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Audacity of Truth
If you could be any president …
In their “Fox Fan Speakout” section, FoxNews has posted the following question:
If you could go back to any point in U.S. history and be president, what would you change?
Here are some of the responses:
“When the Civil War was about to break out, I would have saved the Union by negotiation. States’ rights were specifically granted by the Constitution and could not be taken away by the Federal goverenment. The level heads on both sides required a strong presidential leadership to overcome the influence of hotheads in their camps. The leadership failed and lead to a devastating conflict, which could have been prevented.” — Al (Houston, TX)
“I would have made sure that the Social Security Act of 1935 was only a temporary solution to assist the poor and elderly through the Great Depression.” — Ron (Birmingham, AL)
“I’d stay away from the Ford Theater!” — Norm (Brandon, FL)
“I think I would like to go back and change history by stopping the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. Let’s hope that these weapons are never used again anywhere in the world.” — Dan (Laramie, WY)
“I would have been kinder and gentler to the Native Americans. This is one of the saddest pieces of American history. Also, I would have never taken us off of the gold standard. Now, we just print more money when we need it. Dangerous course. And, in general, I would have made it much more difficult to put our boys and girls in harm’s way. We, as a nation, send them off to war at the blink of an eye with very little regard for the consequences.” — Jim (New Canton, VA)
“I would want to be Jimmy Carter. I would have redoubled the military’s efforts and gotten the hostages out the way Teddy Roosevelt or JFK would have done it. That was an embarrassment and gave encouragement to the Middle Eastern countries to thumb their noses at us. They know all they have to do now is wait.” — Bill
I’d love to read your answers! So, who would you pick, and what decisions would you have made differently – if you could have?
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25 Responses to “If you could be any president …”
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Silly Answer: I would have said “No” to Monica Lewinsky.
Semi-serious answer: I would have NEVER said “Read my lips, no new taxes.”
Serious Answer: I would not have “fired” General MacArthur.
I would have made sure ignore the heat from the media tagged ‘Highway of death’ and finished the job in taking down Saddam the madman. It would have saved America a lot of heartache and possibly restructred the Middle East as we know it today
Then again, I’m just a silly Canuck, so what the heck do I know lol
IMO, one of the greatest disasters in American history was the assasination of President Lincoln, a week after the surrender of the principle Confederate army of the American Civil War.
It was only Lincoln who could have held back the Radical Republicans from ‘punishing’ the South, and only Lincoln who could have developed a sound policy for integrating the freed Slaves into society. That assasination set back the South, and America, at least a hundred years (from 1865 to 1965, and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement). No other Presidential event had such long-lasting effects…
SO, I do agree with the poster who suggested that attending Ford’s Theatre was a mistake.
I would have not advanced “The Great Society”. The aformention historical set back of the South for 100 years did in fact create an atmosphere of need and oppression etc. but the remedies brought out in civil rights legislation and welfare reform etc. just plain got out of hand and here we are with an entitlement attitude that will sink our country.
I have so many:
1) If I were JFK, I would not have wire tapped MLK.
2) If I were FDR, I would have implemented a Social Security System where 50% of your contributions go towards a nest egg that you own and goes into CD’s, Bonds, mutual funds with more than 100 stocks. People in their old age would be wealthier now and there wouldn’t have been a need for transition costs so large just to move to 6% contributions…
3) If I were Clinton, I would’ve converted to conservativism and repented about the laundry list of inaccurate accusations that he would tend to do. One after another. Plus I wouldn’t have had 900 FBI files. Plus I would’ve taken the job seriously and not been risking national security with a suboordinate.
4) If I were any president I would have asked Congress to say that if a college is receiving federal funds that the students of a teacher cannot consistently say (in teacher critiques) that the teacher/professor is not teaching the subject material but going off on liberal tangents. It is a pet peeve of mine that I wasted good money (my own money) paying for College classes like psychology, philosophy, Critical Thinking, World Religion, etc where the teachers went off on some other non-subject material like gun control. I wrote my psychology paper on Gun Control for that very reason (and received an “A”).
