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Greatest Person of All Time

For the record, Thurgood Marshall was a far better person than MLK, in my opinion anyways.

MLK had a LOT of nasty flaws that were often glossed over, while leaving the work of the civil rights movement to others.
 
I think both MLK and Thugood Marshall were awesome people. I got hooked on MLK while watching his speeches and saying that no matter what, they could not be reduced to violence. That's why he's is considered the key figure in the civil rights movement over people like Malcom X.
 
Soviet_Guy said:
ENS said:
I put Confucius above Gandhi because he has had a greater positive influence on a greater number of people.
Gandhi leaned and taught non-violent disobedience to achieve a political goal and although Nobel that wouldn't put him in my top five. Drinking his own urine and those constant hunger strikes knocked him down a place or two as well.

:applaud wow, okay, you proved your point, but I doubt Gandhi drank hs own urine, I doubt it with a vengence!

Confucious had a greater positive influence than Gandhi? I strongly disagree with that.

And Soviet Guy is right, there is no real reason to suspect that Gandhi actually drank his own urine. I was just goofing off because there's really no proof either way. It's like saying George Washington ate fecal matter when no one was around. You can't prove it, but you can't prove he didn't. Although it may explain the tooth decay...

Ohh, and why do hunger strikes knock someone down in your book?
 
Gandhi>Bush said:
I think both MLK and Thugood Marshall were awesome people. I got hooked on MLK while watching his speeches and saying that no matter what, they could not be reduced to violence. That's why he's is considered the key figure in the civil rights movement over people like Malcom X.

It bothered me to know that while MLK was saying that, he was out there fathering children out of wedlock left and right, embezzling suitcases stuffed with money given by poor families intended to help for black legal defenses, and using the money to have competitors threatened or intimidated into supporting him.
 
Ahh. Well, I can't argue with that. He was a good preacher with good words. I like his words, and most but not all of his actions.
 
Ohh, and why do hunger strikes knock someone down in your book?

I would say it would put them up a notch. I really respect someone who is willing to undergoe great physical suffering for what's right. Gandhi would also have to be my number 1 choice. A man who was a true revolutionary and martyr for his people, while at the same time not dropping to the level of the British by using violence. I have a lot of repect for someone like that.

I would also have to respect Jesus. I am by no means a christian, but I respect many things he believed. His believe in non-violence, social and economic equality, etc. put him up in my top five. Jesus was probably the first major anti-capitalist alive. A man who pushed for social and economic equality and peace. It's christianity thats bad. I just wish a lot of these christians would simply apply what Jesus taught, such as love you neighbor, turn the other cheak etc., not waging war in his name.
 
I heard him say in a televised interview that he drank a glass of his own urine everyday. I don't know if he was untruthful or not. Personally I believed him but wondered what possible benefit he believed he was getting from it. I remember him well and although he's not at the top he still made my list.
 
One thing you have to think about though, is that in the bible, the christian book of teaching on which Jesus based all of his teachings, there are countless number of stories in which wars were faught, and side "X" won with the help of God. For example, the walls of Jhericho..(i think thats how you spell it..) an army loyal to God marched round the city 7 times or so, and the walls came tumbleing down.. i would like to think that the invasion after that point took place peacefully, but i would be would be wrong to assume it did..

My point is, even though Jesus took part in teachings of non violence, he respected the law, which at that time was far from peaceful, and the God to which he served helped armies over others. you may argue that this is murder, of whatever else, im just saying it as something to think about.
 
And where does "Thou shalt not kill" fit in to all of this?

Thou shalt not kill unless thee have a flag and march to trumpets?(Basically what Voltaire said)
 
Gandhi>Bush said:
You can read the title of the thread that's why your here. I'll make an actual poll later as to who should be on the list and we'll have an official vote.

Due to popular demand, we now have thread where you can argue against me, unsuccessfully I might add 8) (and I did), that Gandhi was some how not the Greates Person to ever live.

Bring it on.

Just out of curiosity, what does your graphic showing Gandhi transitioning or morphing into Bush mean? I can't think of two more different individuals...

BTW, to answer your poll question, my vote for greatest individual of all time would be a tie between Einstein and Voltaire.
 
geekgrrl said:
Just out of curiosity, what does your graphic showing Gandhi transitioning or morphing into Bush mean? I can't think of two more different individuals...

