The biggest myth is the left-wing fairy tale that the CIA overthrew Iran's short-lived democratic government and put the Shah back in, and that it was responsible for overthrowing Allende's government in 1973.

The CIA is a freaking bureaucracy, folks, not a group of sorcerers. The USA simply doesn't have that kind of power.

The Civil War was fought over slavery. Hardly! States rights was the cause. The South wanted a weaker Federal government and stronger states. They wanted to allow the future states to decide on slavery and not let the federal government tell those future states their position on slavery.

The strange part is that with one and only one exception this is almost entirely an American thread! One thing is for certain, if you dont want non-Americans around just talk about the Civil War! They will clear out!

And thats no myth!

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The biggest myth is the left-wing fairy tale that the CIA overthrew Iran's short-lived democratic government and put the Shah back in, and that it was responsible for overthrowing Allende's government in 1973.

The CIA is a freaking bureaucracy, folks, not a group of sorcerers. The USA simply doesn't have that kind of power.

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Well yeah, we did overthrow Mossadegh (who had been elected) and replace him with the Shah (elected by no one), in 1953. The evidence of that is overwhelming. Then we scratch our heads and wonder why the Iranians get upset with us.

If you seriously think the CIA is just a bureaucracy, I'd like to talk to you about a bridge I am selling. Don't get me wrong, I'm really *glad* they are a bunch of ruthless SOBs, since they are our SOBs. But sometime we act in our short-term interest and hurt our own long-term interest along the way.

I guess I should change the myth to "the confederate army was fighting for slavery" or "the common confederate soldier was a slave holder and was fighting to keep his slaves" or something along those lines. I hadn't actually put that much thought into the government side of the issue.

Matt

Myths: How 'bout the one that RAF Bomber Command was highly instrumental in winning WW2?

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini made the trains run on time. Not true, they never did run on time.

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The biggest myth is the left-wing fairy tale that the CIA overthrew Iran's short-lived democratic government and put the Shah back in, and that it was responsible for overthrowing Allende's government in 1973.

The CIA is a freaking bureaucracy, folks, not a group of sorcerers. The USA simply doesn't have that kind of power.

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Well yeah, we did overthrow Mossadegh (who had been elected) and replace him with the Shah (elected by no one), in 1953. The evidence of that is overwhelming. Then we scratch our heads and wonder why the Iranians get upset with us.

If you seriously think the CIA is just a bureaucracy, I'd like to talk to you about a bridge I am selling. Don't get me wrong, I'm really *glad* they are a bunch of ruthless SOBs, since they are our SOBs. But sometime we act in our short-term interest and hurt our own long-term interest along the way.

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Do you also believe James Bond movies are realistic? Yes, I seriously think the CIA is nothing more than another bureaucracy, and they're not wizards who can control the world. Those who think otherwise are of the tinfoil helmet crowd, whoch I assuredly am not part of. There are people who genuinely believe crop circles really were caused by space aliens, rather than a hoax by Earthlings.

And no, I find the "overwhelming evidence" you speak of to be left-wing Hate America propaganda. Unless you can prove our troops were there, there is no reason to believe the Iranians didn't overthrow him of their own accord. A lot of democratically elected leaders have been overthrown by their own people over history, without any outside help whatsoever.

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I guess I should change the myth to "the confederate army was fighting for slavery" or "the common confederate soldier was a slave holder and was fighting to keep his slaves" or something along those lines. I hadn't actually put that much thought into the government side of the issue.

Matt

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I completely agree with your second statement of the myth. The data show conclusively that few confederate soldiers (heck, few southerners) owned slaves. Furhtermore, although there are no surveys to prove it, I doubt most of the troops thought of themselves as defending slavery. So I would never condemn the ordinary troops for the cause their state governments took up.

The first statement is unfortunately true, in the sense that the CSA was established largely to preserve slavery (the CSA Constitution is almost identical to the US constitution with the major exceptions of slavery protection, line-item vetoes and a few minor procedural issues) and therefore the army was indeed fighting in that cause.

Myths on the Civil War. Well, Sherman did not mean to burn Atlanta. He actually had orders to keep the city intact. How ever when he was burning the Armory a storm came across the area and spread the flames to a rail yard filled with an ammunition train. The train blew up and the flames spread.

And here pops up another Myth.The USAAC bombed specific targets. The Norden bombsight could put a bomb in a pickle barrel from 30 thousand feet.But not in European skies due to the weather which was invariably cloudy.The USAAC/USAAF bombed using the master bomber technique in these conditions.The lead bomber released his bombs then the rest of the group released theirs.Effectivley carpet bombing the general area.Bomber Harris was known as Butcher (Butch)not Killer .The name was not meant to be derogatory as most bomber command crews had a deep respect for him.

Myths: How 'bout the one that RAF Bomber Command was highly instrumental in winning WW2? In reality, most of the industrial targets were hit by the USAAF while Bomber (Killer) Harris' boys massacred the populace of the German cities. I was talking to my ex-wife's grandfather (who was an electrician in the Luftwaffe in WW2) and he said that while short-down American aircrew were often treated well, many RAF survivors were murdered by civilians and German troops 'cos they were so hated.

It is almost like the French proving armor could indeed attack through the Ardenens Forest, then ignoring their own report.

Matt,

Most of the time you hear how bad Sherman was on his campaign into Georgia. People in and around Atlanta view his name a vile and repulsive. Their view is he came done to Georgia to punish the south. The myth is he burnt Atlanta to punish the south. That is totally false.

Atlanta was needed by him and was to play a major role in the post war south. It was a major rail hub and an industrial city. Sherman was told not to burn the city. He did burn others before and after Atlanta as part of his Total War campaign. The burning of Atlanta was tragic, but it was an accident.

In truth, Confederate General Hood also caused much damage to the city. He too, upon leaving the city, set fire to supplies and those fires caused much damage. When Sherman arrived he too set fire to some supplies and this in turn caused a second fire which people remember as the Burning of Atlanta.

So, if you ever want to see a Georgian loose their mind, tell them you think Sherman was a nice guy. You will never see anyone with a more twisted look on their face. I'm a transplant Georgian, so it doesn't bother me.

Jim