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Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:25 pm
by JJM
Juan_Bottom wrote:The answer could not be any more obviously Jefferson.
He is the one who came up with what it means to actually be an American.
Washington used his presidency to award a canal building project to a company he was heavily invested in. He used his office to make money.
Regan invaded and destroyed the government of Grenada, a peaceful island. The complacent American media then created 1,000 excuses for him.
Jefferson did the most as far as expansion. He did bring many together when he said "we are all federalists, we are all Republicans" but T.R. did a lot to make us a superpower and Lincoln saved our union. I think very highly of Jefferson but you can not say that it was obviously anyone.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:25 pm
by JJM
Juan_Bottom wrote:The answer could not be any more obviously Jefferson.
He is the one who came up with what it means to actually be an American.
Washington used his presidency to award a canal building project to a company he was heavily invested in. He used his office to make money.
Regan invaded and destroyed the government of Grenada, a peaceful island. The complacent American media then created 1,000 excuses for him.
Jefferson did the most as far as expansion. He did bring many together when he said "we are all federalists, we are all Republicans" but T.R. did a lot to make us a superpower and Lincoln saved our union. I think very highly of Jefferson but you can not say that it was obviously anyone.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:53 pm
by Juan_Bottom
We didn't need T.R. to become a superpower, because the war did that for us.... A greater president would have taken on the military-industrial machine.
Arguably becoming a world leader is the worst thing that could have happened, because our government's own bureaucracy has expanded tenfold as a result. America is also responsible for something like 25 million deaths since WWII, because of proxy wars and embargo's and such. That's also something to consider.
Lincoln I'll give you, as he was a political genius. Only I think it's clear that Jefferson surpasses him. He wrote the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Without those I wouldn't even know what being an American means.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:20 pm
by JJM
Juan_Bottom wrote:We didn't need T.R. to become a superpower, because the war did that for us.... A greater president would have taken on the military-industrial machine.
Arguably becoming a world leader is the worst thing that could have happened, because our government's own bureaucracy has expanded tenfold as a result. America is also responsible for something like 25 million deaths since WWII, because of proxy wars and embargo's and such. That's also something to consider.
Lincoln I'll give you, as he was a political genius. Only I think it's clear that Jefferson surpasses him. He wrote the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Without those I wouldn't even know what being an American means.
He wanted John Adams to write the Declaration and he did not write the Constitution alone, and those were not presidential works. Jefferson was certainly the right man for the time though being that he was very forward thinking. I still think the T.R. belongs amongst the top because of his peacemakeing, his efforts to have a Panama Canal, and his Trustbusting. Truman most certainly made the toughest decision of any president.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:24 pm
by Baron Von PWN
You guys are nuts, Polk was clearly the best.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:26 pm
by rdsrds2120
I WANT WOODROW WILSON!!!!
-rd
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:44 pm
by JJM
rdsrds2120 wrote:I WANT WOODROW WILSON!!!!
-rd
After one of our ships was sunk, and the Zimmerman telagram was discovered, the decision to go to war was evident. The League of Nations did not last, A second war was not provented. He also once claimed that the Declaration was not important other than the greivances towards the king.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:50 pm
by Baron Von PWN

