24 replies to this topic

[Steel Samurai]

I don't know what it is with this country, but everywhere I go there are just stupid. fucking. people. What causes this?

Discuss.

[Nevermind]

Poor education system is one of my guesses, lumped with stereotypical ignorance after having it beaten into you that you live in the best country in the world and blind acceptance of this viewpoint, due to the aforementioned poor education - within contained areas, I mean.

Edited by Lazurukeel, 28 May 2012 - 12:16 AM.

[D~N]

i dont like to do this often, because blanketing all religions is just as ignorant as what this lady is doing, but the "short" response is:

what causes this? religions and dumb, small-minded people. The two are a potent mix destined for failure. and in cases like this one, both are equally to blame.

[Steel Samurai]

Yeah, definitely not just religion. Some of the stupidest people I've met have also been atheists, and some of the smartest (and least likely to come off sounding like that) Christians. It's actually a pretty equal spread.

[Echo]

She said yes the preacher actually said those words, but people are taking it out of context...

How the hell else is it supposed to be taken? And she is annoyed that people are focused so much on the part about the electric fence... But come on!

Its not very Christian to think like that, and feel that way towards people. Its hypocritical. And it makes them all look bad, even when they don't all feel that way...

[D~N]

the long answer is that group mentality makes things ok. It's scientific fact that if I'm part of some group, then i'm more ok with the things I do with that group. Thats why I hate religions, becuse they are professional groups. In my defense, I hate Atheists too! I hate that my beliefs put me into a group. Because then I could look to the "head-honcho-Atheist" and listen to his opinions and say "well hey, Atheist X said it, and he's the head of the group, so I'm ok with blindly following!" It's stupid but it's what happens. Just watch the video!

If you combine this phenomenom with stupid people, bad things go down. You can even take intelligent people and trap them with "group mentality." It's already been brought up in the video, but that's how the Hollocaust happened, and it's because of religious groups. And I say religious purely as the adjective (like I religiously watch tv) not in the theistic way even. I have no qualms with theism, but rather with "sheeple" that succumb to this trick.

At the heart of this issue is another; people do not meditate enough. I'm not talking about sitting cross-legged under a waterfall either; I'm talking about quietly contemplating and observing one's own beliefs, and really questioning them, and thinking about why they are what they are. People should push their beliefs to the extreme every day and test their beliefs. But no, instead, people just go with what is easy or what they know; "I grew up this way" mentality. In that regard, sometimes its not even their fault. How can you differentiate between what is right, and what you've been 'brainwashed' into thinking is right? If people could escape this daze of contentment, then we wouldn't be such a stupid country. But that's what makes us Americans, I suppose. :/

[Kisseena]

Its not very Christian to think like that, and feel that way towards people. Its hypocritical. And it makes them all look bad, even when they don't all feel that way...

EXACTLY. This woman. Her attitude was just... UGH. He was being very respectful, and she obviously had nothing to back up what she meant. What that pastor said was stupid, because gay people usually don't reproduce in the first place. Like, COME ON.
I honestly don't know what makes people this stupid. That woman made no sense with what she was saying.
And I hate it when "Christians" are SO hateful towards other people. You're not supposed to HATE. You're supposed to love everyone no matter what. Yeah, that's not an easy thing to say, but if you don't like them, don't be so hateful towards them.

I admit, I have my little spats about people, but I'm human. And this woman and a lot of others are just way out of control.

And honestly, that woman didn't look very Christian to me, with the way she acted and represented her church. She had a nasty attitude, and was obviously very hateful to gays and other people. What a hypocrite... Just like a lot of "Christians" are now anyways.

[Selena]

That was physically painful to watch.

[Game Master JRPomazon]

What is wrong with the US?

Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed.

Idiotic yet proud individuals that think that the world should be given to them on a silver platter. This however can be said about a number of modern nations the world over.

[Nevermind]

Actually, no, that didn't make sense. Forgat.

Edited by Lazurukeel, 28 May 2012 - 06:45 PM.

[arunma]

That was physically painful to watch.

Oh God, I actually watched this live, and it hurt like hell! I was pretty sure it would end up on YouTube within five minutes.

You know, this isn't even a topic related to religion. It's a case of someone holding to some belief and being unable to articulately defend it. I've seen intelligent defenses of anti-homosexual beliefs (mind you I don't agree with them, but they are intelligently posed). If I were in this chick's position I might have pointed out that the pastor in question was likely speaking in hyperbole. I might have pointed out that he later clarified his position upon becoming aware that his sermon had gone viral. Instead we just got a moron saying a whole lot of nothing. I don't think I'm too unreasonable in saying that if a person is going to hold to a belief (or specifically reject a belief), they ought to think about their position. It's pretty scary that we have so many stupid people running around.

[Reflectionist]

I'm American (and by extension, a 'fucking dumbass'), so I must agree with whatever bullshit is going on in the video.

Nice.

