# "Red Nightmare" Claims--Question #2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929 "2014-11-18T02:30:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929/21 "2014-11-18T21:58:48Z")
Back when I DXed shortwave radio, I once heard on Radio Moscow the claim that baseball was invented in Russia and imported to the US by immigrants. Incredibly boring and stupid channel. Just get a station ID and move on. At least Radio Peking (rebroadcasting via Havana) had “fun” quotes from Mao’s _Little Red Book_. E.g., “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”:eek: ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929/22 "2014-11-20T16:05:09Z")
> [@slipster](#): > > The local church or synagogue of his choice is now a museum where exhibits claim that the telephone and other American inventions were actually first developed in Russia. I just watched this on youtube. I love how the hero knocks the telephone on the ground and yells that it was invented by [Alexander Graham Bell](http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alexander-graham-bell/): an American! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929/23 "2014-11-20T18:09:30Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > I just watched this on youtube. I love how the hero knocks the telephone on the ground and yells that it was invented by [Alexander Graham Bell](http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alexander-graham-bell/): an American! You probably intended some irony with this response, but I’ll be explicit. Bell was born in Scotland, and lived in the US when he patented the phone, but he also lived in England and, for quite a long time at the end of his life, in Canada. Museum exhibits in the US give the impression that he was American, but the exhibit at the Ontario Science Center outside Toronto give the distinct impression that he was Canadian. Which was he? What time period are we talking about? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929/24 "2014-11-20T18:23:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > You probably intended some irony with this response, but I’ll be explicit. Bell was born in Scotland, and lived in the US when he patented the phone, but he also lived in England and, for quite a long time at the end of his life, in Canada. Museum exhibits in the US give the impression that he was American, but the exhibit at the Ontario Science Center outside Toronto give the distinct impression that he was Canadian. > > Which was he? What time period are we talking about? I think you’ll agree that shouting, “He was American” was a deceptively simple answer to a complex question especially when accusing others of deception. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929/25 "2014-11-20T18:38:02Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Television, lightbulbs, the jet engine, to name but three. All British of course. I must respectfully disagree. The lightbulb is obviously a French invention (by Charles Chamberland) along with the automobile, airplane, cinema, fridge, etc… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929/26 "2014-11-20T19:58:18Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > \Maxwell is poor transliteration of “Maksimov”, good Russian name. He was from Vladivostok. Good Russian scientist, student of Heinrich Lenz at St. Petersburg. Very famous. England stole his name and his discoveries.\ > > Yes, I just made that all up. If England did claim Maxwell then yes, they would be taking credit where it’s not due. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-nightmare-claims-question-2/704929.md?page=1)