The History Thread

[OleMissCub]

Dying from “teeth” sounds pleasant.

[minnesotacubsfan]

It's a wild book; it's more "most of Nazi Germany was on speed" than "Hitler was a meth head."

Have you read it? Was it good?

[Sammy Sofa]

It's a wild book; it's more "most of Nazi Germany was on speed" than "Hitler was a meth head."

Have you read it? Was it good?

Yeah, it's a quick fun read (as "fun" as any book about Nazi Germany can be, I guess). It's written in a very "pop" science/history way, which might be due in part to it being translated into english. I wouldn't necessarily place too much stock into it being real solid history, but it's a good read.

[OleMissCub]

You can text that number and it’ll tell you whose native land you are on

[Banedon]

[OleMissCub]

Props to that guy for having more composure than the Hindenburg reporter

[Banedon]

Props to that guy for having more composure than the Hindenburg reporter

True, but the Hindenburg one is the one you remember.

[jersey cubs fan]

Props to that guy for having more composure than the Hindenburg reporter

True, but the Hindenburg one is the one you remember.

He was three hours in. I’d like to hear his immediate reaction

[Tim]

Props to that guy for having more composure than the Hindenburg reporter

True, but the Hindenburg one is the one you remember.

He was three hours in. I’d like to hear his immediate reaction

Before or after he changed his pants?

[Sammy Sofa]

Props to that guy for having more composure than the Hindenburg reporter

Now THAT'S holding a horsefeathering grudge.

[minnesotacubsfan]

You can text that number and it’ll tell you whose native land you are on

I cheated, Suquamish is where Chief Seattle is buried and still tribal land. But it is only a few miles from my place




As is this famous log actually;

[CubinNY]

Chris Hays had a tweet today of the 5 worst Presidents. I'm going with

1. Trump




2. Johnson
3. Buchanan
4. Harding
5. W

Dishonorable mention: Jackson, Nixon, Pierce, Hoover, Wilson (no order)

[Derwood]

Chris Hays had a tweet today of the 5 worst Presidents. I'm going with

1. Trump




2. Johnson
3. Buchanan
4. Harding
5. W

Dishonorable mention: Jackson, Nixon, Pierce, Hoover, Wilson (no order)

Andrew Jackson orchestrated actual genocide. I don't know how he's out of the top 5

[OleMissCub]

Chris Hays had a tweet today of the 5 worst Presidents. I'm going with

1. Trump




2. Johnson
3. Buchanan
4. Harding
5. W

Dishonorable mention: Jackson, Nixon, Pierce, Hoover, Wilson (no order)

Too soon to rank him higher than Buchanan at this point.

Nixon is a weird one. You’ll sometimes see him ranked as high as the teens and sometimes in the 30’s. Really depends on how much weight is put on the “he undermined the public’s faith in the office” argument.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Too soon

[Rob]

Chris Hays had a tweet today of the 5 worst Presidents. I'm going with

1. Trump




2. Johnson
3. Buchanan
4. Harding
5. W

Dishonorable mention: Jackson, Nixon, Pierce, Hoover, Wilson (no order)

Andrew Jackson orchestrated actual genocide. I don't know how he's out of the top 5

Until somewhat recently, he actually tended to rank highly in historians views.

And the simple truth of the matter is that the Presidency is an incredibly difficult position. Even the good Presidents are judged (deservingly) harshly on their mistakes. FDR interned Japanese-Americans, Jefferson was a slave-rapist who nearly destroyed the legitimacy of the Supreme Court, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation only freed Southern slaves not Northern ones, Wilson was super-racist and ignored the 1st Amendment, etc...

The average President seems to get more things wrong than right. The good ones simply minimize their damage.

[Rob]

All of that is to say William Henry Harrison was the best president.

[OleMissCub]

Chris Hays had a tweet today of the 5 worst Presidents. I'm going with

1. Trump




2. Johnson
3. Buchanan
4. Harding
5. W

Dishonorable mention: Jackson, Nixon, Pierce, Hoover, Wilson (no order)

Andrew Jackson orchestrated actual genocide. I don't know how he's out of the top 5

Until somewhat recently, he actually tended to rank highly in historians views.

And the simple truth of the matter is that the Presidency is an incredibly difficult position. Even the good Presidents are judged (deservingly) harshly on their mistakes. FDR interned Japanese-Americans, Jefferson was a slave-rapist who nearly destroyed the legitimacy of the Supreme Court, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation only freed Southern slaves not Northern ones, Wilson was super-racist and ignored the 1st Amendment, etc...

The average President seems to get more things wrong than right. The good ones simply minimize their damage.

Great post.

There are some who are unilaterally terrible though, and I’m certain Trump will forever have a place alongside Buchanan and Harding.

[OleMissCub]

Too soon

Well he hasn’t YET caused a war that killed the modern equivalent of 7.5 million Americans. Perhaps he still may.

[Brian707]

Chris Hays had a tweet today of the 5 worst Presidents. I'm going with

1. Trump




2. Johnson
3. Buchanan
4. Harding
5. W

Dishonorable mention: Jackson, Nixon, Pierce, Hoover, Wilson (no order)

Trump has made W not look so bad by comparison. He was the true useful idiot because he could be controlled by the evils of the GOP.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Too soon

Well he hasn’t YET caused a war that killed the modern equivalent of 7.5 million Americans. Perhaps he still may.

Buchanan totally sucked, but the Civil War isn't all on him. It very well might have had to have been fought. The fact that he didn't lift a finger to stop it is abborent, but he just happened to be around before the Civil War. I think Trump is clearly worse, circumstance and abilities and intentions considered. But too soon to judge Trump!? Come on! What are you waiting for?

[Rob]

Great post.

There are some who are unilaterally terrible though, and I’m certain Trump will forever have a place alongside Buchanan and Harding.

Undoubtedly. You can make arguments that a handful of Presidents were worse. But he will forever rank in the bottom tier of American presidents.

[OleMissCub]

Well he hasn’t YET caused a war that killed the modern equivalent of 7.5 million Americans. Perhaps he still may.

Buchanan totally sucked, but the Civil War isn't all on him. It very well might have had to have been fought. The fact that he didn't lift a finger to stop it is abborent, but he just happened to be around before the Civil War. I think Trump is clearly worse, circumstance and abilities and intentions considered. But too soon to judge Trump!? Come on! What are you waiting for?

Too soon to jump him worse than Buchanan is all I said.

Although yeah, you’re probably right. His intentions were never good and his abilities were never there. I think Buchanan was just horridly incompetent and weak, not evil.

[seanimal]

i think to some extent that andrew jackson's ability to escape popular historical scrutiny for a long time has to do with who was doing the history. Jackson, through his various exploits obtained a reputation of unabashed ruthlessness, which endeared itself to generations of academic men who largely viewed history as a collection of Great Men. As soon as more critical voices entered the conversation, Jackson's star began to dim. We have no greater evidence of this lack of scrutiny than to observe that his image is featured prominently on a note issued by the us treasury.

[seanimal]

i understand there's going to be some recency bias but i just don't see how trump is not the worst president ever. by no measure was he successful at anything; no significant legislative accomplishments, no lasting policy positions, two impeachments, a single term ending in violent shame. All of the "conservative wins", i.e. judges, are owned by McConnell. Not sure how getting ridden like a stolen mule by mitch could be considered an accomplishment in any way, shape, or form.