Quote:
Originally Posted by Babaganoosh
No, I am not trolling. Not even a little bit. I can find more places on a map than most Americans because I have traveled since I was a kid. If I hadn't I can completely understand not knowing where irrelevant places are. Why would the average American need to know where the UK is? We can't get there by car. Knowing its location seems trivial to me. I mean, who cares?
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Well, let's see.
For starter's, to understand America's history (why do Americans speak English? why do they celebrate the Fourth of July?), you'll need to know a little bit about the British Empire. That includes knowing where Britain is.
Or what about understanding how America became a superpower? That requires knowledge of WW 1 & 2, which requires knowing where the countries that were involved are.
Speaking of WW2, that involved the deaths of nearly half a million Americans. One might think that perhaps, knowing how, when and where they died might be worth knowing.
But let's assume for a moment that Americans have zero interest in the past, are perfectly content with not knowing the origins of the US, and don't give a damn about the world wars or the Americans who died in them.
Instead, let's look at the present.
Want to understand the world today? Then it might be interesting to know that the UK has a GDP that is twice that of the entire continent of Africa, and twice that of India. Knowing about how western countries compare to non-western countries is rather important if you want to understand the balance of power and wealth in the world.
And what about business? Knowing a bit about the biggest trade partners the US is helpful to just about anyone who does business on an international level, as well as anyone who wants to understand the economy of the US.
Or what about NATO? The US is a member of NATO, and all countries in NATO are obliged to help any of the others if it ever gets invaded. It might just be important for the US to know which countries in the world the US military is obliged to help defend, and just where those countries are.
Etc.
Not knowing the basics of the world means you won't understand most of what's going on even in your own country. Understanding basic things like immigration, outsourcing, world trade, terrorism and foreign policy requires knowing about the world around you.