What percentage of native-born Americans could pass the test to become a U.S. citizen? Beyond history and government, what are the fundamental subjects you need to grasp so you won’t be an idiot?
Bill Whittle wants to launch a new series of videos to prevent idiocity in the general populace. From the basics of U.S. government, to why an airplane flies, to the essential rules of grammar…and much more.
Will you help Bill in the comments below? What topics should be on the list?
61 replies on “Don’t Be an Idiot: Are You Smarter about U.S. Government than a Brand New Citizen?”
Bill, Stephen, Scott, or whoever reads these comments…. This is a fantastic idea for a channel, but it needs to be a separate channel.
For a channel to be successful you need to help the YouTube algorithm understand what your channel is about. Your current channel should ONLY have politics so that Youtube understands what you’re about. It figures out what your channel is about by studying your headlines, descriptions, thumbnails, and the entire auto generated text for your closed captioning.
So, for example, your virtue signal episodes are confusing the algorithm when you infuse religion. That series should also be a separate channel.
If you go ahead with this idea as another channel, and I think you should, let me suggest you begin each episode with a clip of Bill doing one of these interviews where people can’t even name three countries to hook the viewer and then teach the topic in a very short and concise manner.
As for me, I think I’d benefit from one on basic grammar. In case that wasn’t already obvious by reading my comment. 😉
i have an idea for a subject.: Don’t Be An Idiot About Basic Counting.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run into -I was going to say young people, but really, even adults- who can’t make change!
God help me if the power goes out or the computerized cash register crashes! These poor lost souls cannot figure out how to calculate the change from a $100 bill for a $77.48 purchase! Or even change of a dollar from a .37 cent purchase!
Deer in the headlights…
Learn to count change, kids!
I learned in high school, and it goes like this:
$77.48 from $100.00->
$0.02 makes $0.50-> another $0.50 makes $79.00
$1.00 makes $80.00, add $20.00 to get to $100.00.
Total change, .02 +.50 + 1.00 +20.00 = $ 21.52 change. Easy.
I do math like this (and harder) in my head all the time to keep my mind sharp. (Chemical Engineering degree; 67 years old)
I ask people to give me a four digit number and a two digit percentage every so often. Without anything but my demented brain, I get them the answer typically under a minute.
But by the way, the correct answer is $22.52. Line two was your error. It made $78.00 not $79.00. I hope you just typed it wrong.
$22.52 Thanks for keeping me on my toes, Harry! Having to think it out and transcribe the process messed me up. Like you, it normally comes automatically.
What really bugs me is when I try to explain it to the cashier (time permitting) and they look at me like I’m speaking Vulcan!
No problem. And Vulcan? In my case try Kiingon! “Heghlu meH QaQ Jajvam” ( it is a good day to die)
It’s the only one I have memorized.
The only languages I know other than English is gibberish and technobabel.
After the advent of Obama declaring America to NOT be an exceptional nation, I’d like to see a series on just what it is that makes America exceptional- the differences between the USA and all other forms of government contrasted and telling the why of it.
Additionally, I’d like to see a deep dive on HOW our constitution was formed. All the previous forms of governments that our incredibly learned founders studied and considered to come up with the form we now embrace.
And then to follow on that- the importance of the individual in our society. It truly was the first society to recognize that the individual had rights over the masses. And the individual is the most important part of any society- capable of making their own decisions for their own self-interest and how that all leads to collective happiness.
Of course a study of the works of Hayek might be in line as well.
Others:
Climate analytics and weather (especially the differences)
Geology- ancient civilizations and peoples along with carbon dating nd other methods of dating
The history of science (perhaps how closely it follows politics?) along with scientific discovery
History of transportation
Energy and energy production/distribution
That’s a start.
Another topic would be energy, and why it is essential to our economy and to our health. If you ask the average American why we live to be 85 years old, they will answer “technology” and “modern medicine.” While that is true, in part, both of those are enabled by cheap energy.
Cheap energy makes for prosperity.
Prosperity makes for old age subsidy programs like Social Security and Medicare. A poor nation cannot afford those.
Prosperity makes for research into new medical technology.
Expensive energy makes healthcare impossible, even if we have the technology already. If energy is expensive, it will first be used to keep us warm in winter and grow food; there would no more economy left to do healthcare. Imagine if electricity prices were 10X what they are today. People would pay more for energy than their mortgage. Food and goods would be astronomically expensive, too. Who would have the income to pay for medical care if they are living day-to-day?
