Posted on 12/30/2005 6:34:51 AM PST by rcocean
At first, this attorney-cum-supercop only wanted to make America safer, but in short order, this bureaucrat re-enacted every Machiavellian nightmare while transforming a backwater investigative office into the free world’s most effective police force. He became the closest thing America has ever known to an emperor and managed to die before his empire came crashing down around him. The tragedy of his life can be seen in his contradictions: a gay man who persecuted homosexuals; his undeniable love of country getting consumed by his thirst for power; his desire to enforce the law giving way to his paranoid domestic-espionage activities designed to derail political opponents, such as Martin Luther King and others he deemed dangerous.
For the unfettered power he garnered through his Orwellian efforts and his reflexive use of blackmail to maintain that power -- a power which cowed presidents and Congresses alike for decades -- Hoover is, I believe, the obvious choice of worst American in national history.
As for Jefferson Davis. Ascribe any motives you want. He wins my award for the worst american. Lets see he:
1) Split the country apart, for no good reason
2) Refused any offers of compromise to keep the South in the Union. Demanded the extension of Slavery into the West.
3) Suppported Slavery, including taking over Cuba to get more slaves. He also supported re-opening the slave trade.
4) Instituted a CSA draft, but exempted slave-holders. At the end of war 17 year old kids and 50 year old men were dying in the trenches.
5) Refused the stop the war, and get the best deal possible, after the fall of Atlanta, when it was obvious the South would lose. Lincoln said, he would welcome the south back at any time under terms, as long as "Union and No Slavery" were the first items on the list.
6) Made Speeches in 1864-1865 about "dying in the last ditch" and "never surrendering". Then when Richmond fell, tried to escape to Mexico. No "dying in the last ditch" for him. When captured without a fight, gave the pathetic excuse that he was "protecting" his wife.
7) Sent CSA armies into Missouri, Kentucky, and West Virginia in order to bring them into the CSA against their will.
You can come up with a lot of CSA politicans who were even worse. One of the few admirable CSA politicans was Stephens, who while he supported slavery and succession at least had principles, wanted peace and compromise, and was against turning the civil war into some kind of unneccessary "battle to the death" that Davis did.
B. Franklin>? A bad American?
How so?
Ooops...never mind...LOL...replyin' before scrollin'...
Happy New Year!
Jimmy Carter, everyone else pales in comparison.
In that case, the Democratic saint, Bobby Kennedy should be on the list. As Attorney General he not only allowed this activity, but encouraged it.
I don't think so.
Consider this quote:
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
...and my corollary (from watching colleagues who drank too much beer the night before...):
"...hangovers are proof that we still live in a fallen world."
Cheers!
"Please give me some documentation that Forrest formed the KKK, I must have missed something in reading history. I would also like to know who disbanded the KKK."
from here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan
I was incorrect about Forrest's "Founder" status. He was merely "..selected as Grand Wizard, the Klan's national leader."
My bad. He wasn't the founder but merely its first national leader.
In terms of body counts, it was difficult for me to find precise figures, given that many lynchings, etc were covered up, but there's no doubt they killed more than Tookie's Crips.
You can include a Klan Grand Wizard in your list of Greatest Americans. I choose to ignore and forget and dishonor those who'd be part of such a disgusting organization of hate-mongers.
All of the Kennedys should. Especially Joe, then Ted, then Robert, then John.
You're right! I stand corrected.
It's Venona Intercepts, KGB buzzword I believe
Yes, I'd expect the man who named America's worst to be a little more careful with facts. America's "worst" -- which includes three of the men most hated by our radical leftists and Communists. I bet the KGB's disinformation folks had a special desk for each Hoover, McCarthy, and Nixon.
YOu mean you're against the KKK?
That's a BOLD stand. Ok, I you're alone on this, so I'll join you.
I also am against the KKK and the Nazi's.
Wow, I hope I live to see 2006.
Hard to take him seriously when he speaks of "Verona intercepts." WTF is that, wiretaps on the Montagues and Capulets?
What's your beef with Ben Franklin? Hatred of wood stoves?
Whew!
I was beginning to wonder what Poor Richard ever did to you.
Aaron Burr, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton belong right at the top of any such list.
Yes, I'd expect the man who aspires to name America's "worst" to be a little more careful with facts.
But after looking at the names on that list. . . .
The top 10 list without Bill Clinton is wrong. At least they included Jimmy Carter at #10. Bill should be much higher up the list than Jimmy.
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