who was the greatest american president

[GreecePwns]

Ask a Dutchman or a German to say the word "squirrel," then tell me if he really speaks English.

[saxitoxin]

Ask a Dutchman or a German to say the word "squirrel," then tell me if he really speaks English.

[JJM]

Ask a Dutchman or a German to say the word "squirrel," then tell me if he really speaks English.

Ha Ha. How did you come up with that?

[GreecePwns]

Ask a Dutchman or a German to say the word "squirrel," then tell me if he really speaks English.

Ha Ha. How did you come up with that?

[Baron Von PWN]

Just going to point out, Polk had no problems with the word Squirrel. Also I doubt he spoke Dutch.

[Frito Bandito]

Actually, Polk was a pretty great president, he greatly expanded our borders.

[BigBallinStalin]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

[Baron Von PWN]

Actually, Polk was a pretty great president, he greatly expanded our borders.

False,

He was the Best President.

[spurgistan]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

We may want to add the fact that Polk expanded political boundaries in a sustainable manner to differentiate him from these statesmen.

[BigBallinStalin]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

We may want to add the fact that Polk expanded political boundaries in a sustainable manner to differentiate him from these statesmen.

That's a good point, but what's a "sustainable manner"?

According to wikipedia, Polk threatened war with Great Britain, so they split the Oregon Territory. After annexing Texas, Polk defeated Mexico.

So, our "manner" is war or the threat of war (which can be diplomacy backed by the actual capability to inflict harm). Come on back, Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Napoleon! But wait!

What's "sustainable"? That would be length of time and the ability to retain those expanded borders.

The political boundaries which were expanded by Mao have been sustained for the past 60 years.

Soviet Union, about 80 years.


In conclusion, Polk is the Greatest President ever!!!

[Baron Von PWN]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

We may want to add the fact that Polk expanded political boundaries in a sustainable manner to differentiate him from these statesmen.

That's a good point, but what's a "sustainable manner"?

According to wikipedia, Polk threatened war with Great Britain, so they split the Oregon Territory. After annexing Texas, Polk defeated Mexico.

So, our "manner" is war or the threat of war (which can be diplomacy backed by the actual capability to inflict harm). Come on back, Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Napoleon! But wait!

What's "sustainable"? That would be length of time and the ability to retain those expanded borders.

The political boundaries which were expanded by Mao have been sustained for the past 60 years.

Soviet Union, about 80 years.


In conclusion, Polk is the Greatest President ever!!!

Woah nelly are you way off on that Soviet number. The Soviet Union reached its greatest extent at the end of the second world war so 1945. (with the anexation of Konisberg now Kaliningrad). It began to shrink shortly before its collapse in 1990. So we have territories within the Soviet Union, under Soviet control for a mere 45 years.

Polk actually reached a compromise with the UK, he clearly favoured peaceful resolutions. He made this compromise despite having a better claim to the land (more settlers) and a better ability to actually take the entirety of the Oregon territory and linking up with Alaska. However Polk showed wisdom and instead went for the very reasonable division along the 49th parallel.

Polk showed great wisdom here and went for the peaceful resolution despite what warmongers within his party wanted.

He even attempted to purchase the lands which were annexed from Mexico. However the Mexicans refused to even see his ambassador. Within his historical context he was then justified in starting the war. Even though America scored a crushing victory against Mexico, Polk showed wisdom again and only took what he had originally wanted, despite having the ability to take more.

Polk's territorial expansions have stood the test of time (so far) lasting well over 100 years.

So yes. I agree with you Polk is the best President.

[saxitoxin]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

We may want to add the fact that Polk expanded political boundaries in a sustainable manner to differentiate him from these statesmen.

That's a good point, but what's a "sustainable manner"?

According to wikipedia, Polk threatened war with Great Britain, so they split the Oregon Territory. After annexing Texas, Polk defeated Mexico.

So, our "manner" is war or the threat of war (which can be diplomacy backed by the actual capability to inflict harm). Come on back, Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Napoleon! But wait!

What's "sustainable"? That would be length of time and the ability to retain those expanded borders.

The political boundaries which were expanded by Mao have been sustained for the past 60 years.

Soviet Union, about 80 years.


In conclusion, Polk is the Greatest President ever!!!

Woah nelly are you way off on that Soviet number. The Soviet Union reached its greatest extent at the end of the second world war so 1945. (with the anexation of Konisberg now Kaliningrad). It began to shrink shortly before its collapse in 1990. So we have territories within the Soviet Union, under Soviet control for a mere 45 years.

Polk actually reached a compromise with the UK, he clearly favoured peaceful resolutions. He made this compromise despite having a better claim to the land (more settlers) and a better ability to actually take the entirety of the Oregon territory and linking up with Alaska. However Polk showed wisdom and instead went for the very reasonable division along the 49th parallel.

Had it not been for Polk, Baron Von PWN might be speaking American today.

[Baron Von PWN]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

We may want to add the fact that Polk expanded political boundaries in a sustainable manner to differentiate him from these statesmen.

That's a good point, but what's a "sustainable manner"?

According to wikipedia, Polk threatened war with Great Britain, so they split the Oregon Territory. After annexing Texas, Polk defeated Mexico.

