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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 5:56 pm Post subject: "Koreans must take advantage of World's highest IQ" |
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From the Chosun Iblo:
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200811/200811040015.html
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Koreans Must Take Advantage of World's Highest IQ
Some economists have been warning for some time that the new liberalism that represented the U.S. economy was a global time bomb waiting to explode. It finally detonated and economies around the world have been hit hard, feeling the impact of a credit crisis. Experts both at home and abroad are predicting a long, severe period of economic stagnation.
Looking back at the United States in 1992, the Clinton administration pursued a �New Economy� policy under the slogan �the two Bills� -- Bill Clinton and Bill Gates -- will save the world�s largest economy. This policy was characterized by reviving competition in the markets through appropriate regulations, while nurturing the information and communication industries in order to provide innovations to the real economy. This had the effect of shifting the U.S. economy from an industrial to a knowledge and information-based one.
By contrast, the Bush administration pursued a policy of New Liberalism, whereby markets are left to roll along on their own, while the government controls the amount of currency in circulation. This had the effect of promoting a money-lending economy led by financial and other capitalistic interests. As a result, short-term investments and derivative financial products, risky mortgage loans and real-estate speculation surged, while healthy, long-term investments disappeared. The real economy and employment conditions naturally deteriorated under these conditions. The U.S. applied its New Liberalism to global financial markets and trade relations, thereby damaging the global economy.
Yet in its efforts to calm panic-stricken financial markets, the Bush administration ended up voluntarily damaging its own doctrine by undertaking massive market intervention on an astronomical scale. Meanwhile, former Federal Reserve Board chairman Alan Greenspan belatedly acknowledged the �mistakes� of his flawed market theory and his opposition to regulations on derivatives products, and voiced his support for the Bush administration�s market intervention policy.
John McCain and his fellow Republicans are going against their principle of non-intervention and seeking reforms on Wall Street. The U.S. has had to pay a huge price to learn that there is no market without rules and that the real economy comes first.
The global focus will once again shift from money-lending economy to real knowledge-based economy. In an era of such an economy, creative knowledge, rather than landmass and population, determine a nation�s wealth. The level of creative knowledge depends on intelligence. In the end, national wealth is closely related to the intelligence level of the public and this becomes more so as a knowledge-based economy becomes increasingly sophisticated.
In 2002, professors Richard Lynn of England and Tatu Vanhanen of Finland published a joint thesis entitled �IQ and the Wealth of Nations.� In the thesis, the two experts presented research data on the average IQs of different countries. Hong Kong ranked first (107), South Korea second (106), Japan third (105), German and Italy sixth (102), China and England 12th (100), the United States and France 19th (9 , Russia 25th (96), Israel 26th (95) and India 59th (81). In 2003 research by the Medical School of the University of Vienna in Austria, Hong Kong ranked first (107), South Korea second (106), Japan third (105), Germany and Italy fifth (102), China and England 11th (100). Research by Dr. Thomas Volken of Zurich University in 2004 shows similar results: Hong Kong first (107), South Korea second (106), Japan and North Korea third (105), Germany and Italy sixth (102), China and England 13th (100), the U.S. and France 21st (9, Russia and Vietnam 34th (96) and India 117th (81).
The three theses show that the average IQs of Koreans is 106 -- second in the world. If you exclude Hong Kong, which is part of China, then Korea is virtually ranked top. The main reason why Korea, with its limited land and natural resources, was able to post exponential growth until now, was probably because of the intelligence of its people.
Yet we hear learned people making belittling comments about us. Self abasement during difficult times is like poison. During times like this, we need to strengthen ourselves with self-confidence backed by evidence. We overcame the Korean War, achieved industrialization, weathered out the Asian financial crisis, and created a knowledge-based economy. On top of that, the present cold spell is nothing compared to what we have had to endure in the past. Koreans, boasting the highest average IQ in the world, are already prepared for the era of the knowledge-based economy. If we remain confident and join hands to defeat this cold spell, then we will certainly be able to rise to the level of advanced nation status. |
The column was contributed by Hwang Tai-youn, a professor of political science at Dongguk University.
So many layers of irony. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Proof that intelligence doesn't always equal intellect, I suppose. |
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in_seoul_2003
Joined: 24 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, this IQ schpeel has been done to death by Koreans and it can be analyzed so many many ways.
For example, what does he mean "we overcame the Korean war"? First of all, the "we" doesn't make sense since it was fought BETWEEN Koreans, so what did you overcome? Nevermind, the complete lack of historical context and the exclusionary nature of this "we" - no help?
Another irony: it shows its rallying-cry disingenuity by being directed towards Koreans, but, in being written in English, obviously directed at foreigners - "In case you haven't heard already, we have the highest IQ!", and that's all it amounts to.
And why exclude Hong Kong? Even if it isn't an independent nation, but functions in many ways like an independent geographical entity, there is no reason to exclude it, unless, of course, the article is about nationalism and only about nationalism... |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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I.Q. tests are largely based on information learned from textbooks.
Problem solving? comprehension skills? applied creativity? expansive understanding?
Riiigghht! |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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| in_seoul_2003 wrote: |
Yeah, this IQ schpeel has been done to death by Koreans and it can be analyzed so many many ways.
For example, what does he mean "we overcame the Korean war"? First of all, the "we" doesn't make sense since it was fought BETWEEN Koreans, so what did you overcome? Nevermind, the complete lack of historical context and the exclusionary nature of this "we" - no help?
