Great americans of the 20th century

[general counsel]

Two nominees from me

Martin Luther King Jr.
Marshall Faulk

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[jkramsfan]

the founder of hooters restaurant

[Fat Pang]

Franklin D Roosevelt.

[general counsel]

Personally, i view franklin roosevelt as one of the most overated americans of all time. he provoked the japanese into world war II and lied about it. Interned japanese americans. And to me, worst of all, knew all about the nazi death camps and did nothing to stop them (refused to bomb them). Plus, he got his clock cleaned by stalin at yalta and lost the peace.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[Fat Pang]

But he stood tall when the more isolationist members of your government were advocating appeasment and non-intervention.

It's for this and this alone that he had a truly international impact in a way that few Americans had before or since.

Stalin was able to deceive him because FDR was too intent on manipulating the collapse of the British Empire after the war, which he saw as having corresponding benefits for the US in Trade and influence after the war. There's very little evidence he saw Empire in itself as being wrong.

I think there's an argument for Eisenhower being more culpable in this regard. Being the man in the field he should have cleared straight on to Berlin when he had the chance and a mandate to do it.

Japan had felt the pressure of competition for raw materials in asia for sometime and felt crowded by the British and Americans. They had always felt that a military option was the only way forward. Since Tsushima and the evolution of the Aircraft carrier, Japan felt her Imperial star rising and if you marry this to a genuine sense of shame over the subjugation of the 'asian' peoples at the hands of westerners, a clash was inevitable despite Roosevelt's intentions.

As for the death camps, they were widely known about form the 30's when Hitler first started his push for racial purity with the killing of Homosexuals, gypsies and mentally handicapped people. Not to mention political dissidents. The British government is as culpable in this regard.

In a time when most British people have noted that the ridiculously termed 'special relationship' between the UK and the US is horribly one sided (and often treated contemptuously by US officials) and would prefer a closer rapprochement with Europe, old FDR is often thought of warmly.

[Fat Pang]

I've just had a thought (remarkable I know)

Ignore the above post.

I shouldn't really be commenting on this, it should be an American thing.

My apologies........................

[UtterBlitz]

Originally Posted by Fat Pang

I've just had a thought (remarkable I know)

Ignore the above post.

I shouldn't really be commenting on this, it should be an American thing.

My apologies........................

Fat Pang, you are allowed to comment. The thread is not the American's choice for great americans. We are pretty international here.

I am going with Elvis Presley. He changed main stream rock and roll with his childhood influences and his love of gospel music and the blues.

[dgr828]

20th Century - Eric Dickerson

21st Century - Marshall William Faulk

[AlphaRam]

Originally Posted by Fat Pang

Franklin D Roosevelt.

A man who received his name from Roosevelt that I would submit is Rosevelt Grier. As some of you will recall, Rosey Grier was a member of the Fearsome Foursome defensive line for the Rams from 1963 - 1966. Unfortunately, his pro football career ended due to an injury to his Achilles' tendon.

Anyway, Grier was a bodyguard for Robert Kennedy when Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968. Grier subdued Sirhan Sirhan, with Grier jamming his thumb behind the trigger of the gun to prevent further shots from being fired.

Grier has appeared in a number of films and television shows. One of the first football stars to successfully transition to acting, Grier starred in a handful low-budget features, including The Thing with Two Heads (the high point of his acting career, I think...lol). He made about 70 television guest appearances, and became a regular cast member on the series Daniel Boone, Make Room for Granddaddy, and The White Shadow. Grier also sang the song "It's All Right to Cry" for the children's album and TV program Free to Be… You and Me.

Grier has also written a number of books, and now travels the United States as an inspirational speaker, and is cofounder of American Neighborhood Enterprises, an organization that works to help disadvantaged city dwellers buy homes and receive vocational training.

Grier was ordained a Christian minister in 1983, and the next year he founded his nonprofit resource center for inner-city teens, developing spiritual and educational programs for disadvantaged youths. He even received an honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts.

Grier is a prominent member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

Rosey grier is certainly a role model that many of today's football players could learn from. More importantly, he is a great person that anyone can use as a role model. Even if he does do needlepoint, he is secure enough in himself to not let anyone detract from that.

