My goodness, so funny and unbelievable. At least there was one correct answer; Tony Blair IS an actor. And Bush’s dummy.
On Saturday I went to a book store and was debating if I should move Blair’s “memoirs” into the fiction section.
Crikey
I read some statistic once that said a very low number of Americans actually held a passport, crazy number like 32%.
I believe it – talk about insularity!
OMG: It’s about 34% (2008 data) there are about 85 million US passports issued, and that’s no excuse for the answers, however there is little entertainment value in showing all the people who answered correctly. More surprising to me was to find that more than 80% of all US companies have never had a transaction outside the US.
While I agree, LW, there would be no entertainment value in showing those who knew the right answers, one mustn’t forget that these people are being brought up to believe that the US has the right to determine the fate of the world – a world which they patently know nothing about. They will all vote for a man / woman who claims to be the “Leader of the Free World” and, indeed, has the power to to change the world.
It may well be that the ill-educated from rest of the world would do no better, but they aren’t being encouraged to believe that it is their country’s right to determine how the rest of the world lives.
Boa:
I’d be curious to know what their response would have been to a question like “Who is the leader of the free world?” about as sensible as the other answers I would expect.
It’s a bit of a comfort that Obama has made it clear the US is no longer our chief ally and that he has done so much to lower his country’s standing in the world.
Boa:
I’d be curious to know what their response would have been to a question like “Who is the leader of the free world?” about as sensible as the other answers I would expect.
I hadn’t thought of that! They’d probably choose some awful pop-singer!
It’s a bit of a comfort that Obama has made it clear the US is no longer our chief ally and that he has done so much to lower his country’s standing in the world.
He’s just followed on from where Bush left off…
OMG – you are having a problem there with decimal points – it is more like 3.2% of Americans hold passports, I believe!
OMG If LW is correct with his 2008 stat, I stand corrected, but I wonder how many of that percentage are issued to servicemen serving abroad?
I think it is a little unfair to criticise the Americans for the scarcity of passport holders. Consider that Americans do not require passports to travel to Canada, Mexico and many of the Caribbean states. The US is a huge country which includes Alaska and Hawaii. It offers a massive geographical diversity. From skiing in the Rockies, surfing in Hawaii, sailing in the Caribbean or hiking in Yellowstone, there is plenty to keep any holidaymaker. Meanwhile, New York, Chicago, Boston and other great cities provide world class cultural entertainment and fine dining. Despite being one nation, there is still great deal of cultural diversity in the US. New Englanders are very different to Cajuns and New Yorkers and Texans barely speak the same language.
Bear in mind that Americans work hard and for much of their life they get no more than three weeks, sometimes only two weeks, vacation a year. Why fly half way round the world to Torremelinos to drink Watneys Red Barrel when you can fly or even drive to Acapulco and drink Martgueritas? How many Brits or anybody else for that matter, go abroad to broaden their cultural horizons? The vast majority go away for sun and cheap booze, both of which are plentiful in the US.
To suggest that Americans in general are stupid, is idiotic. It implies some sort of ethnic or racial inadequacy which, purely from a genetic perspective, is illogical. You only have to look at the creative success of the country to realise that Americans punch above their weight. The fact that many of them do not know many of the things we take for granted or assume to be important, merely points to a different emphasis. Compared to most nations of the world, America is politically stable, peaceful and prosperous. It may not last, but nothing does. 100 years ago, Britain was the most powerful nation in the world and look where that got us. I doubt your average Scouse or Geordie would perform any better than those Americans interviewed. Taking the piss out of Americans is fun, granted, but lets not take their apparent shortcomings too seriously. These things are all relative.
In case none of you have realised, Zen’s clip is from an Australian program by ‘The Chasers’, who are rather a special bunch of guys – think TWTWTW coupled with NTNON (if any of you can remember that far back), with a touch of The Frost Report and a seasoning of Esther Rantzen.
We have already established that most Charioteers cannot understand, and therefore find offensive, Australian vocabulary and Australian humour, to the extent that a recent Punch article I linked was the recipient of outraged abuse from all except JM and Sheona, who alone possess the wit to see behind the façade to the underlying sardonic, penetrating depths.
Sipu’s earnest and indignant homily would have the Chasers rolling in the aisles. 😆
Sipu: you’re a bit out of date, I’m afraid. The US government requires passports for all international travel now. The only difference is that the US government provides to option of using a passport card for Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean in lieu of the passport book.
As for me, I have two passports.
