Thursday, 09 September 2021 12:55

Not all history stands up

Written by  Farmer's Chaplain, Colin Miller
Farmer's Chaplain, Colin Miller Farmer's Chaplain, Colin Miller

OPINION: Reading comments from yesteryear can at times be rather amusing.

In my files I have kept quite a number that caught my attention at the time. Those who made the comments were usually well-educatied, with many considered 'experts' in their field.

Just like today, their comments influenced many people. These few examples I have space to list, surely expose and highlight for us, yet again, just how easily we humans can be so wrong about stuff.

I'll kick this off with a couple of the more amusing ones. Obviously, they may not have been amusing at the time for those involved, but they can put a smile on your face today!

"We don't like their sound... Guitar groups are on their way out... the Beatles have no future in show business." Decca records on rejecting The Beatles - 1962.

"Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night." - Darryl F Zanuck, head of 20th Century Fox - 1946.

And one for us horse-lovers: "The horse is here to stay, but the autonomobile industry is only a novelty - a fad." President of Michigan Savings Bank to Henry Ford's lawyer, warning him to stay away from the industry.

I'm sure all these guys would all love to be alive today so they could get their words blocked, or better still, edited from history!

Tobacco companies used to recruit medical doctors to promote their products. Usually, the doctor was gifted a carton of the cigs first, then asked for their support. Thousands obliged, even recommending smoking! Ads contained pictures of doctors and/or nurses - even mums with newborns!

Try this line from the past: "Chesterfield Cigarettes are just as pure as the water you drink."

In a 2006 ruling, Judge Gladys Kesler stated: "Substantial evidence establishes that [tobacco companies] have engaged in and executed - and continue to engage in and execute - a massive 50-year scheme to defraud the public..."

Yep, they had been lying for 50 years, and finally got officially busted for it. Surprise, surprise!

I was never big on the science options offered when I was a kid at school many sunsets ago. I ended up getting cornered and taking biology. I well remember learning about the human appendix being totally useless; an evolutionary left-over that was disappearing from the human body!

Of course, 'science' confirmed it! I quote from a Family Health Encyclopedia: "This is an evolutionary relic from the times humans ate grass. It has no useful function today but is prone to an infection called appendicitis."

Really? Yeah right!

By 1976, good medical textbooks were beginning to learn that the appendix was not totally useless. In a 1995 medical text, the authors were emphatic about the function of the appendix.

According to North Korea's State Information, their former leader (the "Dear Leader"), holds the world record for a round of golf. He is said to have completed the 18-hole course in a staggering 34! He came 38 under par, with five hole-in-ones! Wow!

The amazing thing is that people believe it. I guess when any government becomes the only outlet for 'truth', stuff like this can easily happen! Where knowledge is controlled, results like this become the new normal.

Humans with the little bit of knowledge we have, we think we're know-it-alls. I say we seriously need help!

I'm thankful for all I have learnt, plus, I'll stick with the 'Good Book'; it's never let me down!

Take care out there and keep well.

To contact Colin Miller email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

More like this

'We need a heart change'

OPINION: I trust my column today finds all things well at your place. The buoyant schedules we are enjoying at the moment are certainly bringing smiles and stability to our rural sector.

Featured

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.

B+LNZ launches AI assistant for farmers

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

A step too far

OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…

Save us from SAFE

OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter