Brad Wardell's views about technology, politics, religion, world affairs, and all sorts of politically incorrect topics.
According to me..
Published on June 13, 2005 By Draginol In Religion

It has pained my wife and I to see the Discovery Channel's 100 Greatest Americans list with people like Oprah and such on there.  Kindred spirit John Hawkins has put up a list of his own that I largely agree with.  Here's my list:

Top 25:

1) George Washington
2) Thomas Edison
3) John Adams
4) Alexander Hamilton
5) Abraham Lincoln
6) Theodore Roosevelt
7) Andrew Jackson
8) Thomas Jefferson
9) Henry Ford
10) Benjamin Franklin
11) The Wright Brothers
12) Albert Einstein (not born here but..)
13)Alexander Graham Bell
14) Tom Paine
15) Ulyssses S Grant
16) Martin Luther King Jr.
17) Bill Gates
18) Steve Jobs
19) Walt Disney
20) James Madison
21) James Monroe
22) Harry S. Truman
23) Ronald Reagan
24) John Paul Jones
25) Ray Kroc
26) Charles lindbergh
27) Stephen King
28) Samuel Morse
29) Sam Walton
30) Dwight Eisenhower
31) Sam Houston
32) Will Sherman
33) George Lucas
34) Steven Spielberg
35) John F. Kennedy
36) George Patton
37) Sam Colt
38) John Hancock
39) Woodrow Wilson
40) Mark Twain

So that's my 2 cents.


Comments (Page 2)
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on Jun 14, 2005
THe list is male dominated because, up until very recently, the world was male-centric. There's no denying that. Until the past few decades you didn't even see women in positions of authority in the working world, let alone politics. This isn't a knock against them saying they weren't personally capable of doing great things, but that society prevented them from doing so.

Some did, yes, they were pioneers for overcoming what they did, but when placed next to the likes of Edison, Eisnehower or MLK Jr, they just don't stack up. It's an issue of scale here and the list is trying to define the overall greatest. This usually implies greatest impact, greatest amount of influence etc...

Women not making the list isn't so much an issue of gender bias today, as it was of gender bias of yesteryear, the bias that kept women in the corner and out of sight. How will this list look in another 200 years? Fundamentally different I would bet, with an increasing number of women as society becomes more and more accepting of them in positions of power and influence.
on Jun 14, 2005
A lot of the list seems to be nostalgia. Of course Dragman had to place George Washington at the top of the list. The earliest of American icons. To me, a slave owning pot smoker doesn't make a person number one. Also, the list seems to be based on the good old American pastime. Capitalism. Mr. Croc of McDonald's. Of course his restaurant isn't a good thing. Watch supersize me. No food chain which, over the course of one month, serves food which shuts down your organs, is a good thing. Think of it. I'll sell pills which slowly shut your body down. Think that's a good thing? Why is McDonald's?
I don't have a list of the best Americans but no mega-million entertainer would be on it no matter their content. Now would any athletes be on it. No, the true heroes are the ones who quietly do their job and have an underlying sense of what's right and what's not. I would also avoid the nostalgia hubris, which of course would exclude the german-civilian-condemning Eisenhower or the Cuban-civilian-murdering Kennedy. Edison is near the top as he should be.
on Jun 14, 2005
Stephen King? Ray Kroc? One writes mediocre novels and the other started McDonalds. Why not put James Patterson and the creepy king from the BK commercials on here too?

And as long as we're kicking out Lindbergh for the anti-semitism, how bout getting Henry Ford too? And even if we don't, MLK should be higher than him.
on Jun 14, 2005
#18 by Philomedy
Tuesday, June 14, 2005


And as long as we're kicking out Lindbergh for the anti-semitism, how bout getting Henry Ford too? And even if we don't, MLK should be higher than him.


agreed, ford was another blot on humanity.
on Jun 14, 2005
Well why not toss out Thomas Jefferson while we're at it. He had slaves.  Sheesh, the political correctness stench around here is getting quite repugnant.  Make your own list of politically correct heroes if you want.
on Jun 14, 2005
Why is JFK on the list? Because without JFK, it's very unlikely we would have ever gone to the moon and like it or not, human beings walking on another world is a pretty big deal (it is in my book).  Not to mention all the corresponding technologies we enjoy today that were an off-shoot of the space program.
on Jun 14, 2005
Reply By: DraginolPosted: Tuesday, June 14, 2005Well why not toss out Thomas Jefferson while we're at it. He had slaves. Sheesh, the political correctness stench around here is getting quite repugnant. Make your own list of politically correct heroes if you want.


for me it's not P.C. brad, as a jew is just naturally do not like bigots.
on Jun 14, 2005
LMAO Its just a F***ing list people... *shakes his head sadly*
on Jun 14, 2005
I think it is interesting that you dismiss the women's suffrage movement but include the civil rights movement (are they not very similar for two different groups?).

I think that these women could easily be added to the list:

Pocahontas (she saved Jamestown colonist Captain John Smith from execution by Algonquin chief Powhatan).
Clara Barton (she established the American branch of the Red Cross)
Rosa Parks (sparked the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott).
on Jun 15, 2005
I think what is funny is that you laugh at Oprah being on Disney's list (Disney owns ABC of which Oprah is on... now THAT is funny), but then include the likes of George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg.

I think Rosa parks counts if your going to put MLK in.

Oh the heck with it!!!

I must make my own list!!!!! Probably include most of the people in yours... and no Steve Jobs... well maybe, if I have room.
on Jun 15, 2005
Well why not toss out Thomas Jefferson while we're at it. He had slaves. Sheesh, the political correctness stench around here is getting quite repugnant. Make your own list of politically correct heroes if you want.


I see there's no defense of Ray Kroc or Stephen Spielberg...probably cuz the choices are indefensible.
on Jun 15, 2005
No food chain which, over the course of one month, serves food which shuts down your organs


--If a person is going to eat it for a month, then they are IMO,stupid, and deserve it...

--Also, i think Jefferson should be on there in that so what if he had slaves, over half of the people in the colonies had slaves,lets condem them all, from his pen came our freedom...
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