Only 47% of 18-29 Yr Olds Knew Answer to D-Day Q - Gallup

[DarkAnt]

I just can't believe this. A gallop poll says that only 47% of 18-29 year olds knew the answer to this question, "What Country’s Army Did the U.S. and Allied Forces Fight Against During the D-Day Invasion?"

I refuse to believe this could be true, it must be skewed in some way...

http://www.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=11881

its in the middle of the page

 

[Chen]

If you're surprised now, I would certainly like to see your face when in 30 years teenagers will find it hard to recall who Hitler was and what his actions were.

 

[jimmy p]

I always find statistics like that hard to believe as well. Also things like people not knowing which years the World Wars started and ended. Sometimes people's grasp on supposedly "common knowledge" is shocking.

 

[Chi Meson]

Well, I'd like to know what most of the incorrect responses were. I would not be surprised if lots of people said "Japan." THat makes is more of a semantic or geographic problem: "Where was D-day, was it Europe or Pacific?"

The follow-up questions shows clearly that it was the same people who didn't know where "D-day" was.

THis poll does not say that people didn't know that we were fighting the Germans in WWII, it's saying that a lot of people are confused about the location of this battle.

 

[Njorl]

Whenever these statistics are posted I always wonder how many of those polled answered wrong on purpose.

Njorl

 

[Njorl]

I always find statistics like that hard to believe as well. Also things like people not knowing which years the World Wars started and ended. Sometimes people's grasp on supposedly "common knowledge" is shocking.

Well, they started different years for us over here you know. Ask the Chinese, and they'll say WWII started in 1931, the Austrians might say 1933, the Czechs 1936, most of Europe 1939, the US 1941.

Njorl

 

[quartodeciman]

1. The US Army did amphibious landings in the Pacific War.
2. The US Army did an amphibious landing at Normandy on D-Day.
3. Therefore, Normandy must be somewhere in the Pacific.

 

[Cod]

You'd be surprised at how many idiots there are roaming around this planet.

 

[honestrosewater]

Or roaming around this forum even
Yeah, I don't think it's such a big deal. Now, if they didn't know how to work a telephone I'd be worried, but apparently they do.
Ever watch Jaywalking on the Tonight Show? You can learn to spot them.

 

[Kacper]

What I find amazing is how many people don't even know what d-day is.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I just can't believe this.

I didn't used to believe polls like this; not until I discovered that two very intelligent and informed [but not science types] adults that I know did not know that the moon went around the earth. "I knew it was something like that", she said. :surprise:

I think this has more to do with information overload than it does intelligence or being informed. Considering all that we have to worry about in life, is it any surprise that these more academic issues are lost in the fray? Most "working Joes" that I know only worry about the here and now; and that which directly affects their lives. It is an issue of time and energy.

 

[jcsd]

Americans are stupid, dog bites man

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Americans are stupid, dog bites man

Okay maybe that too.

However, as an American, I can promise that if you keep talking like that we're going to nuke ya.

Really though, we are only a reflection of the world community. In part, we are you.

 

[jcsd]

Okay maybe that too.

However, as an American, I can promise that if you keep talking like that we're going to nuke ya.

Really though, we are only a reflection of the world community. In part, we are you.

There's a lot of rubbish talked about 'the Pilgrim Fathers', etc, but none of it's true. The real story goes a little something like this:

In 1620 King James rounded up the all the village idiots, simpletons and just plain stupid people from the shires and put them on a boat in Southhapmton and told them to sail to the Isle of Wight in order to keep them segergated from there more cerebral countrymen. Of course being stupid they sailed to New England (Duh!), where they founded the USA (it's a fact that's been edited in most 'mainstream' history books that 'S' in USA stands for stupid')

I would tell you the true story of the Declaration of Indenpendance too, but that's best left for another day

 

[zoobyshoe]

Of course being stupid they sailed to New England (Duh!), where they founded the USA (it's a fact that's been edited in most 'mainstream' history books that 'S' in USA stands for stupid')

If it weren't for the USA you'd be posting that in German, don't forget.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I didn't used to believe polls like this; not until I discovered that two very intelligent and informed [but not science types] adults that I know did not know that the moon went around the earth. "I knew it was something like that", she said. :surprise:

How did the subject come up? I'm interested in checking a few people out, but the quetion would have to be phrased so as not to be leading.