In case none of you have realised, Zen’s clip is from an Australian program by ‘The Chasers’, who are rather a special bunch of guys – think TWTWTW coupled with NTNON (if any of you can remember that far back), with a touch of The Frost Report and a seasoning of Esther Rantzen.
We have already established that most Charioteers cannot understand, and therefore find offensive, Australian vocabulary and Australian humour, to the extent that a recent Punch article I linked was the recipient of outraged abuse from all except JM and Sheona, who alone possess the wit to see behind the façade to the underlying sardonic, penetrating depths.
Sipu’s earnest and indignant homily would have the Chasers rolling in the aisles.
Some Charioteers were quite happy to provide footage of an American making fun of Americans in a similar vein. 😀
Quite right Christopher! 😀
I have no problem with the clip itself. As I said, taking the piss out of Americans can be fun. My ‘indignant homily’ was aimed at those Charioteers who seemed to attach significance to it. What I was getting at was the perennial bafflement expressed by non Americans concerning Americans’ failure to own passports. It struck me that the tone of those comments, and some of the comments relating to the apparent ignorance of the US were indeed serious. Statistics were quoted and challenged and statements were made about US foreign policy. I was merely pointing out that Americans have no need to travel because they have so much on their doorstep unlike other countries which are geographical and cultural deserts in comparison. Actually, forget the, ‘in comparison’.
Christopher, I assume that this new regime concerning passports came in post 2001. Any idea when exactly? Does a ‘passport card’ count as a passport when figures are quoted about the number of passport holders in the US? How cheap and easy are they to obtain compared to a full passport and how widespread are they? In other words, does it invalidate my argument? If a significant number of Americans carry one of those or have quick access to one, then my point holds good.
Boadicea, I think Obama has deliberately set out to denigrate his own country. Through political correctness or whatever, he has seemed intent on the breast-beating “nostra culpa”. Bush may have lowered American prestige through his actions, but not deliberately, I think.
Sheona. You’re right.
It seems to be what we in the West seem to be doing all the time… utterly ridiculous!
I have no problem with the clip itself. As I said, taking the piss out of Americans can be fun. My ‘indignant homily’ was aimed at those Charioteers who seemed to attach significance to it. What I was getting at was the perennial bafflement expressed by non Americans concerning Americans’ failure to own passports. It struck me that the tone of those comments, and some of the comments relating to the apparent ignorance of the US were indeed serious. Statistics were quoted and challenged and statements were made about US foreign policy. I was merely pointing out that Americans have no need to travel because they have so much on their doorstep unlike other countries which are geographical and cultural deserts in comparison. Actually, forget the, ‘in comparison’.
Christopher, I assume that this new regime concerning passports came in post 2001. Any idea when exactly? Does a ‘passport card’ count as a passport when figures are quoted about the number of passport holders in the US? How cheap and easy are they to obtain compared to a full passport and how widespread are they? In other words, does it invalidate my argument? If a significant number of Americans carry one of those or have quick access to one, then my point holds good.
Yes, the new passport requirements came into effect in 2008. The cost is about half that of a regular passport booklet. According to the US Department of State, 37pc of US citizens have either a passport booklet or passport card.
Boadicea's Chariot 
My goodness, so funny and unbelievable. At least there was one correct answer; Tony Blair IS an actor. And Bush’s dummy.
🙂 🙂
So funny indeed! However, I bet the UK’s unwashed underclass would do much better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVD20pAZkCI
On Saturday I went to a book store and was debating if I should move Blair’s “memoirs” into the fiction section.
Crikey
I read some statistic once that said a very low number of Americans actually held a passport, crazy number like 32%.
I believe it – talk about insularity!
OMG: It’s about 34% (2008 data) there are about 85 million US passports issued, and that’s no excuse for the answers, however there is little entertainment value in showing all the people who answered correctly. More surprising to me was to find that more than 80% of all US companies have never had a transaction outside the US.
While I agree, LW, there would be no entertainment value in showing those who knew the right answers, one mustn’t forget that these people are being brought up to believe that the US has the right to determine the fate of the world – a world which they patently know nothing about. They will all vote for a man / woman who claims to be the “Leader of the Free World” and, indeed, has the power to to change the world.
It may well be that the ill-educated from rest of the world would do no better, but they aren’t being encouraged to believe that it is their country’s right to determine how the rest of the world lives.
Boa:
I’d be curious to know what their response would have been to a question like “Who is the leader of the free world?” about as sensible as the other answers I would expect.
It’s a bit of a comfort that Obama has made it clear the US is no longer our chief ally and that he has done so much to lower his country’s standing in the world.
