Top Ten Presidents

Hello Ladyslew, Whew! Don't ya' just love a good policy debate? You needn't feel foolish about Carter's Presidency. It was an easy era to try to forget. Grrrr! I remember waiting in line for hours to get gasoline. Nope, I definitely do not want to go back to those days. I'm A-OK about agreeing to disagree about Coolidge. Not so about Roosevelt & Nixon though. Not just yet, anyway. If you tell me that you'd like to end the discussion, then I'll happily meander off. However, I'm not inclined to let Roosevelt off that easy. Britain was the first to abandon the gold standard on 9/21/1921. Roosevelt didn't just outlaw private ownership of gold, he internationally repudiated the gold standard, and refused to meet debt obligations with gold. "Herbert Hoover's Reconstruction Finance Corporation was greatly expanded by Roosevelt, but its effect was to make capital markets less efficient, thereby prolonging the Depression even further. As explained by RFC director Jesse Jones in his autobiography, Fifty Billion Dollars, "The law specified that we should lend only where the borrower could not get the money from others on reasonable terms." That is, only to uncreditworthy borrowers. Guided by this directive, Jones and the RFC redirected billions of dollars in valuable capital to politically-connected but economically-questionable businesses. "We even loaned money to [the owners of] a drove of reindeer in Alaska," Jones boasted. The RFC was abolished in the 1955 under a cloud of corruption and scandal." http://www.mises.org/story/55 "Debt may be a grievous bondage to an honorable man, but it may be a “national bond” which, in President Roosevelt’s words, “is owed not only by the nation but also to the nation.”" http://www.mises.org/story/1846 “In the late 1920s, governments of the various nations could inflate their currencies by pyramiding on top of an inflating pound; similarly in the Bretton Woods system, the U.S. exported its own inflation by encouraging other countries to inflate on top of their expanding accumulation of dollar reserves. As world currencies, and especially the dollar, kept inflating, it became evident that gold was undervalued and dollars overvalued at the old $35 par, so that Western European countries, reluctant to continue inflationary policies, began to demand gold for their accumulated dollars (in short, Gresham's Law, that money overvalued by the government will drive undervalued money out of circulation, came into effect). Since the U.S. was not able to redeem its gold obligations, President Nixon went off the Bretton Woods standard, which had come to its inevitable demise, in 1971. “ http://www.mises.org/econsense/ch74.asp The largest European demands for the exchange of gold for dollars followed the Korean Conflict, then again after Viet Nam. By the time Nixon entered the White House, there was no way for the U.S. to meet the 35:1 ratio. Nixon had no choice but to either: bankrupt the nation, or bolster the fiat system. Hence, the decision to attempt to normalize relations with China & Russia, to the degree possible, so that new export avenues might be developed. Nixon was between the proverbial rock and a hard place because of Roosevelt's ignorance and arrogance.

Well I have to agree that Carter was sure no good with the economy, and I feel a bit foolish for not thinking to include him on the list. I am aware that FDR ended private possession of gold. But on a larger economic scale, the US Dollar as an investment by other countries was still redeemable for gold. But it was Nixon who, in 1971, took the Dollar completely off the gold standard. His action paved the way for rampant government debt, higher inflation, and an eventually valueless Dollar. Our difference of opinion seems to coem from how we view the Dollar. From what you are saying, I am gathering that you view the Dollar strictly as related to the US economy only. I am speaking of the Dollar as a world currency. As to Coolidge, I think we are just going to have to agree to disagree. :)

Oh, and to further the explanation of why Nixon's action had such an impact, it wasn't until after the US went off gold by his order in 1971 that the other countries in the world went off the gold standard too. The European fiat monitary system wasn't even established until 1979.

Hello Gardengrrl, I didn't forget about little Jimmy Madison. He's definitely on my short list. Plus, I'm rather fond of Dolly. She seems to have been quite a gal.

It's like I said in my post, this was a poll, and most Americans know nothing about presidents before the 20th century. That's why 3 of the last 4 presidents are on that list. GW Bush and Bill Clinton have done nothing historically significant, but some people will say they are the best because that's who they know. Everyone loves saying Kennedy is a great president but hardly anyone can say what makes him great. He was young, popular, and got killed in office, so people love him.

