So Reagan was a greater American Figure than Alexander Hamilton eh?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

No wonder they want to replace him on the $10 bill:

Alexander Hamilton - "The President of the United States would be liable to be impeached, tried, and upon conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, removed from office; and would afterwards be liable to prosecution and punishment in the ordinary course of law. The person of the King of Great Britain is sacred and inviolable: There is no constitutional tribunal to which he is amenable, no punishment to which he can be subjected without involving the crisis of a national revolution."

Alexander Hamilton - "Learn to think continentally."

Alexander Hamilton - "To judge from the history of mankind, we shall be compelled to conclude, that the fiery and destructive passions of war, reign in the human breast, with much more powerful sway, than the mild and beneficent sentiments of peace; and, that to model our political systems upon speculations of lasting tranquility, is to calculate on the weaker springs of the human character."

Alexander Hamilton - "I never expect to see a perfect work from an imperfect man"

Alexander Hamilton - "If it be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws."

Alexander Hamilton - "Nobody expects to trust his body overmuch after the age of fifty."

Alexander Hamilton - "In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution."

Alexander Hamilton - "A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing."

Alexander Hamilton - "When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation"

Alexander Hamilton - " misconduct by public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust."

[Fenris]

1. President Hamilton, eh?

;)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. lol

beat me to it

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

10. Like you never made a mistake

or maybe you haven't

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. I've made plenty

I'd give you a list but it would take too long


When I make a mistake on DU, someone usually points it out, much to my chagrin.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

23. I'll admit - this one did make my face turn bright red!

Thanks for making fun of me - seriously - I need it. I get so damned full of myself some times. :)

[lastliberalintexas]

4. Who knew?

:o

[markdd]

13. Well Maybe...

it was the first case of an unelected president. Its happened since.

[Peregrine]

31. Actually Hamilton could not be president

He was foreign born, Jamacian, I believe.

The greatest contribution was his clinging to his right-wing politics that resulted in many a compromise just so his enimies (on both sides of the aisle) could see him lose. He was hated by almost everybody, Federalist and Republican.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

32. So do you think he should be replaced or is it a "what's the

difference" kind of scenario?

[Peregrine]

34. In truth, if I was to replace someone

it would probably be Jackson.

There is justification for Hamilton: 1st Sec of Treasury and the creator of the central banking system.

Never really understood Jackson. Years from now people probably won't understand why Reagan is on the $xx.

[goobergunch]

2. Hamilton wasn't President

He was the Treasury Secretary.

However, he was still a bit better than Reagan.

[joeybee12]

5. Only "a bit"???

[lastliberalintexas]

6. Yes, only a bit

Hamilton *was* a Federalist, after all.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

9. Right another reason for him to remain n a piece of currency!

[DieboldMustDie]

7. I don't recall Alexander Hamilton having ever been president...

though that was a little before my time. :evilgrin:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

8. Weren't he and Frankin....Just kidding. Typo!

II want to put founding father but its not a dirrect correlation.

[ArkDem]

11. He was never president but

the appliances he invented have made all of our lives better. His friendship with Mr. Beach was one of the best things to ever happen in the US.

[outinforce]

12. DAMN Those Republicans!

All references to President Alexander Hamilton and the many landmake pieces of legislation he pushed through the COngress have been completely deleted from any textbook on American History.

I did hear that a few older history teaches (mostly older women living in rural areas of the Great Plains) were able to hide a few orginal copies of early textbooks that actually contain references to President Hamilton, but these women are at agreat risk.

I knew Republicans were sneaky slimy bastards, but the thought that they would stoop to revising history in this was disgusts me.

[outinforce]

15. DAMN That Edit Feature!!

The Republicans must have used it to change references of President Hamilton.

Damn them!

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

17. Hey if Franklin were still president you wouldn't be laughing!

[outinforce]

35. Don't Tell Me!!

Do you mean they have also edited out facts concerning Ben Franklin's presidency?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

39. I took out his whole emancipation of the slaves. Why do you think

Lincoln had to do it?

I can send you a pamphlet and some web links about another man alot of people mistakenly call president!

:)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

16. Ok ok already !

Wow!

Is anyone going to read the quotes?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

14. Hey - at least I didn't say Franklin was president!

Geez sorry folks!

:)

[IrateCitizen]

18. I've never been much of a fan of Hamilton

I believe that he advocated setting up George Washington as a "President for Life", modeled after the British monarchy. To his credit, Washington resisted such suggestions.

With regards to his times, Hamilton was the ultimate booster for aristocracy out of all of the founding fathers. Almost everything he did was out of the desire to boost the standing of the elite of American society, at the expense of everyone else if need be. He was also a huge proponent of centralized power, as evidenced by his role in creating a centralized Bank of the United States, in the face of great opposition from Jefferson and the anti-federalists.