Have you people even seen this man? I mean look at him! Obvi the best president.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:55 pm
by rdsrds2120
Baron Von PWN wrote:
Have you people even seen this man? I mean look at him! Obvi the best president.
That's Lincoln, right?
-rd
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:59 pm
by Phatscotty
JJM wrote:rdsrds2120 wrote:I WANT WOODROW WILSON!!!!
-rd
After one of our ships was sunk, and the Zimmerman telagram was discovered, the decision to go to war was evident. The League of Nations did not last, A second war was not provented. He also once claimed that the Declaration was not important other than the greivances towards the king.
yeah, the federal reserve and the income tax are pretty awesome too. All about Freedom and Liberty
I also love any president who won election on the promise to keep us out of the war, but went into war just a few months after his inauguration. And then there are some peoples favorite thing about Woody... he was
easily the most openly racist president we ever had in the last 100 years.
♥Woodrow Wilson♥
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:00 am
by Baron Von PWN
rdsrds2120 wrote:Baron Von PWN wrote:
Have you people even seen this man? I mean look at him! Obvi the best president.
That's Lincoln, right?
-rd
No. That is no 2nd rate beard monger. That is a man of true conviction. Truly the greatest of presidents, not merely american presidents but all presidents.
This man can be none other than James K Polk the best president.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:03 am
by Phatscotty
Neoteny wrote:Also, I demand an option for BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
Doesn't even need to finish a term huh? No need to wait for the results on his pet project? To see if the economy even gets turned around? Wouldn't you even like to wait and see if his promise to keep unemployment under 8% ever worked?
Of course not...
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:05 am
by Baron Von PWN
Phatscotty wrote:Neoteny wrote:Also, I demand an option for BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
Doesn't even need to finish a term huh? No need to wait for the results on his pet project? To see if the economy even gets turned around? Wouldn't you even like to wait and see if his promise to keep unemployment under 8% ever worked?
Of course not...
Doesn't matter cause Polk is the best.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:09 am
by GreecePwns
My history teacher in high school called Andrew Jackson sexy, if that counts for anything.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:12 am
by Baron Von PWN
GreecePwns wrote:My history teacher in high school called Andrew Jackson sexy, if that counts for anything.
It doesn't because they were mistaken. Polk is also the sexiest president.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:14 am
by saxitoxin
Phatscotty wrote:Symmetry wrote:Phatscotty wrote:Symmetry wrote:Oddly enough, I have, which is why I found your statement that "Reagan made it legal to own gold again" both bizarre and completely unjustifiable.
man, you really stick your neck out there don't ya?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Bulli ... ct_of_1985There were no gold coins minted as legal tender from 1933 to 1986.
So, people could own gold, completely contrary to your claims that Reagan let them. Just to be clear.
He made it legal.
IIRC, under Reagan the U.S. started minting commemorative novelty coins like the
1984 Olympics Commemorative $10 Gold Coin to compete against foreign and private novelty coin minters like the Canadian Mint and the Franklin Mint in the collectible coins market. None of these are legal tender except at their face value so aren't a functional part of the U.S. money system. If you go to Kroger's and try to pay with a 1984 $10 Olympics gold coin you'll get $10 worth of groceries, not the $1500 or so worth of gold that's actually in the coin.
Gerald Ford legalized the private ownership of gold, IIRC?
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:17 am
by Juan_Bottom
Baron Von PWN wrote:You guys are nuts, Polk was clearly the best.
You know that Polk was the only president to keep his campaign promises, right? That's his like, claim to awesomitude.
Andrew Jackson was terrible. He was a lame duck, and refused to enforce the Constitution. He also was responsible for that whole trail of tears thing.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:19 am
by Baron Von PWN
Juan_Bottom wrote:Baron Von PWN wrote:You guys are nuts, Polk was clearly the best.
You know that Polk was the only president to keep his campaign promises, right? That's his like, claim to awesomitude.
Andrew Jackson was terrible. He was a lame duck, and refused to enforce the Constitution. He also was responsible for that whole trail of tears thing.
Compared to how awesome Polk was, any President is terrible.
That Polk kept his promises is no surprise to me, for he is the Best President.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:22 am
by JJM
Juan_Bottom wrote:Baron Von PWN wrote:You guys are nuts, Polk was clearly the best.
You know that Polk was the only president to keep his campaign promises, right? That's his like, claim to awesomitude.
Andrew Jackson was terrible. He was a lame duck, and refused to enforce the Constitution. He also was responsible for that whole trail of tears thing.
I agree that Jackson was the worst. Polk really did not make many promises. He never promised not to have a war with Mexico.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:22 am
by Phatscotty
saxitoxin wrote:Phatscotty wrote:Symmetry wrote:Phatscotty wrote:Symmetry wrote:Oddly enough, I have, which is why I found your statement that "Reagan made it legal to own gold again" both bizarre and completely unjustifiable.
man, you really stick your neck out there don't ya?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Bulli ... ct_of_1985There were no gold coins minted as legal tender from 1933 to 1986.
So, people could own gold, completely contrary to your claims that Reagan let them. Just to be clear.
He made it legal.
IIRC, under Reagan the U.S. started minting commemorative novelty coins like the
1984 Olympics Commemorative $10 Gold Coin to compete against foreign and private novelty coin minters like the Canadian Mint and the Franklin Mint in the collectible coins market. None of these are legal tender except at their face value so aren't a functional part of the U.S. money system. If you go to Kroger's and try to pay with a 1984 $10 Olympics gold coin you'll get $10 worth of groceries, not the $1500 or so worth of gold that's actually in the coin.
Gerald Ford legalized the private ownership of gold, IIRC?
and in 1986....(how bizarre and unjustifiable!)


Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:23 am
by saxitoxin
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:27 am
by saxitoxin
Phatscotty wrote:and what coins started being minted in 1986....


That coin is only tender to the $5 value printed on its face. It probably has $1600 of gold in it at current prices but to get the $1600 out of it you'd have to take it to a gold broker and sell it for paper currency, you can't present it for payment of "all debts public and private." If the value is only set to the face value of the coin, not the value of the metal in it, it's just a novelty collector's piece, not a part of the money supply like gold coins in a gold-backed system.
Reagan had the mint get into the collectible coins business to unload all of the gold the U.S. government had laying around after Nixon decoupled the U.S. from the gold standard and Ford legalized private gold ownership.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:34 am
by JJM
You are mistakeing. Martin Van Buren was the only president who's first language was not english, it was dutch, Although he still spoke english, it was just his second language. Calhoun did look scary. He did not get along well with Jackson at all, it is actually quite interesting.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:37 am
by Baron Von PWN
JJM wrote:Juan_Bottom wrote:Baron Von PWN wrote:You guys are nuts, Polk was clearly the best.
You know that Polk was the only president to keep his campaign promises, right? That's his like, claim to awesomitude.
Andrew Jackson was terrible. He was a lame duck, and refused to enforce the Constitution. He also was responsible for that whole trail of tears thing.
I agree that Jackson was the worst. Polk really did not make many promises. He never promised not to have a war with Mexico.
Exactly. Polk was the Best. Thank you for agreeing. He attempted to negotiate, but when his reasonable offers were rejected he did what he had to do. Clearly the Best President.
Re: who was the greatest american president
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:39 am
by saxitoxin
JJM wrote: You are mistakeing. Martin Van Buren was the only president who's first language was not english, it was dutch, Although he still spoke english, it was just his second language. Calhoun did look scary. He did not get along well with Jackson at all, it is actually quite interesting.
No one whose first language is Dutch speaks English. Many of them pretend they speak English, and some of them pretend well enough to fool normal people, but they don't really. It's like a parrot. They can repeat a variety of phrases - some pretty complex - but they don't really have any idea what they're saying. That's how the Dutchman operates. Everything's one big joke to them.