9 replies to this topic

[David.M]

Hey everybody, I'd really appreciate it if you guys would take this survey I had to make for my government class. It's just six questions so it goes quickly. Here's the link. Thanks a lot.

[Don Carnage]

The history of the American Continent since its "discovery" by Western colonialists in the late 15th century, has largely consisted of cultural extinction, mass genocide and environmental destruction, in the name of profit, progress and the domination of Christianity.

The claim of the OP survey is that a sole country, that rose above the others largely through these same means, to become the leader of the so-called "free world", represents an entire continent and its "American values".

I think that the survey will get quite skewed results, simply based on the fact that what is really referred to, is the idealized values of Western democracy, entrepreneurship and free-thinking, not the politics of governments in North and South America in modern history.

I like Western values, but over here we're doing fine on our own, thanks.

Edited by Don Carnage, 16 October 2012 - 01:12 PM.

[David.M]

You may be right about the American vs Western ideals. I thought American ideals would generally be viewed as ideals from the US.

[Shippou]

Many "survey" companies spend years researching and perfecting the art of how to ask a question in such a way, as to get the answers they want.

I won't bother answering such a blatantly biased "poll" as this

Edit: This line has been retracted.

Do you feel that the United States is a militant nation? *

Do you believe that the United States is imperialistic? *

Should the United States spread American ideals to other nations? *

Does the spreading of American ideals benefit other nations? *

Should the United States act as a global police force? *

For statistical purposes, do you live inside or outside of the United States? *

Edited by Shippou, 16 October 2012 - 04:30 PM.

[David.M]

What purpose did putting that quote and my survey together have? The quote is his opinion, not mine and is not part of the survey.

[Shippou]

- Retracted since I can not prove it -

Edited by Shippou, 16 October 2012 - 04:29 PM.

[Don Carnage]

I won't bother answering such a blatantly  biased  "poll" as this

""The history of the American Continent since its "discovery" by Western colonialists in the late 15th century, has largely consisted of cultural extinction, mass genocide and environmental destruction, in the name of profit, progress and the domination of Christianity.""

Do you feel that the United States is a militant nation? *

Do you believe that the United States is imperialistic? *

Should the United States spread American ideals to other nations? *

Does the spreading of American ideals benefit other nations? *

Should the United States act as a global police force? *

For statistical purposes, do you live inside or outside of the United States? *

Looks like a perfectly fine poll to me, what's wrong with it? This is how all polls should be - clearly stating upfront which ideological, political or economical motivation they have for manipulating public opinion. Seems I inadvertently fixed the poll.

@David:
Seriously though, the questions are poorly formed in places, to make them seem laden or ambiguous. Say someone answer yes to 1) and 2). 3) then becomes: "should the [militant] U.S. spread American ideals to other nations [through imperialism]?" If the preceding questions had been sane, or the concept of American ideals explained, you'd get completely different results, which invalidates the poll.

[Don Carnage]

That popped up as the title of the survey. It's since been changed.

That's awesome though, LOL!

[papalazaru]

What ideals (by that you mean values?), and by what means. Not specific and too ambiguous.

[Prinz Eugn]

I did it, but a lot of the terms should have been defined better. American ideals or American culture? It's somewhat difficult to object to ideals generally ("people should be free and stuff"), but the practical implications spreading culture are quite different ("we drive everywhere so give us cheap gas, dammit!").