KØHB wrote:
"N2EY" wrote

Look at the battle it took to get seat belts in
cars, and how many Americans won't use them.

Another example of the Great Dumbing Down of America.

The world is methodically being dumbed down by government efforts to protect
us from stupid people.

Note that America != world, though I've heard a foreign stereotype
of Americans which suggest that Americans might not always remember this.

But stupidity begets stupidity, so we are being overwhelmed by a tsunami of
stupidity. The tsunami is triggered by the government protection of stupid
people, which allows them to survive to reproduce.

Ergo, less government regulations makes a smarter populace.

While in the past I wouldn't have agreed with this at all, I've heard a
stereotype joke about Americans repeated enough in, of all places, China,
that I'm now not so sure there isn't something to it.

China has a lot of traveller-beware tourist attractions. An example I've
seen is a path dug into the side of a sheer cliff from which the views
are stunning, but which requires one to walk through sections of path
which are 18 inches wide, without an outside railing, over a sheer
drop. Lots of Chinese go. Some take a look and decide they aren't
up to it, but others decide its okay and head up to see the view. Probably
a quarter million Chinese people a year go up to take a look without
a mishap.

The joke I've heard (with respect to myself in fact; this may contribute
a bit to the popularity of sewing Canadian flags on one's backpack and
clothing), however, is that if Americans go up no one wants to stand too
close since, if you send a group of a dozen Americans up, one is sure to
go over the side.

I have no idea what occurance inspired the joke but I know in China
people are almost viserally aware that no one has responsibility for their
safety and well-being other than themselves, and so might have some
difficulty understanding the behaviour of people who assume someone else
is taking care of this for them.

Dennis Ferguson