5) I would’ve tried to pass a constitutional ammendment that federal expenditures can not exceed 20% of the previous year’s GDP. Why? Because for the last 60 some years, the revenue into the government has been at about 19-20% of GDP no matter what the tax rates were. However, since about 1974, expenditures have risen higher than 19-20%. Expenditures have ventured up to 23% and 24% during these last 30 years. While the economy grows and so does the amount of reveneues, there will always be a defecit if the federal government never reigns in spending. Unfortunately, entitlements due to the baby boomers will go from 53% of the budget to some higher number and this squeezes out the government’s ability to protect this nation.
I would have allowed the Confederacy to secede, if that’s what they wanted. Slavery would have died a natural, economic death anyway within a couple of decades.
Due to the secession of the CSA, the USA would have been weaker, and not gotten involved in World War I. By not getting involved in World War I, Germany and Austria-Hungary would have managed at least a decent peace, rather than the hugely destructive Treaty of Versailles. Without that, Adolf Hitler would have remained a vagabond in Vienna, and there would have been no World War II, and the Soviet Union would have been much weaker than it was.
How’s that for revisionist history?
I would go back before FDR and LBJ to have an amendment that would say something like this: It is not the Federal Governments responsibility to take Money earned, away by force (Taxes) from working Americans to feed, house and clothe those Americans who by their own acts or decisions are considered poor. The Federal Government can not be used for any income redistribution schemes of any party for the purpose of vote buying. There has and there will always be a segment of our society that will do just enough to get by and help should be a voluntary charity not forced charity through taxes. This country was founded on the Individual and you as an Individual are responsible for yourself and no one else or group.
I would not have embroiled the U.S. in the 2nd Iraqi war. Instead I would have pursued Osama Bin Laden, caught and hung him.
Ole Texas Guy says:
I had read a previous piece on another site about the ten worst presidential decisions this morning and then I came upon this. “If I Could be any President.” I think my answer has to be George Washington and I would hope that I would have the foresight and character Washington possessed to set our country off on such an excellent start.
I tend to look at the good decisions and the tough ones, since looking at the bad choices is only hindsight and kind of silly.
I appreciate the choices made by writers above, however I can see where almost every alternate choice might have had unintended consequences that might have made matters worse.
It is my feeling that in spite of, or perhaps because of all of the various trials and tribulations our country has experienced we are still my personal choice of the one country in the world where I am proud to live and raise my children and watch them raise their grandchildren.
What a deal this life stuff is. I thank God for these United States, our leaders, our ability to look at and fight over our faults and, may God Bless us one and all.
Thanks Texas for killing the fun!!
Even tho I agree with you sentiment. It is only human nature to look back and long to change this or that from our past. It is those things we remember from our past that effect our future decisions. I also enjoy reading how and what people think are the most important things. There are many things in the last 230 years of the history of the United States that could be changed, but that doesnt mean the results would of been better. Dana’s thoughts are an excellent example. France and Britain were on the virge of losing WWI when the US entered that war. You see when Russia became a communist country, and they pulled out of the war, that allowed alot of equipment to be moved to France. It would of only been a matter of time, after the fall of France that a more powerful Germany would of started to look at the wealth of the US and want it for themselves. With the Great Depression that might of been a good time for this more powerful Germany to attack us. We would of lost with the isolationist policies that were the norm at that time, and the extra 10 years that Germany had to prepare.
I would also like to add to Bak’s thoughts. If I were JFK, I would of also stayed out of Dallas in Nov. of 1963. Or perhaps I would of sent LBJ their native son in my place.
Good stuff tho guys. It would be interesting to see more folks ideas. – Lorica
Washington: 1. Outlawed slavery. 2. Given full civil rights to every citizen. 3. Forced churchs to pay property taxes. Peace
How do you force non-profits to pay property taxes? What is the percentage rate applied to? Never mind. I’ve had this conversation with other liberals and they don’t understand economics….
