Education FAIL: Dumbed-down Americans confuse Chechnya with the Czech Republic

Says the Canadian Serb who sent this to us:

Note: Upon reading this, I find it very strange that those who have so many military bases worldwide, haven’t even cared enough to learn geography. I must admit it’s not surprising, but it still boggles the mind. I remember that in 1999, when USA-led NATO was pummeling Serbia with cluster bombs, many people didn’t know anything about Serbia, thinking it was Siberia that was being bombed.

Says another commenter:

It appears that stupidity is a permanent feature of the American education system. The BBC reports that the Czech Embassy is inundated with phone calls from ignorant Americans who can not tell the difference between Czech and Chechen. NO UNCLE SAM, CZECHS ARE NOT TERRORISTS, CHECHENS HAVE BOMBED YOU! Chechens have also bombed Russian hospitals, theatres and schools killing hundreds of small children. Things have not changed since 1985 when geographical illiteracy of American university students was revealed to us (see article).

However, a word of caution is needed here! Don’t feel contentment just because the average American cannot find your country on the map. The American Government has teams of experts watching your country, ready to strip it of natural resources, overthrow your government and sabotage your economy.

From the BBC:

0000:
Some people have been confusing Chechnya – where the bomb suspects originated – with the Czech Republic. The Czech ambassador to Washington, Petr Gandalovic, has issued a statement on this “most unfortunate misunderstanding”.

Statement of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic on the Boston terrorist attack

19.04.2013 / 21:27

As many I was deeply shocked by the tragedy that occurred in Boston earlier this month. It was a stark reminder of the fact that any of us could be a victim of senseless violence anywhere at any moment.

As more information on the origin of the alleged perpetrators is coming to light, I am concerned to note in the social media a most unfortunate misunderstanding in this respect. The Czech Republic and Chechnya are two very different entities – the Czech Republic is a Central European country; Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation.

As the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman noted in his message to President Obama, the Czech Republic is an active and reliable partner of the United States in the fight against terrorism. We are determined to stand side by side with our allies in this respect, there is no doubt about that.

Petr Gandalovič
Ambassador of the Czech Republic

Also see:

• RIA Novosti: US Bloggers Fail Geography in Boston Bombing Mix-Up
• National Post: Lesson one — it isn’t the Czech Republic: Bombing suspects turn U.S. attention on little-known Chechnya

Tagged as: Boston Marathon bombing