While I understand your point (I think), these two things are hardly comparable. Serious knowledge of geography isn’t that big of a deal, but knowing that Ireland is an island indicates that you have some interest in the outside world. A quality that is more valued by some than by others.
A more valid comparison, IMHO, would be knowing that Ireland is an island and having heard of James Joyce. 
Hey, Trunk, could you take your issues with voting elsewhere?
This is an interesting discussion, thanks for your input everyone.
Hey Kyla, it appears to be the basis of Pod’s argument about why we should know things like world geography. I didn’t have shit-all to say about it until then.
If you don’t want it in the thread, suggest to him that he try a different tack.
Or give a justification yourself for knowing worldly things.
I actually think that how you plan on voting is an excellent justification for being aware of the world. The reason I asked you to drop it is because I fear the thread being hijacked. I had an argument with you on the topic last year and I really don’t feel like having another one.
Um. What? How could I expect you to defer to my power, since it’s exactly the same as yours? If this is just a thing you have about voting, then fine, you don’t think an informed electorate is important. Judging from your snide tone, it doesn’t sound like you’re interested in a debate on the issue. If that’s not why you’re being snide, and you’re just trying to mock me and make me look stupid, then why don’t you just take it to the Pit where you don’t have to pull punches?
Well, interestingly enough, my experience contrasts starkly with this. I used to be the one standing there silently with my cup of coffee while my coworkers discussed . . . drumroll . . . current events. I couldn’t participate because when I tried, it was immediately obvious that I didn’t know the facts. They weren’t condescending, or anything, and were happy to explain things, but it sucks to always be the one asking questions or being corrected. So I started following the news, and I took a greater interest history and geography. We discuss lighter matters, too, of course . . . but not American Idol, for whatever reason.
And as an aside, Trunk, I am a “she.”
It seems a little odd to ask Trunk to “drop it” when Podkayne is the one who brought it up… 
Well, I singled out Trunk because I’ve seen him go off on this tangent before. Whatever, I see now that hijacking has become inevitable, and it’s not like I’m the Queen of the Thread.
I’ve argued on that topic before. But I don’t think I’ve ever hijacked a thread into that topic as a tangent.
And, now look what you’ve done, Kyla. You’ve forced us to hijack the thread to discuss thread hijacking.
I’m going to have to warn you in the future not to warn about possible thread hijacking because you’re showing a tendency to hijack discussions along that route.
Some of you folks seem to have a different definition of “elitist” than I (and the two online dictionaries I checked).
“The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.”
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=elitist&x=0&y=0
“leadership or rule by an elite”
Unless you think you deserve special treatement or to rule because of your knowledge that Ireland isn’t in Europe, you’re not an elitist.
Whew! I’m not an elitist! I don’t think I should get any special treatment.
(Except Ireland is in Europe.)
The superiority thing bugs me. I try not to do it, and I always hope that other people try not to do it either. I guess that’s just how life is though. Some people really get off on judging other people. And the problem with that is you have no way of knowing what someone is about unless you really make the effort to get to know them. And really, how often do you do that?
I find it difficult to deal with ignorant people, but I don’t feel superior to them. For all I know, they have more knowledge on topics I know nothing of, or they have life experience that makes them far more interesting than most bookish intellectuals. I would hate to think I missed out on someone just because I judged them on a few little things.
I voted for <candidate> last election, but then I found out that Ireland is an island! What a fool I was.
Strictly speaking, though, the Indians didn’t “discover” America, they just wandered into it from Siberia over hundreds or thousands of years. They had no notion they were entering a new land. The Vikings undoubtedly knew they were in a new place, as far as the limits of their geography allowed, but they did nothing of significance here and did not remain. So the earliest person to whom today’s continued occupation of the New World by European descendants can be definitively traced is still Columbus.
I genuinely am an elitist, at least when it comes to the workplace. The smartest, most competent people should be the ones in charge. Which is what pisses me off about two people who were promoted in my department this spring. They are neither, they’re just better ass-kissers than the guy who should have gotten one of those promotions. It’s irritating, because if they’re going to be my boss they ought to be smarter or more competent than me too, and they’re not that either. grrrr.
Amen! Call me a snob, call me elitist–most of life isn’t rocket science–I think each of us is called to continue to grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally our whole life long. And to pass that quality on to others (ie kids).
How do you know that?
I only feel elitist when compared to those on internet message boards that can’t type out entire words (b for be, etc). People who type out entire English words are of a higher class than those who don’t.
As my driving instructor once said, “Relax, Ireland is an island, you can’t get that lost…” 
As regards the elitism thing I’m not an elitist but I’ve have no time for two sorts of people:
(a) Those who revel in their ignorance, its fine to not know Ireland is an island, the problems start when you have no desire to correct your ignorance. We all know people for whom facts and information just seem to bounce off.
(b) People who think their tastes in purely subjective things such as films or literature make them superior to those who don’t share those tastes.
I totally agree, and I strive to remind myself of that by using the following Ralph Waldo Emerson quote as my sig in both personal and work e-mails:
“Every[one] I meet is in some way my superior.”
I used to change my sig quote pretty frequently, but a few years ago I stumbled across this one and have been using it ever since. I definitely have a tendency to dismiss some people as idiots, but seeing Emerson’s words several times a day actually does help me maintain perspective. Sometimes.
Elitist would be believing that becaue you read Joyce, listen to Wagner, have Rothko prints on your walls, only eat organic food, and wouldn’t dream of drinking a merlot, it somehow makes you a better person than the tabloid reading, country music listening, modern art hating, McDonald’s eating plumber you hired to unblock your toilet because YOU don’t know how to.
Kyra, sweetie, you’re not elitist, you’re helping to fight the ignorance…like the banner says, it’s taking a while.