Zogby feigns shock (shock!) that most Americans can’t name the presidents of Brazil or Mexico. I mean…have these people met an American lately? Personally I’d be startled if a decisive majority could rattle off the names of a dozen foreign countries. Do you have any idea how many of our compatriots ask me what state Washington DC is in?
So I was actually quite encouraged that most Americans name Colombia as one of America’s biggest adversaries in Latin America. Zogby claims that it’s a further sign of American ignorance, of course. But really, I’m pleasantly surprised that no matter what Condi Rice or Jackson Diehl say, people sort of intuitively get that a government that siphons off the largest chunk of our foreign spending to kill its own people and is responsible for, you know, the drug war, is probably not looking out for our best interests.
But then a reader jolted me back to reality, passing on this little article about the Zogby poll, in which the “reporter” points out that the non-existent nation of “Columbia” must be our best ally because we send billions of dollars there every year to “assist them in fighting drugs and the bands of gorillas.”
In a sad way, it’s like everything is right in the world again. Wooga wooga.
