A survey of presidential historians by the University of Louisville has revealed what the historians consider to be the top 10 Presidential blunders of U.S. history. James Buchanan has topped the list, for failing to do more to prevent the Southern states from seceding prior to the Civil War. Obviously, I wasn't around during Buchanan's presidency (perhaps in another life?) but I don't think presidents are magicians. From what I've read of the history of the time period, I seriously doubt any president could have done anything to prevent secession - anything Constitutional, at least. Besides, at this point in time I'm not entirely sure secession would have been a bad thing. I'm just saying.
Clinton's Lewinsky debacle makes number 10 on the list, although I am not sure it deserves a spot at all. It is the kind of thing I consider a personal mistake, not a presidential one. Yea, yea, I've heard it, if he lied about this...he could lie about anything. Hello, kettle?
Andrew Johnson made the number 2 spot for siding with Southern whites after the Civil War and impeding civil rights improvements for Southern blacks. To me, this one should be number 1.
Tricky Dick landed in the number 5 position for his involvement in Watergate. He got off easy on this list.
It is an interesting survey, and comforting to know that presidents of all political persuasions have always been mucking things up.
13 comments:
I'd go with JFK being at the top of the list. The consequences could have been disastrous for all of us. It don't get more serious than complete annihation of the planet.
BTW you can download his speeches from www.americanrhetoric.com.
Boy, did that guy have the gift of the gab.
I agree with A. Johnson being #1 there.
ZARDOZ SAYS :
H A R R Y S. T R U M A N
AND I HOPE YOUR NOT WANDERING WHY.?
THE RUSSIANS ATTACKED JAPAN
WITH AN ARMY OF ALMOST
2 MILLION MEN , AND HAD ALREADY
RUN OVER 4/10 ths of JAPAN
TEN DAYS LATER SHIT FOR BRAINS TRUMAN USED THE ATOM BOMB ,......
AND SET A PRESCEDENT...
AND TODAY WITH BUSH IT DOESNT GET
ANY MORE COMFTORABLE,,,
=== ZARDOZ ===
Zardoz,
I think many of your Greek compatriots would think differently. In fact, Truman is the only US president who is honored with a statue in Athens. If it wasn't for Truman and his Marshall plan, you may have been living in Albania instead of Athens although geographically it would be the same location if you get my drift.
mrs MEL , with your permission,
DEAR LARRY
YES YOURE RIGHT ,
GREEKS THINK VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU THINK
There are several presidents honored in greek culture
As statues there is G WASHINGTON ,old parliament building
J KENNEDY in a square in kalamata.
I think F.D.ROOSEVELT has a statue in VATHI ,SAMOS
Ive seen a painting of WOODROW WILSON in MESSOLOGHI
And he was cited as WWI benefactor.
As streets there are many more.
AS personas there are more American presidents revered in Greece than you think.
But for greek history,,,greek compatriots do not honor
Mr TRUMAN , those who do
Are the ones that made money at the time(‘50’s) from the food packages
From the clothing packages , that were prepared , to solve
Problems, not to make some daddys rich so they can buy real estate in PARIS
So when their little girls grow up , they can be like , condolisa rice in greek politics.
GET MY DRIFT.
Mrs MELUSINAS ,,ARTICLE
was based on the major boo-boos of UNITED STATES PRESIDENTS
And PERSONALLY I think he has major responsibility for
why we have the dialogues we have.
Did you ever think that if TRUMAN hadn’t sent in the atom bombs,
To satisfy the curiosirty of R Oppenheimer and army science team,
THE IRON CURTAIN AND THE COLD WAR
MIGHT NOT HAVE LASTED 40 STUPID YEARS.
With all the negatives for the whole of the human race that intervened.
See if F.D.R hadn’t died and let the redneck idiot at the helm
He would’ve seen thru CHURCHILLS malarchy. Of a communist menace.
(see ROOSEVELTS AND CHURCHILL SECRET WARTIME CORRESPONDENCE)
book ,
HE (f.d.r.) would have
Helped people like KRUSCHEV tone down and probably change STALIN ‘S
Hardline politics.
So instead did you ever think that if no intervention
Was forced upon GREECE in all probability
The greek compatriots would have found their own way to democracy
With a leftist army , a revolution, and elections ,
That probably would’ve gone as smooth as Nicaragua
Remember revolution-ortega-elections-president violeta.(right)
AT THE TIME Some sort of self sustaining economy would’ve been created
And geographically we would have been better off
GEOGRAPHICALLY ,,
Greeks-Albanians-yugoslavians -bulgarians –Turks-oh and ISRAELIS.-LIBYANS-italians-maltese- - - .
THIS OF COURSE IS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU.
