Just like the Health System ranking was the best measurements we had on health systems over in the healthcare thread? At least those measurements weren't of such variable data and inconsistent data.

Actually they were much more inconsistant... and laregely irrevelent.

PPP is usually based off of global goods.  Like Ipods and the like.  Quality is a factor in some PPP studies... not all.  However ALL PPP studies have the US ahead of the UK.

It's like Famitsu and Medicrate.  They aren't going to get a perfect PPP.  However they are going to give you a good idea.

Which is true, unless you have done some serious research and work every other semester for a company which pushes technology by the year, you know... what makes the US such an advanced place, I doubt you have contributed more than I have.

     You know, I couldn't tell you about myself.  But any highschool graduate that has not even had one day of college work that has gone into the services and been killed in a war sure has.

    Besides, the point you're making is that you're from Europe and so much smarter than Americans and giving more to the country than any American because you're European and so special.  You're just a smarmy lad.

Actually this has nothing to do with Europe, but immigrants. We do more to hoist this country up than your natural Americans, doesn't have to be from Europe, could be from Asia or Africa. Since generally only smart people are let in (and Cubans), legal immigrants and their children on average are far smarter than your average American and his children. Take out the immigrants, and the US will crumble.

And to be realistic, I don't see how people that die in Iraq have contributed to the greatness of America at all. In fact, war has never advanced a nation since all funds get siphoned into fighting the war instead of advancing said country. War is in fact a detriment.

       Well, like I said go in one of those redneck bars down there in the south where you live (take a video camera along with you to document the results) and start letting loose with these ideas of yours, and we'll see how much you contribute to America.

I'd like to say two things: America is a great place to live, and the people are for the most part great people to live with.

Also, the US has some misplaced values... at least according to Europeans. The US values consuming too much... and doesn't care enough about having smart kids and..you know.. all the schmuck.

You're really losing it now. Does the possibility of you have worse school educational system mean that americans can't be intelligent? to be knowledgeable and to be intelligent are two very different things.

This isn't about you being smart or dumb, it's the amount of knowledge that you can recieve throughout your school period. In that sense most americans lose right from the get go compared to kids from the European union. We go to school longer, our studies last longer, what does that mean? usually that we have gained more knowledge than most our age.

For christs sake man, by the time i had begun my high school programme it turned out i knew things that they teach you guys on universities. At least as far as math, geography and history go.

@ Vlad and rattlesnake

Woosh....this has been going on for quite some time. Here's a truce proposal. Each of us go our own way to another thread and we shan't speak of this thread ever again.

Agreed?

Also... I'd note that intellegent people tend to be intellegent no matter where they go. If I went to Europe i bet i'd be smarter then most of the people then Europe.

Also, i'd say it seems that intellegence, like many things in the US just doesn't seem to be equally distributive. We've got som horrendus... horrendus schools.

We've also got schools however that i bet would go up against other countries with ease.

The standard deviation of american intellegence i'd guess is higher then other nations.

Though how one goes about actually grading such intellegence is a tough thing to figure out. In general the US i believe is two points lower then the UK in Median IQ.