I like to think of myself as fairly well read on current events. I speak often of my fondness and disdain of multiple news sites. Well, when doing some research for a possible article idea, I needed to know who the current leader of China is. It wasn't that I couldn't remember the person, it was that I had no f@&#ing idea who it was.
Then I challenged myself: How many leaders of the 100 largest countries in the world do I know, today, May 6, 2017? You can go ahead and play along at home.
100 Largest Countries:
1. China - No idea
2. India - Ditto
3. United States - Donald Trump
4. Indonesia - No idea
5. Brazil - This is getting embarrassing
6. Pakistan - Okay, leaving spots blank now....
7. Nigeria
8. Bangladesh -
9. Russia - PUTIN!
10. Japan -
11. Mexico - Not paying for wall...
12. Philippines - President who kills the drug dealers....
13. Ethiopia -
14. Vietnam - Not Ho Chi Mihn...
15. Egypt -
16. Germany - Merkel
17. Iran -
18. Turkey - Erdogan
19. Democratic Republic of the Congo -
20. Thailand
21. France - I know their elections coming up....
22. United Kingdom - Umm, Brexit?
23. Italy
24. Myanmar
25. South Africa
26. Tanzania
27. South Korea
28. Colombia
29. Spain
30. Kenya
31. Ukraine
32. Argentina
33. Sudan
34. Algeria
35. Uganda
36. Poland
37. Iraq - Not Saddam
38. Canada - Trudeau Jr.
39. Morocco
40. Afghanistan
41. Saudi Arabia - Some new King...
42. Peru
43. Venezuela
44. Malaysia
45. Uzbekistan
46. Nepal
47. Mozambique
48. Ghana
49. Yemen
50. North Korea - Kim Jung-Un
51. Angola
52. Madagascar
53. Australia
54. Taiwan
55. Cameroon
56. Cote d'Ivoire
57. Sri Lanka
58. Niger
59. Romania
60. Syria -- Assad Jr
61. Burkina Faso
62. Chile
63. Kazakhstan
64. Mali
65. Netherlands
66. Malawi
67. Guatemala
68. Zambia
69. Ecuador
70. Cambodia
71. Zimbabwe
72. Senegal
73. Chad
74. Guinea
75. South Sudan
76. Rwanda
77. Cuba - R. Castro
78. Belgium
79. Tunisia
80. Burundi
81. Bolivia
82. Greece
83. Benin - Where in the hell is Benin?
84. Somalia
85. Haiti
86. Czech Republic
87. Dominican Republic
88. Portugal
89. Hungary
90. Sweden
91. Azerbaijan
92. Belarus
93. Honduras
94. Austria
95. Tajikistan
96. Israel - Netanyahu
97. Switzerland
98. Jordan - King Something or another
99. Togo
100. Bulgaria - I know the Pope is in charge of the Vatican, but they're not on the list....
Oof. 9/100. That's a big fat F-.
Now, giving myself the benefit of the doubt, which I don't deserve, I asked myself if I knew any of the last 5 leaders of any of these countries.
1. China - C'mon, this sucks. Mao was, like, 7 leaders back. I knew Mao.
2. India - Ghandi? (No, that's about a century ago.)
3. United States - Donald Trump, Obama, Bush W., Clinton, Bush Sr.
4. Indonesia -
5. Brazil -
6. Pakistan -
7. Nigeria
8. Bangladesh -
9. Russia - Putin, Yeltsin, Gorbachev, Andropov (Yeah, technically Chernenko instead of Andropov when checking my work, but close enough.)
10. Japan -
11. Mexico - Vincente Fox
12. Philippines - Marcos
13. Ethiopia -
14. Vietnam -
15. Egypt - Mubarak
16. Germany - Merkel
17. Iran - Ahmadinejad
18. Turkey - Erdogan
19. Democratic Republic of the Congo -
20. Thailand -
21. France -
22. United Kingdom - Tony Blair
23. Italy - Mussolini? (Again, too far back.)
24. Myanmar -
25. South Africa - Nelson Mandela
26. Tanzania
27. South Korea
28. Colombia
29. Spain
30. Kenya
31. Ukraine - The guy who got poisoned by Putin (Editor's Note: Viktor Yushchenko)
32. Argentina
33. Sudan
34. Algeria
35. Uganda
36. Poland - Walesa
37. Iraq - Saddam Hussein
38. Canada - Trudeau Jr.
39. Morocco
40. Afghanistan - That two-faced Afghan politician
(Editor's Note: Did not even come close to counting.
The person in my mind was Hamid Karzai.)
41. Saudi Arabia - King Fahd
42. Peru
43. Venezuela - Socialist loudmouth (Editor's Note: Hugo Chávez)
44. Malaysia
45. Uzbekistan
46. Nepal
47. Mozambique
48. Ghana
49. Yemen
50. North Korea - Kim Jung-Un, Kim Jung-Il
51. Angola
52. Madagascar
53. Australia
54. Taiwan
55. Cameroon
56. Cote d'Ivoire
57. Sri Lanka
58. Niger
59. Romania
60. Syria -- Assad Jr, Assad Sr.
61. Burkina Faso
62. Chile
63. Kazakhstan
64. Mali
65. Netherlands
66. Malawi
67. Guatemala
68. Zambia
69. Ecuador
70. Cambodia
71. Zimbabwe
72. Senegal
73. Chad
74. Guinea
75. South Sudan
76. Rwanda
77. Cuba - R. Castro, F. Castro
78. Belgium
79. Tunisia
80. Burundi
81. Bolivia
82. Greece
83. Benin
84. Somalia
85. Haiti - Baby Doc Duvalier
86. Czech Republic
87. Dominican Republic
88. Portugal
89. Hungary
90. Sweden
91. Azerbaijan
92. Belarus
93. Honduras
94. Austria
95. Tajikistan
96. Israel - Netanyahu
97. Switzerland
98. Jordan -
99. Togo
100. Bulgaria
29/500
Sadly, I am a dunce. Seriously. Am I stupider than most Americans? Or more stupid?
Oh forget it. At least I can find 96/100 of the countries listed below on a map.
Note from the Author: For the doubters out there, I spell checked my answers for the article. You are right, I didn't know how to spell Ahmadinejad off of the top of my head.