It always amazes me how many people don’t understand this.
energy- chap energy- in whatever form is the true answer to dealing with the climate. Like it or not, the earth is doing its best to kill humans every day. We use energy to battle back against the harsh extremes of climate and weather. So, energy- no matter how “dirty” allows us to fight back those extremes and live longer and healthier lives.
Tom, you nailed everything. Everything. It’s all driven by energy. Everything you just said IS the reason we’re here, and it seems to be no accident, not happenstance.
The very best example describing this was made by a little group called FreeMarket America back in 2012 (I think) and they posted it to YouTube and amazingly, it’s still there.
https://youtu.be/CZ-4gnNz0vc
4 or so minutes and it so well describes in words, visuals and even the music, what you just said.
You nailed it. My favorite lines of many from that short video was, “I’d demonize prosperity itself, so they will not miss what they would never have” and “I’d make cheap energy expensive, so that expensive energy would seem cheap”.
Oh, and Paul Harvey’s “If I were the Devil” from 1965 is more relevant today then it was 55 years ago. Again, on YT and worth a listen.
Here are some “don’t be an idiot” ideas:
1) Why the USA is a republic, not a democracy; and the difference between the two. Also why the Constitution is the highest law of the land; and the need for checks and balances. Important to note here is that there are no pure democracies anywhere in the world; even the most backward or small countries call themselves Republics. Only uninformed Americans think that the “will of the people” needs to always win out.
2) Why we need the electoral college to elect the President. The best analogy I like is the World Series one; It’s not the team that scores the most runs in 7 games, it’s the team that wins 4 of the 7 games. Best example is the 1960 World Series. The Pirates won four games but the Yankees outscored them 55-27. Who should be the world champion? The other example is that the Founding Fathers did NOT want the big cities to dominate the nation’s politics; so the electoral college kind of ensures that ties go the rural states. That hasn’t been strictly true but it was during 2000.
3) Finally, I would repackage that video from years back where Bill discussed how wealth is created out of thin air. It was brilliant. I used it to educate my children about capitalism, and also why taxing or otherwise throttling talented people only leads to a poorer country.
P.S.: Tara Ross is a good source for background for ideas #1 and #2.
The idea lends itself to diving deep. Initially the overall subject, then break it down episodically into digestible chunks.
Even the “idiots” that I know (and love) have something that they know more about than most people around them.
You could get visitors to the “How to not sound like an idiot about …” site by doing your video and then opening up a thread for others to post their maximum four-hundred word contribution.
(But a four-hundred word contribution maximum might shut out one of our favorite contributors. You know who you are.)
I just read this.still funny!
I would change the title to “How to not sound like an idiot about …”
This is a phenomenal idea!!! I have seen numerous videos that show just how ignorant and unknowledgeable/uneducated people are even about just basic things. The list of Topics would be inexhaustible.
Nitpicking time.
I don’t like the use of the word “idiot”.
Idiot refers to intellectual capacity, not knowledge which is the focus of this subject.
Most idiots could master the subjects that Bill mentions. Most intellectually gifted people could too but many don’t see the necessity of doing so.
Intellectuals/elites set the curricula and they see no need to enlighten the masses. Thats the problem.
I just bought and am playing a game called Common’hood. Its fascinating because its a peak into the culture of part of the left. Its a basic survival game but no zombies. Homeless people living, squatting, in an abandoned factory complex. There are indications that they do not reject capitalism or property rights they simply do not think the term capitalist applies to them as they learn skills and apply them by making things. They don’t see property as theft or theft of property as right. They don’t seem to believe that property rights are possible. Or so the dialogue implies. I should have a chat to the dev team but I must learn the game first. Is on steam. Watch the video’s on the steam site they’re an education.
I think Bill is miss judging his Bahaman education. Its British but not English. Its a colonial thing. Most English schools were and are just as bad at teaching geography as US schools. The Colonies however did not see themselves as isolated nations but as part of first the Empire and then the commonwealth. Some now do see themselves as nations in isolation today. Bahamas education may have suffered as a consequence. I know Australia’s has. We were educated in a unique era when the commonwealth covered 20% of the planets land area and claimed whole oceans.
Great perspective. Never thought of “British” education as anything but monolith.
