# "Americans - the most brainwashed people of the World" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2010, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685 "2010-05-25T09:37:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/21 "2010-05-25T13:02:08Z")
> [@No\_Man](#): > > If $292 billion is acceptable, you must be brainwashed. We accept too many stupidities. :smack: What should it be then? You stated earlier with no cite, $692 billion, now it’s $292 billion? How much should the US spend to provide for its own defense? Are you upset that we are spending too much or that the results of spending that money are not agreeable to yourself? ---
**Author:** ![No\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@No\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/22 "2010-05-25T13:30:37Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > What should it be then? Sorry about the detail. Is it $2000 per person? Brainwashing was just a radical start. Really wanted some political debate. I think Barry in Washington is a great guy, but can he really achieve anything. Can anyone in our lifetime? And still this seems to be OK by the majority. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/23 "2010-05-25T13:30:54Z")
No man, please to use Google better. When you Google the items “America” and “the most brainwashed nation,” it says at the top of the first page that there are 614 results. However, if you then go through the pages, you will see that there are actually only 28 results. Google will often tell you a number on top of the first page that is based on counting pages where each word appears separately. It’s only as you bring up each of the next pages that it goes back to make sure that sure that the words appear in the phrase in the right order. It then reduces the count. The same thing is true if you Google the items “Americans” and “the most brainwashed people.” At the top of the first page it says that you get 34,800 results. However, when you bring up more pages, you can see that there are only 83 results. Do not assume that the number at the top of the first page is the true number of results. Incidentally, the number at the top of the first page will differ if you try the same search several times. In addition, many of the results that you will bring up for either of these searches are ones in which the words “America” or “Americans” happens to be used, but the people or nation claimed to be the most brainwashed is some other people or nation. In any case, Googling proves nothing. There are more Americans on the Internet than citizens of any other country. Americans are going to be talking about themselves more than the citizens of other countries. Some part of that talking is self-criticism. Counting Google hits proves nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/24 "2010-05-25T13:39:08Z")
When I Google “Burkina Faso” and “the most brainwashed nation”, I get no hits. What a paradise that country must be! If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to pack for my trip to Ouagadougou. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/25 "2010-05-25T13:40:40Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > What should it be then? You stated earlier with no cite, $692 billion, now it’s $292 billion? How much should the US spend to provide for its own defense? Are you upset that we are spending too much or that the results of spending that money are not agreeable to yourself? Who’s attacking the US? ---
**Author:** ![No\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@No\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/26 "2010-05-25T13:44:06Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > No man, please to use Google better. I googled “the most braiwashed nation” and “the most brainwashed people” separately without america or americans. And briefly counted the hits of the first pages. Also read couple of the articles. There were other opinions too, but majority like I started this thread. If you want my opinion, brainwashing happens all over the world. In the US, you could buy a new car with your share of the military money. In Europe they give the same amount to the Greeks. Still the rich get richer. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/27 "2010-05-25T13:50:24Z")
Also: there are too many states. Please remove three. P.S. I am not a crank. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/28 "2010-05-25T13:53:02Z")
You should just drop the google thing. You can’t sensibly base on argument off that. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/29 "2010-05-25T13:53:57Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > American culture is also based on an almost primal level of consumerism. Having lived the last third of my life outside the US I am always astonished when I go back by the constant barrage of messages to BUY BUY BUY. When I lived there it seemed normal. Seeing it from the outside it’s grotesque. I can’t even watch US television anymore - it makes my head hurt. See, now, _this_ I’d agree on. I’d also wonder if Japan comes in second. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/30 "2010-05-25T13:54:01Z")
But Google has all the answers! It told me so itself! ---
**Author:** ![No\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@No\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/31 "2010-05-25T13:56:47Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > I know God has a plan for me and that is what keeps me going. I think that God might want you to start a Revolution? Religion is a means of brainwashing, but you just keep on going. Tell me how to become like you: powerless and yet peaceful. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/32 "2010-05-25T13:58:07Z")
Based on what I’ve seen on the SDMB, Americans are probably tied with Brits as the most self-loathing people of the world. Seems like that brainwashing isn’t very effective. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/33 "2010-05-25T13:58:56Z")
When I Google on just “the most brainwashed nation”, it says 1,110 hits at the top of the page. However, when I go through the pages, there are only 28 hits. When I Google on just “the most brainwashed people”, it says there are 34,700 hits at the top of the page. However, when I go through the pages, there are only 99 hits. In both cases, some of the hits are irrelevant since they are actually claiming that it’s some other people or nation that’s the most brainwashed. In any case, counting Google hits is not an argument. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@No\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/34 "2010-05-25T14:03:45Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > When I Google … Look #22. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/35 "2010-05-25T14:14:57Z")
Here, I’ve ranked a few authorities based on the number of Google hits that they get: “Google” “all the answers” 597,000 hits “Jesus” “all the answers” 222,000 hits “No Man” “all the answers” 26,500 hits “Buddha” “all the answers” 24,000 hits “Mohammed” “all the answers” 17,600 hits “Zoroaster” “all the answers” 1,010 hits “Scientology” “all the answers” 8,730 hits “Wendell Wagner” “all the answers” 6 hits ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/36 "2010-05-25T14:42:45Z")
What the hell does “brainwashed” even mean? ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/37 "2010-05-25T15:22:14Z")
> [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](#): > > Who’s attacking the US? Nobody. If that is not worth $692 billion, what is it worth? ---
**Author:** ![No\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@No\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/38 "2010-05-25T15:24:58Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > What the hell does “brainwashed” even mean? It means that you think that you are thinking, but actually aren’t. And someone else is. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/39 "2010-05-25T15:26:23Z")
> [@No\_Man](#): > > It means that you think that you are thinking, but actually aren’t. Fuck! Somebody call Descartes! ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685/40 "2010-05-25T15:48:29Z")
> [@](#): > > It means that you think that you are thinking, but actually aren’t. And someone else is. holy crap, did I just take acid?? Even if your Google search was right (and it wasn’t) so what? You’re are assuming that every article on the internet is written by some authority that understands what brainwashing means, knows how to measure such a thing, and clearly showed how they did so. Now, I didn’t review all the links but I feel safe in saying that none of that actually occoured in any of those articles. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-the-most-brainwashed-people-of-the-world/540685.md?page=3)