Things everybody knows that are actually wrong

[??????????]

That George Washington Carver "invented" peanut butter.

[dead0man]

Duh, he's the guy that killed George Washington.  Everybody knows that.

[Mint]

That George Washington Carver "invented" peanut butter.

True, but he invented so many other uses for Peanuts and other crops that he's still underrated.

[Daniel Z]

The Scream cost Dean the Democratic nomination.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The Scream cost Dean the Democratic nomination.

That's something only ignorants "know". Anyone with a clue about politics knows it's bullsh!t.

[Mint]

The Scream cost Dean the Democratic nomination.

That's something only ignorants "know". Anyone with a clue about politics knows it's bullsh!t.

How about there really being a 'scream' in the first place?

[7,052,770]

that the worst race riots in the 1960's were in the South

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Here's a real political one: That the televised debates cost Nixon the election in 1960.

The Gallup tracking polling showed no discernable effect after the debates.

[Purple State]

The only slave-owners in the antebellum South were whites. 

Or that most Southerners owned huge plantations and lots of slaves.

[Torie]

I don't know if these qualify but:

Jews are the richest ethnic group in the United States
The United States has the highest standard of living in the world.
Native Americans had little or no impact on "European" American culture
Europeans took over the New World because they had a more "high tech" culture
Malthusianism is a discredited theory
Western Culture got more high tech first because of Greek philosophical constructs
Christianity materially slowed down the advance of science
Most folks thought the world was flat when Columbus lifted anchor [I see this one was already noted above]
Slavery was never common north of the Mason Dixon line
As a percentage of the US population taking casualties, the Civil War was the worst in US history
The US population was largely uneducated prior to public schools becoming common
Smaller class size improves the quality of education in general
Unions in general increase worker wages over what they would otherwise be
The Normans were of "French" origin

[Purple State]

As a percentage of the US population taking casualties, the Civil War was the worst in US history

What was?

[Torie]

As a percentage of the US population taking casualties, the Civil War was the worst in US history

What was?

King Philip's War.  At one time, almost the entirety of the European population was barricaded in Boston.

[Purple State]

As a percentage of the US population taking casualties, the Civil War was the worst in US history

What was?

King Philip's War.  At one time, almost the entirety of the European population was barricaded in Boston.

Not really the US at that point...

[12th Doctor]

I don't know if these qualify but:

Jews are the richest ethnic group in the United States
The United States has the highest standard of living in the world.
Native Americans had little or no impact on "European" American culture
Europeans took over the New World because they had a more "high tech" culture
Malthusianism is a discredited theory
Western Culture got more high tech first because of Greek philosophical constructs
Christianity materially slowed down the advance of science
Most folks thought the world was flat when Columbus lifted anchor [I see this one was already noted above]
Slavery was never common north of the Mason Dixon line
As a percentage of the US population taking casualties, the Civil War was the worst in US history
The US population was largely uneducated prior to public schools becoming common
Smaller class size improves the quality of education in general
Unions in general increase worker wages over what they would otherwise be
The Normans were of "French" origin

First off, the supposed effect that the Natives had on American government (a recently popular theory) has been shown to be massively over stated.  The Iroquois League had very little, if any effect on the political thought of the Founders.

Malthus is fully discredited when it comes to human population science.  The only people who still follow his theories are radical population control enthusiasts.

I've never heard anyone, who knew anything, claim that the Normans were of French origin.  Who have you been talking to?

And yes, while other countries do have higher standards of living, the standard of living of the United States per is size and demographic diversity absolutely dwarf any others.  In fact, the fact that the United States is an affluent, populous country is somewhat remarkable.

[12th Doctor]

As a percentage of the US population taking casualties, the Civil War was the worst in US history

What was?

King Philip's War.  At one time, almost the entirety of the European population was barricaded in Boston.

Not really the US at that point...

Yeah, I think they count this stuff starting from Independence (or at least from the point of high colonial status) for a reason.

[Torie]

As a percentage of the US population taking casualties, the Civil War was the worst in US history

What was?

King Philip's War.  At one time, almost the entirety of the European population was barricaded in Boston.

Not really the US at that point...

Good catch. The comment should have been rephrased to something along the lines of within the boundaries of the current United States or something. It is tough to phrase however, without letting the cat out of the bag.

[Gustaf]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

[Purple State]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

Since when are we an ethnic group? That whole religious-ethnic confusion has always seemed odd to me. But, looking at it this way, perhaps the Mormons? Or Vietnamese?

[Gustaf]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

Since when are we an ethnic group? That whole religious-ethnic confusion has always seemed odd to me. But, looking at it this way, perhaps the Mormons? Or Vietnamese?

Let's not kid ourselves...we're an ethnic group. Otherwise I can't include myself.

I suspect Asians too, depending on the definition.

[Torie]

First off, the supposed effect that the Natives had on American government (a recently popular theory) has been shown to be massively over stated.  The Iroquois League had very little, if any effect on the political thought of the Founders.

The impact was on frontiersmen, whose ethos than percolated into the population at large, regarding living free from government constraints etc. It annealed the American celebration of individuality at least as an ideal.

Malthus is fully discredited when it comes to human population science.  The only people who still follow his theories are radical population control enthusiasts.

Malthus ruled until about 1800 or so. The per capita standard of living was largely constant with blips up and down and at subsistence level until then, with the equilibrating mechanism being that the population would grow to its max size given the available resources. If rulers wasted a lot of resources, within a relatively short period of time, the population would decline until a subsistence standard of living for the rest of the population was restored. The  standard of living popped up after the black death (the 1400's were a grand time to be living in that sense, and then the standard of living went back down as the population went back up). The Rwanda genocide was largely driven by Malthus. There were just too many folks on too little land, and most of the deaths were intra tribe, not inter tribe, as folks desperately wanted to take someone else's land to farm.

I've never heard anyone, who knew anything, claim that the Normans were of French origin.  Who have you been talking to?

You think it is common knowledge that they are Teutonic?  Maybe.

And yes, while other countries do have higher standards of living, the standard of living of the United States per is size and demographic diversity absolutely dwarf any others.  In fact, the fact that the United States is an affluent, populous country is somewhat remarkable.

I don't think that negates what I wrote (and I don't think you are suggesting that), but why is it so remarkable when Japan and Western Europe now have comparable standards of living in general?

[Boris]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

Asian Indians

[Torie]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

Well folks in the US of Scottish, Greek and Indian origin are all richer I have read.

[Purple State]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

Well folks in the US of Scottish, Greek and Indian origin are all richer I have read.

I would believe Indian as well. Would like a source though.

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All this time I thought it was Lockian individualism and its impact on the Founders...

[Torie]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

What do you think is the common "wisdom" as to why Western Culture got higher tech "first" and "conquered" the world as it were?

There are numerous studies (I think they are numerous, but maybe just some, and I have seen no study showing the contrary) that demonstrate no statistical correlation between educational achievement and class size, until you get down to around 12 or fewer students.

[Torie]

Greek philosophy and class size I'd like a little sourcing on.

Also, which is the richest ethnic group in the US then?

Well folks in the US of Scottish, Greek and Indian origin are all richer I have read.

I would believe Indian as well. Would like a source though.

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All this time I thought it was Lockian individualism and its impact on the Founders...

Just trust me dude.

I am not depreciating the influence of the founders by the way, but that was more about the Enlightenment than live free or die.