GM is not taxed on revenues into the company as in it’s $200 Billion in revenues. Otherwise it’d be paying $20 billion in taxes.
I think Al’s choice on FOX (about Lincoln negotiating with the CSA) is an important turning point in our history, not so much because of Dana’s idea of avoiding wars.
Rather, states’ rights would have been protected, the Federal government wouldn’t have begun its march to statism, and there probably wouldn’t have been an income tax, or budget deficits,or an annoying Nanny state.
All right then, I am Lincoln and let’s play a little game of what if and pick a critical point in time, the beginning of the Civil War, what is after the first bloody battle when both side thought they could bring things to a rapid conclusion and found out they were wrong, the right of secession was recognized and both parties sat down and signed a non-aggression peace treaty.
So, the confederate States have a government headed by Jefferson Davis and they are not too well governed nor are they positioned to due much except continue their agrarian economy based heavily on slavery. The next 15 years might bring Imperialist European Countries which were going strong to do the following: Spain might reclaim Florida just right North of Cuba, France might decide the sale of Louisiana was not a good idea and reclaim Louisiana while Mexico influenced heavily by Austria and the new emerging power of Germany might expand and take over Mexico. Of course, Russia already has Alaska and might move right on down the Pacific coast taking over Western Canada, Washington, Oregon and Northern California down to the Russian River. And then would fight a war with Austria-Mexico for California since they have already established themselves in Texas up to the Red River and West through New Mexico and Arizona. Of course, the US decides to leave Japan alone so they remain isolationists and to this day do not use weapons except for swords.
Europe might be in good shape since they would have been expending their energy on expansion in North America so by the time tensions in 1914 occur The British have moved down from Canada into the upper Midwest and a Great War for borders is fought in the Central part of the US with all sorts of treaties between the Imperial Powers coming into use. You might still have New England and adjoining States still part of the US however the southern sates might have been lost to the expansion of various powers with Virginia and the Carolinas becoming British Colonies to protect themselves from others.
Maybe some Austrian guy named Adolph Hitler would be fighting with the Bavarian Troops and make a name for himself which would help him gain leadership an launch a second major war during the 20th century. Or maybe in the late 1800’s the Kaiser in Germany experiences so much prosperity among his people due to the expansion that he makes major reforms which end up in a democratic parliamentary government. Maybe the Czar of Russia uses all of the gains of the new world to help his people become a more modern society that rejects the need for communism. And the kings, queens, princes and princesses live happily ever after, just because we did not continue the civil war.
So that is what can happen if a war is called off and peace breaks out instead of the bloody battle at Gettysburg that foraged us into a Nation where people live reasonably good free lives. Would it be better, worse or just different?
I’d have put Karl Rove in charge of Martin Van Buren’s reelection campaign. Van Buren’s loss to William Henry Harrison was the fault of poor campaigning — and it set back the Jeffersonian-Jacksonian liberty movement by fifty years. Not until Grover Cleveland took office was there another president dedicated to Constitutionally limited government and individual liberty. Had Van Buren served a second term, we might never have had a Civil War, an income tax, a central bank, fiat money, or Prohibition.
Talk about missed opportunities.
Personally I have always wondered what JFK had been able to accomplish had he finished his term and been reelected. I think the course of Vietnam, the Cold War and amost every other major event would ahve shifted.
I also think that he, as a democrat would have shaped the party in a completely different direction then it is today.
Ole Texas Guy, The Butterfly Effect is fantasy and so is your conclusion, sorry. And Baklava, “we the people” can tax whatever they’d like, including how much water and electricity and phone and oil and gas and sewage and so on each of us uses. So “we the people” can pass a law that says all property is taxed . ALL property, including all land owned by the religious community. America, what a great country! Peace
You’re confusing property taxes with your original statements about taxing churches. If you own property, use water, phone, buy alchohol, buy anything in a state with sales tax, buy gasoline, buy cable, you will pay taxes. Now Steve, you were referencing taxing churches because they aren’t taxed for a reason and it wasn’t due to the list I just wrote.
