42% of Canadians can't name our first Prime Minister

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Bah, who can remember some dude who lived like 400 years ago?

[Rerun]

Doesn't surprise me at all.

I remember a poll where they asked random people a bunch of questions like "How long does it take for the earth to make 1 revolution around the sun?" and others like it (something you probably learn by grade 5 ) and it was amazing how many people didn't know the answers. No wonder the tv show "Are you smarter than a 5th Grader" is so popular and the fact that so many contestants aren't (smarter that is).

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Well considering the large amount of immagrants coming into Canada, I'm not surprised. Its not like its really important info to an immagrant coming over - as long as they are doing a good job at whatever they're doing, thats fine by me.

I knew it was the immigants! Even before the bears I knew it was the immigants!

[llama64]

Originally Posted by Tyler

42% of Canadians probably realize how little relevance knowing this would affect their daily lives.

You have a valid point.

However, isn't it kinda sad that you're implying that we should only know "relevant" information?

In many ways it could be argued that knowing who Sir John A. Macdonald is is incredibly relevant to use Western dwellers since it was his policies that opened up the west -- and ended up creating much of the still existent schism between the West and East.

Having a solid understanding of our Nations history and politics helps us determine our political views, especially when an Election rolls around. And that seems to be something that affects our daily lives.

[Phanuthier]

^ Quick, how many people know who discovered the atomic bomb?

[burn_baby_burn]

Wasn't there a thread with a link to the citizenship test on here a while back? If memory serves a lot of us were failing it.

[dobbles]

i had to look up the spelling, but its oppenheimer

[llama64]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

^ Quick, how many people know who discovered the atomic bomb?

The bomb wasn't discovered

[dobbles]

foiled again!

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

^ Quick, how many people know who discovered the atomic bomb?

Johnny Atom?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by troutman

Quick - name the 2nd PM . . . .

Tupper?

Nobody remembers #2 anyway.

Edit: ROFL, only off by 20 years. Shoulda remembered MacKenzie. I used to know most of them when I was in school. Obviously not so much now.

[Hack&Lube]

And this matters why?

It matters exactly as much as most Canadian history matters in daily life - nada. This country has almost no worthwhile cultural heritage that the average Canadian can really identify with.

And this coming from a guy who likes history.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

Bah, who can remember some dude who lived like 400 years ago?

I'm guessing this is sarcasm since Confederation was 1867. But you're right. Might as well be 400 years ago.

[llama64]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

And this matters why?

It matters exactly as much as most Canadian history matters in daily life - nada. This country has almost no worthwhile cultural heritage that the average Canadian can really identify with.

And this coming from a guy who likes history.

Canada is a nation that evolved from the inter-mingling of British, French and First Nations cultures. It is the world's premier example of cultural exchange and co-existence.

The RCMP have a tradition that is known throughout the world. It has it's routes in European nobility.

World War's 1 and 2. Discount Canada's involvement at your own degradation.

Lester B. Pearson and the notion of Peacekeepers. Read up on the Suez Crisis and learn something about Canada.

Cyprus, Egypt, Rwanda, Bosnia, Afghanistan. Obviously Canadians aren't doing anything worthwhile on the world stage.

The Shuttle arm. The CANDU reactor.

Yes... all of this, worthless.

[Phanuthier]

I don't really mean to weigh in on this delicate criticism, but I'm with H&L, compared to European and Asian history, Canadian history isn't all that interesting (worthwhile was a bit of a harsh word). Canada does alot on the peace keeping side, but peace keeping isn't as interesting. I do think its awsome how Canadaians (Johnny Canuck) made a name for themselves in WW1 though.

[evman150]

Originally Posted by Tyler

42% of Canadians probably realize how little relevance knowing this would affect their daily lives.

There is not much in this world that irritates me more than people who frown upon such "useless information".

I got news for you bud, "use" does not have a monopoly on value when it comes to information.

It's the same type of people who wonder why I'm getting a philosophy degree. "What are you going to do with philosophy?" Well, I'm going to be a more educated person when it's all said and done. "But what kind of job is that going to get you?"

It's just mind boggling how so many people can't wrap their heads around knowledge as not simply a means to an end but as an end in itself.

"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man." -Russell

[burn_this_city]

Nothing like arguing with philosophy majors about the relevance of their existence.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by evman150

There is not much in this world that irritates me more than people who frown upon such "useless information".

