Take Germany's newest citizenship test as administered in Baden Württemberg.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Now, the magazine apparently doctored on the choice of answers but the questions are actually from a new citizenship test that one of the most conservative states there has recently adopted. Watch a variation of this one coming to a USCIS office near you soon!

Are you worthy?

Damn!

[silvanski 1]

Ich bin ein Baden-Württemberger

[JayJay 4]

That's absolutely hilarious!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

That's absolutely hilarious!

Actually, it's quite shocking that a German state would test people on their opinions when making a decision on whether or not to award them citizenship. Clearly, people from many cultural and/or religous backgrounds are bound to "fail" that test based on nothing but their personal beliefs and choices. It's a shame that a state in Germany would stoop so low. This is not going to stand in the long run but it's still shocking...

[Fischkoepfin 1]

The most amazing thing about this test is that only Muslim men need to take it. That is of course also the reason why it will not be in existence for a very long time...

It is also surprising that anyone believes that you can't lie on this test. I mean, if asked whether you would blow up buildings or abuse your wife what would your anwser be??

Conservative pseudo-Christian nationalist idiots! (This insult is solely directed at those who are members of the Christian Democratic Party in Germany)

Thanks for posting this, Reinhard!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Ich bin ein Baden-Württemberger

Should feel right at home in Texas, then...

[almaty 19]

i sucked/

[Fischkoepfin 1]

i sucked/

Me too. Luckily I already have German citizenship, so I just have to hope they're not planning to extend the test to Germans...

[I'm Gone 60]

The U.S. Naturalization test is supposed to be updated in 2008 and it will probably be harder than it is now.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles...not_presidents/

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The U.S. Naturalization test is supposed to be updated in 2008 and it will probably be harder than it is now.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles...not_presidents/

All good and fair (even though a significant number of born and raised Americans would likely fail even the current, fairly simple citizenship test). The US citizenship test is based on knowledge of facts about the country's history and government system as well as some knowledge of the English language. I can appreciate that kind of testing. But testing opinion?

Edited February 1, 2006 by ET-US2004

[bhajishah 4]

You have got to be kidding

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Testing values. Values are opinions, yes. But values are also the foundation of any nation. Men who react to caricatures of their religious figures by attacking the cartoonists DO NOT BELONG in secular societies. A secular response would be to make a counter-cartoon or even a non-violent protest or a letter to the editor.0

Values matter.

That said, I think testing them this way is silly. People who want to pass the test still can. The proper (IMHO) way to test values is by making it illegal to do certain things, like attacking reporters or burning newspapers that you haven't paid for. Laws should reflect values. Send immigrants who break the host countries laws back home.

[Fischkoepfin 1]

The U.S. Naturalization test is supposed to be updated in 2008 and it will probably be harder than it is now.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles...not_presidents/

All good and fair (even though a significant number of born and raised Americans would likely fail even the current, fairly simple citizenship test). The US citizenship test is based on knowledge of facts about the country's history and government system as well as some knowledge of the English language. I can appreciate that kind of testing. But testing opinion?

If you look at the story in the Boston Globe, the US citizenship test will also move towards testing opinion:

So the Office of Citizenship is designing a new test, to be administered starting in 2008. It will ask aspiring citizens about what it means to be American, rather than quiz them on picayune facts. Officials say it is more important to ask immigrants about such principles as freedom of speech and religion, than for them to know trivia quiz items like how many amendments there are to the Constitution.

While I can understand the reasoning behind changing the test, it is absolutely ridiculous to base results on opinions. I'm sure if we pose the question "what does it mean to be an American" in this forum we'll get many different answers half of which are not necessarily wrong but probably not what would be expected at the test; testing values is impossible and whether an answer is right or wrong is absolutely subjective; thus not only the answers are based on opinions but also the results.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

While I can understand the reasoning behind changing the test, it is absolutely ridiculous to base results on opinions. I'm sure if we pose the question "what does it mean to be an American" in this forum we'll get many different answers half of which are not necessarily wrong but probably not what would be expected at the test; testing values is impossible and whether an answer is right or wrong is absolutely subjective; thus not only the answers are based on opinions but also the results.

I agree that it is ridiculous. I disagree with you, however, on why.

I think there are certain answers to that question that oughta disqualify an immigrant from naturalizing. For example, if an immigrant said, "it means I can get a Federal job so I can sabotage the US government from the inside"... that would be grounds.

Absurd? Yes. I know.

But the point is, not all values are "ok". There are some values, which, IMHO, should disqualify an immigrant from naturalizing. But how is one to test values? It can't be done. People lie on tests all the time. And just because someone says something doesn't mean they will ever take it beyond words.

Value tests need to be within the framework of the law. Our laws need to enforce our values. Things like hiring women, respecting dissent, respecting private property. We already HAVE laws to support all these values. If an immigrant really has no respect for these values to the point where they will break existing laws... well, then deport them.

But testing like this is silly.

[slim 1,525]

So if the German govt. is only going to test Muslim men, aren't they basically affirming the values that women's oppinions don't matter?

And right here at home, aren't the values of our founding fathers being largely ignored today?