re: 23% of registered voters could correctly locate Iran on a world map

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Men were about twice as likely as women to be able to identify Iran on both maps, 

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Shocking!

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Not trying to be that guy, but is this really that big of a deal.

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It’s not.

People make way too much of these polls/tests/quizzes designed to selectively show how dumb people are.

Everyone who takes world history and geography (which is quite literally everyone) is taught where Iran is. The fact that a minority of people can recall that information is of little consequence. How many people will be in a situation where they absolutely need to find where Iran is and not have a pocket computer to tell them where it is?

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I dont expect everyone to be informed, but I would think half should know where Iran is located on a map.

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But why?

The average American is white-knuckling it through life, concerned with about 100 things a day that have nothing to do with where Iran is geographically situated.

Yeah, it’s in the news. All you need to know is that they’re a belligerent country that supports bad actors in the Middle East that are at odds with American interests. You can know that without knowing where it is geographically located, especially since that specific information can be obtained almost instantly.

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But why? 

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Probably because it's been a large part of world news for 40 years, and a huge part of domestic politics for the past 6 years or so.

The average voter also cannot define socialism, yet many claim they support it.

It's not just geography, most voters would probably fail a 9th grade civics class.

That’s way too high of a percentage most Americans can point out France on a map

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Probably because it's been a large part of world news for 40 years, and a huge part of domestic politics for the past 6 years or so.

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Again, it is possible to be informed about the basic geopolitical importance of Iran without being able to pinpoint it on the map on the fly. It’s precise location isn’t particularly important, especially if you know roughly where it is.

This same “test” was giving almost 30 years ago... right before during Operation Desert Shield asking where Iraq was with roughly the same results...and we were actively sending troops right next door at that time. This is nothing new.

If you want to say it’s indicative of a larger unawareness of important things going on in the world, then sure maybe. But I think it’s a little silly to whip out a map for an impromptu geography quiz about a country most people here will never go to and call them dumb when they “fail”.

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So every American is supposed to be a geography major?

Also, based on those statistics, it is the poor uneducated that do not know where Iran is, but sure lets call them ignorant sheep.

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No and I suck at geography myself, but at least get the right fricking continent. anyone clicking on the US should be shot and throw in africa, south america and australia for that matter. Now you're down to Asia and Europe to choose from which might not be the worst answers as long as you don't click the far fricking left around the UK.

Then you have people clicking Greenland up there.

I'm surprised it was that high.

Could they find America on a map?

Last week it was “77% can’t find Iran on a map.”