A collection of the dumbest things you will always hear despite the truth being within reach

If I were to collect the number of declarations uttered as though they were truthful, it would go beyond the limits of what constitutes my knowledge of numbers. So often we hear the following questions or statements that can so easily be answered or discredited. What is disturbing is that in our information age when a question can be answered or a statement invalidated, these questions and statements have a way of popping up time and time again. These are some of the most persistent ones:

Actually, we can!

1. If man evolved from apes, how come we still have apes? No matter how many times this is answered, someone will ask it again and again. Evolutionary biologists do not posit that man evolved from apes; on the contrary, the theory of evolution puts forth that we share a common ancestor with our animal cousins. Now, asking questions is the first step towards eliminating ignorance, but this question has been asked and answered so many times now that you would think it unnecessary to bring it up as many times as it has been raised.

2. The only reason Canada can afford to have 'socialized medicine' is because we Americans provide all their defense for them? Really? Defense from what? The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Even during the Cold War, did any rational person think that the Soviets were going to attempt a land invasion of Canada? Think of the logistics involved in trying to occupy a land mass that size. The Soviets could not subordinate Afghanistan, a much smaller nation. How would they have subjugated Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon and other provinces and territories?

3. Canada's a neutral nation....they're like America, except they're not brave like us! Right, the country that entered WWI three years before the United States, entered WWII two years before the United States, fought in Korea, the First Gulf War and has undertaken some of the riskiest combat operations in Afghanistan is a nation of cowards. I am sure you could be a great hit at a Canadian comedy club by pointing out their neutrality.

4. Canadians are always coming to America to get their health care; in fact, everyone comes here for their health care! Actually, I won't answer this. I'll just allow you to access the data that is so easily obtained. Please desist from making this statement unless you have the actual statistics stating how many, out of the world's population, come to America for health care. Please look it up!

I am sure that the CEO of IKEA will be shocked to learn that the Swedish government owns all the means of production!

5. Sweden is a socialist nation! I am sure that the CEOs of Volvo, IKEA, Scania, Saab and several other industries will be surprised to hear this! Look up the dictionary definition of socialism, please!

Doesn't look suicidal to me, which puts her in the same category as the overwhelming majority of her fellow Swedes!

6. Sweden has the highest suicide rate on Earth! No, that dubious honor goes to Lithuania. Sweden's not even in the top ten; in fact, no Scandinavian nation is!

Yes, because if ever a man embodied Hitler's ideal, it's a Black American!

7. Hitler was a socialist! Just look at the name of his party, the National Socialists! All right, please tell us five economic policies pursued by Hitler once in power that proved him to be a socialist. Also, do you believe North Korea is democratic owing to its name which has the word "democratic" in it?

8. The French are a bunch of cowards! Just look at their military history....all defeats and surrenders! Why not get a book at look at the lengthy history of French victories in battle? If you want, here is one reliable source: http://www.militaryfactory.com/battles/french_military_victories.asp

Wonder what percentage of the "hate-France crowd" enlisted to fill in the French vacancies during the Iraq invasion

While I am thoroughly grateful to the American military for all that it has done for us, we have not been characterized by victory after victory either. As part of an international coalition, we had a stalemate in Korea, a defeat in Vietnam, we had thousands of men evading the draft during the Vietnam war, we did not achieve our ultimate goal of ousting Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf War, we withdrew from Somalia and have been entangled in Iraq and Afghanistan for a longer period of time than we were involved in WWII. Also, has anyone noticed that the types who usually belittle France are often not war heroes themselves, but overweight couch potatoes who would probably flee if they were within 100 miles of a war zone?

Why these falsehoods and inane questions continue to prevail I will never understand. It is my hope that with greater access to reliable sources of information, people will stop repeating falsehoods.