This is how I got to this issue. Probably the most loved and famous myth about the USA is that Americans are dumb. You know, this question is complex and does not give absolutely no way to draw an unambiguous conclusion, but I will try anyway.
Having lived in the USA for almost a year and a half, I met and continue to meet the most different people, in fact, the same as in Russia, but at the same time in America it is felt that the intellect local person built on a completely different algorithm.
I would divide all Americans into those who travel the world and those who do not and have never done so in their lives. Travelers around different countries people, as a rule, are interesting interlocutors who know a lot of facts, events and people, they are able to reason and draw sane conclusions on topics that go beyond the borders of the United States and Canada. Those who have spent their whole lives in the States without getting out, in most cases are very limited, both in terms of logic and simply in elementary knowledge of things.
I know one waitress here, she is 82 years old. Grandma will rebuff anyone in a brainstorming session. Drives a car, uses the Internet, talks about politics and economics at a normal level modern man. At the same time, literally the day before yesterday, I spent 10 minutes on the phone explaining to one girl that my email address sounds like … [email protected] and what do you think? She never stuck that besides gmail and domains .com" there are still other mail systems and domain extensions, such as " .ru".
The most fun thing is when you show Americans the time on your phone. I have it in 24-hour format, so most of the people I know fall into a terrible stupor when they see something like 14:24 on my watch. Many are very surprised when they learn that the rest of the world uses kilometers as a measurement of distances, degrees Celsius for temperature, and liters for volume. Sometimes it’s worth saying instead of the word Dinner (dinner) something like Supper (the same as Dinner), as no one enters about what in question. Americans themselves do not know their own language!
At the same time, the vast majority of students in the United States, unlike their "Russian counterparts", know what they are studying for, who they are going to be, how to earn money, etc. In general, students in the USA is a separate topic that I covered.
It seems to me that Washington is primarily to blame for such great contrasts among the American population. His policy tries to appear the freest in the world, and in principle, in many respects, it is so, especially for emigrants, but at the same time does everything to transform American society into obedient goofs who think only what they were taught at school and university. Those who were born and raised here are driven into a kind of mental tunnel. That is why at the beginning of the article I mentioned travel. People who have never left America have a certain narrowness of perception real world, all their lives they were told that the United States - best country on earth that doctors have to heal, teachers to teach, and car mechanics to change wheels. That is why in the USA there is such a huge variety of services provided, so many types of businesses and professions. Many people do only what they have to do regarding their place in society, and a simple employee of a simple American bank does not care that all his duties are reduced to saying “Hi, How are you? for 8 hours every day, when a new one enters.
Here, much more often than in Russia, it is believed that if you are not an electrician, then you are not able to change a light bulb or clean a pipe if you are not a plumber. Life boils down to simple instructions, often written beforehand by someone else.
But those who leave the United States regularly for work or just on vacation are very literate and interesting people who are sometimes several times more intelligent than the average person from the CIS. These people tend to make world-famous discoveries, develop new technologies and are simply trendsetters in many aspects of world society.
Today it is quite easy to get access to various sources of information. We are rich, we are fabulously rich and are not even aware of our sudden surging happiness. Until recently, in order to read something important, people sometimes went to Moscow to the library, where the book was in one copy. It’s the same with newspapers - it was not so easy to get it in Uryupinsk in 1975 fresh issue New York Times. Very, very difficult. More recently, we received all the information from Soviet newspapers with fuzzy photographs. There was also the program "Time", if anyone remembers. And the "International Panorama" was also. Hostile voices howled on the radio…
Now the situation has changed dramatically: a person interested in politics (especially knowing foreign language) can get a cup of info coffee the size of Pacific Ocean. Naturally, it's easy to drown in this cup, but today I'm not talking about hickey problems. Today I'm talking about the contents of this very informational ocean. It would seem, how can you control the ocean? Over three billion users! How do you control them? However, a reliable bridle was also found on the boundless waves of the informational ocean...
