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Tue 9 Mar, 2004 10:39 am
I was digging through some old boxes and came across a paper I wrote in High School (many, MANY years ago). The paper was a writing assignment on the people in history you most admired. As I remember it was an impromptu assignment to give us no time to think up our answers. As I looked at it, I realized that although many years had passed, there was only one name on the list that changed (my number 5 choice). I guess that means that the choices I made were strong enough on their own merits to remain on a list after 20 years of life experience and a changing world outlook. I'm going to post my choices in reverse order along with an edited description of why and hope that some of you will take up the challenge.
My Most Admired List[/u]
5) President Ronald Reagan:President Theodore Roosevelt: I admired Teddy from the first book I read about him. He was a man strong character who did most of the tings he did out of an absolute sense of purpose. He was an environmentalist before anyone even cared about the environment. He created what is now our National Park system.
3) Marshal Georgi Zhukov: My father (A professional soldier and fierce anti-communist) dropped a book in my lap when I was around 13 and told me it was important that I read about the man who really defeated the Nazis. After reading the book, I realized just how much the Russians had sacrificed in that war. I understood just how much of the fighting the Russians did and just how little (in comparison) we did in WW2. Marshal Zhukov was arguably the greatest General of the modern era and he compares favorably with any general in the historical record.
2) M.K. Ghandi: What can one say about Ghandi that hasn't been said millions of times. A man dedicated to the independence of his people and one who decided there was a better way to do it other than violence. The courage it must have taken to defy the might of the British Empire with nothing more than passive resistance and a sense of the righteousness of your cause is incredible, in my opinion. (his position on my list tends to flip between number two and number one with the following man)
1) Frederick Douglass:
Reagan did not win the Cold War. The Soviets lost it through raping their environment and stockpiling all their resources to be Top Nuker in the world. The CIA didn't even realize the USSR was collapsing right up to the collapse. STAR WARS never panned out, and calling the USSR an evil empire is minimalistic in the extreme to having any impact on events.
Reagan got the Cold War heated up again, if anything, and the Soviets went too far trying to keep up.
The USA also stockpiled too much of its resources, but not as much as the Soviets. The bill is coming home to us too someday, since all those resources are still stockpiled.
People who revise history to suit their agenda are the ones who cause nations to fall.
John Ball
The Sicilian Briton
One person's hero is another's enemy of course.
Every hero has a few flaws but one person I admire is Martin Luther King.
I rather liked the Iron Maiden, Maggie Thatcher, as well
This will sound trite, but i would say George Washington. I know of no other military leader in history who stood at the head of a victorious army, able to dictate to a nation willing to follow his lead, who willing surrendered his commission to the civilian authority and then went home. There is much more, in my opinion, to admire, but that makes him unique.
If not Our Dear George, i'd say Margaret Sanger.
All of the above with another name included--"anonymous." It has been said, somewhat jokingly, that anonymous was a woman and I think that is most likely true. So I will include all the unsung women throughout history.
Simon Bolivar
The "George Washington" of South America, he inherited a fortune and could have lived the high life, but he didn't.
Instead, he dedicated himself to the liberation and unification of all of South America, and came pretty damn close to doing it.
A true hero, in every sense of the word and one of my personal heros:
http://www.carpenoctem.tv/military/bolivar.html
A young contempory Englishman. Jonny Wilkinson.
Honored by HRH Liz & BigTony
gandhi's contribution to india's liberation are greatly overestimated. he is idolized in western cultures partially because he was willing to go along with much of what great britain wanted.
there are many other men and group who fought for india's independence, perhaps the most popular being subash chandrabose, who aren't even mentioned in western history books.
Indian movements to gain independence began a 100 years before gandhi with one of the earliest and largest campaigns launched by a woman and led by a women's group, unprecedented in much of history. Yet the movement doesn't even warrant mention in western history books.
I'm not saying that Gandhi's movement or idealogical approach wasn't significant. But it underscores many of the other influential campaigns that most indian historians conclude had a greater role in helping India attain it's independence.
Gandhi's philosophy is a very noble one. But there is much reason to believe that his movement as it was carried out actually delayed India's independence.
George Washington. The man who could have been King and chose not to be. There are hundreds of others but to me; George stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Umbagog wrote:Reagan did not win the Cold War.... ...to fall.
I ask for your heroes, I get an off topic rant.
So tell us Umb, do you even HAVE anyone you admire?
)
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