Don’t be an idiot about capitalism. Capital is the training, tools, parts, seeds and raw materials you retain so you can make stuff tomorrow. It can also be saved money kept so you can replace tools that break, buy more parts and resources for the next project. If you sell all your capital and spend all the money on food, drink and pleasurers you can’t make stuff next week. If someone takes part or all of it then you can’t produce anything the next day. You needed those tools and seeds. [Use images of game resources in chests: minecraft, common’hood. etc]
Capital for big projects is too expensive for individual workers to own so they need to bring in investors to help, this creates partnerships, coops, corporations or companies. Investors are simply people with money, savings, pension funds, cash from last years sales but its off season so they can’t spend it now. Banking is just another form of investor. The investors skill set may be less hands on but can include specializations in innovation, managing people, judging risk and future events, and/ or not getting ripped off. All collectively called investment training. Even cooperatives, communes and syndicates have leaders or bosses. [Use images of big pre WW2 factories and more modern factories]
Free market Capitalism is simply the process of allowing people with capital to keep it so they keep producing stuff. However to be free market three conditions are required: 1. anyone with the skills and starting capital can enter the market. No one, generally government, can keep them out. 2. Fraud is not allowed. People can’t claim skills and qualifications the lack; people can’t make and sell dangerous goods and services without facing legal consequences. 3. No one, not even government, can exempt a person or business from legal liability arising from their actions: i.e. pollution, false claims, dangerous actions. Generally these conditions are ensured by contracts; receipts; insurances, warranties and in some cases licenses. [Use images of abandoned factories]
Carl Marx’s definition of capital assumes condition 1 is impossible for some classes, only the rich have capital, its not the workers tools, and that taking capital away from people is safe to do. It fails because the capital is expended on food, drink, fun for those without the skills to use it. No new stuff can be made next week.
Benito Mussolini’s opposition of free market capitalism is called fascism or in English Corporatism. In this case political party confiscates and runs all the capital businesses, Overtly or covertly. The capital holder robbed may be defined by class (wealth), culture, education level, race, religion, or language. All three conditions are disallowed first to a minority and later to all as it fails. [soviet queues, the iron curtain].
The last section is a little political but is needed because most people, even on the right, are using either Marx’s definition of capital: i.e. its only available to the rich or the definitions of corporations and corporatism that Mussolini created. Though both predated the two men.
Find that video Bill did 7-10 years ago about wealth being created out of thin air. He made things so clear and so simple. It was brilliant. I think the purpose of the “Don’t be an Idiot” would be to keep things simple and clear.
Potential subjects:
a. How our electric grid is interconnected and vulnerable.
b. The real cost of illegal immigration
c. Assault rifles vs standard rifles
d. Why government money isn’t free
e. How to know if college is worth your money
Actually the grid is quite well protected against EMP but the technology they use a secret tool that traps the signal. They back up all the key junction systems. It is still at risk from direst sabotage and snow storm but recently attack on power station in the USA did very little damage. One guy fired at transforms with a sniper rifle, it caused a minor fire. Another tried to blow up transmission towers. No one noticed the damage for weeks. The Australian grid, particularly where I live, is less well protected but then few people want to attack us. We are on the opposite side of the world from most enemies.
I could pass the civics test I suspect and I’m an aussy. OK a weird Aussy because I even know the name of the game Scott’s sons playing; Geoguessr. That’s fun. It boomed during Covid lockdown because it became virtual tourism. I started with people posting pictures of themselves and the rest, including several YouTubers, had to find the location using Photo searches, google maps, and google earth.
I also know what those black balls are doing in the water reservoir, reducing evaporative losses. That’s in my uni degree. That counts as cheating I suspect.
Don’t be an Idiot…..by ignoring what your contemporaries are doing. The idea certainly has the potential to “beat” the censorship algorithm(s) by remaining apolitical and avoiding certain “trigger words”. Great idea also to establish a pipeline of content drawing from members/viewers. If it were my venture, I would partner with an established platform like PragerU, which also suffers from shadowbanning and outright censorship. As long as the content is individually surveilled, the “apolitical” stuff will sail-through, thus gaining viewership and opening the door to expanded membership and the “hard stuff” behind the paywall. It might also be a boon to PragerU as well, whose historical and political content are entertaining and enlightening.
Great idea for a series. I admit to be being ignorant about much, and look forward to becoming a non-idiot.
How about housekeeping skills? Using an iron, sewing a button on, polishing shoes, doing laundry, spring cleaning, using a plunger, (you don’t just put it in the bowl, as I’ve seen done by 2 young people), cooking basics- everything you would’ve learn if you hadn’t been in daycare.
