Americans are not Stupid

[ladislav]

People from other countries sometimes say that Americans are "stupid." But what they really mean is that Americans often don't know much about the world outside the United States. This includes things like geography, history, or how other people live. So, when foreigners talk to Americans, they sometimes hear things that sound very ignorant. This can make them feel shocked or frustrated.

Here are some examples:

A Russian person once spoke with an American teacher. The teacher said, “I don’t know much about Russia because we don’t learn Oriental history in the U.S.”

A person from Venezuela was very upset because an American teacher thought people in Venezuela speak Portuguese. (In fact, they speak Spanish.)

Another American thought people in Brazil speak Spanish. (Actually, they speak Portuguese.)

When Donald Trump visited Israel after touring Arab countries, he told the Israelis, “I just came back from the Middle East,” not realizing he was still in the Middle East.

A U.S. president once asked a Brazilian official, “Oh, you have Black people here too?” as if that was surprising.

These moments may sound ridiculous — even embarrassing. It’s easy to laugh or get annoyed. But there’s an important reason behind this kind of mistake.

In the U.S., education is often focused on things that are practical and useful for making a living. American schools usually do not spend much time on world history or geography. People are taught to become experts in specific jobs or skills. That way, they can work, earn money, and help the economy.

Americans are usually very good at what they do. They work hard, solve problems, and are organized and efficient. Their intelligence often shows in practical thinking, not in memorizing facts about faraway countries.

So yes, an American may not know the capital of Burkina Faso. But ask them to run a business, build a system, or fix a problem — and they’ll impress you.

I’ve taken part in many online and real-life conversations in different languages like Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. Based on my experience, I still find that Americans are among the smartest and most logical people I’ve met.

The truth is, this so-called “stupidity” only shows up when someone from another country asks an American about their homeland — and the American doesn’t know much about it. But this is not just an American problem. Try asking a Brazilian about Nepal or a Russian about Nigeria, and you might hear something equally clueless.

The big difference is that many more people meet Americans than, say, Brazilians or Indonesians. So, when Americans don’t know something, the whole world notices. But when someone from another country is ignorant, fewer people see it — and it gets ignored.

In the end, it's not about stupidity. It's about different cultures, different priorities, and different kinds of knowledge.

[kangarunner]

Americans and immigrants who become "Americanized" are some of the worst people I've ever met. Most people living in America hate each other. There is no solidarity or unity or social cohesion in America. It's a battlefield. Americans are selfish, greedy, conniving and their way of thinking is distorted after years and years of living in a system that forces you to think and behave like a greedy rat looking to survive.

Even middle class and upper middle class people are cold and ruthless and merciless.

Look at Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. They could become legendary national heroes overnight if they would give something back for the good of the people. Maybe one of them could fix the expensive healthcare system in America.

The truth about Americans is that they don't care about anyone except themselves and will laugh at someone's downfall and misery to make themselves feel better.

I hate America and I hate what it is now. Hordes of immigrants. It's no longer recognizable.

Thailand and Vietnam are places where you can at least breathe again and feel alive and human and like your life matters.

[yick]

Americans and immigrants who become "Americanized" are some of the worst people I've ever met. Most people living in America hate each other. There is no solidarity or unity or social cohesion in America. It's a battlefield. Americans are selfish, greedy, conniving and their way of thinking is distorted after years and years of living in a system that forces you to think and behave like a greedy rat looking to survive.

Even middle class and upper middle class people are cold and ruthless and merciless.

Look at Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. They could become legendary national heroes overnight if they would give something back for the good of the people. Maybe one of them could fix the expensive healthcare system in America.

The truth about Americans is that they don't care about anyone except themselves and will laugh at someone's downfall and misery to make themselves feel better.

I hate America and I hate what it is now. Hordes of immigrants. It's no longer recognizable.

Thailand and Vietnam are places where you can at least breathe again and feel alive and human and like your life matters.

Yeah, but you're an illegal immigrant in Vietnam you flout their law with their 90 day visas and 'hordes of immigrants' in the US didn't bomb you and yours with napalm. If I was Vietnamese and your yank arse was bounding around flouting the grey areas of legality after what your forefathers did to my country, I would hate your guts and want you deported.

You can't even be arsed to become properly legal in Vietnam but hate illegals in a country you don't live in any more, you're a f***ing hypocrite.