Who was the most important figure in the 20th Century?

[GODSPEED]

In your opinion, who would you say was one of the most important figures in the 20th Century. There is no wrong, or right answers, just who your person is, and a brief description of why.

Mine would probably be Winston Churchill. His attitude on how to get Britain to strengthen itself was impressive. Also, his thoughts on Fascists and Nazis were bold, and he played a key role in preventing them from moving forward in conquering the world.

[NO Obamanation]

In your opinion, who would you say was one of the most important figures in the 20th Century. There is no wrong, or right answers, just who your person is, and a brief description of why.

Mine would probably be Winston Churchill. His attitude on how to get Britain to strengthen itself was impressive. Also, his thoughts on Fascists and Nazis were bold, and he played a key role in preventing them from moving forward in conquering the world.

Well I say Ronald Reagan. It’s so funny because growing up I was a liberal and I hated him with all I had to hate with. When I grew up I learned a few things and after that I really appreciated him.

I especially like him this week because I have been in this debate with my boss about taxes and what is fair. Today he told me that he wanted to go back to the pre-Reagan tax system. After looking at how unfair the pre Reagan tax system was, ours looked pretty dang good, and what we have now is so terribly unfair.

Under Jimmy Freaking Carter (my x hero) the rich paid 70% of the their earnings to taxes. That is horrid, and I thought 35% was bad.

SO......under taxes alone Reagan was important for us as a Nation and as for the world, It was he who kept peace through strength. He also brought in a great space program and was a genuine decent human being.

[Bunz]

I would agree with the sentiments of Churchill being an important figure at least in the first half of the century. He also set the tone of what world relations would be for the second half.
I think the Reagan statements are interesting. Especially given the context of the reasoning. Reaganomics sucked really bad for a lot of people. It was on his watch that the slippery slope started with outsourcing millions of jobs. The rich got richer though.

As for me, I have a few I will throw out there. Ghandi is certainly worth mentioning. Mao would be another. Mentioning Mao would cause me to throw out other names like Lenin, David Ben-Gurion, Martin Luther King. Then also depending on the context one wants to argue, something could be said for Niel Armstrong, Henry Ford, and whoever invented the internet...

Personally, I am going to lean in a direction that looks at how the 20th century will be viewed in 500 years. Humanity made some very signifigant changes in the time period from 1900-2000. So I am going to nominate a set of brothers from Ohio who by trade were bicycle mechanics. In 1903 with little fan fair they developed the first viable way to simply control a heavier than air machine in flight. So I nominate the Wright Brothers.

The opening of the airways to travel has changed human life like no invention since the wheel.

As a side note, there are quite a few worthy of mentioning in terms of scientific/medical advances, Fleming would be one, and so would the folks who figured out small pox.

[pocketfullofshells]

Stalin, his fight against the Nazis most likely saved the UK from being destroyed before the US ever got in. And Set up the Cold war that took up the better part of the rest of the 20th Century,

Reagan? really? he was just there for the end, what did he really do? not much.

[Libsmasher]

In your opinion, who would you say was one of the most important figures in the 20th Century. There is no wrong, or right answers, just who your person is, and a brief description of why.

Mine would probably be Winston Churchill. His attitude on how to get Britain to strengthen itself was impressive. Also, his thoughts on Fascists and Nazis were bold, and he played a key role in preventing them from moving forward in conquering the world.

That is certainly correct. Churchill literally saved western civilization - he provided the temporary bulwark that was joined by the anglosphere countries, push backed the nazis, and stopped any possibility of a takeover of western civilization by the onrushing soviet army. The preservation of half of europe and the rest of the free world provided the basis for the later collapse of the soviet union and eastern european regimes. Churchill was the foundation of all. I've always thought it pathetic that Churchill isn't commemorated in one of the cities he saved - Washington DC. I recommended ten years ago that Pennsylvania Avenue be renamed Winston Churchill Boulevard.

[Cookie Parker]

Well I say Ronald Reagan. It’s so funny because growing up I was a liberal and I hated him with all I had to hate with. When I grew up I learned a few things and after that I really appreciated him.

I especially like him this week because I have been in this debate with my boss about taxes and what is fair. Today he told me that he wanted to go back to the pre-Reagan tax system. After looking at how unfair the pre Reagan tax system was, ours looked pretty dang good, and what we have now is so terribly unfair.

