Post: #26

(01-05-2014 09:12 AM)Libertas Wrote:  Here's another one- Louis XIV, the great king of France.

The Sun King is certainly a great figure but since you mention the Edict of Nantes it calls to mind its architect (and Louis XIV's grandfather): Henry of Navarre, in my view one of the great men in European history. He fought his way across France against the odds and against multiple enemies, managed to reconcile Catholics and Huguenots after decades of bloody warfare and atrocity (Henry himself was in Paris during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre and barely escaped with his life), reasserted France's power in Europe, extended French influence abroad and constantly endeavored to improve the welfare of all his subjects. He was a king who preferred to lead by example, and claimed to rule with "weapon in hand and arse in the saddle". To me what really distinguishes him is that he was capable of conquest when necessary but in addition showed a great deal of long-term vision and understanding. He also ran strong game with a long and distinguished list of mistresses.

Post: #27

Truman. The guy was a super decent man who did a great deal for our country and the world. But people seem to doubt and dismiss him a lot. Fuck he lost to Dewey right?

Post: #28

(12-25-2013 12:11 PM)Aliblahba Wrote:  Chesty Puller and Norman Schwarzkopf comes to mind. Truly great leaders of men.

I got in trouble in while in the Air Force for having a poster on my dorm room wall that had a quote by Chesty Puller on it: "The mail service has been excellent out here, and in my opinion this is all that the Air Force has accomplished during the war."

My short list of historical figures that I admire:
-Ben Franklin
-Teddy Roosevelt
-Chesty Puller
-Ataturk
-Thomas Jefferson
-Franklin Roosevelt
-Winston Churchill
-Isoruku Yamomoto
-Miyamoto Musashi
-Dwight Eisenhower
-Omar Bradley (probably the most underrated military commander in US history)
-Harry Truman
-John F. Kennedy

Post: #29

(12-27-2013 02:45 AM)Flavius Aetius Wrote:  9. George Washington--we all know he defeated the British against insurmountable odds(he lost more battles than he won), but his greatest act in my opinion was resigning after two terms as president (no constitutional requirement at that time).This was a LEGENDARY ACT--No man in history had given up absolute power like Washington did (e.g. Julius Caesar, Napoleon, etc). He exemplified all of the virtues America used to stand for. To have all the power (and some his friends wanted him to become dictator) and then to relinquish it all and retire to Mt. Vernon showed incredible dignity and respect for the principles of the Revolution. The tradition stood until that criminal FDR tried to become a tyrant and ushered in the need for a constitutional amendment

Um....the Original George W?

You need to read up on the Whiskey Rebellion. The Guy had an Empire to run....

To use your Presidential powers to put down the little man and take over their operations under the guise of tax evasion and then move onto their their turf and become the biggest hooch man in the country?

Fucking over the little guy began with this dude. AMERICA!

Post: #30

(01-06-2014 01:59 AM)GunznButta Wrote:  

(12-27-2013 02:45 AM)Flavius Aetius Wrote:  9. George Washington--we all know he defeated the British against insurmountable odds(he lost more battles than he won), but his greatest act in my opinion was resigning after two terms as president (no constitutional requirement at that time).This was a LEGENDARY ACT--No man in history had given up absolute power like Washington did (e.g. Julius Caesar, Napoleon, etc). He exemplified all of the virtues America used to stand for. To have all the power (and some his friends wanted him to become dictator) and then to relinquish it all and retire to Mt. Vernon showed incredible dignity and respect for the principles of the Revolution. The tradition stood until that criminal FDR tried to become a tyrant and ushered in the need for a constitutional amendment

Um....the Original George W?

You need to read up on the Whiskey Rebellion. The Guy had an Empire to run....

To use your Presidential powers to put down the little man and take over their operations under the guise of tax evasion and then move onto their their turf and become the biggest hooch man in the country?

Fucking over the little guy began with this dude. AMERICA!

The Whiskey Rebellion was just another reason why George Washington was a great man.

The American Revolution was sparked by taxation without representation. The whiskey tax was enacted with representation.

Big guy. Little guy. Rich man. Poor man. The rule of law applies to all. George Washington enforced the law and proved that no man was above it.

