The greatest American!!!

jaguar75 said:

The Discovery Channel is about to do a 2 day series to ultimately nominate and label "The Greatest American". I wanted to throw this thread out there to see what everyone thinks...

I spent a lot of time actually pondering this as there are a lot of people that have made tremendous contributions to our nation as well as the world but the name that keeps coming into my head is John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

He served in WWII and was president of course, but what keeps me coming back to him was his "call to glory" to put a man on the moon...The Apollo missions.

The benefits the world realized from this 10 year achievement in terms of technological advancements I don't think can be fully measured. His vision and words rallied a nation to stand tall and I firmly believe that it was at that point in time that the US became a superpower...

I know JFK had skeletons but his goods FAR EXCEED his bads!!! 🙂

Better watch out, you'll have the anti-Kennedy lickspittle from Virginia after ya !

John-Boy Walton?

Man you are either looking for abuse or have a really thick skin. For a lot of the guys on this forum the only good (let alone great) American is "a dead American". In this sense they don't have to deal with him/her anymore, so I guess Kennedy is a candidate.

I've seen the blurb for this on T.V. an Einstein is in it. I thought that he was German, or does anyone become an American because of citizenship? Isn't anyone from the continents of North and South America an American? What about African Americans? Are they both or half each?

So now I'll give you my choice. Thomas Jefferson. One of the foremost of the founding fathers, supreme intellect, doubled the size of the country overnight on a land deal. (Lousiana Purchase) I don't care how many of his slaves he screwed(this in a recent move is all they seemed to concern themselves with), at least he didn't screw the country.

Couple of thoughts.

Thomas Eddison
Lincoln.
Orson Welles.
John Steinbeck
Roosevelt (WWII).
Secretary Marshall (Marshall plan).

Oh and Mary Ellen for The Waltons (good night y'all)

limerickman said:

Couple of thoughts.

Thomas Eddison
Lincoln.
Orson Welles.
John Steinbeck
Roosevelt (WWII).
Secretary Marshall (Marshall plan).

Oh and Mary Ellen for The Waltons (good night y'all)

Noam Chomsky
Jim-Bob Walton

limerickman said:

Couple of thoughts.

Thomas Eddison
Lincoln.
Orson Welles.
John Steinbeck
Roosevelt (WWII).
Secretary Marshall (Marshall plan).

Oh and Mary Ellen for The Waltons (good night y'all)

Ahh yes...Thomas Eddison...Aside from the Light Bulb his inventions have definately altered the world. Good choice Lim!

eonic beat me to it, the first individual that popped up in my head was Noam Chomsky, whom I have heard of being described as "the conscience of the modern American empire". A great man.

Dog the bounty hunter.

jaguar75 said:

The Discovery Channel is about to do a 2 day series to ultimately nominate and label "The Greatest American". I wanted to throw this thread out there to see what everyone thinks...

I spent a lot of time actually pondering this as there are a lot of people that have made tremendous contributions to our nation as well as the world but the name that keeps coming into my head is John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

He served in WWII and was president of course, but what keeps me coming back to him was his "call to glory" to put a man on the moon...The Apollo missions.

The benefits the world realized from this 10 year achievement in terms of technological advancements I don't think can be fully measured. His vision and words rallied a nation to stand tall and I firmly believe that it was at that point in time that the US became a superpower...

I know JFK had skeletons but his goods FAR EXCEED his bads!!! 🙂

Benjamin Franklin, followed closely by Jefferson and Washington.

limerickman said:

Couple of thoughts.
Thomas Eddison

I really can't endorse Edison. He was a crook and a charlatan by any measure, Edison's DC fetish held us back, too inefficient to make energy transmission via electricity practical.

The alternative (hoho), AC, was developed and pushed by Tesla, and it has proven to be far superior. Edison knew this and responded by trying to bury Tesla and AC. The Electric Chair was originally a publicity stunt by Edison to try and stigmatise Tesla and AC, he claimed that it proved AC was more dangerous than DC. Tesla responded by pointing out that DC was in fact better for electrocuting people, and as it turned out he was right, hence subsequent electric chairs ran on DC. In practice you need a mix of both, but when it comes to power transmission DC just ain't an option.

I would put the Wright Brothers and Henry Ford above Edison as far as inventors go. Feynman would be my choice for a great American scientist. In terms of the Arts, America is blessed with riches too, TS Eliot, Pollock, Marlene Mountain, Frank Herbert. Lots of variety, spoilt for choice.

In terms of soldiers and politicians here's a nomination from the left field :
Red Cloud of the Sioux.

darkboong said:

I really can't endorse Edison. He was a crook and a charlatan by any measure, Edison's DC fetish held us back, too inefficient to make energy transmission via electricity practical.

The alternative (hoho), AC, was developed and pushed by Tesla, and it has proven to be far superior. Edison knew this and responded by trying to bury Tesla and AC. The Electric Chair was originally a publicity stunt by Edison to try and stigmatise Tesla and AC, he claimed that it proved AC was more dangerous than DC. Tesla responded by pointing out that DC was in fact better for electrocuting people, and as it turned out he was right, hence subsequent electric chairs ran on DC. In practice you need a mix of both, but when it comes to power transmission DC just ain't an option.

I would put the Wright Brothers and Henry Ford above Edison as far as inventors go. Feynman would be my choice for a great American scientist. In terms of the Arts, America is blessed with riches too, TS Eliot, Pollock, Marlene Mountain, Frank Herbert. Lots of variety, spoilt for choice.

In terms of soldiers and politicians here's a nomination from the left field :
Red Cloud of the Sioux.

Not to start a debate but what did Ford invent?

jhuskey said:

Not to start a debate but what did Ford invent?

Production lines as a Capitalist enterprise. The basis for America's past industrial supremacy. I guess you can argue that the firearms manufacturers like Colt and Armstrong-Whitworth got there first, but the majority of their income came from "state" sources, not private.

darkboong said:

Production lines as a Capitalist enterprise. The basis for America's past industrial supremacy. I guess you can argue that the firearms manufacturers like Colt and Armstrong-Whitworth got there first, but the majority of their income came from "state" sources, not private.

That is correct...Ford's creation and maximization of the production line is the mainstay of manufacturing today all over the world...Great point Darkboong!

Maybe Muhammad Ali for his contribution to sport and his political stance on peace and his resolution to go to jail rather than go against his beliefs.

darkboong said:

Production lines as a Capitalist enterprise. The basis for America's past industrial supremacy. I guess you can argue that the firearms manufacturers like Colt and Armstrong-Whitworth got there first, but the majority of their income came from "state" sources, not private.

He did further develop the assembly line and made it possible for the "average family" to own a car,but I myself would not classify him as an inventor but as a great industrialist and visionary.

Where would we be without Thomas Crapper and his flush toilet!

And where would we be without Hugh Heffner...I can not believe I forgot about Heff...Man I should be shot!!! :eek:

Carrera said:

Maybe Muhammad Ali for his contribution to sport and his political stance on peace and his resolution to go to jail rather than go against his beliefs.

In that light I would go with Harriett Tubman (spelling?) over Ali. She stood quite alone at the time. Ali had a manager,money and supporters but I still need more consideration on who my choice would be to be the Greatest American.

jhuskey said:

He did further develop the assembly line and made it possible for the "average family" to own a car,but I myself would not classify him as an inventor but as a great industrialist and visionary.

Fair point.