Under Jimmy Freaking Carter (my x hero) the rich paid 70% of the their earnings to taxes. That is horrid, and I thought 35% was bad.

SO......under taxes alone Reagan was important for us as a Nation and as for the world, It was he who kept peace through strength. He also brought in a great space program and was a genuine decent human being.

Well...that makes you a fascist then.

[Cookie Parker]

Stalin, his fight against the Nazis most likely saved the UK from being destroyed before the US ever got in. And Set up the Cold war that took up the better part of the rest of the 20th Century,

Reagan? really? he was just there for the end, what did he really do? not much.

He did nothing. bin Laden bankrupted the Russian government from Afghanistan war where Daddy Bush was having the CIA supply his good friend's son with weapons to use against the Russians. How many of you here saw the factual account of Charlie Wilson?

[Federal Farmer]

He did nothing. bin Laden bankrupted the Russian government from Afghanistan war where Daddy Bush was having the CIA supply his good friend's son with weapons to use against the Russians. How many of you here saw the factual account of Charlie Wilson?

Your "hero" UBL was a low ranking nobody during the Afghan fight against the Soviets. Today, he's a low ranking nobody, living in a cave and hiding out from us.

I take it by "factual account" you mean the movie with Tom Hanks? Yeah, THERE'S some "factual" and "historically accurate" information for you. NOT. I bet you think Oliver Stones JFK was "factual" and "historically accurate" too.

[pocketfullofshells]

He did nothing. bin Laden bankrupted the Russian government from Afghanistan war where Daddy Bush was having the CIA supply his good friend's son with weapons to use against the Russians. How many of you here saw the factual account of Charlie Wilson?

1, Bin Laden was not that big of a player in Afganistan, you give him to much credit.

2. Reagan did very little , and yes it was mostly Afghanistan that finally killed the USSR...And the first starts of helping them was actually under Carter I believe.

[pocketfullofshells]

Your "hero" UBL was a low ranking nobody during the Afghan fight against the Soviets. Today, he's a low ranking nobody, living in a cave and hiding out from us.

I take it by "factual account" you mean the movie with Tom Hanks? Yeah, THERE'S some "factual" and "historically accurate" information for you. NOT. I bet you think Oliver Stones JFK was "factual" and "historically accurate" too.


umm he would be high ranking, and still a very powerful insperational leader, even if his logistics is not where it was before...But then again you said he was dead anyway ...but not you say he is just low ranking...he come back to life?

[GenSeneca]

As it turns out,

Kookie is a cheerleader for Bin Laden and accuses everyone else of being Fascists...

So Kookie, which one is you?

http://www.the-two-malcontents.com/wp-content/uploads/code_pink_murder.jpg

[foggedinn]

This is an odd way of looking at it I realize, but a couple of candidates should be Lee Harvey Oswald, and whoever was the assasin that killed the Austrian Arch-duke that started wwI.

You did ask about important figures, not great figures.

[Federal Farmer]

In your opinion, who would you say was one of the most important figures in the 20th Century. There is no wrong, or right answers, just who your person is, and a brief description of why.

Mine would probably be Winston Churchill. His attitude on how to get Britain to strengthen itself was impressive. Also, his thoughts on Fascists and Nazis were bold, and he played a key role in preventing them from moving forward in conquering the world.

The MOST important figure? For me it's a toss-up between Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

[PLC1]

I would agree with the sentiments of Churchill being an important figure at least in the first half of the century. He also set the tone of what world relations would be for the second half.
I think the Reagan statements are interesting. Especially given the context of the reasoning. Reaganomics sucked really bad for a lot of people. It was on his watch that the slippery slope started with outsourcing millions of jobs. The rich got richer though.

As for me, I have a few I will throw out there. Ghandi is certainly worth mentioning. Mao would be another. Mentioning Mao would cause me to throw out other names like Lenin, David Ben-Gurion, Martin Luther King. Then also depending on the context one wants to argue, something could be said for Niel Armstrong, Henry Ford, and whoever invented the internet...

Personally, I am going to lean in a direction that looks at how the 20th century will be viewed in 500 years. Humanity made some very signifigant changes in the time period from 1900-2000. So I am going to nominate a set of brothers from Ohio who by trade were bicycle mechanics. In 1903 with little fan fair they developed the first viable way to simply control a heavier than air machine in flight. So I nominate the Wright Brothers.

The opening of the airways to travel has changed human life like no invention since the wheel.

As a side note, there are quite a few worthy of mentioning in terms of scientific/medical advances, Fleming would be one, and so would the folks who figured out small pox.

You have mentioned some good choices there. It's hard to pick out just one as the most important of all, though.

We need to list Jonas Salk to the list, along with the Curies, and don't forget the authors who made millions think: George Orwell, Harper Lee, John Steinbeck, and others. Back in the realm of politics, there's Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King. John Kennedy inspired a generation, and would have done a whole lot more if it hadn't been for Lee Oswald.

Speaking of villains, if you want to list one who had probably more of an impact on the modern world than any one single person: Adolph Hitler.

[Stalin]

The most important were the scientists - the 20th Century was a golden age for science.

Roughly in my order of estimation of innovation, intelligence and insight.

Roger Penrose, Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Stephen Hawking, Werner Heisenburg, Paul Dirac and if best mind is considered, Alan Turing. Apologies to the hundreds of other worthy contenders.

For politicians, Josef Goebbels, who refined propaganda into the standard model that is now used by almost every government in the world.

[Dawkinsrocks]

Look, it is clearly a toss up between Dick (head0 Cheyney, George W Bush(y snatch) and Donald (duck) Rumsfeld.

They have managed to subvert democracy in the US, bring the thriving economy to its knees, make an abolsute joke of US standing in the world, swell the ranks of Muslim trerrorists, murder thousands of their fellow countrymen on 9/11 and manage to stay in office.

Well, except Donald (duck) Rumsfeld who was soooo bad that even the other two stooges had to let him go.

So maybe Dick and Bush or is it Cock and Snatch?

[bododie]

What's wrong with you people? What about Barney? He got my kid to brush his teeth when I couldn't!

[NO Obamanation]

As it turns out,

Kookie is a cheerleader for Bin Laden and accuses everyone else of being Fascists...

So Kookie, which one is you?

http://www.the-two-malcontents.com/wp-content/uploads/code_pink_murder.jpg

Is that poster real or did you change it?

I mean its easy to think code pink hates America and the troops but its so hard to believe at the same time. There is still some part of me that hopes the left isnt as bad as they look

[BigRob]

Is that poster real or did you change it?

I mean its easy to think code pink hates America and the troops but its so hard to believe at the same time. There is still some part of me that hopes the left isnt as bad as they look

Code Pink is probably one of the most moronic ridiculous groups out there.

[NO Obamanation]

Code Pink is probably one of the most moronic ridiculous groups out there.

Well I can agree with that, I know someone who is a code pink person. She "was" my foster childs advisor for a while till the state fired her.


but the banner said we support the murder of american troops.

I wondered if that was real or if it was something gen made up for fun.

[PLC1]

Well I can agree with that, I know someone who is a code pink person. She "was" my foster childs advisor for a while till the state fired her.


but the banner said we support the murder of american troops.

I wondered if that was real or if it was something gen made up for fun.

Given how easy it is to photoshop things like that, I'd be willing to bet is was altered by someone. Who would actually stand behind such a banner, regardless of their political ideology?
The Taliban? Al Qaeda?

[r0beph]

As it turns out,

Kookie is a cheerleader for Bin Laden and accuses everyone else of being Fascists...

So Kookie, which one is you?

http://www.the-two-malcontents.com/wp-content/uploads/code_pink_murder.jpg

this is a definite photoshop, amateur as well. Let me tell you why.

First of all using objects that are similarly sized you can determine the difference of distance (you could use some geometry/trig if you want, I'll not avoid this) measuring these (you can use photoshops ruler) you'll notice the difference of angle / distance from right to left differs for the letters than it does scene objects (unmodified)

Also if you look at the E the WE, you'll notice a huge ripple in the signage, this should be VERY apparent in the E, the E maintains its perfect shape in light of this.

I do a lot of photoshops and perspective is a very very tell tale sign, one hard to rid the photo of. In this case it wasn't even done very well and left them quite observable with very little effort.

I've slightly enhanced the image and made it larger so these can be seen more readily.


http://www.majhost.com/gallery/robeph/forumimages/modcp.ps.jpg

Also note the title of the image (photo-illustration) this is a common term used to describe an image that is supposed to be an example of something through photo modification to express an idea that no image exists of. just some food for throught.