Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not every opinion is entitled to be correct.
These 13 opinions from history proved spectacularly poor, and the people who spouted them ignominiously incorrect.
1
Vice President Chaney - The Iraq War Would Be Short
Stating that, “My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators,” Chaney was very wrong about the coming lengthy Iraq war. He was also wrong about Iraq harboring weapons of mass destruction.
2
Darryl F. Zanuck - Television is Temporary
The early 1900s Hollywood producer Darryl F. Zanuck believed that television was little more than a fad. “Television won't last because people will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night,” he said. Well, he was wrong.
3
Ben Bernanke - The Economy is Fine
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke assured the American public in 2007 that, “We do not expect significant spillovers from the subprime market to the rest of the economy.” That’s exactly what happened.
4
Charles H. Duell - “Everything That Can Be Invented Has Been Invented”
The Commissioner of the US patent office infamously believed his office needed to close in 1889 because no new human advancements were on the horizon.
5
James Cameron - 3D Movies are the Future
The iconic director strongly believed that 3D movies were the future, stating, “I can't think of anything that I see on a screen these days without thinking how much better it'd look in 3-D.” Alas, almost no modern day movies feature 3D anymore.
6
Grover Cleveland - Women Don’t Want to Vote
Our 22nd president was against giving women the right to vote, claiming that “Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.”
7
Boris Johnson - Brexit Will Be Great
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson advocated for Brexit, saying “There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside.” Thus far, he is incorrect.
8
Neville Chamberlain - Appeasement
The British Prime Minister signed the Munich Agreement and believed that peace was in the future for Britain and Germany. The year was 1938.
9
Jack Thompson - Video Games Cause Violence
The American activist and disbarred attorney fought hard against video games in the late ‘90s and 2000s, claiming they caused violence. "In every school shooting, we find that kids who pull the trigger are video gamers." While that is often true, many studies show that there is no direct causal link.
10
White Star Line - The Titanic is Unsinkable
Designers, passengers, and businessmen all believed the Titanic was unsinkable.
11
John McAfee - Crypto Will Replace Regular Money
The founder of McAfee antivirus software claimed that Bitcoin would hit $1 million by 2020. Not only was he wrong, he’s been charged with crypto fraud. If it’s to replace real money, that presumably won’t happen in our lifetimes.
12
Janet Yellen - Inflation Isn’t an Issue
In 2021, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated, "I don't anticipate that inflation is going to be a problem." She was obviously wrong, and admitted her mistake.
13
Jamie Dimon - Remote Work Doesn’t Work
In 2021, the JPMorgan CEO stated that “Remote work doesn’t work for people who want to hustle, doesn't work for culture, doesn't work for idea generation.” Numerous studies indicate remote work is more productive.
