Great leaders/politicians/statesmen-women of the last 100 years.
11-12-2003, 04:34 PM
#1
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Great leaders/politicians/statesmen-women of the last 100 years.
The other day Jerry started a thread exploring political points of view. The conversation has come around to the lack of great leaders/politicians/statesmen and women. I tend to agree.
Who do you think were (are) the great leaders/politicians/statesmen women of the last 100 years? Not to let you off easy with just the name, please say why you think so.
Who do you think were (are) the great leaders/politicians/statesmen women of the last 100 years? Not to let you off easy with just the name, please say why you think so.
11-13-2003, 08:02 AM
#2
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Jack Kennedy comes to mind. Maybe it was just a different time. Maybe it was the morals of the times. I feel that there was a line of Biblical proportions drawn in the cosmos when Kennedy was assasinated. A chasm was created as the old was left behind along with hope and innocence. As many of you have been, I was on both sides of this divide and have a hard time not looking back. The seventh horseman rides.
Churchhill, Truman, Eisenhower, Patton, McCarthy, Elenor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Dr. King, Bobby Kennedy, and many more that I'm sure many of you will mention and many more that I am ignorant of.
If you want to do an interesting survey, ask your kids or kids in general the same question. I think most will come up with Clinton.
My youngest daughter came up with Mother Teresa and Albert Einstein. I am proud of her!
Churchhill, Truman, Eisenhower, Patton, McCarthy, Elenor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Dr. King, Bobby Kennedy, and many more that I'm sure many of you will mention and many more that I am ignorant of.
If you want to do an interesting survey, ask your kids or kids in general the same question. I think most will come up with Clinton.
My youngest daughter came up with Mother Teresa and Albert Einstein. I am proud of her!
11-13-2003, 10:50 AM
#3
I'm not sure if he qualifies in all ways, but John McCain has a lot of good attributes.
*Patriot and (I think) fiscally responsible
*Fighter of the Pork Barrel
*Sponsor of Campaign Finance Reform
Unfortunately, the last 2 items probably mean that he could never afford the battle to the top tier
*Patriot and (I think) fiscally responsible
*Fighter of the Pork Barrel
*Sponsor of Campaign Finance Reform
Unfortunately, the last 2 items probably mean that he could never afford the battle to the top tier
11-13-2003, 01:52 PM
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Originally posted by ItalianBucwheat
I was always a big fan of Margaret Thatcher!
I was always a big fan of Margaret Thatcher!
I would also posit that just about any of our First Ladies were, in their own way, very strong leaders. I am sure that they have all had a great influence on policy (although we will never know for sure).
On the male side I would add TR for creating the national park system. Mahatma Ghandi for leading India to a new country. T.E. Lawrence for uniting the Arab countries.
I am not sure if your definition of great overlaps to influential but if it did I would add:
Lenin
Trotksy
Stalin
Marx
Mao
Henry Ford
Jonas Salk
Pancho Villa
Alexander Graham Bell
Clarence Darrow
John L. Lewis
John Muir
11-13-2003, 04:32 PM
#6
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Well, since I am trying to wrestle the title of Vintage Smart Ass (VSA) away from Jerry, I will submit William Jefferson Clinton for your review.
Who else presided over the greatest economic expansion and prosperity in U.S. history while NOT having sex with...ummm...THAT woman...yet getting a little, ahem, piston work (trying to keep the car theme) and smoking a "flavored" cigar.
. Damn term limits. 
Who else presided over the greatest economic expansion and prosperity in U.S. history while NOT having sex with...ummm...THAT woman...yet getting a little, ahem, piston work (trying to keep the car theme) and smoking a "flavored" cigar.
. Damn term limits.
11-13-2003, 04:33 PM
#7
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Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who can offer hope when there is very little. People like:
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Winston Churchill
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who can inspire people to reach higher than they ever imagined that they could. People like:
Dr. Martin Luther King
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Jesse Jackson
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who can work through the system to create change. People like:
Lyndon Baines Johnson (in spite of the Vietnam War)
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who are willing to make tough decisions, popular or not, when necessary. People like:
Harry Truman
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who are human beings. People like:
Yitschak Rabin
Anwar Sadat
Jimmy Carter
Mother Theresa
Ghandi
Great leaders are not saints or pure holy spirits. They are human with the same flaws that we all have. The only difference is that they have the ability to rise to the occasion.
This is a short list off the top of my head. As I think of more, I will edit my post.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Winston Churchill
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who can inspire people to reach higher than they ever imagined that they could. People like:
Dr. Martin Luther King
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Jesse Jackson
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who can work through the system to create change. People like:
Lyndon Baines Johnson (in spite of the Vietnam War)
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who are willing to make tough decisions, popular or not, when necessary. People like:
Harry Truman
Great leaders/politicians/statesmen are those who are human beings. People like:
Yitschak Rabin
Anwar Sadat
Jimmy Carter
Mother Theresa
Ghandi
Great leaders are not saints or pure holy spirits. They are human with the same flaws that we all have. The only difference is that they have the ability to rise to the occasion.
This is a short list off the top of my head. As I think of more, I will edit my post.
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11-13-2003, 04:46 PM
#8
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by OhioRacer
I will submit William Jefferson Clinton for your review.
I will submit William Jefferson Clinton for your review.
11-13-2003, 06:04 PM
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I agree with the definitions offered and the persons nominated so far. We can include Ronald Reagan here for the same reasons as Bill Clinton, altho I regard Reagan as being a man of substance. I would add to the reputation of Teddy Roosevelt as not just a National Park starter, but the leader who first promoted the USA as a world power, back before WWI did it for us.
"Greatness" must always be based on "influence"; at least it is in the history of the arts. The funny thing is, we consider "great" to be a positive, equating it with "good". This sometimes causes extreme irony, a glaring example being Adolf Hitler. Almost the Devil incarnate, it's hard to think of him as "great", but influential he certainly was. (He even offered hope and inspired people!) With Adolf I would add Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Marx, and Mao.
My own personal favorites from those mentioned so far include TR, FDR, Churchill, and JFK.
"Greatness" must always be based on "influence"; at least it is in the history of the arts. The funny thing is, we consider "great" to be a positive, equating it with "good". This sometimes causes extreme irony, a glaring example being Adolf Hitler. Almost the Devil incarnate, it's hard to think of him as "great", but influential he certainly was. (He even offered hope and inspired people!) With Adolf I would add Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Marx, and Mao.
My own personal favorites from those mentioned so far include TR, FDR, Churchill, and JFK.
11-13-2003, 06:16 PM
#10
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by The Professor