Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

Discovery Channel has been running an online poll on the topic, accompanied by a series of TV specials. The voters have done a suprisingly good job, eliminating most of the pretenders in the early rounds and narrowing the field to five finalists (Washington, Lincoln, Franklin, King, and Reagan) who'd all have been in my personal top ten. A similar poll in Britain was won (very justifiably) by Isaac Newton.

Which brings up the question: who do YOU think is the greatest American? Support your answer; and in answer to what you're all wondering, "greatest" means whatever you want it to mean. I'll post my own answer if this thread draws any interest; my own pick is not among the five DC finalists.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

The British version was surely won by Winston Churchill?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

Indeed, Newton was sixth: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/progra...atbritons.shtml

Last edited by Smug Git on 06-23-2005 at 05:05 PM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Zion
Posts: 4565

quote:

---

Originally posted by CHiPsJr
The voters have done a suprisingly good job, eliminating most of the pretenders in the early rounds and narrowing the field to five finalists (Washington, Lincoln, Franklin, King, and Reagan) who'd all have been in my personal top ten.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Erehwon
Posts: 7543

Should've been a three way draw between George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Paul 'Pee-Wee Herman' Rueubens

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 25796

I bet Kato Kalen is on that list somewhere.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

For Americans, my top 5 would be: Martin Luther King, Richard Feynman, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, although I could see ditching Jefferson for someone else (more recent, perhaps). I'm not sure that someone like W Edwards Deming doesn't deserve a mention, actually. Henry Ford, who is in the Discovery Channel's top 25, is a good call, too.

I wouldn't put Reagan in the top 10, personally. Probably in the top 10 of presidents, but that is damning with faint praise. They have Einstein on their list, hilariously, but he wasn't an American when he achieved his great science; by the time that he became an American, he was largely a footnote.

Last edited by Smug Git on 06-23-2005 at 10:03 PM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Erehwon
Posts: 7543

Hey, you gotta take what you can get.

Did Jennifer Anniston make the list?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 25796

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smug Git
They have Einstein on their list, hilariously, but he wasn't an American when he achieved his great science; by the time that he became an American, he was largely a footnote.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

I don't want to merit that much attention.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

If he had been American during his productive period, Einstein should easily be in the top 5.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 25796

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smug Git
I don't want to merit that much attention.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1010

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smug Git
Henry Ford, who is in the Discovery Channel's top 25, is a good call, too.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

Money is important. People who find better ways for us all to make it, or provide cheaper product for us to buy with it, are of enormous, and positive, significance.

You could point at many of the people in the top 25 with an accusing finger. Reagan can be blamed in significant part for the rise of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism (not to mention his support of utter fucking murdering scumbags in Latin America), Lincoln was involved in a critical way in a war that killed an awful lot of people, King's personal behaviour wasn't that great, Jefferson was a hypocrite over slaves, etc, etc. In some cases (like Reagan's, and I didn't even mention that he was so senile that the country was virtually presidentless for his last years allegedly in office, nor that he lied to Congress) the bad does outweigh the good, yes. However, the nazi movement in its early days, and what it became, are not the same thing. And I don't blame an industrialist for acting totally legally to expand their business in foreign nations.

Last edited by Smug Git on 06-23-2005 at 09:16 PM

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2003
Location: N. Texas
Posts: 3659

Good call Smug.....Deming unfortunately will always be more revered in Japan than he ever would be here. Although his TQM methods were eventualy embraced by many American companies such as GE, Westinghouse, and Ford. As I'm sure you know the Deming Prize is the most coveted award that can be bestowed on a Japanese Company.

My Votes would be:

Henry Ford
Nikola Tesla
Bill Gates
Jonas Salk
Jimmy Carter
Chuck Yeager
Dick Rutan

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

Might be a bit cheeky with Tesla there, as he didn't arrive in the US until he was 28. He did some great work when he was here, though.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2003
Location: N. Texas
Posts: 3659

Also.......Everytime I read or see something about Bob Geldof I wanna puke what an arrogant fucker. First of all the Boomtown Rats sucked the pipe, and secondly is what he's doing really that important and does it carry that great of an impact on the world at large.

I mean lots of people have made 3rd world famine and starvation their primary cause.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 25796

Jimmy Carter? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Downing Street
Posts: 17534

quote:

---

Originally posted by lanin


My Votes would be:

Henry Ford

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 0.50
Posts: 9420

i'm going with
hunter s. thompson
william s. burroughs
god bless america.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2003
Location: N. Texas
Posts: 3659

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hawley Griffin
Henry Ford was a racist, unionbusting, Hitler-loving slavedriver. i guess thats considdred great in some parts of the world

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Downing Street
Posts: 17534

no björk jokes? im deeply disturbed by this.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Beatrice, Nebraska
Posts: 19075

No Einstein? I know he wasn't born in the US, but still. The man did amazing shit for the US and the world.

__________________

[Ignore Sig]

The pinnacle of Failbot technology.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35917

quote:

---

Originally posted by SocialParasite
No Einstein? I know he wasn't born in the US, but still. The man did amazing shit for the US and the world.

---