Back in the late Seventies, a friend of a friend got a copy of 30 or so questions that were on the citizenship test. 5 took it. Three Republicans and two Democrats. Both Democrats failed it. All three Republicans passed, but one just barely. Then there was me. Of all the questions I missed only one: who was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: I will never forget now: John Jay.
Bill – Isaac Asimov wrote many short books along these lines.
Guide to Earth and Space
Asimov on Physic, Asimov on Chemistry, Asimov on Numbers, Please Explain, Asimov’s Guide To Shakespeare (I haven’t read that one, going to look for it, An Intelligent Man’s Guide to Science (from 1960 and revised as New guide to science I think in the 90s) Asimov’s Guide to the Bible.
You might find a plethora of topics in these and others.
What are the five elements of nature? Where do they come from and why are they important? Each one could take a whole 5-8 minute episode.
Another series could be based on picking a historical figure and why he/she was important. Ex: Archduke Ferdinand; Jan Sobieski.
It’s Scoolhouse Rock V2.0. As a former theater major, can you sing? Voice of Gomer Pyle, sing last Jim Nabors?
These sound fun. Not in depth like Kahn Academy! More like Smarter Every Day for people with ADD.
Just don’t let it take you eye off the Purple slice of that Pie Chart you spoke about in Invisible Man.
All good points. I think this is squarely aimed at non-political audience.
BTW – Dustin is great! And wish I could double thumbs up for Jim Nabors reference.
As a kid growing up, I simply couldn’t understand the Jim Nabors effect. Just how could that deep singing voice come out of Gomer ?
For the life of me I would never have thought that Gomer’s voice might have been an act….
On the relationship between Earth/Moon size and distance.
After doing the basketball/baseball and that distance.
Switch so that the moon is the basketball and find another object to now be the earth and how the distance changed.
BTW – using a basketball for Earth, the moon should be a tennis ball.
The distance would be just under 24 ft (23.86ft or 23’10.3″), I believe (the moon is approximately 30.2 Earth Diameters away)
If you then made the moon the Basketball, you could use the largest fitness ball which is almost 34″ diameter and the basketball would be 87.28 ft away.
Still could be done an a basketball court.
1st with the basketball as Earth. The tennis ball goes past the top of the key at the NBA 3-pt line (23′ 9″ to the center of the hoop, so this is pretty close).
An NBA court is 94 feet long with the backboard extending 4 feet inside the court. The hoop is 18 inches in Diameter. Therefore the distance from backboard to back board is 86ft, the distance from hoop center to hoop center is 84.5 ft. Pretty close as a visual.
Taking the analogy one step further, the fitness ball moon would go on one goal line of a football field, and you would need a sphere just over 10ft in diameter just inside the back line of the other end zone to represent Earth.
All of that footage could be cut and done in just about 3 minutes, providing one could figure out a sphere 10 ft in diameter (one of these balls people can walk inside and make roll?) Might not be big enough.
The next iteration gets really interesting. For a 10ft moon, the Earth is 37ft in diameter (a 3-story house, like a nice clubhouse at a golf course) and the 10 ft sphere goes 376 yd away, like on a green)
Pretty cool.
It’s Monday night and I just read this…this is so, so, so why I’m happy to be a member. Comments from the membership make this place what it is. GOOOOLLY , Ron, why does it take 4 days to travel 87.28 feet?
I find the title, “Don’t be an idiot” to be potentially a problem. Some people will immediately take it as a personal attack and shut down. Instead maybe, “YOU are NOT an IDIOT because…” would make them sit up and show interest. It makes it personal (apply narcissism to your advantage, see #4 below) and that there is the answer they did not even know they were looking for.
Subjects:
I support this project with great enthusiasm. You boys ROCK!
I agree (because I am sensitive about my lack of knowledge in many areas) I don’t want to admit it to myself! Bill, this is a great idea for people who do not know basics about how and why things work. I wish I had the schooling you did in elementary school – absolutely amazing! My sons and daughter did not learn some of the subjects you mentioned in college. You guys are, quite simply the best at what you do! Looking forward to learning how not to be an idiot!
Agreed. Call it “Essential Knowledge” or “How to sound intelligent at cocktail parties.”
Japan is in Tokyo – got it..
Actually, chemistry is more than just the electron cloud interactions between atoms, in that the size and shape of the whole molecule also comes into play for organic chemistry and (especially) biochemistry (e.g., issues of stereology, chirality, etc.). As we have recently learned, the Covid vaccines are attempting to hinder or hide the virus’s spike protein (a molecule of a specific size and shape) from interacting with and penetrating various cell membranes within the body (especially in the lungs and blood).
So maybe molecular stereology could be a topic for this endeavor. If this goes forward, I would add segments addressing
But I am sorry … I have an issue with this whole scheme.
I think I understand the spirt in which this idea is being considered (Thomas Jefferson’s “no people can be both ignorant and free”). But as I listened up to minute 16 or so, I realized, this is basically an effort in competition with the Great Courses, Kahn Academy, even Hillsdale College, and many others who are on our side. And if the aim is to avoid political topics or related issues, … well, that is why I come to BWDC, to explore how we can address and overcome the Leftists’/ Progressives’/ Democrats’/ Communists’ efforts to take away our liberty. The Virtue Signal discussions also address that before we can make America great again, we need to make America virtuous again…. with the prime virtue being honesty (facing reality, regaining proper reporting from the media, etc.). Being courageous, exhibiting integrity, etc. are similar virtues. Being knowledgeable may be another one, but it is probably further down the list than honesty, etc.
WRT YT subscribe and bell buttons. I noticed several months back that I was not getting notifications of RA videos or any other BW videos. I then unsubscribed, subscribed and hit the notification bell. Now I get a pop up on my phone within a minute of so of Scott posting it.
So clearly something changed.
Scott – you may want to pin the advice Bill gave at the end as a comment, or maybe post that 30 seconds as a separate video.
I have to say, I so rarely check my email, that I miss most of your stuff. I would listen, gladly, to a lot more if I knew how to bring it up on you tube. I enjoy what I learn from each one that I do catch.
Suggestions …
Don’t be an idiot about the principles of logic.
Don’t be an idiot about firearms (for our liberal friends who think a battle rifle or an assault rifle and a semi-auto civilian rifle are all the same thing, etc.)
Don’t be an idiot about basic wifi and cabled networks.
Don’t be an idiot about intrinsic inherent rights vs. social trends.
Don’t be an idiot about basic automobile maintenance.
Don’t be an idiot about weather and weather forecasts.
I’ll think of some more later…
Consider your audience: your current audience or a greater reach? Having people share your postings seems the real intent because those you described at the beginning of this podcast are not likely to tune in.
Hi Bill,
The Christian faith of our founding fathers.
I think that a series on basic government would be excellent. It does not need to delve into politics but focus of structure and constitutional responsibilities or lack there of.
Bill: I would suggest “Don’t be an idiot about _____ in 8 minutes or less”
Time could change for each lesson but time in the title is…attractive or informative or “Yeah, I can do that.”
PragerU
Bill:
How are you doing on your project with Zo about a video game for teenagers?
Later, John.
Bill:
Point at and name 10 of the states on a map of the U.S.
Where is Lake Vostok?
What is Ground Substance?
Later, John.
I watch your videos on this website. Would it be better for the algorithm to watch them on Youtube!?!
Saunders I asked this question a while back and the short answer is yes.
Generally I watch here, then go to YT and Rumble and just play each one without listening and hit the thumbs up equivalent at the end.
I like your idea of “Don’t be an Idiot”…but, I would suggest that …”in Simple Terms” to be added. In my opinion most people do not have the patience to learn about things that an author has detailed the subject that is being discussed. Therefore, keeping the informing criteria short, sweet, and to the point, will keep the reader…reading.
Astronomy
Capitalism
World Geography (basic)
But, I would love to see what you come up with!!
I support the suggestion for “Don’t be an idiot about our Bill of Rights”?
And “Don’t be an idiot about America’s Electoral College.”
And PLEASE check out PragerU’s website about the stupidy and brainwashing of our children in America’s public schools. Their videos are only about 5 minutes long.
Government does NOT create:
The basics of human anatomy and physiology
I’m not one with a camera or a basketball/baseball analogy, but one huge gap in understanding with many people is the content of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The Bill of Rights (1-10) are fundamental, of course, but the one I can think of that isn’t so well understood is the 17th Amendment. Why it happened, when it happened, and the result to the American government and overall political system.
Passing a Civics test should be a requirement for voting – and running for office.
Amen, Jan