Let me start from the facts: there is such an undeniably positive informational occasion - the strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces on ISIS. Finally, something absolutely good happened, without any trace of doubt. Nasty terrorists cut people's heads and drove around in Toyota pickup trucks with black flags (jeans?), And the valiant pilots of the Aerospace Forces made them short. Unlike Crimea, which was positive only for the Russians and their friends, here the news feed is good for everyone without exception: the first photo is nasty ISIS, the second photo is a punishment from heaven. Moreover, ISIS cut everyone and threatened everyone. A kind of "Hollywood" evil aliens (there are still grateful earthlings unite around the United States, which heroically stood in the way of intergalactic aggression!). And now you can get acquainted with what they write about it, and, as already mentioned, information is just a click away.
It is clear with the foreign press (I designate everyone as the press, they are all newspapermen and TV people now, if you are not online, you are not at all), the foreign press immediately began to look for spots in the sun and civilians among ISIS activists. It was funny to read the comments under these articles - prosperous burghers sincerely wondered why bombing ISIS is bad? Propaganda laid a steep turn, and the citizens' heads were spinning. Or rather, the turn was so sudden that there was a complete break in the pattern. Previously, this was observed only in the German press, the German press is the most Russophobic in old Europe, and the citizens of Germany, of course, do not like Russia, but not so much. Not so much at all. And each Russophobic article is followed by a shaft of bewilderment - what was it? Once again, ordinary Germans do not have particularly warm feelings for Russia (no need for illusions), but they don’t like such frank propaganda.
By the way, not everything is as good with the Russian information field as we would like: there is a very powerful “stuffing” of negative material on the same operation in Syria, doubts, fears and even disguised threats are expressed. The electronic press, as we know in Russia, is absolutely free, and journalists and bloggers are absolutely free. honest people and patriots. Nevertheless, there is a very serious information processing of the population. Where does it come from? It’s just that the same characteristic “settings” are being imposed through various sources: expensive, dangerous (what are our boys dying for?), ISIS will take revenge, China did not support, we will isolate ourselves. Such are the honest, dishonest Russian media... As already mentioned, there is simply no third (independent) point of view. Something is wrong with our battlecruisers/ freedom of speech. Vice Admiral Beatty was probably just as surprised in his day as he watched the sinking of the Queen Mary.
A funny picture can be seen today in the world media: citizens have been scared of ISIS for a long time, and now they say that the bombing of ISIS by Russians is bad. The people are perplexed, but the press continues to go crazy, information is presented only in a negative way: civilians suffer, the “democratic opposition” suffers, strikes do not reach the goal ... In general, the abundance of information sources suggests a variety of points of view presented, but not here: alternative point vision is presented in singular. She is the only one, she is faithful.
You understand what the problem is: discussions, like alternative views, are absent in the Western press as a class. They simply don't exist. Discussions, as well as alternative views, presuppose the presence of different worldview positions. It's absolutely necessary condition for discussions. But in the West, "the end according to Fukuyama" has already come. The liberal model has won, won finally and irrevocably. And what do facts mean without a theory that explains them? Therefore, any author in his reasoning starts from the "only true" American ideology. This is simply inevitable, how do you imagine a Soviet journalist based in his daily work on "White Guard motives"? How real was it?
It's about the same here: any author uses Windows & Office to write his articles (I also use it), and any author uses the American ideology to write the same articles (just by default). The computer turns on, and macros are loaded in the head ... Therefore, discussions become completely impossible - our documents simply “do not open” on their personal computers - there are no corresponding programs. So their content doesn't matter. Well, you all know these same macros: democracy, freedom, market economy, universal values... By the way, that is why discussions with "Euro-oriented" (and there are more of them) Ukrainians and Belarusians are absolutely impossible - these very macros are already built into their heads. And they will starve to death while maintaining faith in "Saint Obama and the second coming of democracy."
