- Ten things you probably didn't know about Burkini Faso (What a giddy goat.)
Presidents: was Abraham Lincoln the bestest ever American President? He was perhaps a little quick to declare war on the south, and for a President with no intent to limit Slavery, he had few other policies. But he died after his big bill passed - now he is Lincoln. Kennedy was well on the road to a bigger and longer Vietnam War before he was shot; he had a string of scandals to his name as well.
All this is, of course, avoiding the obvious example...
So we celebrated the Ides of March in Ancient. Twice. It was pretty much a series of excuses not to do work. Here are some more:
Today - Tiberius' death
23 March -Agrippina's death.
19 July - Great fire of Rome
1 August - Final defeat of Antony & Cleopatra
19 August - Augustus' death
19 August - Augustus' first consulship starts
4 September - Romulus Augustulus deposed, ending Roman empire
2 October - Actium
13 October - Claudius' death
3 comments:
Any more, guys?
After reading "A Team Of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, I think you're drawing a long bow with Lincoln there - slavery was well and truly not his only policy, and he was less intent on outlawing slavery than others at the time. His main achievement was winning the Civil War, and he did phenomenally well to keep the US together before and after the war. Washington and Jefferson also lived long lives, too, and are well-regarded. JFK didn't really achieve much. As to whether he would have gone all in like Johnson into Vietnam, who knows?
I may have underestimated Lincoln, and I never said that you can't be famous and die of old age - its just that those who die in their prime, or in the middle of their particular challenge, tend to be over-represented in the list of awesome people that we should all admire. Martyrdom has this effect of wiping the bad from your slate - witness Michael Jackson's transformation from creepy half-plastic paedophile to talented and perfect after his death. If Michael Jackson retired and faded from the spotlight, then I am sure that history would judge him with no where near the respect he commands having died suddenly and dramatically.
If Barack Obama died today then his struggle with health-care, his unpopularity, all those things that put doubts in the minds of the American people - all would be erased, and he would be judged as America's bestest ever president, no doubt about it.
On a side note, we celebrated the assassination of Caesar in Ancient today (I may have mentioned it.) Man, that guy was awesome, what with his comprehensive system of well thought out reforms and perfect military record. It sure is a tragedy HE died in the middle of his particular challenge, huh.
So perhaps Lincoln wasn't the best example, but I'M STILL RIGHT, GORRAM IT.
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