the year World War II
ended. Another 64 percent did not know which country the French Alps were
located in.

so now you know how much notice to take of cheap surveys!
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale picture gallery
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/waspics.htm"
(see website for email)

On 13/01/04 10:03, in article ,
"Reid" wrote:

Following up to Go Fig

****More than two-thirds -- 67 percent -- did not know the year World War II
ended. Another 64 percent did not know which country the French Alps were
located in.

so now you know how much notice to take of cheap surveys!


Does Go Fig know who is buried in Grant`s Tomb?

Which reminds me, does anyone know why Napoleon's Tomb is not interesting??

Ans. Because only the Boneyparts are buried there.


yuk yuk :-) (smirk)

Earl



PS, although I thought I thought up this pun myself, I read somewhere
later it was in an 1880 Baedeker guide of Paris. it is true that
great minds think in the same direction, punwise, however. Stay
tuned for other puns, however, I am not finished.