Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think one or other of the Poniatowsky brothers would have some interesting things to say about that last choice.

[bacasper]

[Khenan]

[Czarjorge]

[flip ant]

[Big_Bird]

Yesterday I omitted a group of people that I think were very important (with regard to our social and political progress).

Writers like Charles Dickens, Emile Zola, and later perhaps Eric Blair. These guys and plenty of other writers in this ilk used their talents to highlight issues like poverty and social injustice and plant them more firmly into the consciousness of society at large.

[daskalos]

Leaders:

I've always been fascinated by England's Elizabeth I, for some of the reasons already noted. Arguably England's greatest monarch.

I admire FDR. I think it's entirely possible his presidency averted violent revolution.

Quite a few others, but just to name a few: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleftherios Venizelos, Julius Caesar.

Writers/Artists:

Michelangelo - did it all, acknowledged in his lifetime as the greatest artist who ever lived.

Euripides - anyone who can write Medea as a sympathetic character knew some things worth knowing.

Gore Vidal - I consider him to be the world's greatest living writer, with a far firmer grasp of what's wrong with the world than any living politician. Naturally, he goes unlistened to, except by those of us who love his books and essays. If I could live anyone else's life, it would be his.

Gertrude Stein - not so much as a writer but as an incubator of writer's and artists.

[stillnotking]

Orwell/Blair deserves to be on anyone's list of great writers.

"Perhaps when the next great war comes we may see that sight unprecedented in all history, a jingo with a bullet hole in him."

Not so far, though, George. Ninety-five percent of our jingos are still serving valiantly in the 101st Fighting Keyboardists.

[Nowhere Man]

[Big_Bird]

[daskalos]

[No_hite_pls]

1. Jesus Christ

2. Gandhi

3. FDR and Lincoln; it's a tie for third

[wannago]

Oh, the number of folks who admire FDR makes me shudder.......

[daskalos]

[Gopher]

According to the far right, he introduced Socialism into American politics and society and attempted to establish a leftist dictatorship through his efforts to pack the Supreme Court and replace conservative, Southern Democrats with Democrats more supportive of him and his non-emergency New Deal agenda. He is evil.

According to the far left, he collaborated with and sold out to the capitalists, especially on banking reform, when he should have taken advantage of their being down and then broken their backs in order to redistribute the wealth in American society to the left's satisfaction. When the war came, he laid the basis for the dreaded military-industrial complex. He also failed to stop the Holocaust, pass civil rights legislation, establish universal health care, or improve women's lives significantly. He is evil.

There you have it.