Who is the Greatest American in History?

[Andy]

I think they atleast deserve to be in the top 5.

 

[Informal Logic]

That depends on what specifically you are talking about him "causing". He certainly "caused" the acceleration of the collapse. He certainly "caused" the USSR to collapse sooner rather than later. He is therefore certainly responsible for that effect.

Are you really so bored that you argue in circles?

And since I am the one who made the specific claim and you are the one responding to it, you need to follow my meaning: that Reagan caused the acceleration of the collapse. Otherwise, you're arguing a straw-man.

You may believe you are dictator of the world, but no, I don't need to do anything.

No problem - just don't jump to conclusions about my opinions. This shouldn't be an issue because I am very open about them.

Just policing the police. Is it annoying? Now you know how it feels.

It depends on what you mean there - with Bush and, say, Lebanon, the only effect Bush could have had was indirect (ie, that he scared Syria into leaving without doing anything specific to actually threaten them). While it may be true it is impossible to prove unless 20 years from now a Syrian leader writes a book and says 'we left Lebanon because we were afraid Bush would attack us if we didn't.' Reagan had a direct effect on the USSR in that they changed internal policy in response to his policies - and years later, Russian officials did say precisely that.

Indirect is the key word. The bottom line is that all other variables needed to be in place, meaning timing in the chain of events (in the case of Lebanon, the death of Arafat, etc.). Economic decline, corruption, death of leaders either naturally or by assassination, wars, religion, etc., etc., etc. are much stronger catalysts for such events. But you will believe what you want to believe about your precious Republican presidents.

 

[Mercator]

Well as far as I am concerned there is only two candidates for the greatest American.

1, Homer Simpson.
2, Al Bundy.

Your forget Archie Bunker, he comes close to my proposal, Werner Von Braun, only he was smarter and imported from Germany. He was an example of how the US deals with dictator's akolytes. I just wonder how many captured Iraqi Baathists are working in the States now.

 

[The Smoking Man]

Your forget Archie Bunker, he comes close to my proposal, Werner Von Braun, only he was smarter and imported from Germany. He was an example of how the US deals with dictator's akolytes. I just wonder how many captured Iraqi Baathists are working in the States now.

Well, if that is the new chriteria then I nominate Shiro Ishii.

Without his help, McArthur would never have realized the advances in biowarfare that took America into Korea only a decade later.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/740572/posts

 

[Yaaks]

For me, Richard Feynman was the Greatest American of all time..
Truly GODlike!..

 

[Anttech]

As for other Americans, how about -Alexander Graham Bell

2) Bell was a Canadian.

He was SCOTTISH! Born and bred, he emigrated to Canada and USA later but was born and educated in Edinburgh, Scotland

Anyway I aggree he was a great man, just not an American/Candadian great man!

 

[Townsend]

E Pluribus Unum

America...no, I don't think so.

The United States of America.

The greatest American is an honor that that should not exist. In fact, I don't think 'greatest' is a term that should be applied to people at all. It takes all kinds of people to make the world go around. Like it or not, we don't live in a vacuum.

Just my opinion of course.

Regards,