I just came across this article, which says that most Americans cannot locate Louisiana or Iraq on a map, despite the importance of those locations in current events.
They also got lots of other questions wrong, answering that English is the most widely spoken language in the world, for example (the correct answer is Mandarin Chinese). Or that the most fortified border in the world is between the US and Mexico (the two Koreas are the correct answer).
The appalling level of ignorance in American classrooms, not only in geography, but in world affairs and history, keeps America ill-prepared to play its self-proclaimed role as the world's policeman, and ensures that the lies of the W regime become accepted as fact (i.e. Saddam, Iran, and al-Qaeda worked together).
America has the world's best universities (at least still), and an outstanding education system for those who can afford the costs. However, the general population as a whole needs to be educated well in order for a society to succeed, and that's where America is failing.
MSNBC
