boatin

I'm stunned that anyone could see a problem with this show. Sure, question it's execution, or some of the choices within the show, but this seems to go back to the conversation that has permeated many of these threads: is understanding good?

It's so clear to me that understand only helps, and never hurts, that I'm still befuddled by those that don't see it. I try and try to understand, but continue to fail to see why this could be bad. Note: I'm not (nor is anyone I've seen) advocating that understanding alone will solve the problem. Please don't put those words in my mouth.

As to whether he was 'average', I'd say so. As someone else pointed out, not average in that he was willing to do this. But certainly average in his knowledge of that culture. By participating in this board most everyone here has, definitionally, more knowledge than average. Many of us are in/have been in school longer than average.

I just had a conversation with a coworker whose husband is in the national guard. Both she and her husband thought that some of the 9-11 hijackers were Iraqi. They both believed that we found WMD in Iraq.

I would suggest that they are 'average' in their knowledge. If you don't like the word 'average' (tough to average knowledge), I'd suggest that many many Americans believe such things. Certainly they know nothing of the cultures of the Middle East.