It is especially ironic given we are on a hockey message board.

Is knowing our own history more or less useless than knowing who Bingo predicts will finish 1st in the West?

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by llama64

Canada is a nation that evolved from the inter-mingling of British, French and First Nations cultures. It is the world's premier example of cultural exchange and co-existence.

Sorry, I would put Canada nowhere near the top of the list for cultural exchange or co-existence. First-nations cultures have been so persecuted and marginalized that it might as well not exist to the average Canadian. In Brussels, I randomly met a woman in the laundromat and all she would talk to me about when she found out I was Canadian is how badly Canada treats it's first nations.

European integration in the EU is far ahead of us in terms of cultural exchange. There are other countries with dual official languages as well.

The RCMP have a tradition that is known throughout the world. It has it's routes in European nobility.

Sadly, it sometimes seems it is more famous for Dudley Doright and comedy skits involving Canadians rather than being any sort of a internationally renowned institution with any real historical prestige. As an institution, the RCMP is relatively young compared with those in old world western europe or asia. Many foreigners I talk to don't believe the RCMP actually exist a force and believe they are only ceremonial like the Buckingham Palace guards.

World War's 1 and 2. Discount Canada's involvement at your own degradation.

We were part of a multinational allied force, very much involved because of Canada's historical ties to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Canada certainly made many good contributions but in the rest of the world, many of the battles, victories, and tragedies that Canada seems to deem significant or that we celebrate are considered insignificant in the larger picture. I don't mean to demean the sacrifice of our Canadian soldiers, many of those battles did feature primarily Canadian forces, even if not acknowledged. Their sacrifices certainly made the difference in many situations and we had several firsts. My parents are first generation immigrants. At the time my relatives were fighting the Japanese invasion in Asia and some friends of mine here had their relatives imprisoned in the infamous WWII Internment Camps in Canada.

Lester B. Pearson and the notion of Peacekeepers. Read up on the Suez Crisis and learn something about Canada. Cyprus, Egypt, Rwanda, Bosnia, Afghanistan. Obviously Canadians aren't doing anything worthwhile on the world stage.

I am fully aware of Lester B. Pearson's contribution. The Suez crisis was part of the whole middle-east post-colonial political mess and it has much deeper and significant and long-lasting effects than anything that Canada's contribution could even compare to. The creation of a U.N. Peacekeeping Force was commendable, especially in the post WWII era when the U.N. was seen as a potent institution toward the preservation of global peace. In the long run however, many U.N. mandated peacekeeping missions have shown the true impotence of their agency and have been tarnished by many terrible wartime incidents and tragedies.

I am a very strong supporter of the Canadian armed forces despite what you seem to think, I believe the Afghan mission should continue as long as is possible. I don't see how any of this has anything to do with historical and cultural legacy. It's simply part of Canada's international and humanitarian duty.

The Shuttle arm. The CANDU reactor.

Yes... all of this, worthless.

If you are talking about technological innovation and contributions, certainly Canada has had many success stories and "brand" names we can claim rights to. Many Canadians worked on the manhattan project, we have a high standard of excellence in medical research, etc. But in comparison to the contributions of other countries, it pales considerable and there is nothing wrong with that, for a country our small size. These achievements are something to be proud of...but they are the achievements of select few corporations, some government programs, and individuals. I don't see what those things have anything to do with common cultural heritage that the average citizen can identify with although they could be stepping stones to future legacy. Canada is too young to have much to celebrate in perspective to history of western civilization and many other nations.

Stop drinking the Heritage Canada kool-aid and the Canadian history lessons given to you in highschool and look at it all in perspective. It's an excellent thing and natural to be proud of your country but I've always felt the amount of resources and pressure to create and believe in some sense of nationalism and historical idenity rarely succeeds with any gravitas for a country of our youth, size, and of our cultural mix. I happen to have a political science degree which is honestly pretty useless in day to day life and maybe this makes me jaded in my dim view of Canada "trying too hard" to forge an identity from less significant things by exaggerating their importance.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by dobbles

how many PM's have you had?

i only ask because with america, we often memorize the important ones in school, but most people have no idea when james buchanen was president or whole the 23rd president was.

And that's our problem.

We have the mentality in most schools to teach only the 'important' stuff. Well, I would argue, that in American history every President was important. Every high school kid should be able to rattle off all 44 of our Presidents.