[Gareth68]

College students between the age of 20-25 tonight that I asked, 8 said they had no idea and one asked "Wasn't he some kind of dictator or something?"


The question?

Do you know who was Mikhail Gorbachev?

I suppose I shouldn't be, but I am shocked by my own ignorance at the current state of the educational system.

This was a pivotal point in world history.

I even tried to give the hint...

"Mr Gorbachev tear down that wall"...

At that hint, I got one guess of "Winston Churchill."

We truly are doomed to repeat...


They captured the educational system while we blinked.

[2bgop]

I am not in the least bit shocked. I go through a dozen or so interns every year, we play pop quiz almost daily when I am in the office.

[Tackle]

I'm 22 and a college graduate. Without Googling I think it had to do with the cold war. Your quote was said by a president Nixon, wasn't it?

I never learned about the guy. Did not have history in college.

We had more current stuff to learn about. I don't know how long subjects like Business Ethics (lots about Enron) and Economics have been around, but those were the typical generals. I had a lot of computer classes...depending on your age you might not have had them.

[devildog2067]

Originally Posted by Gareth68

College students between the age of 20-25 tonight that I asked, 8 said they had no idea and one asked "Wasn't he some kind of dictator or something?"


The question?

Do you know who was Mikhail Gorbachev?

I suppose I shouldn't be, but I am shocked by my own ignorance at the current state of the educational system.

30 years ago, if you had asked 9 college students who Chiang Kai-Shek was, do you think they would have known?

This was a pivotal point in world history.

I agree. But there are lots and lots of pivotal moments in world history. Some are more important to some people than to others, just due to their perspective or interests or personal history. Do you know who Pak Chun Hee was?

We truly are doomed to repeat...

They captured the educational system while we blinked.

I'm not disagreeing with you that it's horrendous and sad. I just don't understand why you think it was different before. People have always been ignorant.

[devildog2067]

Originally Posted by Tackle

I'm 22 and a college graduate. Without Googling I think it had to do with the cold war. Your quote was said by a president Nixon, wasn't it?

Uhh... no.

I never learned about the guy. Did not have history in college.

If you didn't learn history, in my opinion, you shouldn't be allowed to call what you received a "college degree."

Everyone complains about gen eds and how worthless they are, but when we relax the requirements we end up with folks like this young man.

[Hamilton Burger]

Alls I know is Reagan had a CJ6 he liked to tool around his ranch.

Just look at those smiles...

[Caver 60]

The OP is right on. The education system has totally failed us.

That's why people think the Second Amendment only protects 'hunting or sporting use' weapons.

[devildog2067]

Originally Posted by Caver 60

The OP is right on. The education system has totally failed us.

We live in a country that produces more technological innovation than any other place in the history of ever.

The education system has its problems, but to say that it has "totally failed us" is blind to reality. America's education system still cranks out some of the best and brightest people in the world.

[686Owner]

I'm not sure where I learned it, but I'm a bit older, 33. I think it was too recent to learn in any of my history classes, and I was too young to know what was going on when it happened

[Naelbis]

Funny...I learned about it in my history classes in high school and again in my history classes in college. It isn't that they don't teach is, it is more that kids today don't really pay attention and the standards for passing keep dropping. Most of my college courses graded based on the highest performer, which depending on everyone else in the class could be a real boon. Or could make you hated for breaking the curve by actually paying attention and applying yourself.

[Gareth68]

Originally Posted by devildog2067

30 years ago, if you had asked 9 college students who Chiang Kai-Shek was, do you think they would have known?
.

Considering how long he was influential and how short a time he had been dead in 1983, I would certainly hope so.

I graduated in 1990, and I damn well know who he was...though I would misspell his name 3 outta 5 times.

[Tackle]

Originally Posted by devildog2067

Uhh... no.

If you didn't learn history, in my opinion, you shouldn't be allowed to call what you received a "college degree."

Everyone complains about gen eds and how worthless they are, but when we relax the requirements we end up with folks like this young man.

Dang. I've looked it up now.

I did not choose to skip out on history...it was not even offered. I can't say it's my fault for not knowing as no one has ever mentioned Mikhail Gorbachev as being important. Apparently the education I received was not to include this. Looks like we're all doomed.

[2bgop]

Originally Posted by Tackle

Dang. I've looked it up now.

I did not choose to skip out on history...it was not even offered. I can't say it's my fault for not knowing as no one has ever mentioned Mikhail Gorbachev as being important. Apparently the education I received was not to include this. Looks like we're all doomed.

You went to a "college" that didn't offer history classes?

[BicycleDay43]

Originally Posted by Tackle

I'm 22 and a college graduate. Without Googling I think it had to do with the cold war. Your quote was said by a president Nixon, wasn't it?

