Depending on how the next four years go I’m on the fence between Bush Jr. and Trump but I’d like to hear from you

  • Taalnazi@lemmy.worldNederlands
    1·
    29 minutes ago

    Plenty of choice. In my view, most presidents were rambling reeking right wingers in some way or other, save for FDR and Teddy Roosevelt, who were the two presidents I’d actually call capable and outspoken on civil rights (rather than just pragmatical like Lincoln). They did have their blemishes, but less than e.g. Andrew Jackson.

    So many presidents were terrible for one people or another.

    Andrew Jackson? Held hundreds of slaves and quite literally led an ethnic expulsion against Native Americans (the Trail of Tears).

    Lincoln? Mostly good, but did not forbid slavery in the form of penal labour. If one were to abolish slavery, why not go the full mile?

    Wilson? Rabid antisemite, pretty much.

    Hoover? Might’ve tried to tackle the Great Depression – but did so by allying with large coorporations, effectively being corrupt and choosing bribery.

    Truman? Dropped nukes and set the stage for “we support any government that hates people being remotely leftist”.

    Nixon - corrupt and wanted to sidestep the rule of law, all for his own profit: to stay in power. Other than thaf, decent, but that’s a big “other than that”.

    Reagan - enough said. Ultracapitalist, misleading, made the US economy far worse by accruing debt like there’s no tomorrow, and shoving it onto the poor – typical oligarch behaviour! Militaristic, power-hungry. And no, he did not end the Cold War: Gorbachov did.

    JFK: socially pretty good, actually. But economically, the cutting of the top rates made the richest keep more money. At least it wasn’t down below 50%, but still. Had that happened, I think the tax rates would’ve allowed wealth accumulation.

    And so on.

    So, in my view, it’s hard to focus on who is the worse, and better to rather focus on what is the best. Ted would be my candidate. Not only social progress, but also economical, and in a way that favour the worker – and he also was environmentally aware. That is a good president.

  • Today@lemmy.world
    6·
    3 hours ago

    I would hire nucular George every day for the next 4 years to get rid of the orange dipshit.

    • OmnipotentEntity@beehaw.org
      2·
      2 hours ago

      Andrew Jackson was Trail of Tears, but I actually think Andrew Johnson was arguably worse. He was Lincoln’s Democrat vice president (he was brought on to help “balance the ticket” instead of sticking with his strongly abolitionist first term VP Hannibal Hamlin), who started dismantling reconstruction and giving the power back to the former slaveowners.

      You can pretty much lay Jim Crow at his feet.

  • kersploosh@sh.itjust.works
    32·
    8 hours ago

    While W. sucked in many ways, there is no way he is the worst. Off the top of my head I can easily think of four better contenders: Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan (both guilty of pro-slavery fuckery before the Civil War), Andrew Johnson (fought to let the Confederates off the hook after the war and opposed the 14th amendment), and Donald Trump (first president to be impeached twice, first to be convicted of a felony, and may be remembered by future historians as the spark that ignites the next Civil War).

    • adarza@lemmy.caEnglish
      13·
      10 hours ago

      donvict ain’t done yet, either. i think the damage and legacy he leaves behind, leaking out that giant diaper, will be the worst of the bunch.

    • guy@piefed.socialEnglish
      4·
      8 hours ago

      Question from another European about that, he’s convicted but never got a sentence? Or did he and why in that case isn’t he serving?

      • FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee
        9·
        7 hours ago

        Sentencing was delayed until after Nov. 5th, and now it’s been permanently delayed. I’m sure the conviction will be overturned at some point while he’s in office

      • 50MYT@aussie.zone
        4·
        7 hours ago

        Non burgers here: I believe the sentencing for the conviction was delayed till after the election. And since that they have announced it has been delayed indefinitely.

    • einkorn@feddit.org
      7·
      9 hours ago

      Btw. question from Germany regarding Trumps Felony: I read that people convicted of a felony may not vote yet I also read that Trump cast his in Florida. Hoe does it actually work?

  • ℕ𝕖𝕞𝕠@slrpnk.net
    28·
    10 hours ago

    It’s tempting to pick someone recent, but the real answer is probably Andrew Jackson. He successfully engineered a genocide, trampled the Constitution and human rights, and was actively hostile to limits on Presidential power.

    • P_P@lemm.eeEnglish
      6·
      8 hours ago

      We’ll see if 47 surpasses him. He’s set up to do so. It’s going to be wild to see what happens when Trump order troops to fire into crowds of American citizens.

      • OprahsedCreature@lemmy.ml
        1·
        2 hours ago

        We always seem to get this crazy hyperbole that Trump is going to be some competent fascist that’s going to perform some great coup that will end the US, but in reality it always seems the real damage he does is the evil bureaucracy that erodes rights and liberties while exacerbating things in foreign policy.

        Jan 6th was very flashy, but comparatively speaking, nothing really happened.

  • ERROR: Earth.exe has crashed@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    20·
    10 hours ago

    lol trump is bad but not like Andrew Jackaon bad.

    Probably

    1. Andrew Jackson - Crimes against native people
    2. Andrew Johnson - Fucked up reconstruction
    3. Ronald Reagan - Trickle down economics
    4. 45/47 🤮 - We all know why…
    5. Richard Nixon - The Infamous Crook

    Might have some memory gaps, but these are what I can remember from the top of my head.

    • P_P@lemm.eeEnglish
      5·
      8 hours ago

      Don’t forget that the SCOTUS appointed by 47 ended the American experiment since Presidents are now effectively kings. Thanks to Presidential immunity, we no longer get to say nobody is above the law.

      • ERROR: Earth.exe has crashed@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        3·
        8 hours ago

        Elected Temporary Dictator with small restrictions.

        They still have to get rid of elections to make thing permanent, and time will tell if they actually managed to do so.

        The federal government doesn’t run elections, states do. Whether or not states decide to resist the tyranny of the federal government will decide if we will have legitimate elections.

        Swing States do not all have a republican trifecta.

        Also remember there are non-maga republicans, like Brad Raffensperger.

        And president does not yet have unlimited power, only immunity from breaking laws. The president still have to find those yes-men to do their bidding.

        He cant just say “Kill all Democrats” on day one. That aint happening. The military isnt maga yet.

        It takes time to purge the military. Not every non-maga military member is gonna announce their beliefs. You cant find them all and purge them all in 4 years. Hitler already had a majority of loyalists in the military when he became chancellor. trump does not. Not yet.

        When the federal government becones tyrannical, states can declare federal actions unconstitutional and use their state national guards. Then our country’s fate is up to the military and national guards.

        The US can totally become a dictatorship forever if we don’t change course, but there is still time to reverse course.

    • iii@mander.xyzEnglish
      6·
      11 hours ago

      I’m having a hard time deciding between grape and kiwi what about you?

        • Zyratoxx@lemm.eeOP
          1·
          2 hours ago

          Everyone loves strawberries

          (But ngl I just really wanted to know what people would say. I find some answers very reasonable, others quite debatable. But I’d also be interested in what Lemmy thinks is the best president the US has ever had)