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1 in 4 Britons Think Winston Churchill Never Existed
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:38 pm
by Baconsticks
One in four Britons don't believe wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill existed, according to a recent survey.
Churchill is compared to Florence Nightingale and Sir Walter Raleigh, seen by many survey respondents as a mythical person, the London Daily Mail reported Monday.
The survey, conducted with 3,000 respondents to test their general knowledge, reported other historical figures such as Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, Cleopatra and the Duke of Wellington were made up for books and films, the Mail reported.
The survey, by UKTV Gold, also found that Sherlock Holmes was a real person.
Young Britons under 20 lack a basic historical education according to the survey results, historian Correlli Barnett told the Daily Mail.
"This suggests a complete lack of common sense and respect for our greatest heroes of the past," Barnett said.
I blame rabid_fox.
Then again, this is from the daily mail, so it's probably bullshit.
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:51 pm
by CameronCN
Amazing.
One in four Britons like to mess up polls by purposely putting in the wrong answers. I bet they're laughing to read about how dumb the paper thinks they are because the paper was dumb enough to take it seriously.
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:49 am
by Hanging Tree
I guess the only solution is for Britian to ban history.
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:50 am
by Zaaphod
I'm with Cameron on this one. Apparently British pollsters are as useless as American ones.
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:57 am
by CameronCN
I'm with Cameron on this one. Apparently British pollsters are as useless as American ones.
Yeah. There was a very funny Zits strip about where the main character did exactly what I described. It's a risk whenever you ask someone an obvious question.
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:05 am
by Kazapsky
I'm reminded of the cereal ads where roughly half of people surveyed didn't realize Rice Krispies were, in fact, made with rice.
"What the heck did you think it was made with?"
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:15 am
by Rooster
I'm with Cameron on this one. Apparently British pollsters are as useless as American ones.
Not David Cameron, surely?
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:25 am
by datherman
I'm reminded of the cereal ads where roughly half of people surveyed didn't realize Rice Krispies were, in fact, made with rice.
"What the heck did you think it was made with?"
"Concentrated essence of pure awesome, of course."
But yeah, polls are general useless.
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:34 am
by rabid_fox
I am the master of misinformation and for the last ten years have been spreading a particularly delicious piece of psuedo-propaganda that Winston Churchill was actually the name of a popular stuffed toy released in the 1950's and, as Britain pulled itself out of post-war economic depression the name 'Churchill' became synonymous with victory over the long-term effects of warfare on a country.
So when asked if Winston Churchill was real, it's likely that a Brit will go "Aaaahaaa, you don't fink I'd loike, fall for 'at'un, diya?"
Silly Britties.
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:24 am
by Zaaphod
I'm with Cameron on this one. Apparently British pollsters are as useless as American ones.
Not David Cameron, surely?
Sorry man, don't know who that is. *shrugs*
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:10 am
by rabid_fox
It's a top class Britopolitics joke.
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:31 pm
by Sage
I heard that some people don't believe World War 2/the holocaust really happened.
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:42 pm
by Bocaj Claw
I heard the same thing except in conjunction with lovely real estate in antarctica where we can isolate these people.
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:48 pm
by Rooster
It's a top class Britopolitics joke.
Well, I wouldn't say that...I mean, it's not at HIGNFY levels of wit
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:13 am
by Zaaphod
It's a top class Britopolitics joke.
Ahh, that's why I hadn't heard of it.
Well, I wouldn't say that...I mean, it's not at HIGNFY levels of wit
I like showing off my wit. Well, half of it anyway.