Nope, that remark was made by Ronald Reagan to the then head of state of the Soviet Union in reference to the Berlin wall. The Berlin wall was a structure dividing West and East Germany, and for the most part was a globally recognized symbol in the spread of Communism over Western Europe.

Also, West Germany was using the HK G-3 at the time. There's a ton of cool firearm history to be researched from that era.
Sent from the Duke City using OHM

[captainstormy]

It isn't surprising, if they are in college now then they were probably born between 1990-1994 to young to remember anything.

I was born In 1984, I don't remember the cold war. I do remember the wall coming down but I didn't understand it. I just knew that my family was really excited about it. I remember wondering why the president of the US didn't have people to tear the wall down for him when he hit it with a hammer.

In highschool, history classes usually stop at WWII or so. College classes cover the newer stuff and more in depth older stuff but they may not have had that class yet.

I'm 29, too young for the cold war to be personal but I also enjoy history so I would have been able to answer the question even before going to college.

Most people my age and younger have no idea what happened between the end of WW2 and their 10th birthday or so.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[DoubleWide]

I had fun with this for awhile.


I'm going to ask you a simple question and just answer as quickly as possible. Tell me when you're ready.

Who's the Vice-President?


The combination of putting people on the spot and Biden not being memorable causes a lot of people to blank. Some will answer it right away and look at you funny for asking a simple question. Others will just be at a loss.

[M2 Carbine]

You think that's bad?

Ask a cross section of people such things as,..........

Who is the Vice President?
Who did the US fight in WW 2?
Just what is an Assault Weapon?
Who did the Americans fight to win their independence?
What is the difference between "their" and "there"?
How many states are there? (course that's a hard one, obama doesn't know that )
In what two mid East countries is the US fighting wars?
Lincoln was President during which war?
What was 9-11?

..........and I'm positive a large percentage of people haven't a clue.

It's like stupidity is a virtue in our country.

[Flying-Dutchman]

And to think these people vote...

[ricka10]

It seems to me that our children no longer get an education; they get an indoctrination. They are no longer taught how to think; they are taught what to think.

I just hope that they do not let school interfere with them getting an education, but they will have to do it on their own.

Of course that is just my humble opinion so I will scurry back under the rock from whence I came.

[RonS]

I often joke that the USSR placed sleepers in the US schools of education in the 1920's to sabotage the US by making us stupid and no one ever told them to stop.

The main thing kids learn in history class now is to hate America.

[Atlas]

We gave the task of educating the children to central government..
What result were you expecting?

[concretefuzzynuts]

I am worried for my grandchildren.

[Rustin]

I find it more shocking that people have no idea what socialism is. Everything I learned about history in school was diluted or otherwise swept under the rug. If anyone has any reccomendations for a book on history, the way it actually happened, I would love to hear suggestions.

[Haldor]

Originally Posted by captainstormy

It isn't surprising, if they are in college now then they were probably born between 1990-1994 to young to remember anything.

I was born In 1984, I don't remember the cold war. I do remember the wall coming down but I didn't understand it. I just knew that my family was really excited about it. I remember wondering why the president of the US didn't have people to tear the wall down for him when he hit it with a hammer.

In highschool, history classes usually stop at WWII or so. College classes cover the newer stuff and more in depth older stuff but they may not have had that class yet.

I'm 29, too young for the cold war to be personal but I also enjoy history so I would have been able to answer the question even before going to college.

Most people my age and younger have no idea what happened between the end of WW2 and their 10th birthday or so.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

That is truly sad. The fall of the Berlin Wall (and the Soviet Block that it symbolized) was the most important event of the 2nd half of the 20th Century. It was more important than the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis or the Vietnam War. It was even more important than the '60s music and sexual revolution.

For more than 30 years we had lived with the threat of nuclear annihilation hanging over our heads and this is the event that finally ended it. You couldn't know because you didn't live through it, but I never expected to live to be 40 and I was hardly alone in this.

I fully expected some incident or accident to lead to a civilization ending war. Compared to that oppressive menace, the problems of today seem trivial. Housing and economy meltdown? No big deal, at least we aren't all going to die in a ball of fire or starve to death in the aftermath.

If my generation seems a bit odd then consider what we learned to compartmentalize and ignore. 99 Luft Balloons was not singing about going to a party.

YouTube (Short URL)

YouTube (Short URL)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_Luftballons

[Tackle]

Originally Posted by 2bgop

You went to a "college" that didn't offer history classes?

Yes A business college. Going by the OP's poll, it shows I'm not alone.

I wouldn't say it makes me less intelliget. We are all unique and know/retain different information.

In all honesty, I will be able to go through life without knowing quite a bit of history and i will be just fine. I can't name all the presidents either.