=== === === Z A R D O Z === === ===
Zardoz,
I'm not sure if you understand English, but I said the Greeks think differently than you not me. Anyways, I'll forgive you for that mistake.
Additionally, I said that Truman was the only US President honored with a statue in Athens. This I've read in a tourist guide of Athens from the states, and observed the statue with my own eyes. Where exactly is the old parliament building and I'll go check out George Washington's statue?
But, my point which your sarcasm was lost on is that Truman obviously is respected by the Greek government and certainly by the majority of Greek people who lived during that time. To say otherwise shows your lack of knowledge or at least a Communist bias.
Really, the only ungrateful Greeks I've heard this nonsense from are usually Communists who had quite a bit to lose when America decided to take Greece under it's wing. If it wasn't for President Truman and his Marshall Plan, many Greek people would not be around today. This is not a myth but fact. It's quite easy to spew the nasty Communist line that you probably heard at your local KKE meeting but the truth is something different.
Maybe the US should not have assisted Greece back then. Fifty years of Soviet socialism and totalitarianism would have done them some good here like it did to the rest of the Eastern Europeans. Today's Greeks would be like the rest of the East Europeans here - the men would be handymen and waiters, the women would be scrubbing apartment building staircases. Only then would they be more appreciative of what the US has done for the world. Ask some of the Poles,
Hungarians etc. which country was their beacon of hope during the Cold War.
That's the problem with some people. Bite the hand that feeds them. It's quite easy to be a Monday morning quarterback with all your anti-American rhetoric but Zardoz the facts speak for themselves.
Truman was a great man and his works showed in Greece. Anything else disgraces his memory and just shows your complete bias and utter contempt for what America has done for your country.
There is no need for you to reply back as this is just my observation and I don't believe people such as yourself can be swayed even with overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Further, your lack of understanding the reason for the attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima prove that so I'll just consider the source. Most historians acknowledge if America had not attacked the Japanese in this way that many more American lives would have been lost, and so YES it was worth it indeed! (It was called World War II in case you forgot)
So, please spare me the crap about Truman. Truly that is the most horrific, ungrateful nonsense I've ever heard.
Again, the Greek word I'm thinking of is "AHARISTOS" Ungrateful!!!!
Thanos,
I will not enter into a debate with you on this topic because this is your blog. I respect you and Melusina and will leave it at that.
My comments were directed at Zardoz because I truly don't believe that the majority of people in Greece believe that Truman and the Marshall plan was bad for Greece. At least the people I've spoken to in my years in Greece don't. Most were gracious for the help America gave to Greece during a tough time in it's nation's history.
Are there people like Zardoz who either choose not to acknowledge or begrudgingly acknowledge the help American has given Greece? Yes, there are. However, I presume there are many more people, including ones of influence who realize the good America has done for Greece. One of the things our US Ambassador in Athens does frequently is reference the "warm relations" Greece has with the United States. I take his comments to heart. I believe that this also includes the two million Greek-Americans in the United States I would imagine.
So, I will end this here and not continue to turn your blog into a battle ground of the Pro-American vs the Anti-American.
Thank you for entertaining my thoughts on an issue I'm very passionate about.
Well, I don't have much opinion about the whole Truman/Greek issue, except to say that I find it rather deplorable overall that the U.S. and Russia were dividing up countries like toys. But that is that, and I have no doubts Greece is not better off for not ending up in Russian hands. But I don't understand why they had to be in anyone's hands.
Bringing up whether or not Truman should be on the list does raise an interesting question. The atom bombs did seem a bit extreme, but according to most of what I have read about it, noone at the time, and certainly not Truman, had any idea the kind of damage and destruction they would cause. I'd say maybe the second bomb drop was a bit overkill, but at the time, given the circumstances, it seemed like the lesser of evils to the U.S. administration. Was it right? Perhaps not, given what we know now. But can we blame Truman for the decision? I am not entirely sure.
It is not uncommon for Americans living overseas to exhibit behavior similar to Stockholm Syndrome which may include a show of loyalty toward their new hosts. No one should be condemned for this as they are just trying to fit in to their new environment.
zartdoz says:
thank you anonymous,
dear larry :
the old parliament building is near syntagma square on stadiou avenue
its open all week and WASHINGTON is in the lower level .
then again open a directory and see how many presidents are listed AS STREETS.
