Poll: Americans Know Little About Latin America

[arcos]

Source: Associated Content

Zogby Interactive has just released the results of a poll that examines the American public's knowledge of Latin America. The polled 7,362 adults nation wide. The results show that the majority of Americans are ignorant when it comes to our Latin neighbors.

<snip>

Asked which Latin American countries are the biggest allies to the U.S., Mexico is seen as the top ally, while Brazil is seen as a close second. Costa Rica is seen as the third greatest ally of the U.S. Asked which countries in the region are least friendly to the U.S., Venezuela and Cuba predictably topped the list. But Americans listed Colombia-which has been the U.S.'s closest ally in the past decade-as a distant third.

<snip>

Americans also think it is time to start normalizing relations with Cuba by trying to enter into negotiations with Raul Castro, who is ruling in place of his brother Fidel. There are two different avenues that the respondents feel we should take in relation to Cuba with 58% thinking we should be talking about future diplomatic relations and 56% thinking it is time to remove the travel restrictions and the trade embargo.

On the success of the Bush administration in relation to Latin America, 26% give the President positive marks, 26% think he is doing an adequate job and 60% say just the opposite.

<snip>


Read more: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/345149/poll_americans_know_little_about_latin.html

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Lots of other interesting info at the link.

[EFerrari]

1. K&R

[MuseRider]

2. Who?

It seems unimaginable that we could be so clueless about our close neighbors but we are. I know some but not nearly as much as I should so I include myself in the ignorant group.

[That Is Quite Enough]

3. Mm, figures.

[mitchtv]

4. There is an almost complete news blackout on Latin America

not suprising. Pura Vida Arcos

[spag68]

5. I just did a Zogby poll tonight

It gave me a chance to check the box for a dem candidate for pres. all of them over any repub. also my views on job site harassment. Often I think Zogbys polls are not worded well.

[ck4829]

6. And to think, our government has done so much for Latin America

You know, with Pinochet, Noriega, Operation Condor, the ARENA Party, Roberto D'Aubuisson, the Death Squads, and all of those other oh so friendly people our government has supported.

[RubyDuby in GA]

7. Uh..newsflash: Americans know little about America.

How can we know anything about anywhere else when the majority of Americans are too stupid to answer even the most basic questions about the founding of this country?

[Adsos Letter]

8. Absolutely right on statement....

...history should be required through high school and taught at greater depth...

[RubyDuby in GA]

10. I couldn't agree more, but then again I do have a degree in History and I'm that kind of dork!

:hi:

[Adsos Letter]

11. Well howdy RubyDuby in GA!!!

...I, too, have a degree in History; BA Sonoma State University, 1991. I am now working on the MA in History; in fact, I have been working on my thesis for about 6 months now.

History is an exceptionally important subject and way, way undervalued in the public school system. It boggles my mind that people, for the most part, don't place value on understanding how we got to be the way we are, and how OTHERS got to be the way they are.

I think it is fundamental to understanding the world.

What is your favorite type of reading?

:hi:

Edit: forgot to include smiley... :dunce:

[burrowowl]

9. Hell, they don't even know much about the State next to them

let alone Latin America and probably don't know much about Canada. We still get slips saying OK for export on things like C-clips here in New Mexico, our license plates like Guam say USA on them. Why am I not surprised.

[LibDemAlways]

14. I used to work at a travel agency. One of the

other agents, a nice enough woman but not the sharpest tool in the shed, once asked me if a client would need to bring proof of US citizenship to visit New Mexico. She had no idea New Mexico wasn't part of Mexico.

[mitchtv]

20. What do you call a person who speaks 3 languages?

ans: trilingual
a person who speaks 2 languages?
ans: bilingual
a person who speaks one language?
ans: an American

[burrowowl]

24. Sigh! You would think that

working at a travel agency they would have some idea of geography!

[PittPoliSci]

12. duh...

gotta teach the civil fucking war every year in history class til you graduate high school.

[clixtox]

13. Most dumbed down Americans...

And I include almost everyone younger than about 55, don't know the difference between shit and Shinola and really don't even know enough to care.

This ignorance is taught, and learned, all too well.

Consume and waste is the sum of their whole existence.

Greed and anger/hostility are paramount.

How else would you expect anyone to be a Republican and to consistently vote inimically to their own best interests.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. Yup. The education system has really let us down. I've always

wished that my schools taught Latin. Without it, how can I get along if I visit Latin America?

[Shipwack]

15. Bah... Dont't need to know nuttin' 'bout no "Latin America"...

Why should I know anything about a country I need to learn Latin to travel to...

[ramapo]

17. Americans know little about much

'cept Brad and Jen or whatever the latest celebs of the day happen to be.

[noahmijo]

18. Just ask your average American who the president of Mexico is

There's your study and results right there.

[Joe Bacon]

19. This is what happens when you "leave ALL kids behind"!

Test Test and Test and turn the kids into little preprogrammed androids and this is what happens!

[Judi Lynn]

21. It's goddawful. We haven't even been aware there was anything missing in our education,

while we've been living with such profound ignorance of countries and people who are actually within driving distance from our own towns, it's as though they were living on a different planet which hadn't been discovered, yet.

We've been taught to view them as hot-tempered, unstable, and wildly anti-American WITHOUT ever knowing what has happened in any of their countries.

It's amazing what a sell job we've been handed without ever knowing what hit us, by people who only have profited for out ignorance. This goes back a long time.

I just located this video clip, looking for more on what a great DU'er mentioned on a public relation job done on the government of Guatemala to condition public thinking to support a coup on their President in 1954. You may find it very interesting if you've got around 5 minutes. I thank DU'er "1932" for bringing it up, allowing this information to come through, and thanks to Arcos for posting this thread:

Engineering of Consent: Guatemala Coup 1954
http://balafria.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/engineering-of-consent-guatemala-coup-1954/

[ProudDad]

25. How about that?

It's the same shit they pulled in 2002 in Venezuela...

Wonder how long it will take the bushies or ObamClintWards to try again...

[Sapere aude]

22. Better Poll: Americans Know Little

[DuaneBidoux]

23. How could they? They don't learn Latin in school.