Another irony: it shows its rallying-cry disingenuity by being directed towards Koreans, but, in being written in English, obviously directed at foreigners - "In case you haven't heard already, we have the highest IQ!", and that's all it amounts to.
And why exclude Hong Kong? Even if it isn't an independent nation, but functions in many ways like an independent geographical entity, there is no reason to exclude it, unless, of course, the article is about nationalism and only about nationalism... |
With the "we overcame the Korean War" I thought you were going in a different direction. I would look at it as they didn't really overcome anything. The UN forces during the war, and foreign aid and US protection after the war is what "overcame" the Korean War.
Why exclude Hong Krong? Because it is detrimental to the writer's argument. |
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traxxe
Joined: 21 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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Well, once you figure in the other half of Korea. This high IQ drops pretty damn quick. Or are they already so elitest to exclude their 'inferior' northern counterparts.
If they were so smart they would have unified. Oh, and the won would be as strong as the yen right now. |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| traxxe wrote: |
Well, once you figure in the other half of Korea. This high IQ drops pretty damn quick. Or are they already so elitest to exclude their 'inferior' northern counterparts.
If they were so smart they would have unified. Oh, and the won would be as strong as the yen right now. |
It actually says that DPRK is third at 105 in a 2004 study.
Last edited by esetters21 on Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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NoExplode
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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The data in these studies is absolutely flawed. India with an 81 IQ? They don't mention which IQ test was used (which score absolutely differently (Stanford-Binet, Woodcock-Johnson, WISC, WAIS, etc.) So the average Indian is only 6 points above being clinically retarded?  The Indians that I've met both abroad and in India strike me as far more refined and intelligent than the average Korean--even the poorer than dirt Indians.
The Professors and Economists seem unaware they are using viral e-mails that circulated a few years ago as their data. These circulated almost as much as the Nigerian scam emails--only thing was changed was that sometimes it was Chinese with the top IQ (when the SPAM was sent out by Chinese), and other times Koreans were tops (sent out by Koreans).
The fact is, each country's IQ, by definition, is 100. 100 means average. If that country has an average of 104, the test is off by 4 points, or perhaps cheating went on... We know that in the last 50 years, globally, IQ's have risen by roughly 5 points (depending on the test). However, scoring is adjusted to keep the average exactly at the 50% mark.
There's something uniquely hilarious about a person that has to tell you how smart they are... |
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Tjames426
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:01 pm Post subject: hmm.... |
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2 Wars...
First war was between China and Japan over Korea. Koreans did nothing to protect themselves. Let Japan conquer without any resistance,
except whine and complain about the USA...
Second War was between N Koreans / Chinese and the UN. S Koreans did little to nothing in protecting themselves. Other countries had to fight for South Korea to stay independent.
Is that a sign of a high IQ????
Hmmmm.... |
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samcheokguy
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
Location: Samcheok G-do
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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you know why koreans have the highest IQ?
because all the stupid ones kill themselves
It's like self-inflicted eugenics here between the suicide and the drivers. |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
I.Q. tests are largely based on information learned from textbooks.
Problem solving? comprehension skills? applied creativity? expansive understanding?
Riiigghht! |
There exist a plethora of alternative IQ tests.
FYI I have dyslexia and on a normal IQ test I would score 20 points lower then on an IQ test taking into account my specific disability.
So IQ tests don't mean *beep* until you know what they are exactly comparing, and are only usable for that limited spectrum. |
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crusher_of_heads
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Location: kimbop and kimchi for kimberly!!!!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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| traxxe wrote: |
If they were so smart they would have unified. Oh, and the won would be as strong as the yen right now. |
They believe in fan death and confucianism as a philosophical way of life-what more proof do you need of a collectively higher IQ, peeing in a cup in Popeye's? |
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PeteJB
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I remember an episode of a sci-fi series called Farscape, where in an episode (Three Crichtons) the main character gets sampled and cloned into two other copies. The first copy is a caveman version, representing the first stages of human evolution - the second is an evolved version, with a high IQ representing a possible future evolution path. The person with the highest IQ was the worst. No traces of humanity left, only cunning self interests. |
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Gatsby
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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What a crock!
There has been so much BS about intelligence testing over the years. And generally the so called experts touting it have been phonies and racists.
How many of you recall taking IQ tests in school?
I don't. I don't think the U.S. routinely gives IQ tests to students. It's a waste of money and a waste of time. They give aptitude and achievement tests. The only kids who routinely get IQ tests in the U.S. are ones with developmental disabilities, to track their development. Is that the base used for gauging the U.S. collective IQ?
Yet in Korea every student knows their IQ to the decimal place. Just ask them. I've had kids come out an announce their IQ to me in class, unasked; some even announce that they are a genius. Yeah, right. Apparently "genius" means something different in Korean than in the West.
How many geniuses do you have in your class? Try asking them this question:
If a box weighs 11 pounds, how many kilograms is it, to the nearest kilogram?
Hint: one pound equals 454 grams.
I've had entire classes that just stare blankly, and even after five minutes can't figure it out.
This should take anyone with normal intelligence, even an elementary school student, less than 30 seconds to figure out.
Try it. |
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SHANE02
Joined: 04 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Eieinstien said "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination". That's true if you ask me. |
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