I think this has more to do with information overload than it does intelligence or being informed. Considering all that we have to worry about in life, is it any surprise that these more academic issues are lost in the fray?

I think this explains it. A large percentage people don't bother to retain any information unless they are pretty sure it will be of practical use in daily life.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

How did it come up? Hmmm. IIRC, I was trying to share some tasty bit of science trivia or news about space, or NASA, when the lack comprehension became apparent. I remember being pretty confused about what was causing the confusion. It had never occurred to me that anyone would not know this.

I asked my mother about this and she was not surprised. Summing up her thoughts as best as I can, when she grew up subjects like astronomy were only briefly touched upon as opposed to math, literature, Home Ec, auto shop, and other core subjects. She remembers studying the solar system buy only briefly. She was certain that little to no emphasis was put on these subjects. Bluntly: They had very little or no application in “real life”.

Of course this attitude makes me want to scream and run naked through the streets, well, of course most things make me want to do that, but that aside, I guess it is important to remember that those were different times.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Ah! I think this came up as a function of the question: Why do we always see the same side of the moon? I asked the woman [a husband and wife about my parent's age] if she had ever noticed this. She said yes but then could not understand why this was a mystery. As I tried to explain I realized the problem.

 

[cragwolf]

What I find amazing is how many people don't even know what d-day is.

Not everyone is interested in learning things. What I find amazing is how many supposedly educated people think D-Day was the largest battle of WWII. Or that D-Day was the crucial battle that led to the downfall of the Nazis. Or that we (Europeans at least) would all be speaking German if D-Day hadn't been successful. Nyet, bratko.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Or that we (Europeans at least) would all be speaking German if D-Day hadn't been successful. Nyet, bratko.

Da,da. Pravda. Ya zabil. Mozhet bouit, po rooski.

 

[jcsd]

If it weren't for the USA you'd be posting that in German, don't forget.

Eff off, serious invasion plans of my country had been defeated before the US entered the war.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Ah! I think this came up as a function of the question: Why do we always see the same side of the moon? I asked the woman [a husband and wife about my parent's age] if she had ever noticed this. She said yes but then could not understand why this was a mystery. As I tried to explain I realized the problem.

Yeah. I think I could round up a lot of people my parent's age who wouldn't know that either.

Anyway, that's a good way to broach the subject.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Eff off, serious invasion plans of my country had been defeated before the US entered the war.

Course. That must be why Churchill begged, and begged, and begged Roosevelt to send help.

 

[jcsd]

Course. That must be why Churchill begged, and begged, and begged Roosevelt to send help.

Oh bollocks, read about the Battle of Britain. The USSR was far more instrumental in the defeat of Nazi Germany and the US would not of even been able to enter the European theatre if Britain had fallen.

 

[Integral]

It has been said that the WWII was won with American trucks and Russian Blood.


As far as ignorance goes, I can remember when I thought that the Battle of the Bulge was fought in Africa (you know... that big "bulge" in the coast line of Africa!)

I know better now.

 

[DarkAnt]

guys guys, were friends here. zoobyshoe, you can have the western part and jcsd can have the eastern part. You can share berlin, ok?

 

[jcsd]

guys guys, were friends here. zoobyshoe, you can have the western part and jcsd can have the eastern part. You can share berlin, ok?

Bull****, I want Austria too.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Bull****, I want Austria too.

Which is how it all started in the first place. Maybe JCSD is bitter because the Germans lost?

 

[Gokul43201]

In 2002, the the National Geographic Society polled Americans aged 18-24, showing them a world map :

30% could not point out the Pacific Ocean

49% could not find New York on the map

70% could not find New Jersey on a US map (more people knew the rough location of the original Survivor Island !)

76% could not find Saudi Arabia

...

P.S : Turing and the gang at Bletchley Park won the War !

 

[zoobyshoe]

It has been said that the WWII was won with American trucks and Russian Blood.

Mostly because Germany way overextended itself when it invaded Russia. A blessing in disguise for Germany: if we hadn't been able to defeat them conventionally, Truman would surely have defeated them with the bomb in the end.