Prof. Juan Cole notes that in a poll taken a few years ago, three-quarters of Americans couldn’t find Iran on a map and another two-thirds couldn’t find Iraq. This fact didn’t stop a majority of Americans from supporting the invasion of Iraq by a ratio of two-to-one. What does it say about a people when they support bombing a country before even knowing where it is? But anyways, why are those Muslims so violent and warlike?
God’s Way of Teaching Americans Geography
by: Juan Cole
With all the talk of Iran and Israel among the GOP presidential candidates, it is worth remembering that in this poll of a few years ago, three quarters of Americans could find neither Israel nor Iran on a map. Despite the US being at that time the occupying power in Iraq, some two-thirds couldn’t recognize that one, either.
A few more did recognize Iraq than the others, reminding one of Ambrose Bierce’s dictum that “War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography.”
I suggest a new regulation on war. If a majority of your country cannot find the enemy country on the map, they aren’t interested enough to justify making war against it.
As for why Americans cannot find countries on the map, I personally think this unfairly maligned contestant got it right:
January 19th, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Many Americans cannot identify the location of their home town on a map of the USA. Many Iraqis cannot locate their home town in real life because it has been toasted into oblivion, so they come to Australia.
January 20th, 2012 at 9:51 am
I wish we could have a world wide disarmament day-on that day all militaries give up their arms, and we use dialogue to solve problems-I wonder what the likely hood of that is
January 20th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
Oh good so the majority of the US is not just ignorant when it comes to Islam. They are ignorant on most other matters as well. At least they’re consistant. What comedian was it that said “most Americans couldn’t find the US… On a map of the US? Lol Might have been Jon Stewart.
January 21st, 2012 at 11:29 am
America is a powerful country driven by people who largely have their heads up their arses.