Among some groups, Europeans are light years ahead of us uncouth Americans on virtually every issue.
Death Penalty - Europeans oppose it. American support it. Perhaps we could refine what is worthy of capital punishment, but imposing the ultimate sanction is not un-Christian nor is it inhumane. What is barbaric is allowing someone who has stabbed another human being over 200 times to remain alive at any cost for any period of time. What is inhumane is allowing the murderer of two little girls to remain alive in prison to live out his natural life while the two girls spend eternity in a coffin six feet under ground. What is irrational is allowing a man a sentence of around ten years for his role in the murder of nearly 3000 people on September 11, 2001. 10 years divide by 3000 = the value of each human life.
Europeans are so aware and in tune with international events - I have had an opportunity to speak to a cross-section of people from Britain - university bound students, parents, shop keepers, students enrolled in university, mechanics, and the university educated. I asked them simple questions about locating countries in the Americas. They overall did very poorly. Most couldn't find any countries I asked about. I further inquired about Asian countries, and while the number of countries correctly identified increased, the number of individuals able to locate the countries decreased. I asked about a few countries in Africa - same results.
I turned to events in the world - the crisis in Thailand - I asked if any of the individuals was aware of what was happening in Thailand. Nearly unanimous - paedophilia. Wrong. I next asked about events in Nepal and whether any of the individuals was aware that the Prime Minister quit, then asked what party the Prime Minister is/was from / his beliefs. No one got that one correct. I turned to simpler questions - the name of the Prime Minister of Australia. Most had no guess, one person guessed John Howard, and one person correctly guessed Kevin Rudd. I then asked about the Prime Minister of Canada. One person correctly named Stephen Harper. The rest either didn't bother or were incorrect. I turned to one question everyone should be able to guess - the leader of Cuba. This one did much better. 70% got it correct ... well, sort of, if I had asked the question several years ago ... the leader is not Fidel Castro, rather his brother Raul took over when Fidel's health declined. So no one got it correct. I thought the next question would be equally easy - the leader of Venezuela and what his most recent actions were in Venezuela. Two people got it correct - Chavez. As for what he was doing most recently - I gave either: nationalizing remaining oil companies or state control over remaining media as correct. Two people were correct in their guess. Another easy question - the airline involved in the crash of the plane off the coast of Brazil. Four people got it correct - 60% - Air France.
Ok, so perhaps some of these questions are out of their league - I asked them to name one major political party in Switzerland. No one got it correct. I can only name one (Democratic Union of the Centre). I asked a more general question - approximately what percent did the anti-immigrant/anti-union political parties receive in the most recent elections across Europe. Most guessed 5-10%. They were close - 17-20% is more accurate.
The point is not that Americans could answer the questions, rather, any set of questions can be developed to show the respondents as ignorant and moronic. They are not and neither are Americans.
Recognizing the fact they are all as bright as the brightest of their lot, one has to wonder why they never developed the use of screens for their windows. They leave their windows open and have no screens, and surprise -in come the flys and occasionally the bees. I cannot explain well enough how difficult it is to sleep / eat when you hear a fly or bee somewhere. I won't even attempt to explain the strategy of leaving the table and protecting your plate while you go to the bathroom or kitchen.
Cheers - everything is bloody cheers. You say cheers as thank you - you receive your bill - you say cheers. You get the drink you ordered - cheers. Cheers, cheers, cheers. Most important word to learn - cheers.
I was flat out asked by someone not very old, whether women in America (another issue I will address in a moment) are all fat. They are told ad nausea that everyone in America is fat so naturally all the women are overweight as well. In my perusal of women in England and Ireland, I find many are big boned, not overweight - just larger than the average.
America - As in 'Are all women in America fat'. America is a continent, not a country. America is Canada, the US, and everyone south of the US border. That is 'The Americas' while Canada and the US are in North America. It does get frustrating having all these very bright types getting it wrong nearly every time. I can't handle such bright people - holding a mirror up and all that jazz.
I come here often enough, I must appreciate it despite the lack of screens and their inability to find Canada or the US on a map - people and places are not judged on how well they replicate where you come from, for if that was the desired goal, why not stay home. Rather, to experience something you do not get at home.
England
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