Now with the KKE and communist stuff youve gone way -- overboard,
my opinions originate from political science classes in college
in CHIGAGO ILLINOIS , over 30 years ago up to now.
and in case youve think that TRUMAN didnt know the consequences
of the bomb ,and what he was doing,
have the curiosity to follow it up on the""" THE HISTORY CHANNEL""",
and youll see that im not the only one sporting this opinion.
especially on TRUMAN, since this is the latest on the subject
of what U.S president takes the cake for historical blunders.
he wouldnt have had OPPENHEIMER shut up after he saw the tragedy
of NAGASAKI and HIROSHIMA ,if he didnt know.
and i dont get your notion of anyone being anti-american
because of difference of opinion,,
I CERTAINLY AM NOT , IN TIME maybe youll UNDER STAND :
that to be passionate of your opinions , political or otherwise
is healthy , but to be carried away
and be offensive is not .
Sure PEOPLE were fed with the marshall plan , I NEVER SAID THEY WERENT. but it cost them dearly
and there still paying it ,, today
why do you assume so much,,?
and oh : Ask some of the Poles,
Hungarians etc. which country was their beacon of hope during the Cold War.
you SAID lARRY,
You know that thruout the cold war the polish people could visit their kin
in america ,, right..? by airplane ,, right..? so it wasnt as cold as we thought.
what with us dollars in their pockets.
ANYWAYS THANK YOU MEL AND THANOS
Zardoz said on an earlier comment on this post:
TEN DAYS LATER SHIT FOR BRAINS TRUMAN USED THE ATOM BOMB ,......
Now, you may think that my comments are offensive. But, I did not use profanity and did not blatantly insult you. I merely stated my opinion as to why someone such as you would think that way. It was not an insult, but merely an observation.
Melusina and Thanos were much more eloquent in their disagreement of my view and for that reason I can certainly respect them both as I have stated.
If someone were to read your profane comment regarding my President TRUMAN (your comment above) plus many other degrading comments I've read of yours on other blogs bashing Bush, one could certainly come to the conclusion that you are ALSO offensive. I'm just calling a spade a spade, my friend.
Zardoz, I am very passionate about my support for Truman, Bush, Clinton and ALL American Presidents. I support all of them! I am not partial to one. Although, with Jimmy Carter, I was really disappointed.
This is the problem I see around the blog world. People are free to profanely insult Bush, and American foreign policy, but when someone such as myself defends it (without profanity) in a passionate way, they are shot down as some right wing wacko. This is what I call an injustice in my book.
I'll make you a deal. You don't call Bush or Truman insulting, profane names and I won't "GO OVERBOARD" (your words).
I'm sure we can agree to at least be adults and not resort to Bully-Boy tactics.
Again, tip of the hat to Melusina and Thanos for accommodating this sensitive discussion.
zardoz says :
for dialogues sake i will retract "shit for brains"
i let an emotion thru my fear of the atomic age .
So here it is more eloquently :
..TRUMAN OPENED PANDORAS BOX OF THE MODERN NUCLEAR AGE..
And having seen the films from the blast and radiation up to today
of both japanese cities , i cannot find it understanding enough
who gave the order to bomb these cities.
Must i go down the presidential line to mr CLINTON
and the bombing of YUGOSLAVIAN cities and towns
with DEPLETED URANIUM BOMBS , which our blog hosts
and people of northern greece have seen ALARMINGLY lately
that the agricultural bi-products , are effected
thru the underground water system with radiation increases.
lets not talk about radiation problems and increases in cancers
in ALBANIAN and KOSOVO PROVINCES.
JUST THE SAME , DEAR LARRY IF YOUR WATCHING ME
EXPRESSING MY OPINIONS AND COMMENTING
ON OTHER BLOGS
I THANK YOU, BUT REALLY DONT NEED " YOUR CENSORSHIP "
AND NONETHELESS NO DEALS WILL BE STRICKEN ,
THIS IS A PART OF LIFE ,, PLEASE LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT,
THE BULLYING AND THE NAME-CALLING , ILL LEAVE TO THE PROFFESIONALS
AS FOR MYSELF I WILL BEAR MY RESPONSIBILITY.
I GREW UP IN THE UNITED STATES , AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE ,
THERE IS QUITE A FEW THINGS I CAN DEFEND MUCH BETTER THAN YOU
AS A PROFFESIONAL , BUT THERE IS ALOT THAT I CONDEMN BECAUSE
IT INFRINGES ON MY EVERYDAY LIFE, AND THATS WHAT I HATE THE MOST.
I THANK THE HOSTS OF MELS DINER,FOR THEIR PATIENCE,
FOR EVERYTHING GETTING OUT OF HAND , IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION.
=================== Z A R D O Z ==================================
,
Farcical Humans we chuckle at your insolence.
Once you have attained the magnitude of the Altrusians, only then will you know everlasting peace.
But, Earthlings, the time for honoring yourselves is soon coming to an end.
The Altrusians only have the capability of delaying the coming onslaught of the Lost City Elders for so long.
I bid you farewell.
Enik the Altrusian
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