This is essentially a matter of training. The Russians built Eastern Europe factories, ports and universities. The Anglo-Saxons did much smarter: they invested in the "promotion of democratic values." Which is much cheaper and more efficient. Even the directors and owners of Ukrainian and Belarusian enterprises, which had billions of dollars in orders from Russia, were culturally and ideologically oriented towards the West. Exactly like this and nothing else. Do you remember how the situation in Ukraine developed in the sphere of ideology? Constant sliding towards the West. At the same time, the West practically did not invest in Ukraine, only in "programs for the development of democracy." And here you don’t have to laugh, you need to evaluate the effectiveness ideological work(Soviet political commissars could only dream of this): the economy is falling, the standard of living is falling, social sphere falling apart before our eyes. At the same time, "Western friends" no real help they do not provide: they “teach how to live”, but do not “help financially”. But the popularity of Western ideology is growing by leaps and bounds.
The most characteristic from this point of view is a dialogue (or rather an attempt at a dialogue) with a person whose only language is Russian, but whose system of values has already been brought to the Western standard. It is impossible to talk for this very reason - the same words mean completely different things. As Mr. Lukashenko said: "I don't understand what the Russian world is." Clear, short and crisp. For some reason, we idealistically proceed from rationality common people, his ability to reason and draw conclusions, unfortunately, this is not the case, and the entire post-Soviet experience proves this. Millions of idiots in the RSFSR rejoiced at the collapse of the Union, after which they found themselves in the tenacious paws of the Gaidars and Chubais (and Chubais!). IN Central Asia and Transcaucasia, Russians were persecuted, robbed and expelled, after which the countries fell into the pre-industrial era. But no one regretted anything, everyone suffered, but did not recognize their own stupidity. Poverty is a trifle, the main thing is freedom (under the whip of new khans, but freedom!).
People, unfortunately, are easily deceived. Alas, it is. Nationalist mirages did not give anyone anything good in former USSR and killed millions, condemning them to poverty and emigration. But the people believe that the defeat of the Union was a step towards freedom. And in the post-Soviet space it works with a bang. Russia helped Georgia for quite a long time, and the United States simply bought the elite there / took it on a short leash. Now compare: Russia spent billions, and the United States much more modest amounts on specific individuals, the money also remained in American banks (for reliability). Attention, the question is: "Who owns Georgia now?". Yes, the Georgian people plunged into terrible poverty, but who cares? In any case, not the Georgian elites, and certainly not the United States. The standard of living of an ordinary Georgian under the USSR was very high by Soviet standards and even by South European standards, now there is a third world. And Georgia has no prospects, but the Georgian elites are tightly oriented towards the West. That is, our spending in the billions did not bring anything politically to Russia. I agree, an ordinary Georgian wants to eat (I think this is obvious), he really wants to eat. But there are no political mechanisms for converting this very desire into political dividends for Russia. Georgia is on a "short leash" with the United States, and there is no possibility to change anything here. They will starve and serve America (and hate the Russian occupiers of Abkhazia!).
Such a funny paradox - often peoples are no more intelligent than a herd of antelopes. The same Georgians rushed out of the Union (which bought their loyalty dearly) to the West in the hope that the US would buy their loyalty even more expensively. It didn't grow. It turned out to be much cheaper to manipulate. The United States controls Georgia much tighter, and spend mere pennies on it. Learn gentlemen! And some spit at the word propaganda, they say it's for suckers. But American leaders do not think so and take propaganda very seriously, they have long understood that one dollar spent on propaganda saves ten dollars in economic assistance. It is important not only and not so much to help (Russians can do this too!), but to tell in detail how good you are (and how bad your opponent is). This is exactly what the Americans are doing: working with journalists, non-governmental, public organizations, human rights and environmental. The principle of operation is simple: they give money - they order music.
