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Who was the greatest world leader of the 20th century?

Who was the greatest leader of the 20th century

  • Mao Zedong

    Votes: 2 5.6%
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Votes: 14 38.9%
  • Clement Attlee

    Votes: 1 2.8%
  • Pierre Trudeau

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nelson Mandela

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bill Clinton

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Winston Churchill

    Votes: 15 41.7%
  • Joseph Stalin

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Josef Tito

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Gandhi

    Votes: 4 11.1%

  • Total voters
    36

Ganapathy

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My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.
 
No way, Man, Barack's got the guy hands down!
 
My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.

that Mao had about 20 million innocent people murdered sort of rules him out

DDE or Churchill would get my vote.

there is zero gun violence in china? complete horsecrap and I count all the people shot in the back of the head by government goons to be gun violence

do you have a hard on for gun ownership because you really understand gun crime in the USA or is it because you have a hard on for white conservative Christian middle aged, middle class males who are seen as the stereotypical NRA members?
 
No way, Man, Barack's got the guy hands down!

I said 20th century. 1900-1999.

As for the 21st century, Barack Obama isn't the best, but he isn't the worst. My top pick would either be Hugo Chavez for his devotion to economic equality and anti imperialism, or Xi Jinping for his anti corruption efforts in China.
 
that Mao had about 20 million innocent people murdered sort of rules him out

DDE or Churchill would get my vote.

there is zero gun violence in china? complete horsecrap and I count all the people shot in the back of the head by government goons to be gun violence

do you have a hard on for gun ownership because you really understand gun crime in the USA or is it because you have a hard on for white conservative Christian middle aged, middle class males who are seen as the stereotypical NRA members?

I don't like seeing 32,000 deaths a year that are completely preventable.

And where the hell is your proof about Mao "murdering 20 million people." I know for a fact that the only way you came to that number is including Japanese and Nationalist casualties in WWII and the Chinese Civil War, or by counting victims of famines when there were far worse famines in capitalist ruled countries in South America or British ruled India (search up 1943 Bengal Famine.)
 
I don't like seeing 32,000 deaths a year that are completely preventable.

how do you prevent suicides given Japan has a complete ban on civilian handguns and a suicide rate higher than ours

claiming there is ZERO gun violence in China (even if you don't count government imposed gun violence) is such a stupid lie that you have no credibility after saying something like that
 
My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.
You forget the part where he killed 80,000,000 Chinese, I wonder why........
 
You forget the part where he killed 80,000,000 Chinese, I wonder why........

damn, I was being charitable with 20M

I am shocked that this poll didn't have Che or comrade Fidel
 
My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.
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Roosevelt and Churchill are tied for first place IMO.:2wave:
 
My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.

Mao Zedong?! Jesus Christ.
 
I said 20th century. 1900-1999.

As for the 21st century, Barack Obama isn't the best, but he isn't the worst. My top pick would either be Hugo Chavez for his devotion to economic equality and anti imperialism, or Xi Jinping for his anti corruption efforts in China.

I beg a thousand pardons, Good Sir. I was so excited about the question that I leaped before I looked.:3oops:
 
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how do you prevent suicides given Japan has a complete ban on civilian handguns and a suicide rate higher than ours

claiming there is ZERO gun violence in China (even if you don't count government imposed gun violence) is such a stupid lie that you have no credibility after saying something like that

Statistics right here. China's gun violence rate is one of the lowest in the entire world, and far a population of its size, basically zero. Guns in China ? Firearms, gun law and gun control

The murder of 32,000 individuals a year is far worse than any "human rights violations" the u.s accuses China, or North Korea, or Iran of. OUCH: China Fires Back At US Human Rights Report With US Gun Violence Stats
 
My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.

Are you serious? Mao's callousness and terrible governance lead to the deaths of tens of millions of Chinese. The guy was a textbook sociopath. You should read the Private Life of Chairman Mao or Mao, the Unknown Story. The only good things you can say about Mao is that he had a gift for poetry and was a good revolutionary. As a leader he was a disaster.
 