So, our "manner" is war or the threat of war (which can be diplomacy backed by the actual capability to inflict harm). Come on back, Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Napoleon! But wait!

What's "sustainable"? That would be length of time and the ability to retain those expanded borders.

The political boundaries which were expanded by Mao have been sustained for the past 60 years.

Soviet Union, about 80 years.


In conclusion, Polk is the Greatest President ever!!!

Woah nelly are you way off on that Soviet number. The Soviet Union reached its greatest extent at the end of the second world war so 1945. (with the anexation of Konisberg now Kaliningrad). It began to shrink shortly before its collapse in 1990. So we have territories within the Soviet Union, under Soviet control for a mere 45 years.

Polk actually reached a compromise with the UK, he clearly favoured peaceful resolutions. He made this compromise despite having a better claim to the land (more settlers) and a better ability to actually take the entirety of the Oregon territory and linking up with Alaska. However Polk showed wisdom and instead went for the very reasonable division along the 49th parallel.

Had it not been for Polk, Baron Von PWN might be speaking American today.

Exactly! Yet another reason why Polk is the best.

[BigBallinStalin]

According to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the US, the US instigated the Mexican-American War by encouraging American settlers to settle in lands past the river. IIRC, the Mexicans responded by having their military push them back out, and the US already had a garrison nearby to respond. The general gist of his argument was that the US instigated it and had some US military presence there in order to let the situation escalate.

Not really sure how true that is because Howard Zinn gets kind of dubious on his sources...

[patches70]

According to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the US, the US instigated the Mexican-American War by encouraging American settlers to settle in lands past the river. IIRC, the Mexicans responded by having their military push them back out, and the US already had a garrison nearby to respond. The general gist of his argument was that the US instigated it and had some US military presence there in order to let the situation escalate.

Not really sure how true that is because Howard Zinn gets kind of dubious on his sources...

Oh yeah, the territory in dispute was clearly Mexican territory but we didn't much care about that little distinction. The US did instigate it. Even Abraham Lincoln was opposed to the war.

What the US really wanted was California. And damned if we didn't get it.....

[Neoteny]

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...

No. His middle name is HUSSEIN therefore he is automatically the greatest.

[spurgistan]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

We may want to add the fact that Polk expanded political boundaries in a sustainable manner to differentiate him from these statesmen.

That's a good point, but what's a "sustainable manner"?

According to wikipedia, Polk threatened war with Great Britain, so they split the Oregon Territory. After annexing Texas, Polk defeated Mexico.

So, our "manner" is war or the threat of war (which can be diplomacy backed by the actual capability to inflict harm). Come on back, Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Napoleon! But wait!

What's "sustainable"? That would be length of time and the ability to retain those expanded borders.

The political boundaries which were expanded by Mao have been sustained for the past 60 years.

Soviet Union, about 80 years.


In conclusion, Polk is the Greatest President ever!!!

I guess I consider "sustainable" to be "not acting aggressively towards an existential threat (Mao and the USSR, Hitler and the USSR, Napoleon and Russia, Stalin and, uhh, everybody who's not Russia)." I guess I was thinking more about Mexico than about Oregon, wasn't aware that Polk was the one picking fights with the Brits there. I should add I'm not as big a fan of Polk as many are, I voted for TJ.

[Neoteny]

YOU MONSTER

[DoomYoshi]

If expanding political boundaries makes someone great, then Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were great people in this respect too! YIPPEE!!!

and Alexander!

Could you imagine calling him Alexander the Great? That's ludicrous.

[Aradhus]

This topic and poll is the final piece of the puzzle to convince me that there is no sincerity in CC off-topics. What we have going on here is pure unmitigated satire, isn't it?

Come on now guys, you're rumbled, 'fess up. I've got you bang to rights, red handed, caught with your comedy paws in the satirical jar. There's no point carrying on the 'rouse, the jig is up, the game is over, the magic revealed, the joke ended. I'll admit, you guys had me going for a long while there. I mean, what a masterpiece. Amazing how you guys pulled it off, never breaking from character this whole time. Magnifique.

Applause Applause

[Phatscotty]

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.

But you can deposit that coin into an individual retirement account.

Your post reminds me of a cool story, and for tax purposes I will leave this fellas name out.

2 years ago, a fella walked into a car dealership with only "$40" in his pocket. He was looking at a car that was priced around $3,500, and he talked to the owner about purchasing the car. He showed the owner his $40, the owner quickly wrote up a receipt and marked the car as sold for $40.

[Gillipig]

Oh boy this topic brings back memories lol. My last post in this thread was almost 3 years ago. Why re open it?

[saxitoxin]

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.

But you can deposit that coin into an individual retirement account.

You can also deposit a Canadian Gold Maple Leaf in an U.S. IRA. You can deposit any kind of novelty coin as long as it's 99.9% pure gold.

[Phatscotty]

Of which the US gov't started making in 1986 thanks to Ronald Reagan!

[patches70]

Of which the US gov't started making in 1986 thanks to Ronald Reagan!

Yeah, but don't forget the lesson of the Liberty Dollar-



Private currency will not be tolerated, The Fed must be allowed to maintain their monopoly on currency.....