As a result, when discussing any problem, there are two opinions - the American one and the wrong one. Just browse the current press and you will be amazed. There is no third opinion at all. own opinions nobody left. Virtually everyone is "hitting a ball neatly thrown by an American player." The latest example is France in Once again officially declared that Crimea was occupied. The Americans - as it were - demonstrate that Russia has a conflict not with them, but with the whole world, therefore France. France, which has other problems “above the roof” (I started writing this even before the last terrorist attacks). But the Americans carefully throw the ball, and France hits it with all its dope. And Russia responds no less harshly - the islands "stolen" by France from Madagascar through a referendum. Who remembered these unfortunate islands? Even the Madagascarians themselves almost forgot. And then suddenly ... France falls under the distribution, what can we say about some kind of Georgia.
Actually, it's a cycle. Georgia passed it completely, we see the result: a poor, degraded country without a future, but under American patronage. Ukraine is halfway there: modern industry is being dismantled, living standards have halved since the coup and continue to fall, but the country is under total US control. Learn gentlemen! Belarus is at the very beginning of this path. This is what American foreign policy is like. Evaluate how fast, cheap and efficient they work. “But tens of millions of Ukrainians suffer,” you say, and you will be wrong - ordinary people always suffer. It is important not to sympathize with the suffering of others, but to promote your own interests. At least from the point of view of the Americans. By the way, Ukrainians still love them and are still grateful to them for literally everything.
Russia, at its own expense, created a super-powerful industry for them, but this had no positive consequences. Understand help ordinary people- it's not politics. It does not give any sane results. Most countries are ruled by weak, deceitful and corrupt national "elites". They are easy enough to buy or intimidate, but "helping" them is pointless. Russia spent tens of billions to maintain jobs in Belarus and Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR, and what is the result? Approximately the same as the result of helping the Bulgarian "brothers" at the end of the 19th century. That is, this very “help”, in fact, instead of reciprocal love and support in a difficult moment (as we expect), leads to ever-increasing demands, outright contempt and blackmail in our address. Sounds strange enough, but it's actually true. Thus, instead of "helping the brothers," a rigid system of political control, propaganda is needed, and only in the third place, help as such. normal person it's hard to believe, but the fact remains - very effective economic assistance from Russia to its neighbors in political terms does not give anything at all. The example of Ukraine clearly demonstrates this. People who largely lived at the expense of Russia, at the first snap of the fingers of the American ambassador, ran to burn the Russian embassy. Now they are hungry and cold ... I sympathize. "Give me money and don't interfere in our affairs!" - somewhere we have already heard it.
Lukashenka said exactly this: “I am your best friend Give me the money and I'll arrange everything." They gave me money, they didn't interfere. As a result, we have a generation of Belarusian youth for whom Russia is an openly foreign country. And the demands to continue to give money, otherwise the power will be seized by the very "nationalists" who were brought up by "Russia's best friend" Alexander Rygorych. Just compare the actions of the US in Georgia and the actions of Russia in Belarus, as well as the costs and benefits. So who, excuse me, is dumb, and who is smart? Life is quite cynical, and interstate relations can also be assessed by the simplest criterion: return / cost. I do not like? You say, common history, culture? But the Americans do not suffer from such sentiments, and therefore are effective in politics. Yes, they dropped two atomic bombs against Japan, but in the event of a military conflict, the Japanese will be on the side of the United States against Russia or on the side of the United States against China. Politics, alas, has nothing to do with morality.
And do not revel in your own "intellectual superiority", while the Americans take full control of the country around the perimeter of Russia for "50 euro cents, a bouquet Red roses and a Hollywood smile. And stop giving money to Alexander Rygorych already - they spoil him.
Zadornov and popular rumor firmly and firmly hammered into the head of the Russian "common truth" that the Americans are stupid. Is it so?
In the beginning I will tell about my impressions about the Americans and their intellectual level. Then I will write a few words about the American education system, science and ratings.
To summarize, the Americans do not shine with erudition. And there is a good reason for this, which, in combination, is more than good. But first things first.
