[GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

11 posts · Jul 27 2008 to Jul 28 2008

From: KH.Ranitzsch@t... (K.H.Ranitzsch)

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:22:49 +0200

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

John Atkinson schrieb:
> One wonders if those survey where it is clearly demonstrated that your

National Geographic regularly does surveys about geographic knowledge in

different countries, see for example:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1126_021120_TVGeoRoperSu
rvey.html

"The National Geographic–Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey
polled more than 3,000 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany,
Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States.

Sweden scored highest; Mexico, lowest. The U.S. was next to last."

But also:

"Young adults worldwide are not markedly more literate about geography than
the Americans.

On average, fewer than 25 percent of young people worldwide could locate

Israel on the map. Only about 20 percent could identify hotspots like
Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. "

A study from 2006 shows some improvement about places that are in the news:
http://press.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/index.jsp?pageID=pressRele
ases_detail&siteID=1&cid=1146577964326

Greetings Karl Heinz

From: Eli Arndt <emu2020@c...>

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:48:42 +0000

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
http://vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lNot
an excuse, but more just a reality, that most Americans are touched less in
their day to day lives by other countries than some other nations. Sure we
trade wit hthem and we are connected on a political and economic basis, but
when it comes to just the day to day. If I go 500 miles from home, I'm still
in America. In some parts of the world that is either outside the country or
into another country or more.

I still think Americans should pay more attention.

-Eli
-------------- Original message --------------
From: "K.H.Ranitzsch" <kh.ranitzsch@t-online.de>

> John Atkinson schrieb:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1126_021120_TVGeoRoperSu
rvey.htm
> l

> Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States.

> than the Americans.
http://press.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/index.jsp?pageID=pressRele
ases_det
> ail&siteID=1&cid=1146577964326

From: Ryan Gill <rmgill@m...>

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:50:32 -0400

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

> At 5:48 PM +0000 7/27/08, emu2020@comcast.net wrote:

Not just to geography and what's going on, but to history itself. Most people
I've come across who argue against the War in Iraq have next to ZERO
understanding of what was going on there and even less of an understanding of
history.

From: Eric Foley <stiltman@t...>

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:13:51 -0700 (GMT-07:00)

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

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From: Allan Goodall <agoodall@a...>

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:05:56 -0500

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 1:50 PM, Ryan Gill <rmgill@mindspring.com> wrote:

> Not just to geography and what's going on, but to

Out of curiosity, was this post intended to start a political debate as to
whether or not the war should have been fought in the first place? Because if
it is, I'll just unsubscribe now and save myself much gnashing of teeth.

From: Ken Hall <khall39@y...>

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:14:07 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

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> "K.H.Ranitzsch" <kh.ranitzsch@t-online.de> wrote:

On average, fewer than 25 percent of young people worldwide could locate

Israel on the map. Only about 20 percent could identify hotspots like
Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. "

Somehow, that reminds me of a Doonesbury cartoon from late 2002-early
2003, during the last round of attempted inspections prior to the invasion of
Iraq. The Iraqi factory manager was talking with recurring character Roland
Burton Hedley Jr.(a reporter).

Manager: Is it true that only 17 percent (or whatever the number
was--ed.) of young Americans can find Iraq on a map?

Hedley: Yeah, but the ones who can are Marines.

Best, Ken

From: Beth Fulton <beth.fulton@m...>

Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:10:42 +1000

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
http://vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lG'd
ay,

Not sure how Australia would go in that poll, especially these days, but at
least when I was in high school we had a geography teacher who hedged
his bets on who was going to win the cold war - we learnt Australian
states/capitals and then because we aren't a superpower we learnt the US
and USSR states and capitals (thereby indicating that yes I was in high
school 20+ years ago).

Cheers

Beth

From: Don M <dmaddox1@h...>

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:06:02 -0500

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

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erpower we learnt the US and USSR states and capitals (thereby
indicating that yes I was in high school 20+ years ago).

Cheers

Beth

I learned "Red Cities" too, over twenty years back now but, that was a
targeting issue....)

From: Ryan Gill <rmgill@m...>

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:31:35 -0400

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

> At 4:05 PM -0500 7/27/08, Allan Goodall wrote:

No Allan, it was pointing out that a lot of people I've debated on the subject
don't even have a grounding in recent military history let alone the basics of
military conflicts in the 20th century. When I've been told that no country
has defeated an insurgency in the 20th Century vis a vis Vietnam, I'm quite
surprised. It's like hearing a statement that no one has ever beaten the
Germans or that land wars in Asia are utterly fruitless.

From: Beth Fulton <beth.fulton@m...>

Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:02:24 +1000

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

_______________________________________________
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Gzg-l@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
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t beats me hands down;)

Beth

  _____

From: gzg-l-bounces@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
[mailto:gzg-l-bounces@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Don M
Sent: Monday, 28 July 2008 12:06 PM
To: gzg-l@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

superpower we learnt the US and USSR states and capitals (thereby
indicating that yes I was in high school 20+ years ago).

Cheers

Beth

I learned "Red Cities" too, over twenty years back now but, that was a
targeting issue....)

From: Alan and Carmel Brain <aebrain@w...>

Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:47:51 +1000

Subject: Re: [GZG] Grossly Off-topic ANZAC Whining, - Geo knowledge

> Don M wrote:

> targeting issue....)
I learnt some of my Australian geography, to wit, the location of some of our
Uranium mines, from maps written in cyrillic. Some of the information was
hilariously innaccurate though.

25 years ago I was doing my best to make sure the right side won the Cold War.
I don't miss those days one bit.