"One Week Later"
On today's date, I expect readers think I should post something in particular regarding the late President Kennedy. Probably some waning as to where I was at the time or the like when I heard he was shot. But I won't. Enough has been said about JFK over the years I really don't think I can add anything to it. I do sometimes wonder just how history may have been changed had he not died so abruptly? Would we had gotten to the moon sooner? Would he have ended The Viet Nam War before the end of the 1960's? It's hard to say.
Today I got off work a little early due to having overtime. Really, I don't, but with being paid for taking Thanksgiving day off, it'd put me well over 40 hrs. Actually, last year my employer just figured everyone up for a full week and had that AS holiday pay, so if I'd worked it, that'd been 45 hrs., 5 of which I'd gotten just regular salary for. No need in just giving them 5 hrs. extra of my time for no good reason, so...
I believe my wife and I are just going to stay home this Thursday. Usually we go out to the country to my cousin's for dinner, but that's become so very monotonous that we thought it might be a welcomed change just to cook here and have a nice meal between the two of us. (We don't get time off together very often anyway.)
Started reading a novel by Neil Gaiman titled: Anansi Boys. Most of the time I find such novels difficult to enjoy from a writer whose previous work I've seen mainly accompanied by illustration, and with Gaiman I've read probably everything at one time or another that he's produced by Vertigo-DC Comics. However, I did read his books: Smoke and Mirrors as well as Neverwhere, both of which I liked, so I'm sure I'll enjoy this one as well. I'll review it after I've finally had time to finish it.
Also today about 15 misc. comics from the America's best Comics Company arrived. They're the first and second volumes of Terra Obscura, as well as Smax 1-4. Other items I've acquired and haven't time to read include the collected trade paperback volume One of Mr. X, and such novels as: Superman: the Never-Ending Battle, and Superfolks, so I've plenty to fill any spare time I may have for reading. Reviews will follow as well whenever any of these are read.
I realize that I haven't posted much lately; time seems to be a premium with me these days. I do hope all have a nice holiday this coming Thursday. Don't eat too much.
posted by ~D.Puck' @ 1:21 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
You mentioned JFK. I have always thought JFK would be remembered as a pretty poor president. The Bay of Pigs stuff, the entry into Viet Nam, and lack of progress in so many other areas. Granted he did preside masterfully over the Cuban missle crisis and did get the moon race on the right foot, but on balance I thought he was not effective. However, he had more charisma than all the men who have held that office since put together. It is easy to see this by thinking of how many quotes you can recall from each president. I can't recall one from LBJ, Nixon said "I am not a crook", all I can recall from Ford was "Whip inflation now" and "The state of the union is poor". Not sure I remember any Carter quotation and even Reagan failed to produce many memorable quotes. Let's see, Bush I said "Read my lips, no new taxes", of course Clinton said "I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewensky", and I'm not sure if anyone will remember anything Bush II said. I know I remember "He tried to kill my daddy".
But Kennedy said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country", "We choose to go to the moon in this decade not because it is easy but because it is hard", "American will go anywhere, pay any price, bear any burden for a friend", and "Ich bin Berliner". I'm sure he said many other memorable things as well. Much better than any other president I have ever known.
You're quite right, Steve. And, altho' I don't think that JFK was the best president that's ever been, he's probably the most memorable one since FDR. Probably the best president of the 20th. Century was Theodore Roosevelt who pressed the construction of The Panama Canal, thus opening up the world to better and faster trade routes and communication in a time of pre-airplanes and when the automobile and telephone were relatively new inventions.
Best president of the 20th century? Well I wouldn't have thought of Teddy probably but you do make a good point that he did something truely great with the canal. Though I am not a big fan, I would have to say FDR is probably the greatest. He changed American society more than any other president but then again, he had longer to get it done. He was great and, though I don't see it now, was recognized as being very charasmatic.
In my own time my favorite is Gerald Ford (really) but I believe history will probably judge Nixon and Reagan as the best. Nixon for getting out of Viet Nam and opening up China, and Reagan for the fall of communism. I believe JFK will be a failed president, LBJ will be remembered for the great society programs but derailed by Viet Nam. I believe Watergate will be viewed by history as a tempest in a teapot and almost irrevalent to Nixon's presidency. Ford and Carter will be insignificant. The Bush I may fare better in comparison to his son's adventure in the Gulf but aside from that he did nothing special. Clinton actually was very effective once he adopted a centerist path and after he failed in his original liberal goals. Unfortunately the farther toward the center Clinton moved the farther to the right the GOP moved thwarting the possibility of great things. For this reason I believe Clinton will be judged better than is now generally accepted.
So: 1. FDR
2. Teddy (maybe)
3. Reagan
4. Nixon
5. Clinton
Actually, I think Carter is a great person, having done so much for people OUT of office, but I don't consider him in the great line of presidents. Also, I think he was chiefly instrumental for the release of the hostages at that time; something that happened just as Reagan was elected, so JC was robbed of this honorable action on his part. I will say that Reagan was one of those "likable" presidents, however. FDR I've never considered as a great president mainly because it was due to his sanctions which caused the Japanese to get all rilled up and attack us in 1941 to begin with, and I consider him using such tactics was just a means and an excuse to involve the USA in the second World War when the majority of the people then were against involvement. I really didn't care for Clinton, because like so many he made public statements just for votes, and never came through on them. With Clinton it was the promice of National Health Care, and I don't care for Nixon simply because he said that "any president that can't get our troops out of Viet Nam in 4 years doesn't deserve to be president". he then waited until the election and pulled out the troops just to win. But I will have to say that Nixon did one thing right: he opened up the door to China, which no other president had been capable of doing.
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