The first thing that catches your eye when you live in America is the clear division of society into classes / strata with the amazing simplicity, goodwill, politeness and openness of people. There are rich villages or quarters here, where residents have their own country club, golf club, etc. Here they meet, communicate, discuss business, art, etc.
These people go to theaters, exhibitions, auctions, charity events.
But there are also poor areas. Trailer parks, black and Hispanic neighborhoods. 
However, it should be noted that there is no snobbery, no top-down views, no disdain for the less wealthy/educated/smart/beautiful (substitute the correct word). In the country of victorious individualism, there is a real brotherhood of individuals and "unity in diversity" (who does not know, this is the motto of the EU, corroded by xenophobia). In the US head large corporation may well come to a cheap eatery to eat a childhood favorite chili, fall in love with an immigrant waitress and marry her. But, nevertheless, the classes exist separately from each other and are in contact mainly only in business. However social elevators always available to those who have the desire, ability and willpower. The rich here respect the working poor for striving to achieve their goals and pursuing happiness, while the poor respect the rich for what they have already achieved. 
In the USA, "golden youth" a la Timati and Ksyusha Sobchak (a stage image that has nothing to do with Xenia, which I respect) is a rarity. These can be found in a couple of megacities, but they are really few. The children of rich parents plow here like Carlo's dads with young years and still get an education. Once my friend invited me home. She didn't look like Grace Kelly or Princess Diana and combined her studies with a job at the 911 call center. But when I arrived at her house, I saw a real palace. I said I didn't know she was that rich. She replied, "I'm not rich. My parents are rich." This is a look at the life of a typical American. Or, in this case, Americans. Doesn't matter. The feminist movement has done its job here and gender stereotypes have been eradicated here. Women want to make a career just as much as men. But, I assure you, no one will sue you for gentlemanly behavior, contrary to stereotypes. Usually American women even like European manners. 
But back to what this post is about - education. As I already wrote, Americans, as a rule, do not shine with erudition. And the reason for this is the American education system, which, in turn, is conditioned by the US economic system, which is a free market economy with little or no government intervention. A market economy implies a labor market. So, erudition is absolutely not needed in a competitive labor market, where you will have to compete for a job, and having received it, hold on with teeth and claws, because, in most states, dismissal can occur only at the request of the boss, and no trade union will help , because they are mostly weak and helpless.
And what is needed in a competitive labor market? The answer is obvious: high professionalism in their field. Only it gives competitive advantages. So a mathematician may not know who Hemmingway is, and a historian may not know the formula of water. On the other hand, an American mathematician, economist, lawyer, historian, chemist, biologist, doctor, etc. is usually much more qualified than their Russian counterparts. In the US, the emphasis is on narrow specialization. Even at school, most subjects are chosen by the students themselves. I am already silent about universities and colleges. If a child decides to become, for example, a historian, he absolutely does not need and is not interested in learning higher mathematics, complex physical and chemical formulas. And the future mathematician does not need any geography for nothing. People here learn what will be useful to them in their future careers. They do everything to become aces in their fields. That is why the USA has the strongest science in the world. This confirms the list Nobel laureates. The USA has 326 of them (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_by_country). The closest pursuer - Great Britain - has 115 of them. And Russia, for example, has 25. Yes, and of them the lion's share is emigrants. Particularly indicative is the behavior of the last winners of Geim and Novoselov, who flatly refused to return to Russia. Most of the outstanding discoveries takes place in the USA. This is not surprising, because in the USA the most Better conditions for doing science. Most of the research institutes here are privately owned and receive significant funding from interested individuals and businesses. And the state does not skimp on science. Therefore, the best minds from all over the world come to the United States, contributing to the development of American science. My mother, a candidate of biological sciences, worked in Germany. She told how German scientists dream of doing science in the USA. But popular myth that American science travels only at the expense of immigrants is not true. In terms of the number of Nobel laureates, the United States leads in all areas, with the exception of literature (although it, like the Peace Prize, has little to do with science). The leadership of the United States is not in doubt even if the laureate's belonging to the country is determined not by citizenship, but by place of birth (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_Nobel_Prizes_by_country). 