[Steel Samurai]

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.

[vodkamaru]

In this thread, Steel Samurai takes the inarticulate ramblings of one narrow-minded woman and applies them to all Americans.

Edited by vodkamaru, 29 May 2012 - 02:32 PM.

[Steel Samurai]

Stats to prove it.

[ninja kitten]

Stats never accurately reflect what they are measuring. It doesn't take into consideration location, school funding, upbringing, etc. I was always encouraged to read as a child, but I know several people who were not. As such they didn't practice reading as much as I did. Oh, and standard testing never accurately measures a child's knowledge. That's why I always hated state exams/ISATS.

[Selena]

For srs, you guys are making too much of the topic title. Americans say worse things about the majority of Americans all the time, and nobody cares. One has to wonder if it's a legitimate offense, or if it's only offensive because Steel is technically from another country, thus it's an "outsider" making fun of us. Nowhere did he say 100% of the population lacked intelligence. He did not have to, given the tone. Take jokes, lighten up, stop being dramatic. I feel the strong urge to facepalm.



In any case, it's not that Americans are legit stupid, it's that we promote a culture of stupid that hinders most people from ever utilizing their maximum intelligence. This is especially true of the right wing. Intellectual businessmen used to have a much stronger voice in the republican party, but they have since been drowned out by the likes of Rush, nationalist zealots, and the crazy side of religion. It's now at the point where higher education and intellectual pursuits are detrimental when choosing leaders (see: Obama the "elitist") or dealing with policies. The left wing fares better at the whole book smarts thing, but they also like to play more to heartstring emotion than to raw facts. Throw in a dash of political polarization, a media circus that highlights the worst of the worst, and seeing the opposition as some enemy horde to be defeated, and you end up with crazy all over the place.

Other countries aren't automatically better, but that doesn't mean we aren't surrounded by dumb people.

[Reflectionist]

I wouldn't really give a shit, but it seems to be the second "America Sucks" topic made by a guy that moved here to get away from another country......

[Chief Fire Storm]

Maybe the only American's he knew before moving where the members of these boards. He alsways knew from us that people like that woman existed, but now it's in his face. I'd be disappointed, too.

I also completely get some of the sarcasm he has laid down pretty thickly and not all that thinly veiled.

[Sir Deimos]

I wouldn't really give a shit, but it seems to be the second "America Sucks" topic made by a guy that moved here to get away from another country......

Lolwut. He came here to attend a specific university. Which specializes in his field of interest... funny how you can talk about jingoism concerning 9/11, but god forbid anyone else say ANYTHING about MURRCA. Right?

[Reflectionist]

Like I said, I don't give a shit. I'm giving Andrew a hard time, because we're so similar I rarely disagree with anything he says. Lolz.

Edited by Reflectionist, 29 May 2012 - 07:01 PM.

[Toan]

In this thread, Australians are fucking fatasses.

I don't know what it is with this country, but everywhere I go there are just fatass. fucking. people. What causes this?

Discuss.

The above is not an acceptable thread, and neither is this. I'm closing this thread; no good could come of it, and no good can certainly come of it now.

[Steel Samurai]

Thanks to Lena for letting me pop in real quick with a final word.

Fish, I doubt I or any other Australians would have had a problem with a topic about that. It's quite true. (Though the US still has a higher percentage of morbidly obese people)

In my own personal defense (since, y'know, people seem to want to get all ad hominem-y on me) I am an American citizen by birth, and an Australian citizen by adoption, and I've spent over a third of my life in the U.S.

The purpose of the thread was to spur a discussion about the causes of (what is possibly a perception by the world of) American stupidity, not to get into a bitch fight about my worthiness to comment on United States culture.

I was hoping my sarcasm and hyperbole in communication of the problem would be self-evident, but, as always, I am proven wrong by the internet. I apologize to anyone who was offended.

[Toan]

Perhaps I chose a poor example to illustrate my point.

The problem here is not the subject matter. I couldn't care less about what people want to argue about anymore - fat people, dumb people, religious people, atheist people, rich people, poor people; it feels like LA has heard it all.

The problem here is the inflammatory language chosen to present the discussion. There are ways to begin an intelligent discussion, and then there are ways to demonstrate extremely poor awareness of social tact. In doing the latter, you immediately put people on the defensive - and while I condemn their words and ultimately the thread, I can understand where they came from. Specifically to this thread's topic, it's no different than family. You can bitch and moan about your family and their issues as loudly as you want, but the moment an outsider like me calls your mother a "fucking dumbass", tempers flare. That's why I said (and I stand by it) "no good could come of it, and no good can certainly come of it now".

Whatever the case, this thread is closed. Again. Since apparently once wasn't enough.

[arunma]

Oh dear...amazing how this thread took a turn for the worse. Yeah, got to agree with Toan here. Too bad too, it had potential.

To clarify, we can talk about intelligence in America. What we can't do is fly off the handle as has happened here.