The Stupidity of Americans

[sanjuro]

But in a poll commissioned by Washington College for President's Day, Americans rated Abraham Lincoln as the greatest president. A CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll put Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) on top.

Many young adults have only sketchy information about Washington, according to the college's poll.

Asked who was the greatest president, 20 percent of those polled chose Lincoln. Reagan was picked by 15 percent, Franklin D. Roosevelt by 12 percent, John F. Kennedy by 11 percent, Bill Clinton (news - web sites) by 10 percent and George W. Bush by 8 percent. Washington was picked by 6 percent.

I like how Dubya is a top 5 president. Hell, even Clinton, which was rated by historians as the 2nd worse president for ethics, as No. 4.

Some of the geniuses in this poll did not even know Washington's wife's name.

[Toshi]

i didn't know washington's wife's name until just now. i agree that the poll results are startling and reflect americans' general disregard for history.

[Damn True]

Much of the problem is the fact that it isn't taught with any degree of accuracy.

[ohio]

Much of the problem is the fact that it isn't taught with any degree of accuracy.

Much of the problem with that statement is the two of us wouldn't agree on what is accurate.

Unfortunately, our knowledge of history has holes in it. It's easy to know things like the name of Martha Washington. It's much harder to know AS FACT the more controversial aspects of our nations history. If history teachers would just admit that and use it as an opportunity to argue and debate history in the classroom, I think we would have a lot more students interested in it, as well as a much better working knowledge of the few facts we do know.

[TheInedibleHulk]

The first thing my high school AP US history teacher told us is that history is about interpretation, not fact. You can be completely accurate and still slant the way in which history is viewed by favoring a particular pov. That said, anyone who thinks that Clinton or Bush are our greatest president is just an idiot.

I would probably have to go with Lincoln as well, although Teddy Roosevelt wins the biggest pimp award and Grover Clevand gets an honorable mention for being so fat that he had to have an oversized bathtub installed in the white house.

[JRogers]

The first thing my high school AP US history teacher told us is that history is about interpretation, not fact. You can be completely accurate and still slant the way in which history is viewed by favoring a particular pov. That said, anyone who thinks that Clinton or Bush are our greatest president is just an idiot.

I would probably have to go with Lincoln as well, although Teddy Roosevelt wins the biggest pimp award and Grover Clevand gets an honorable mention for being so fat that he had to have an oversized bathtub installed in the white house.

I believe that it was Taft who had the tub put in. He was the portliest president ever. Cleveland was no slouch himself in that department, but I think Taft had him beat by a few twinkies.

Putting Dubya in the top 5 is simply ridiculous. And, even though I have a certain like for the man, Clinton shouldn't be there either. Lincoln and Washington go 1, 2, after that, I'm unsure.

[-dustin]

ah history. one of the classes i never cared to take 'cause i always figured i was been force-fed a bunch of BS editted to make _____ sound good.

[kinghami3]

ah history. one of the classes i never cared to take 'cause i always figured i was been force-fed a bunch of BS edited to make _____ sound good. Yeah, I believed that until I got into college. Too bad it turned out to be relevant....:rolleyes:

As for Washington's wife's name, I even forgot Hillary Clinton's name this morning. Let's face it, my memory sucks.

[TheInedibleHulk]

I believe that it was Taft who had the tub put in. He was the portliest president ever. Cleveland was no slouch himself in that department, but I think Taft had him beat by a few twinkies.

Putting Dubya in the top 5 is simply ridiculous. And, even though I have a certain like for the man, Clinton shouldn't be there either. Lincoln and Washington go 1, 2, after that, I'm unsure.

You're right, I stand corrected.

[blue]

1-Washington
2-Lincoln
3-FDR
4-Kennedy
5-Jefferson

[MMike]

I knew Washington's wife's name...

[fluff]

I knew Washington's wife's name...
Mrs Washington.

Easy.

[splat]

Much of the problem with that statement is the two of us wouldn't agree on what is accurate.


I am a History Minor , and the first thing you must know about ALL History . History is written by the Victors and they try to tell you only what they want you to hear. Ask most Americans what the American Civil war was about , and % 99 will say Slavery, when it was not.

and And by the way Clevland , did have the Over size Bathtub installed in the White House , it was Taft who got stuck in it.

[mack]

it was Taft who got stuck in it.


Thats worse than choking on a pretzel or puking on an asian guy :blah:

[fluff]

Thats worse than choking on a pretzel or puking on an asian guy :blah:

Which is not as bad as puking on a pretzel or choking on an asian guy...

[valve bouncer]

Mrs Washington.

Easy.
Idiot, that's his mum's name.

[ummbikes]

Which is not as bad as puking on a pretzel or choking on an asian guy...


This is true!

I was a political science guy, we politicos write the history, not the historians.

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>Ask most Americans what the American Civil war was about , and % 99 will say Slavery, when it was not.
Now careful, there, Slick. You're treading on a favorite misconception there........... :nono: :p

-S.S.-

[Toshi]

what do you all of you the-civil-war-was-only-about-states'-rights-not-slavery people have to say about the reasons for going to war in iraq?

[ummbikes]

what do you all of you the-civil-war-was-only-about-states'-rights-not-slavery people have to say about the reasons for going to war in iraq?


Well duh.

It was to libertate the fine people of Iraq from their oppressive leader.

And to get their oil...

[kinghami3]

EDIT: Sorry, this dwindles into my liberal anti-war rambling...

Nothing because the Iraqi Citizens weren't slaves; they weren't really that oppressed in most cases. In fact, none of Bush's reasoning involved the people until all his other arguments fell apart. As you recall, we (preemptively) went into Iraq because of Weapons of Mass Destruction, all fueled by a talk given by Colin Powell. Considering that we still haven't found any besides remnants left over from Desert Storm, Bush's Administration A.) Didn't know what they were talking about/ dealing with or B.) Were lying to a bunch of kids willing to give the greatest sacrifice they could, to die for a cause that they believed in. I am assuming that it is A because I do not think the Bush Administration is an evil corrupted power. I agree that Saddam needed to be taken out, but we did not go in because of slavery. The Civil war was about slavery, although the concept is quite confusing because slaves fought on both sides of the war. I'm not even sure most people knew what they were fighting about besides defending their rights and their half of the country.