Hey! Madison was on my list too. Scroll up. ;)

Oh, I see that you would like to know why we would formulate the list according to our own perspective. 1. Teddy Roosevelt, far and away is my favorite President. Without getting too long-winded, let's just say: The Panama Canal, The Rough Riders, the Anti-Trust initiative, the National Parks Program, etc... He, above all others, levelled the playing field for the hard working American citizens. 2. Thomas Jefferson, a brilliant statesman who helped to usher in our independence with keen insight, and an unwavering commitment to justice. Oh, and let's not forget about his tactical obliteration of the Barbary Pirates. 3. George Washington - although not the most brilliant strategist, and a highly ambitious upstart, he was nonetheless a man committed to applying the last ounce of his energy into creating our great nation. 4. James Madison - "The Federalist Papers" are the substance of this great nation. He displayed outstanding statesmanship both domestically and internationally as he set the foundation of our national ideals, as well as effectively balanced the 'Trade' and economic realities of our yound nation and its tug of war with Britain & France. 5. Abraham Lincoln earned my respect by accepting his onerous role in the history of our nation. He demonstrated grace and a sincere commitment to our nation as he was forced to make some of the most difficult decisions of any U.S. Presidency. 6. Ike - He commanded the Allied Forces landing in North Africa in November 1942; on D-Day, 1944, he was Supreme Commander of the troops invading France. Few other Presidents have so diligently fought for peace, after having fought against tyranny. His international foreign policies ushered in many of the foundations for worlds 20th century members of the 'Democracy Club'. I also admire that he warned us all to keep a close eye on the relationships between business & the military. He is the first to warn us about the "Military-Industrial Complex". 7. Ronald Reagan returned the government of the American People to the American People. His commitment to empowering every American was a real first! He is single-handedly responsible for rendering economics as dinner table talk. His policies were directed at providing a 'hand up' and not a 'hand out'. His notion of "Peace through Strength" and "Trust but Verify", as well as his vision for Star Wars as the consummate defense from foreign hostility. Then of course, there was the "Tear Down This Wall, Mr. Gorbachav" speech, and his commitment to bankrupt the USSR, which resulted in the single largest mass liberation of people from tyrrany, in the history of the world. 8. Calvin Coolidge - I've included Coolidge in my list because he, more than any other President understood when to interfere in the business of the nation, and when to step out of the way. It is rare that a President knows when to shut up. His greatest challenge was in his determination to maintain the moral convictions that the nation had been founded upon, as it spiralled into moral decay. I credit him for recognizing that the nation needed to experience its growing pains, without the Federal Government imposing restrictions before The People and business understood for themselves, why Federal intervention is not always a good thing. He lowered taxes, and maintained an isolationist foreign policy, because that is what was most needed during his term in office. He acted as 'the brakes' in a wild and crazy time. 9. JKF - He understood that the world was changing. He recognized that the economic direction of America needed to focus on growth. He lobbied Congress to lower taxes, so as to bolster economic expansion. Then, when Soviet imperialism reared its ugly head, he stood firm and proclaimed for all the world to see that the USA will be bullied by no one! 10. Nixon - This may come as a bit of a surprise, but his administration was a veritable foreign policy power-house. Reduced tensions with China, his anti-crime initiatives, his treaty with Brezhnev to limit strategic nuclear weapons, the E.P.A., he ended the Viet Nam war, and he chose Henry Kissinger as his secretary of state, who is still today considered one of the most respected statesmen of our time.

Alot of people don't realize all that Nixon did. Unfortunately, most of them only remember his impeachment for Watergate. He was an absolutely brilliant mind and truly did alot of good things. PEACE

Agreed Fpd! Nixon will forever be remembered for Watergate. Yet, the truth is that his administration just got caught doing what most administrations have been guilty of doing - spying on the competition. Yeah, like that never happened before Richard Nixon's administration, or that it hasn't happened since.

Actually Reagan was an extremely popular president. He served two terms and his endorsement of George H.W. Bush helped ensure a landslide victory in the '92 election. Aside from people who just hate all Republicans, you'll see many people acknowledge him as the best president we've had in the last 30 years.

I said 92 election, I meant George HW Bush won the 88 election by a landslide. I really have to keep my numbers straight.

I don't hate republicans---I hate what most of them stand for. I don't like the old school boys club..