Stephen Hawking
American science would not be the strongest in the world without the best education in the world, which is also American. To a large extent, as in the case of science, this is due to the fact that all universities are paid and there is also enormous competition in the education market. 
Competition breeds quality. That is why almost all world rankings unconditionally recognize American universities as world leaders. For example, in the ranking of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 17 universities in the top twenty are American (www.arwu.org/ARWU2010.jsp). You can familiarize yourself with the methodology for compiling the rating. See universities by regions. By the way, almost all the best universities are private. This once again confirms the thesis that the private owner is always more efficient than the state. Although in the US government educational institutions No. The schools here are private and district. School district heads and school boards are elected, and schools are funded from local property taxes. Universities are private and public, funded from state budgets. That is why residents of the state (living for 1 year) study is much cheaper than for non-residents. 
So, competition in the labor market makes it impractical for Americans to spend time acquiring encyclopedic knowledge in all areas. But anyone here can become an erudite. Every city has public libraries, the entrance to which is free for everyone, where there is free internet. As for universities, a mathematician can, for example, pass the history of art, paying in advance for this class. Or maybe not pay, but just come to lectures. This, in principle, can be done by anyone from the street. At the entrance to universities, you will not see guards armed to the teeth, frantically checking student cards. Everyone can enter the university (both private and public). You can talk before the lecture with the teacher and he will probably let you listen to the lecture. Or you can just come under the guise, sit in the audience and listen. If you want to get a diploma, you will have to fork out. Education is expensive here. About 20,000 dollars a year in public universities for residents of the respective states and about 50 in private ones. These amounts include everything: accommodation, meals, textbooks, parking, etc. But education here quickly pays off. Citizens and residents can take a loan from the state. There are many private educational loans. There are a lot of charitable foundations that will gladly pay for the education of talented students. Each university has a department financial assistance, who will also gladly pay for the education of those who are talented, but do not have sufficient funds to pay for education. Here are links to pages with tuition fees at two universities that are not far from my home.
1. Most Americans know a lot more about Kim Kardashian than they do about the Federal Reserve.
2. In the US, products are bought in bulk and most of them are thrown away due to the fact that they simply expired.
3. Many Americans are ready to wait in line to buy Kenny West sneakers that cost 4 times more than regular ones, and at the same time the same number of people do not even know how many states in the USA.
4. Many Americans, according to TV ratings, are more interested in watching american idol(Minute of Glory) and Dancing With The Stars(Dancing with the Stars) than watching the news about the really bad economic situation in the country.
5. A recent poll showed that 61 percent of Americans believe that paying taxes is the most important proof of patriotism.
7. The Supreme Court has repeatedly made decisions that are contrary to the US Constitution.
8. Wall Street is not the street of financial glory, it is the street of psychopaths.
9. In America, the most high level crime. According to statistics, 1.3 violations of the law come to one American.
10. Car roads in the USA bring up to 50% of all fines paid.
11. American children are very spoiled. They are very undisciplined and most have not even seen what hard work is and never get their hands dirty.
12. Today, approximately 25 million Americans over the age of 30 live with their parents. And this percentage is only increasing.
13. In 1962, only 13 percent of people were obese, and today it is already 36. A fitness club is a window dressing for foreigners. Most people can't even afford a membership to a fitness club.
14. America is the first in the list of nations suffering from obesity. They are followed by Mexicans and are mostly second to those who live in the US.
15. According to one recent survey, only 25% are saving for something, the rest either have everything on credit or simply do not have money.
16. The US leads the way in credit card fraud.
17. Up to 150,000 dollars are spent on the security guards of the President of the United States per month. And he has dozens of them.