You FAILED to answer the question. What is the tax rate applied to with non-profits?
For instance. Here in CA the tax rate for my business is 8.84% and it isn’t applied to revenue. What is it applied to Steve?
Protect the weak from the strong but allow the weak to become strong. Protect minorities from majorities but allow minorities to become a majority. With freedom wars are not necessary to settle disputes. Heated debate not heated battles. But a well regulated army to maintain peace would always be necessary as at times through out history some seek to subjugate the weak in the name of a minority. The UN is a nice idea but has not worked.
See Utopian ideals render the UN a toothless tiger – Janet Albrechtsen ‘And that provides the perfect opportunity for others to try “competitive multilateralism”. Cocooned in their 7ha site on the east side of Manhattan with their very own UN postage stamps, UNtopians will go bonkers at the very idea of competition.’
Gee..this was supposed to have been a fun exercise in creativity…when did it have to get so deep?
The Old Texan wrote:
Suh! Them is fightin’ words! President Davis was a fine gentleman, and the honorable Confederate States of America would have been the finest, most noble society evuh seen in the world!
Oh, I wish I were in the land of cotton,
Old times there are not forgotten . . .
After some thought, I’d like to be G. W. Bush, the current President.
On 9/12 I’d have shut the borders with troops.
After seeing a year of the “No Child Left Behind” act, I’d have snatched the bottle of Chevas out of Teddy’s hands and smashed him in the mouth with it. After that I’d go to Congress, force C-span to carry the address I’d make to both houses of Congress telling them that the current education system is broken and I’d offer my solution which breaks the NEA and puts real teaching in the schools or the parents will be paid to homeschool or pay for private school. There’d be no exceptions or limits as there are in Milwaukee, WI.
I’d tell Congress it is time to scrap the tax code and start over with a simple consumption tax exempting food, utilities, and home rent.
I’d demand a real ethics system for Congress to police itself or I’d go personally to the miscreants’ districts to urge the voters to vote them out, my party or not.
I would demand a Judicial house cleaning. I’d demand that most of the Ninth Circuit judges be impeached and replaced by strict Constitutional judges or I’d veto Congressional pet legislation until then.
One last thing, I’d restructure our intelligence agencies rooting out the political hacks and the deadwood that accumulated there. I’d remove the PC restrictions on who we can recruit and use in other countries. I’d also start authorizing strategic assassinations. Kim Mentally Ill would be the first one with a Hellfire enima.
PCD did a pretty good job. I might add that if another Texan named Perot had been President, 9/11 may not have happened at all. He’s a man that knows how to “GIT ER DONE”! We truly missed out on what that man would’ve brought to the table.
I don’t know how far back it was work farms for criminals doing jail time , now in record numbers and sucking up millions of tax dollars for room and board, ended. If you don’t work you don’t eat, ought to be standard policy for the lifetime criminals. Pay for there own survival, like the rest of us. Which President(s) was/were that?
Forest Hunter, Maybe as President, I’d put Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, AZ (Phoenix) in charge of Federal Prisons. The libs would howl then. Can you picture the late John Gotti in pink underwear and eating bologna sandwiches?
One thing I forgot to ad, is that I’d implement a positivie ID system for voting, and demand the laws change so that the cheaters are never allowed to serve any elected office, and the cheating parties get really punished. Bob Beckel should be in jail for trying to black mail the Electoral College, not being rehabed on Fox News.
PCD, Quite a visual on Gotti! While we’re at it we could implement the job requirement act. All these gang pukes would be harnessed to the nearest employer providing a physical task. After they get done with their 12 hour shift, hopefully they’ll be too tired to go out killing, raping, thieving,…..
Another portion of the act would include burning all the dead wood currently under protection of the union controlled infrastructures. Status quo would mean evolution.