JU's Top 10 Americans

Are We Better Than Those on Discovery Channel?

Published on June 10, 2005 By NJforever In Blogging

Recently, Bakerstreet wrote an article about Discovery Channel's Top 100 AmericansLink. I must say, that list is, more or less, an embarrasment. I mean come on; John Edwards? Madonna? Dr. Phil? Teddy Roosevelt came behind Oprah, for crying out loud.

So, I decided we should have our own Top Americans thing. 100 would require so many people voting, I don't think it's such a good idea. To that effect, I cut it down to the Top 10 Americans. Just post your vote here, and after a bit, I'll count them up and announce the top 10 Americans according to JU. The polls are open, let the voting begin!

Comments (Page 3)

bakerstreet

on Jun 11, 2005

"Paul Volker"? I would be curious to hear why he'd rate in the top ten.

Dr Guy

on Jun 11, 2005

The interesting thing about this is that you can interpret it anyway you want. Mason's answer is very good in that you wouldn't normally think of that but they are pretty great people.

NJ, you have gotten some great responses. But delete the JFJ ones. Satire has its place. and this is not it.

NJforever

on Jun 11, 2005

Sorry, JFJ, but it is pretty clear not only that you knew how to spell Winston Churchill, but that you knew he was a Brit. If you want to vote, be my guest, but try to pick someone you either know or think is an American.

NJforever

on Jun 11, 2005

Andy Jackson

By the way, was that to butter me up? You know he's my favorite.

Dr Guy

on Jun 12, 2005

By the way, was that to butter me up? You know he's my favorite.

No, I think he was the greatest no BS president (and only one) we ever had.

Dr Guy

on Jun 13, 2005

"Paul Volker"? I would be curious to hear why he'd rate in the top ten.

He ran the Fed in the 80s during the most critical period of monetary control since the depression and did an excellent job. He was vilified by both left and right, which means he was doing something right! He also set the tone for Greenspan (and all successors I hope). In short, he was the greatest Fed Chairman in the history of the US.

TheFazz

on Jun 13, 2005

I am not going to bother to read this whole thing, but I vote MLK Jr.

island_gurl12

on Jun 13, 2005

MasonM has a great list, but i think it applies to the whole world, as in the world's greatest people list.

I'm not american, so i wont vote. But I think you should think of what makes America great today, and choose the people who've done something about it.

10 people is a hard choice with so much history tho...

NJforever

on Jun 13, 2005

10 people is a hard choice with so much history tho...

I know. That's why I decided against making my own, and instead made it a vote. I could spend my entire life coming up with a Top 10 Americans list and never be completely happy with it, but this makes for a nice blend of opinions.

By the way, you could still vote. Would be nice to get an "outsider's" opinion.

Dr Guy

on Jun 14, 2005

By the way, you could still vote. Would be nice to get an "outsider's" opinion

Very true. Go ahead and make a list Island Gurl. It will be refreshing to see what others think of us.

Champas Socialist

on Jun 15, 2005

OK, well here's an ousider's viewpoint. Those of you who have called me an anti-American may be surprised to learn I've spent a couple of hours researching this and trying to whittle down my list to the following...12 (sorry that was the best I could do) in no particular order:

1. Martin Luther King Jr
2. Rosa Parks (the black lady who refused to give up her seat for a white man on the bus)
3. Michael Apple (educational theorist - democratic schools)
4. Grandmaster Flash (hip hop's Bob Dylan)
5. Lucy Stone (suffragette)
6. Judith Butler (gender theory philosopher)
7. Frederick Douglass (black advisor to Lincoln during the civil war)
8. William DuBois (campaigner for black culture, founder of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, women's rights campaigner, risked his life for his causes)
9. Sholom Aleichem (Jewish immigrant, author of the book that inspired Fiddler on the Roof, the first Broadway show to deal with such deep issues)
10. William Glasser (educational theorist - problem-solving as behaviour management)
11. Sidney Poitier (paved the way for black actors in Hollywood)
12. Robert Johnson (early rock n roller)
Note when I say I was researching, I had heard of all of these people, but I couldn't remember them all and I wanted to check if there were any others who deserved a mention.

Dr Guy

on Jun 15, 2005

I never called you un-American. Mis-guided, sure.

And while your list is fine, it suffers from the malady that NJ was trying to correct. Contemporaries.

Not bad tho. At least it has more substance than the discovery one.

Champas Socialist

on Jun 16, 2005

"I never called you un-American."

I never said you did Dr Guy. Although, to be pedantic, I have no quarrel with the label "un-American", as I am Australian, and thus probably by definition unAmerican. But I would not count myself as anti-American, as some others have accused me.

I don't think you can quite accuse my list of the same obsession with contemporaries as the Discovery list. Several members of my list are dead, some for well over a century. But you're right that I haven't delved back several centuries. This is for two reasons really: I am Australian and thus don't have a very extensive knowledge of US history, and 2, people like George Washington are important to Americans because he founded the nation, whereas to me, an Australian, that has much less value. I understand why an American would put him on their list, but for an Australian, I find little reason to admire him. I don't mean that he isn't admirable, just that the reasons for which he is admirable are not particularly important to me.

Dr Guy

on Jun 17, 2005

I don't think you can quite accuse my list of the same obsession with contemporaries as the Discovery list. Several members of my list are dead, some for well over a century. But you're right that I haven't delved back several centuries. This is for two reasons really: I am Australian and thus don't have a very extensive knowledge of US history, and 2, people like George Washington are important to Americans because he founded the nation, whereas to me, an Australian, that has much less value. I understand why an American would put him on their list, but for an Australian, I find little reason to admire him. I don't mean that he isn't admirable, just that the reasons for which he is admirable are not particularly important to me.

Well, that explanation gives your list a lot more weight. Had not thought about lack of knowledge of american history (but then my knowledge of Australian history is probably poorer). Anyway, thanks for the insight.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!