18. In some areas of the United States, crime is falling, but this is due to the fact that everyone has left there.
19. Only 70 percent of Americans are aware of the existence of their main document, the Declaration of Independence.
20. An American watches TV at least 28 hours a week.
21. The United States leads in the number of shootings among schoolchildren.
22. The chances that you will not be robbed at an ATM in the US are only 40%. Those. most likely you will be robbed.
23. 85 percent of goods in the US are made outside of it.
24. The average American drinks 150-200 liters of soda per year. It's about 0.5 every day
25. Every second person in Washington is a lawyer
26. In the US, there are officially 50 million abortions every year.
27. In means mass media, but not like Muz4in.Net, are currently trying to convince the public that the murder of "critically ill" elderly grandparents is justified and that it is not a criminal offense
28. 50 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 can't find New York on a country map.
29. Americans buy as many drugs as the whole of Europe is bought together.
30. In the US, 64% of women over the age of 35 take antidepressants.
31. The US leads in drug use.
32. More than half of Americans mistakenly believe that if there is a problem, the government will take care of them.
33. The US health care system is in total disarray. Or rather, the order, only for a lot of money
34. 80% of US food contains GMOs.
35. One in three Americans are diagnosed mental disorder and these people walk the streets calmly.
36. The United States, instead of making it more difficult to obtain citizenship, only simplifies this procedure, which entails an influx of poorly educated emigrants
37. Schools regularly conduct surveys and control on the safety of schoolchildren for society
38. The US leads in the production of pornography. In total, the whole world cannot catch up with the Americans.
39. In 1960, 72 percent of Americans were married. Now they are only 49%.
40. Divorces are very popular in the USA and they make very good money.
41. The average American family earned $125,000 in 2007, now it's only $75,000.
42. One in four teenage girls in the US has an STD.
43. Teenagers are getting pregnant more often in the US than even in Africa.
44. The US leads in the number of deaths due to problems with the digestive system.
45. In the US, airports have the tightest control. Everything is checked without exception.
46. With all the cries of democracy, the US daily violates its basic foundations.
47. The US plans to cut its nuclear stockpile by 80 percent.
48. The US has the most complex tax system in the world.
49. In the United States, in many states it is forbidden to say the name of Jesus when praying. It violates the rights of other believers.
50. The US exports more arms than anyone else in the world.
51. The United States regularly initiates criminal cases and deprives the parental rights of people whose children complain that they are not given enough sweets.
52. 2/3 of US cities are bankrupt.
53. The US was once the world leader in per capita GDP. Today the US is in 12th place.
54. First in the world, in the USA male striptease became more popular than women
55. Americans spend more time in traffic jams than anyone in the world.
56. The 400 richest Americans have more wealth than the average 150 million Americans combined.
57. The number of beggars and believers is approximately the same.
58. Some schools in America have started chipping their students to keep track of where they are.
59. Every year the number of mentally ill in the United States increases by 1.3 times.
60. A quarter of children live in poor families.
61. Most of all plastic surgery is made in the USA.
62. More people in the US live on food stamps
63. Detroit - the city of the future USA. In it, 60% of the poor and about 45% of children do not even have a primary education.
64. The US government is wasting more money than any other government on earth.
65. Racism is on the rise again in the US. The Kuklus Klan has already risen.
66. An ordinary American has been paying off a loan for more than 15 years every month.
67. America believes in God more than even Russia
68. US spending on foreign policy far exceed spending on internal
69. In America, the desire of the states to leave the United States is growing.
70. The most profitable business areas are fast food and medicines
"All Americans are stupid" is a common saying among Russian citizens. It is interesting that the word "stupid" is applied to the Americans. Why stupid is a mystery. Well, for sure, not dumber than any other nation, and even smarter in some ways. With dried brains, 26% of world GDP cannot be built ...
It is clear that the epithet is mostly repeated by those who have never seen a living American, not to mention visiting the USA themselves. But they also repeat from someone else's words. And sometimes even those who have exactly more than one gyrus in their head begin to fall into neglect: “Ah, well, they are stupid.”
