Gadling

In fairness to Kellie Pickler, I wouldn't expect everyone I know to be able to answer the question "What country is Budapest the capital of?" (which was the question by the by), and I certainly wouldn't have been able to answer that question in Grade Five. It's easy for us travel enthusiasts to forget that for most people, Hungary and Budapest are pretty obscure places.

What got Kellie into trouble, for me, was her thinking that maybe Budapest was the capital of France, and then speculating about whether Europe was a country, and then, when the answer was revealed, making it clear that she had never even heard of a country called "Hungry".

As I wrote in a blog post over at World Hum (http://www.worldhum.com/weblog/item/in_defense_americans_botching_geography_questions_on_television_20071221/) I don't think Kellie Pickler is representative of a particularly American problem - I think all of us could stand to brush up on our geography, but that a lot of foreigners use these videos as an excuse to pick on Americans. What's funny is that a lot of highly educated Americans, like Susan Jacoby, seem eager to do the same.

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To label Ms. Pickler a "non-intellectual" for having never heard of Budapest or Hungary or thinking Europe is a country is being too gentle; after all, if what Susan Jacoby argues is true--that many Americans have an aversion to being educated--then it would be a compliment. But, to respond to Eva's comment, I don't think Jacoby is picking on Americans for their lack of curiosity about the outside world. If Americans cared more about what was happening outside of its borders, then there would be a less apathetic response among Americans to the U.S. government's often over-reaching, flawed foreign policies (i.e. illegally invading countries, organizing coups, and supporting dictatators because it benefits American corporations). An educated citizenry would be better for all of us, and an embarrisingly large percentage of Americans have a sub-standard knowledge of the rest of the world. It's an embarrassment that many Americans are so comfortable with living in ignorance. Susan Jacoby is trying to address the problem. And, since that Times article ran, it seems to be getting a lot of well-deserved attention.

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Let me throw another log on the fire...It is our responsibility to eliminate the complacency, smug or otherwise. Jacoby hits it right on the head when she brings it up as an issue that WE should be embarrassed about. We've squandered enough good will offered to us in the past few years...we don't need to show our ignorance to it as well.

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Right. I completely understand what you mean. But besides believing that the problem is more widespread in the United States, I think it's also more dangerous because the U.S. government has so much more muscle (and, it seems, desire to use it) than countries like Australia or Canada.

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"An educated citizenry would be better for all of us, and an embarrisingly large percentage of Americans have a sub-standard knowledge of the rest of the world."

David, I completely agree. I just don't think it's an America-specific problem, and treating it as such seems to give the rest of us a license to sit back and gloat when we're really not much better.

Almost none of the British post-graduates I lived with in the UK had any idea that their Queen was also still the Queen of Canada, New Zealand and Australia (plus a whole whack of tiny island nations). Most Canadians I know couldn't name the ten provincial capitals. And I'd bet everything I own that a shocking number of Darfur activists couldn't find the place on a map.

It's great that Susan Jacoby is raising awareness, I just think treating it as another one of America's problems is likely to create a good deal of smug complacency in the rest of the world.

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Actually my last comments were meant in response to Eva's--not Ron's. I'm not sure how Eva's got before mine. Strange.

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Yup, #5 was in response to #2, and #4 was in response to #5. Weird.

Fair point about the muscle, and the flexing of it.

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I blame the media. You'd think everything else in the world is just great because all we hear about are celebrities and their lives and steroids in baseball instead of world affairs. If they cut out all the trash and went for news, you'd have people learning about affairs of the world.

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Sherry--no, I think she's pretty much just a dumb blond, actually.

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Has anyone ever heard of publicity? I bet fifth grader has. Don't underestimate Kellie. She isn't just a dumb blonde.

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