When a CIA-backed Fascist coup killed Chile's democratically elected president and put Pinochet in power.

http://www.cracked.com/article_18487_6-ridiculous-history-myths-you-probably-think-are-true.html

6. Wild West violence
5. Investors jumping to their deaths in 1929
4. Bra Burnings
3. 1938 War Of the Worlds hysteria
2. "No Irish Need Apply"
1. Medieval torture devices.

http://www.cracked.com/article_18487_6-ridiculous-history-myths-you-probably-think-are-true.html

6. Wild West violence
5. Investors jumping to their deaths in 1929
4. Bra Burnings
3. 1938 War Of the Worlds hysteria
2. "No Irish Need Apply"
1. Medieval torture devices.

Of course, I think the vast majority of people don't comprehend statistics, but the nuts seem to be even worse than the norm. I realized that having a reasonable discussion with them is impossible because they put anecdotes like "If I can pull myself up by my bootstraps then everyone else can!" or "I once ran into a welfare cheat and therefore everyone who gets government assistance are cheats" above real data, statistical data is simply meaningless to them.

I believe it was Saul Alinsky who said that issues should be personalized into anecdote form, and this is why, the average person simply cannot comprehend statistics.

The study said there is no significant difference between organic and regular foods. The usual suspects immediately started the cries of "Monsanto Propaganda!!!"

This guy is going places, maybe even the White House!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=209886
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1127&pid=22709

My huge space thread seems to have brought them out from under their rocks, because all the abusive posts, no matter what thread, insult me for supporting a manned mission to Mars.

I should have known making a post in the wake of Armstrong's death about why we weren't colonizing the solar system would have brought out the Luddites and misanthropes and turned the thread into a 500-post epic flame-war filled with ignorance and allusions to "Avatar". Why do I always make such threads hoping for educated and reasonable discussions?