Greatest Modern Ruler?

[TheStinger]

The choice of the word pygmy was mine I had no idea it had previously been used as an insult for him. Unless I chose it subconciously having forgotten that i read it somewhere.

Weird.

Anyway James I/VI was competent no more. Liz was remarkable and a woman at time when women were no thought capable of much

 

[raven]

You forgot Atatürk or haven't heard about him???

 

[amadeus]

Lee Kuan Yew gets my vote as far as "modern" is concerned (my vision of modern being post World War II) - turned a small island with $500US in per capita when he took over to an economic powerhouse with standards of living comparable (or even some greater) than the average American or Western European.

FDR gets my vote as the worst.

 

[Pangur Bán]

Originally posted by raven
You forgot Atatürk or haven't heard about him???

Of course I've heard of him. It's not a case of forgetting him, rather, there are only 20 options in the poll. But actually, I did intend to put Ataturk in the poll, but I seem to have forgot at the last moment.

Having travelled around Turkey twice, I know how important he is to the Turks; and, indeed, he was most remarkable. He brought his country from the depths, and westernized the country to an extent which seems miraculous in an Islamic state. But Turkey was never like other islamic countries, one has to credit the Turkish people as well as Ataturk

Sorry

 

[Mojotronica]

George Washington -- he would not accept the crown he was offered, setting the global precedent for voluntary systematic transfer of power. He was not the greatest US President, but he was the first, and he had the high ideals necessary to get the nation off on a path of democracy.

 

[Sparkle]

Winston Churchill stood for us in the Munich Betrayal thing. And managed to help us in WW2 and after. Even if he was not the ultimately greatest, he surely deserves my vote.

 

[Adebisi]

Originally posted by Mongoloid Cow
Gustav II, a true general and the inventor of the modern, professional army (according to many historians)

Yes, Gustavus Adolphus was without a doubt one of the greatest rulers and military commanders in the 17th century, if not the greatest. But he ruled together with another very competent man, Axel Oxenstierna (pronounced "Oxen-sherna"). While Gustavus was the military commander, Oxenstierna was skilled at leading the nation and creating the resources for the war. Together they turned a small, poor Northern country into the strongest military power in Europe at the time.

But Gustavus was not the greatest Swedish king - Charles XII was IMO a greater man. He ruled alone - and he was both a brilliant military commander and a good ruler. He was an enlightened ruler, altough one would not think so, and especially towards the end of his life some of his ideas where clearly before his time. He totally defeated the several times bigger Russian army twice, and trough brilliant maneuvers - before he was himself defeated in Poltava and was taken to Turkey.

 

[Finmaster]

Nehru got my vote with the help of Gandhi. And another person I voted for was Frederik the Great, who made Prussia a superpower.

 

[test_specimen]

It surprises me what you consider "great".

And it surprises me, that you put Lincoln, Washington and Hitler in the same poll. Do you think, Hitler is as good as Germans/Austrians get? Or Mao is as good as Chinese get? Or do you know something about Lincoln no one else knows (child molester? ivory collector?)?

This poll is insulting, at least.

I voted for Mao, just because there are no comparable options.

 

[onejayhawk]

This is a tough one. If you go before and after the Industrial revolution I come down to Gustav II Adolph and Elizabeth I (there seems to be a small omission) before, with a tip of the hat to Fredrick. After I have to go with Lincoln. He was tied to four horses galloping to the compass points and still kept everything together except his own head.

J

 

[TrailblazingScot]

Greatest Modern Ruler?

And we get suggestions such as Elizabeth I and Lincoln...how OLD are some of you 15 year old Norweigans


The Greatest Modern Ruler? Tony Blair.

Victor of 5 wars (N.Ireland, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq), 2 General Elections and the best World Leader for carrying an arguement at home or abroad. A man capable of making extremely tough decisions in the face of massive opposition despite it obviously effecting him greatly on a personal level. He has brought great change to this country in terms of bringing a far greater sum of money to the government treasury to use on public services and by bringing about devolution in Scotland and Wales with apparently good effect.

Flaws: Too likely to inspire false hopes in others and distrusted by many partly due to his brand of conviction politics.



Unlike so many of your SUPPOSEDLY great and SUPPOSEDLY modern leaders, Tony Blair has had to gain power by democracy and cannot rule absolutely, but relies on the support of a party that is not traditionally in support of his brand of politics.

 

[General Brown]

I voted Gustav II, Peter the Great and Frederick the Great.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

Originally posted by General Brown
I voted Gustav II, Peter the Great and Frederick the Great.

I applaud the strong reasons that you were able to give to justify that vote

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

lol

 

[Irish Caesar]

I would have to agree that Tony Blair has done an incredible job as Prime Minister.

I also give John Kennedy credit for avoiding nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

 

[General Brown]

My reasons for voting Gustav II was:
1. He created one of the most efficient military systems.
2. He led that army to great success.
3. He was a popular ruler.

Reasons for voting Peter the Great were:
1. He modernized Russia
2. He defeated a Swedish invasion and took over part of the Crimea from Turkey.
3. He developed the Russian navy.

Reasons for voting Frederick the Great were:
1. He won the Seven's Year War against overwhelming odds.
2. He conquered much land for Prussia.
3. Made Prussia a major power.

 

[Pangur Bán]

Originally posted by kittenOFchaos
Greatest Modern Ruler?

And we get suggestions such as Elizabeth I and Lincoln...how OLD are some of you 15 year old Norweigans


The Greatest Modern Ruler? Tony Blair.

Victor of 5 wars (N.Ireland, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq), 2 General Elections and the best World Leader for carrying an arguement at home or abroad. A man capable of making extremely tough decisions in the face of massive opposition despite it obviously effecting him greatly on a personal level. He has brought great change to this country in terms of bringing a far greater sum of money to the government treasury to use on public services and by bringing about devolution in Scotland and Wales with apparently good effect.

Flaws: Too likely to inspire false hopes in others and distrusted by many partly due to his brand of conviction politics.



Unlike so many of your SUPPOSEDLY great and SUPPOSEDLY modern leaders, Tony Blair has had to gain power by democracy and cannot rule absolutely, but relies on the support of a party that is not traditionally in support of his brand of politics.

I respect Tony Blair's leadership, but I don't think that there's any possibility that a man in charge of a middling world power for 6 years can be called the "greatest modern ruler".

 

[Gen_Shiznit]

He did a few bad economic things, but he created the soviet empire that we all hated untill the 1990s.

 

[amadeus]

Originally posted by Irish Caesar

I also give John Kennedy credit for avoiding nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Kennedy was the one that STARTED the conflict by trying to invade Cuba and keeping that a-hole McNamara aboard when it failed. If you're going to invade a country, for God's sakes, do it right.

The world would be a lot better off if someone bumped off McNamara before Kennedy's election.

 

[Sayounara]

Hitler was an awesome politician too bad he was crazy. Stalin... Winston and Mao were good too