This is a great list. 1. Woodrow Wilson 2. FDR 3. Theodore Roosevelt 4. Lincoln 5. Reagan or LBJ, take your pick.
In descending order over the course of the last fifty years or so (from worst to not so terribly bad) I would tentatively place the line up along the following lines: Barack Obama and G.W. Bush as the worst presidents, Jimmy Carter (nice guy but utterly clueless), Ford and G.H. Bush tied, Nixon and LBJ tied (for a variety of reasons), and then Reagan and Clinton tied for BEST presidents of this stipulated time period.
Ronald Reagan, the father of the National Debt. It was Reagan's policies that destroyed the US economy that had served us so well during the 50's, 60's and 70's, and set us on the road to a two tier society.
I agree with your assessment so far as it goes; especially with G.W. Bush getting us simultaneously bogged down in both Afghanistan and Iraq but so far as that goes I also lump Obama together since he continued the Iraq war involvement 18 more months as president AND THEN had us pull out under terms that fluking guaranteed that the nation would eventually undergo what it's undergoing today and plus he still has us engaged in Afghanistan waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past what we should have been. Finally I give Obama the edge (in regards to being the worst president) over Bush if only because Obama is simply bad at being president from either the standpoint of incompetence or because he embraces a Socialistic/Marxist agenda in his heart of hearts. All his decisions ring false and he always selects the wrong set of options.
Would that be the same U.S. economy that was strong as hell prior to 2008? Sooooooo . . . Reagan destroyed the U.S. economy but did so on a time delayed trigger so that the ill effects would manifest only many decades after his death? Cool!
Don't you think, that part of the problem is the type of capitalism, your nation stands for? In my world I look at a healthy mix of capitalism and socialism. Communism doesn't work, it only creates mindless people with hardly any drive. However, most importantly to me is the term sustainability, and if we all live a bit more to our means, there is a chance.... Regards
Well I don't want to pull the OP off its topic but in truth I feel that the future of the U.S. holds much more socialism in store for it than it does the ideal of independent living and personal freedom. But that's just the way things go. Once people finally realized that they could vote themselves cake,candy, and ice cream from the increasingly shrinking pool of workers and taxpayers things were going to begin radically changing and the old ideals were going to begin sliding down the ol' toilet. There is no break on encroaching socialism inside the United States. No one is capable of saying, "Yes, this much for this reason and then no more," and making it stick because there are always more radicals who believe that if a little bit of socialism does a little bit of good then a whole hell of a lot will do a massive amount of good and be damn what it does to the principles of capitalism that turned this nation into a superpower. They are patient and determined and they know no limits and they never stop trying. We now return you to the OP topic under general discussion.
And yet, look at this comment from another poster: I don't know why you think I am defending Obama, and that feeling IMO reflects the extreme polarity of your political views, about parties that are pretty much the same ideologically speaking. I don't think Obama is a good President by any means, but there's two solid factors that talk in his favour: 1: He faces a ridiculously hostile and obstinate congress and 2: It isn't hard to shine when one succeeds dounces like GWB, or when facing the myriad of comical idiots that express current "conservative" views, focusing on the lowest common denominator as if their lives depended on it. With such false polarity, even God himself, if he was a valid candidate at a presidential election, would be hated by 50% of you people even before he'd open His Lips. I still believe that there is a viable way to be a conservative in the XXIst century, what is sadly called "paleo-conservatives", but the GOP just cannot do anything good with the current attitude. Can you picture someone like Palin as President? It would be a disaster for the planet, in the same league as Bush the Son's infamous reign. Ah come on. See that? That isn't a good attitude. You'd better attack Obama with rationality and on his policies rather than beating dead horses (that besides, were hysteric when they were alive). And yes, Carter is a good man, in spite of being a weak president, not unlike Obama. There hasn't been a good Democrat President since Kennedy, apart for Clinton.
Jesse the Body Ventura - former governor of Minnesota and a CONSERVATIVE - said Bush was the worst he has ever seen. The Great Recession Two needless wars Thousands of dead and crippled American soldiers Tens of thousands of dead and crippled Middle Easterners Tremendous instability in the Middle East Devalued dollar Reversal of Clinton's surplus etc, etc, etc Only a delusional would say there was anyone worse since Reagan.
Obviously The Kenyan B. Hussein Obama is the worst! No one has lied as much or trampled on the Constitution as much as Obama has. Plus, he has really accomplished nothing positive.
20 million now covered by medical insurance ended Bush's recession reduced our involvement in Bush's two wars of imperialism highest corporate profits since the year 1900 record Wall Street activity Far better president - in fact vastly SUPERIOR to Bush.
The US used to be a superpower, and it could still be, if sustainability would be on their card. With your last sentence you do express what it means to be an American: Your order to return to the subject...... See, I think there is a reason why your country is where it is, and it certainly has nothing to do with the current President Obama. No hard feelings mate, regards
Rotten Ronnie was far worse. As was Bush. Only those who are ignorant of the past or have partisan blinders on would pick BO over the aforementioned.
Forgot about Teddy Roosevelt. Should have made him my number four or five for his incessant war-mongering. But I think Lincoln has to be number one because all the other terrible presidents are the descendants of Lincoln's tyrannical reign.
I am wondering if FDR may be worse (in some ways) t han Pres O because if FDR hadn't expanded gov like he did, Pres O could not have done a lot of what he did... to do the same Also, one of the worst mistakes made by a president was not freeing his own slaves (Washignton) and not standing up to the founders of our nation to do something about slavery before the Constitution was passed... So becaue he didn't do that, we had to have a terrible War and etc... etc... ____
He was the first archetypal progressive to become President. His 1912 campaign split Taft's vote, ensuring Wilson's victory; for this alone he deserves #3. He began a massive seizure of state land by the Federal government - http://frackwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/all_us_public_lands_0.jpg. He really set the stage for what US foreign policy would look like in the 20th century. He was an absolute wanker: he stole the Panama Canal, lifted men into incoming fire, and was a proud racist. Lincoln's claim to fame was forever abolishing decentralized power, and settling the unresolved debate of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the individual as sovereign vs the collective - in favor of the Federalists. That's pretty unforgivable. I don't know, it's all a bit hard to separate them. The top 5 could really be in any order.
So the Germans love obama even though obama spied on them? Poland loves obama even though obama pulled the rug out from under them with the denial of the missile defense system, pushing Poland closer into the Russian shadow? The Iranian people love obama even though he ignored their pleas for help and we watched them get shot? The Egyptians love obama even though he supports Morisi and the Muslim Brotherhood which the Egtption people tossed out when Morisi tried to make Egypt a non-secular state? How about Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, all in desperate situations because of obama's incompetence, do they love obama? Shall I go on? And if obama is so great, why are his own socialist party members up for re-election running away from him? obama is a total failure.
I remember reading it somewhere but have since been unable to locate the source, so I figure I'll just claim it in bad faith, ya know?
projecting your own beliefs onto others much.... the world opinion reality outside of your insular existence is much different than you imagine...obama is much respected outside the usa, unlike the nightmare years GWB...
Prove it. Show me current newspapers from those countries and statements from those leaders that show they like/respect obama.
I'm no fan of Obama, but he really is liked quite a lot over here. It's like the love of Queen Elizabeth II - nobody really cares about her policies. At best, Australians like that he's reforming the healthcare system, but they have no knowledge of its particulars (nor ours, to be honest). People care far less about politics than most of the politically savvy think.