I am preently reading his biography - I recommend it to all of you.

[general counsel]

Fat Pang, of course you should be commenting! we value your and everyones opinion. You have a terrific perspective on all sorts of stuff, why not this.

At the end of the day, the bond of the people on this board is greater than any nationalistic label. We all love the horns to the death.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[RamsFanSam]

1st - Fat Pang, I agree, your comments are welcome.

As far as the 'Greatest American', this is a tough one. There are so many great ones, so many bad ones. In the Great category, I submit these for nomination, along with my reason:

Jonas Salk - developer of the polio vaccine.

Nikola Tesla (actually Austro-Hungarian, but I think he was a naturalized citizen, even if not, he adopted the USA) - the man who made practical the use of electricity in America, among other things. (Bet you thought it was Edison, huh?)

John F. Kennedy - inspired the USA to grow from a post-war, paranoid cold war country into a country with a common goal: to work together to reach the moon.

Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King: They never worked together, but they both worked towards establishing equality for all people.

Alan Sheppard - he took the first step to outer space for America.

[Fat Pang]

Thanks guys,

Rosey Grier, why has this man passed me by? Merlin Olsen, and Deacon get the publicity?

I'd never heard of him unitl you mentioned him on another thread Alpha.

[coy bacon]

I can't blame Rosey for what the Japs did. "The poor Japs, they had no recourse but to attack us."

Tell it to the hundreds of thousands of Chinese who were murdered by the Japs.

The Japs were every bit as evil, brutal, and murderous, as the Nazis. And, they got off cheap compared to what they did to others. And the Japs were in China well before Pearl Harbor. And they weren't picking rice.

No sir, the Japs attacked because that is what they did. They were aggressive and had they continued to grow in power, they would have moved against us later on anyway. The animal doesn't change its nature.

Further, the Jap gov. has had a terrible time telling its people about the crimes of their grandfathers. They have slowly found out, but the Japs have worked hard to hide their guilt.

There are still Korean women alive today who were taken to Japan and forced to be prostitutes. Now, who made the Japs do that GC? They've tried to get compensated by the Jap gov. but that Gov. brushed them aside.

Internment wasn't the end of the world, and I don't blame him for doing it one bit. There were some Japanese involved in 5th column activities, albeit a very few. Say he erred on the side of caution.

War is a horrible, horrible evil set loose. Innocent people suffer and die in terrible ways. The Japs were war mongers, and set lose the dogs of war, like those vicious pitbulls, upon their neighbors.

[general counsel]

Coy, i have a lot of respect for you and of course welcome your views as long with any others, but the internment of american CITIZENS without due process. My friend, the us constitution has to have meaning. Were the germans interned? How about the iraquis today.

internment of japanese citizens in world war two without due process of law is truly one of the low points in american history, as bad as the dred scott decision.

Coy, are you at all a fan of the 4th amendment? Is it ok for a cop to burst down anyones door any time without warrant just because once in a while they will find a kilo of cocaine in someones house? I have no problem with arresting someone of any nationality if there is evidence/probable cause of a crime, but interning an entire race of people, including citizens, just because of their nationality without due process and without any evidence that a particular individual broke the law?

that view is way way to the right of the political spectrum and i am reasonably conservative.

Fascinating topic for off season debate.

ramming speed to all,

general counsel

[AvengerRam]

Originally Posted by coy bacon

I can't blame Rosey for what the Japs did. "The poor Japs, they had no recourse but to attack us."

Tell it to the hundreds of thousands of Chinese who were murdered by the Japs.

The Japs were every bit as evil, brutal, and murderous, as the Nazis. And, they got off cheap compared to what they did to others. And the Japs were in China well before Pearl Harbor. And they weren't picking rice.

Interesting that you mention this, because one of my pet peeves is the combination Chinese/Japanese restaurant. When have those two nations willingly broken bread together? It seems that the owners of such restaurants just think, "Those dumb Americans - they don't know one Asian from the next. Might as well serve sushi and moo shoo together!"