On the eve of a whole series of various contacts between Russian and American citizens on the eve of the summit in July, it is necessary to understand the terms. To avoid further misunderstanding of each other.
It seems to be possible to give an explanation why this word is used. Not "others", not "strange", not even "idiots", namely "stupid".
Some Russian realities are sometimes completely incomprehensible to Americans. And when they hear about them or encounter them, they do not know how to react to it at all, because there are two things beyond their understanding. First - how can it be? Second, how can Russians calmly talk about it and exist with it?
And this applies to levels from everyday to political.
For example, it is difficult for Americans to understand how Russian can change so rapidly. “I still didn’t understand how it could be: at the table, with guests, in the kitchen, people are so kind, so sincere, and when you come to some institution, it’s like the same people, but so evil ...”, one American diplomat who worked in Russia recently said. And he expressed, in part, a general misunderstanding of why Russian institutions could not be made more efficient and people-oriented.
After all, the same people work in them, they are also petitioners, and they suffer a misfortune with which they have to turn to others. And you look - the animals ... No attention, no sympathy. Every visitor is an enemy.
From the Resolutions of the State of Wisconsin, 1845: "We regard the laws as inevitably imperfect as any other institution established by men, but the imperfection of the laws by no means excuses the one who decides to use them to humiliate and oppress his fellows." So an American thinks: how can one citizen for another, the same, be an enemy? And he doesn't understand. Does not understand. Blunt!
Even Americans often do not understand why attach such importance to clothing. Of course, the Russians answer, "they go around in their shorts and T-shirts all year round, chewing their hamburgers, and they don't know how to eat nicely or dress nicely." Indeed, most Americans lack the concept of elegance, being replaced by the concept of comfort. And in shorts and sneakers it is more convenient than on 10-centimeter stilettos along cracks in the asphalt. They do not understand that clothes make a person beautiful, tell a lot of details about him at once, such as income, education, sometimes place of birth. And the Americans do not understand why waste time on superficial. Dumb!
Or another case, his stupid Americans will definitely never understand. How, for example, was it possible to take and amend the Constitution, almost without discussion, discussions and fierce disputes, extending the term of presidential powers by a third?
In Russia, they sometimes say this: well, the Americans also started with changes to the Constitution. Barely accepted - and well, rewrite. Yeah, only in Russia they forget that they began to add to the Constitution not the term of the president, but the Bill of Rights. And that the inclusion of a section on the rights and freedoms of Americans was a condition for several states to join the confederation. That the Founding Fathers remembered the dangers of "electoral despotism" and tried to do everything to avoid it. And that their presidents left on their own after 8 years (two terms). That was the unwritten rule that was in effect for 150 years. It was legally fixed only half a century ago ... And now the Americans do not understand how the Russians could take it so quickly and allow a change to be made that fundamentally changes political system countries. Do not understand. Dumb!
Why don't they understand? Because they often proceed from their ideas: "We will do the difficult now, the impossible - a little later." They don't understand what "it doesn't work" means. If it doesn't work today, it will work tomorrow. After all, if something does not suit you in the life around you, then the forces are given to change and improve this life. That's why laws are written, discussions are held. And they don’t understand at all that Russia is closer, rather, to the “evasion tactics,” as sociologists call it. This is if you do not believe that you can change something, and even the best way Better not to touch at all. And when you can’t or don’t want to resist changes, step aside, let them flow past. Pretend you agree when you really don't care, or when there's nothing to be done. This “can’t” and “don’t want” Americans don’t-don’t-may. Dumb!
“Americans are much more likely than Canadians, Europeans or Japanese to believe that “there are clear dividing lines between good and evil,” the American researchers wrote.
This is also one of the reasons why these active comrades poke their noses everywhere, striving to make things better everywhere and in their own way. Because they can't understand how others live like this. Do not understand. Dumb...
