Ignorance is best when it's rampant

Only half of college-age Americans can point out New York on a map, according to a recent National Geographic Society survey. The number falls to 43 percent when you ask them to locate Ohio, and to a little more than one-third when you inquire about Iraq. Only a quarter of them could find Israel on a map of the Middle East. Furthermore, fewer than 30 percent of respondents even think it matters much to know where all these places they keep hearing about on television are.

They're right, of course. After all, if it mattered, they'd care about it. But they don't, so it must not. Besides, who has time to look at a map? I mean, have you seen the news about Paris Hilton?!?