BTW, to answer your poll question, my vote for greatest individual of all time would be a tie between Einstein and Voltaire.
It's not Gandhi morphing into Bush, it is Gandhi is greater than Bush. And do you care to give some reasons for your choices out of curiousity?
 
geekgrrl said:
Just out of curiosity, what does your graphic showing Gandhi transitioning or morphing into Bush mean? I can't think of two more different individuals...

BTW, to answer your poll question, my vote for greatest individual of all time would be a tie between Einstein and Voltaire.

Sebastian had it right. Notice the greater than symbol(>) in the center of the two.
 
sebastiansdreams said:
It's not Gandhi morphing into Bush, it is Gandhi is greater than Bush. And do you care to give some reasons for your choices out of curiousity?

Well, uh, sorry. There are a lot of interpretations which can be read into the carat (>) because people use these punctuators in a variety of ways, not the least of which is directional. "Greater than" is certainly one of those possibilities, but it wasn't the one that came into my mind at the time.

There is another candidate I would also consider for "greatest person": the poet Alexander Pope, a contemporary of Voltaire during the Siècle des lumières. He, like Einstein and Voltaire, have inspired me all my life, to wit...

As for why I chose both Einstein and Voltaire,
I could not think of better anywhere
Whose piercing vision truth of truth unveils,
Whose piercing wit the hearts of fools impales.

But no heroic couplet says enough,
In pining iamb or in prose half-rough,
To praise enlightened minds so far refined
That even God may feel left behind.

One gave us quantum science, rarefied,
One gave us words to mock the Church's pride.
Each had their vision, each their gift to share
With all who think, and all who choose to care.

One parsed the secrets of the grand design,
That energy and matter intertwine;
The other taught the world to suffer fools,
If only to break, or, better, change the rules.

The gift they gave to me is what will linger:
The means, the will, to hoist my middle finger.
 
Gandhi>Bush said:
Sebastian had it right. Notice the greater than symbol(>) in the center of the two.

Cool. The only comment I'd make is that it doesn't take a great deal of talent, intellect, or much of anything, for that matter, to be > Bush.
 
Gandhi>Bush said:
Well, if you want to look at it that way Jesus wasn't really Human, he was a God. That's not really fair now is it?

Jesus was 100% human. He is also 100% God - but that doesn't take away from His humanity. He felt pain, anger, sorrow, joy - just like the rest of us. He is, without question, the greatest man to ever walk the face of the earth. His impact has lasted for 2000 years and continues to grow. And that impact is based on ~3 years in the public eye.

Am I predjudiced by my faith in choosing Him - absolutely. I truly believe the day will come when 'every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord.'
 
edb19 said:
Jesus was 100% human. He is also 100% God - but that doesn't take away from His humanity. He felt pain, anger, sorrow, joy - just like the rest of us. He is, without question, the greatest man to ever walk the face of the earth. His impact has lasted for 2000 years and continues to grow. And that impact is based on ~3 years in the public eye.

Am I predjudiced by my faith in choosing Him - absolutely. I truly believe the day will come when 'every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord.'

I agree, 100%.
 
farleft said:
I thinbk Karl Marx is the greatest person of all time.

I saw that the last person to respond to this thread's username was "farleft," and immediately knew it was going to be some asinine comment like that.

I'm not even going to ask you how on earth you want to justify that.
 
This is a hard one Probably Lenins the best, very very closely followed by Marx, then Engels, Then Trotsky,Castro, Krushchev,Mao,Ho Chi Minh,Gueverra, Escobar, Will Z. Foster, in that order
 
Comrade Brian said:
This is a hard one Probably Lenins the best, very very closely followed by Marx, then Engels, Then Trotsky,Castro, Krushchev,Mao,Ho Chi Minh,Gueverra, Escobar, Will Z. Foster, in that order

As long as we're telling jokes I would say.....Chris Rock, then Justin Timberlake, then probably my left nut, in that order.
 
I don't understand why all these lovers of the Commies havent emigrated to a "Worker's Paradise" like Cuba, North Korea, China, or, are there any others left?
 
RightatNYU said:
As long as we're telling jokes I would say.....Chris Rock, then Justin Timberlake, then probably my left nut, in that order.

Don't get me wrong I like Chris Rock- but I like my left nut better. Have no fondness for your nutz.
 
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