George Washington showed the world that America would be a land ruled by law, not by men.

Post: #31

I've done a sort of exercise that can be seen as an extension of this thread.

Formulate a list of twenty men whose examples you want to emulate and incorporate into your own life, and why. Why are they important to you and what lessons do you want to learn from them?

Here's my own list:

Twenty Men

I've already gained a lot, just by writing it down.

Now I will proceed to go on and read things written by them and about them.

Try it out yourselves, and share your own lists!

Post: #32

Alexander the Great.

Megalomaniac? Eventually, yes. But the scope of his vision was unparallelled.

No-one before (or since) has attempted to unify the entire globe.

Who knows what he would have achieved had he not died at 32 years of age.

Steven Pressfield's Alexander: Virtues of War remains one of my favourite books. Lacks historical accuracy but is intensely red-pill.

Post: #33

(01-28-2014 05:26 AM)Scuba_Instructor Wrote:  Alexander the Great.

Megalomaniac? Eventually, yes. But the scope of his vision was unparallelled.

No-one before (or since) has attempted to unify the entire globe.

Who knows what he would have achieved had he not died at 32 years of age.

Steven Pressfield's Alexander: Virtues of War remains one of my favourite books. Lacks historical accuracy but is intensely red-pill.

Apologies Libertas - didn't see the extension of the thread. Will think of another 19!

Post: #34

(12-27-2013 02:45 AM)Flavius Aetius Wrote:  9. George Washington--we all know he defeated the British against insurmountable odds(he lost more battles than he won), but his greatest act in my opinion was resigning after two terms as president (no constitutional requirement at that time).This was a LEGENDARY ACT--No man in history had given up absolute power like Washington did (e.g. Julius Caesar, Napoleon, etc). He exemplified all of the virtues America used to stand for. To have all the power (and some his friends wanted him to become dictator) and then to relinquish it all and retire to Mt. Vernon showed incredible dignity and respect for the principles of the Revolution. The tradition stood until that criminal FDR tried to become a tyrant and ushered in the need for a constitutional amendment

10. Ben Franklin--for all the reasons Day of Broken Arrows said and more. The guy did everything from inventor, businessman, expert diplomat who some how got the king of france to help fund the defeat the king of England and establish a Constitutional Republic(pretty hard sell). Franklin had no formal education, but harnessed the power of lightning--unbelievable--one of those moments in history I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. Read Poor Richard's Almanac for great tips of wisdom.

True. George Washington almost became a dictator and could have been if he wanted too and he chose not too. Something I really admire. America could have failed had he chosen to become a dictator which is something that is often overlooked. That was a huge turning point in American history which many people do not realize.

Benjamin Franklin not only was he a boss diplomatically but the guy had cold stone game. Women loved him everywhere he went, whether it was in America or in Europe. Even at his old age he was still banging girls.

Post: #35

(01-05-2014 03:53 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  Truman. The guy was a super decent man who did a great deal for our country and the world. But people seem to doubt and dismiss him a lot. Fuck he lost to Dewey right?

His decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan or not was crucial to the war effort during World War Two. On the civil rights issue he was the first president to integrate the army after World War 2 which is often overlooked by many. He sacrificed votes with an election coming up to integrate the army going against the advice of his advisers to wait until after the election in which he responded "I may not get the chance to do it if I lose." Because of this the election was very very close, but in the end Truman won a second term.

Post: #36

Julian the Apostate~A not so well-known Roman emperor who was raised Christian and converted to paganism. His 'Against the Galilaens' essay so convincingly exposed the contradictions present in the bible, that later emperors ordered every copy burned.

Post: #37

(01-27-2014 11:01 AM)Libertas Wrote:  I've done a sort of exercise that can be seen as an extension of this thread.

Formulate a list of twenty men whose examples you want to emulate and incorporate into your own life, and why. Why are they important to you and what lessons do you want to learn from them?

Here's my own list:

Twenty Men

I've already gained a lot, just by writing it down.

Now I will proceed to go on and read things written by them and about them.

Try it out yourselves, and share your own lists!

I really like that list. It will probably take me some time to not only choose the men, but come up with justifications for each which I suppose is the point of the exercise.