I think that if Hamilton had been around during Reagan's time, the two of them would have been ideological allies. They both seemed to share a common affinity for the rich accompanied by a disdain for the poor.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

19. Hamilton did favor the aristocracy but my point is - at least he had a

profound intillect- can the same be said for the Jellybean man?

[IrateCitizen]

22. I don't buy the idea of Reagan as a complete dim bulb

Personally, I think that Alzheimer's was beginning to hit him while he was still in office.

While I wouldn't necessarily consider him to be an intellectual, I don't think it's easy to discount the significant body of writing and speaking he did prior to becoming Governor of CA. Was he on the same level as Hamilton? No. But he wasn't on the same level as Shrub, either.

William F. Buckley certainly possesses a considerable intellect, but I can't say I'd be too fond of him determining national policy. I still stand by my assessment of Hamilton.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

25. I will admit that while looking for quotes I found a few that smacked of

NRA policy and aristocratic elitism. But you have to admit Reagan wasn't listening to some of his more "liberal" thoughts.

[IrateCitizen]

29. I don't admit that at all

In fact, there was an excellent article on CommonDreams.org addressing the way in which Reagan demonstrated an ability to change over time, abandoning some of his more rigid ideology vis a vis the USSR.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0607-08.htm

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

30. And in regards to deficits?

And Central America?

etc.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. In all the "He wasn't President" posts,

this reality was almost not pointed out. Thanks.

[lastliberalintexas]

27. I think

posts 2 and 6 pointed out his failings, although maybe a bit more succinctly! ;-)

I've always been impressed with IC's posts- usually far deeper and more intellectual than modern politics allows.

[mopaul]

24. reagan was a greater 'action figure' than hamilton

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

26. I could definately see a Kung Fu Grip Ronnie doll before a Hamilton

Musket-toting figure!

[TreasonousBastard]

28. Of course we should knock Hamilton off the ten-spot...

I mean, after all, he was born down there in Haiti, or some damn heathen island, and very likely had a Jewish mother, although the truth of his ancestry seems to be lost to history.

He fought tooth and nail with Saint Thomas Jefferson over this democracy business, and just how a proper government should be run. Jefferson, btw, was the original chickenhawk, finding it necessary to stay home keeping his favorite slave comfortable while Hamilton held a commission in the Continental Army. Be that as it may, Hamilton's disgraceful concept of a real Federal government won out, and may he live in infamy for that. And for actually fighting for his country.

Hamilton was among the first to advocate a national bank, which eventually was formed as the Federal Reserve, which now prints all of our currency. That he was responsible for this Godless change from real money backed by Holy Gold to Federal Reserve notes is reason enough to ban him from the worthless money he is responsible for creating.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

33. Tell us what you really think nt

[TreasonousBastard]

36. Was my sarcasm too heavy-handed?

I have tremendous respect and admiration for both Hamilton and Jefferson, but they were both brilliantly correct and dismally wrong about some things. In that, they complemented each other perfectly and perhaps their arguments are what got us the "less imperfect than most" government that we now have.

More to the point of replacing Hamilton with Reagan would be, from a good Republican perspective:

Hamilton believed in the aristocracy, and distrusted the masses. His view gave us electors to elect Senators and the President in the original Constitution because the masses couldn't be trusted with such a weighty task. While we eventually went to direct election of Seantors, and are on the way to possibly directly electing the President, Reagan started us back on the path of disenfranchising the poor and powerless. He was the means to return to Hamilton's ideal.

Hamilton believed in an all-powerful Federal government, and it was under Reagan that any thought of states' rights was finally quashed. Forget states' right as code words for Jim Crow laws-- the real issue is the states' ability to do what they think is the best for their citizens in education, healthcare, pensions, housing, food... It was under Reagan that the Federal government began sticking its nose into things that it should never be in, and we see the fruits of that now.

Hamilton believed in debt and the market, but was also very well aware of the South Sea Bubble and the Dutch Tulip Hysteria, among other dreadful things back then. Reagan took half of Hamilton's understanding of these things and created an economy based on debt and uncontrolled markets.

Reagan was the ghost of Hamilton come back to haunt us-- taking some of Hamilton's worst ideas, and perverting the best, to create the ultimate Hamiltonian democracy as seen in a funhouse mirror.

Put him on the 10 spot to remind us all of the whackiest President we have ever had. And who really wrecked the economy for the rest of us.

[Yupster]

37. I used to enjoy visiting his grave

Trinity Church right on Wall Street on Manhattan. Same graveyard as Robert Fulton. You'd never know they were there if you didn't look for them.

[pansypoo53219]

38. and since they changed the look

hammi is a hottie.
no way RR is gonna top that. movie star or not.

and they would have to vote which pic to use.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

40. A Quote from Reagan

Mr. God "tear down my brain"!