I hadn’t thought of that! They’d probably choose some awful pop-singer!
He’s just followed on from where Bush left off…
OMG – you are having a problem there with decimal points – it is more like 3.2% of Americans hold passports, I believe!
OMG If LW is correct with his 2008 stat, I stand corrected, but I wonder how many of that percentage are issued to servicemen serving abroad?
I think it is a little unfair to criticise the Americans for the scarcity of passport holders. Consider that Americans do not require passports to travel to Canada, Mexico and many of the Caribbean states. The US is a huge country which includes Alaska and Hawaii. It offers a massive geographical diversity. From skiing in the Rockies, surfing in Hawaii, sailing in the Caribbean or hiking in Yellowstone, there is plenty to keep any holidaymaker. Meanwhile, New York, Chicago, Boston and other great cities provide world class cultural entertainment and fine dining. Despite being one nation, there is still great deal of cultural diversity in the US. New Englanders are very different to Cajuns and New Yorkers and Texans barely speak the same language.
Bear in mind that Americans work hard and for much of their life they get no more than three weeks, sometimes only two weeks, vacation a year. Why fly half way round the world to Torremelinos to drink Watneys Red Barrel when you can fly or even drive to Acapulco and drink Martgueritas? How many Brits or anybody else for that matter, go abroad to broaden their cultural horizons? The vast majority go away for sun and cheap booze, both of which are plentiful in the US.
To suggest that Americans in general are stupid, is idiotic. It implies some sort of ethnic or racial inadequacy which, purely from a genetic perspective, is illogical. You only have to look at the creative success of the country to realise that Americans punch above their weight. The fact that many of them do not know many of the things we take for granted or assume to be important, merely points to a different emphasis. Compared to most nations of the world, America is politically stable, peaceful and prosperous. It may not last, but nothing does. 100 years ago, Britain was the most powerful nation in the world and look where that got us. I doubt your average Scouse or Geordie would perform any better than those Americans interviewed. Taking the piss out of Americans is fun, granted, but lets not take their apparent shortcomings too seriously. These things are all relative.
In case none of you have realised, Zen’s clip is from an Australian program by ‘The Chasers’, who are rather a special bunch of guys – think TWTWTW coupled with NTNON (if any of you can remember that far back), with a touch of The Frost Report and a seasoning of Esther Rantzen.
We have already established that most Charioteers cannot understand, and therefore find offensive, Australian vocabulary and Australian humour, to the extent that a recent Punch article I linked was the recipient of outraged abuse from all except JM and Sheona, who alone possess the wit to see behind the façade to the underlying sardonic, penetrating depths.
Sipu’s earnest and indignant homily would have the Chasers rolling in the aisles. 😆
Sipu: you’re a bit out of date, I’m afraid. The US government requires passports for all international travel now. The only difference is that the US government provides to option of using a passport card for Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean in lieu of the passport book.
As for me, I have two passports.
Some Charioteers were quite happy to provide footage of an American making fun of Americans in a similar vein. 😀
Quite right Christopher! 😀
I have no problem with the clip itself. As I said, taking the piss out of Americans can be fun. My ‘indignant homily’ was aimed at those Charioteers who seemed to attach significance to it. What I was getting at was the perennial bafflement expressed by non Americans concerning Americans’ failure to own passports. It struck me that the tone of those comments, and some of the comments relating to the apparent ignorance of the US were indeed serious. Statistics were quoted and challenged and statements were made about US foreign policy. I was merely pointing out that Americans have no need to travel because they have so much on their doorstep unlike other countries which are geographical and cultural deserts in comparison. Actually, forget the, ‘in comparison’.
Christopher, I assume that this new regime concerning passports came in post 2001. Any idea when exactly? Does a ‘passport card’ count as a passport when figures are quoted about the number of passport holders in the US? How cheap and easy are they to obtain compared to a full passport and how widespread are they? In other words, does it invalidate my argument? If a significant number of Americans carry one of those or have quick access to one, then my point holds good.
Boadicea, I think Obama has deliberately set out to denigrate his own country. Through political correctness or whatever, he has seemed intent on the breast-beating “nostra culpa”. Bush may have lowered American prestige through his actions, but not deliberately, I think.
Sheona. You’re right.
It seems to be what we in the West seem to be doing all the time… utterly ridiculous!
Yes, the new passport requirements came into effect in 2008. The cost is about half that of a regular passport booklet. According to the US Department of State, 37pc of US citizens have either a passport booklet or passport card.