What is History's greatest lie? (drugs, United States, weapons, leader)

[Ariete]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

I know this isn't what you meant, but the biggest lie to me is that "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it", when it is more likely that those who dwell on history are doomed to repeat it.

True. I would say that "those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it once, but might learn a lesson the third time around".

[Dane_in_LA]

Jesus' resurrection. Whoever came up with the idea of hiding the body may have had the largest individual influence on the course of history.

[Dane_in_LA]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

I know this isn't what you meant, but the biggest lie to me is that "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it", when it is more likely that those who dwell on history are doomed to repeat it.

Well, at least we'll know it's happening.

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by davidt1

I don't know what you had in mind, but this is what I see:

Without religious struggles and the resulting wars, world population would be larger than it is now, perhaps ten billion people or more. We would have the same problems we have now, only much worse due to a larger population.

Fear of the overcrowding of the Earth is a very "American" cultural hang-up. Most people in the world don't live in a country of 330 million that is 4% of the global population but consumes 25% of global resources in which 75% of these people are scattered in low density suburbs or rural areas. Never fear there is plenty more carrying capacity on the Planet Earth:

World overpopulation wouldn’t be such a big problem (space-wise, at least) if everyone lived as densely as they do in South Korea or New Jersey

Now if any other country within two standard deviations of the American population (such as China, India, Indonesia, or Brazil) all of a sudden develop identical consumptive habits of Americans, then yes, the planet is screwed.

Not sure if overcrowding constitutes a lie of history but certainly a myth.

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by davidt1

I don't know what you had in mind, but this is what I see:

Without religious struggles and the resulting wars, world population would be larger than it is now, perhaps ten billion people or more. We would have the same problems we have now, only much worse due to a larger population.

Kind of an interesting observation.

No way to know for sure, but I did look up the number of baby boomers in the US. The total is given as 76 million just in the US. There were 50 million deaths world wide in WW2, and 418,000 Americans but you would have to consider that an awful lot of the baby boomers would have been born anyway, so there is that....
But then clearly, you are talking about much more than WW2. As they say in poker, "Ill see your Spanish Inquisition, and raise you one Bubonic Plague"

And then you may have to consider that world wide, population growth has slowed to about zero. The birth explosion is almost over and now growth is due to people living longer. Earth's population will soon begin to decline.

Overall, the world’s 1950 to 1955 Fertility Rate of 4.95 has declined by more than half and now stands at 2.36. Professional demographers tell us this will continue and that perhaps as early as 2050 and no later than 2100, the Earth’s population will begin declining. The “graying” that has plagued Japan and Europe will envelop the planet.

https://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/...opulation-myth

[davidt1]

My definition of overcrowding is anything above the threshold needed to maintain intellectual and technical growth to carry the species forward. A world population of about one billion looks good to me.

Those who don't think the world is overpopulated, tell that to the dying poor in India, Africa, etc.

[rugrats2001]

Originally Posted by Creamer1

Left vague on purpose, as I do not exactly known what the greatest lie is.

Is it slavery? Moon landing? The cover-up of genocide on Native Americans, then using their names for everything a large Cheesequake etc?

Discuss.

"Just the tip"

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by Creamer1

Left vague on purpose, as I do not exactly known what the greatest lie is.

Is it slavery? Moon landing? The cover-up of genocide on Native Americans, then using their names for everything a large Cheesequake etc?

Discuss.

"Greatest" is subjective. But one big great lie is that Napoleon was short. He wasn't.

[NJ Brazen_3133]

The Earth is not round it is flat damnit ! ! ! !

[brownbagg]

a fact is just a theory that hasnt been proven wrong yet