Statistics right here. China's gun violence rate is one of the lowest in the entire world, and far a population of its size, basically zero. Guns in China ? Firearms, gun law and gun control

The murder of 32,000 individuals a year is far worse than any "human rights violations" the u.s accuses China, or North Korea, or Iran of. OUCH: China Fires Back At US Human Rights Report With US Gun Violence Stats

why are suicides "human rights violations" I thought you hard core left-wingers thought suicide is a natural right

China is an authoritarian state that executes people for stuff that no other modern country does. There are not 32K murders a year in the USA

if you claim that you are either lying or you just didn't bother to read the sources you are trying to parrot here
 
My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.

That is nonsense. Mao was a pig.

Have you never heard of the 'Cultural Revolution'? Well over a million people were killed and many, MANY more were imprisoned. Intellect was discouraged. Anarchy reigned. The economy fell drastically. Innocent people were attacked by Red Guard units for the stupidest of reasons...being elderly or intellectual were two of them. And Mao supported almost all of it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution

Sure the guy took power...but he also abused that power horribly. Not to mention his love of various teenaged girls that he would have sex with. He was an emotionally disturbed, egomaniac.

China did not start to thrive until he was dead.

But I am guessing your mind is totally closed about him...so I will not waste my time trying to make you see history for what it was.

Mao was an AWFUL leader. He may have been a good general/rebel organizer. But he was a horrible leader.
 
You forget the part where he killed 80,000,000 Chinese, I wonder why........

Hmmm. Might be a disqualifying element. We shouldn't rush to judgement. It could've been an accident.
 
Hmmm. Might be a disqualifying element. We shouldn't rush to judgement. It could've been an accident.

My Bad. He was a short fat man so he had to have been a funny guy if you just got to know him, great guy to share a few pints with and shoot the breeze, or maybe shoot a few peasants for fun and games, no harm done he had lots of them.
 
Hmmm. Might be a disqualifying element. We shouldn't rush to judgement. It could've been an accident.

That 80 million number is complete bs.

If he killed 80 million people, or even 1 percent of that number, why the hell is he still China's greatest national hero? Why do the Chinese people still love him so much that almsot every family has a painting or statuette of him?

Mao still a hero in China as 35th anniversary of his death nears | The National

Mao Zedong Gets Hero Treatment in Home Village of Shaoshan - NBC News
 
Teasing aside, I'd like to offer up Harry Truman even if he is not on your roster. By ending World War II, he saved countless millions of lives and undoubtedly restored the kind of cultural, civil, and social order that had basically crumbled into dust prior to the war.
 
I've always kinda' been partial to Winston Churchill, but have always admired revolutionaries like Fidel Castro's underdog toppling of the Batista regime, and of course Lech Walesa's precipitating the fall of the U.S.S.R. I also liked the way Castro thumbed his nose at the rest of the world through the decades and said: "screw you".

Now Castro also has a lot of negatives too, and Lech Walesa turned out a better revolutionary than leader, which is why while admiring them (and Che Guevara), I've got to give 'leadership' to Sir Winston.
 
You forget the part where he killed 80,000,000 Chinese, I wonder why........

He didn't order all their deaths though, most of them died simply because of his being a total douchebag. For example, he wanted China to become the biggest steel producer on earth. So he instructed all the communes to have their workers build steel furnaces in their backyards. They then would take their farm implements and melt them down to pig iron to meet Mao's steel production quotas. This of course resulted in a huge decline in farm output, and millions starving. He also sold grain to Eastern European countries to give the impression that China was a rich country and in an effort to gain more influence in the communist block. This again resulted in famines in China. There are are just two examples of course. Even Khrushchev ridiculed him for his terrible ideas.

In some communes in the Shanxi province Mao even experimented with doing away with names with workers and instead making them just go by a number they wore on their backs. One can go on and on about how terrible Mao is.
 
My personal vote goes out to the man on my avatar: Mao Zedong. Mao helped lead the Chinese guerilla movement during the Japanese occupation, and through a decade of hard fighting, managed to free China from Japanese fascism.

He then fought a civil war with the corrupt and dictatoral Chiang Kai Shek, and won. Mao took power over the whole country in 1949, at a time where China was a backwards, corrupt, third world country with a literacy rate closer to 50 percent than to 100 percent, especially for women. Warlords controlled large swathes of the country, and the public health care system, education system, and all sorts of public works were nonexistent.

By the time Chairman Mao died in 1976, China was well on the road to becoming the superpower it is today. Literacy in China, thanks to Mao, is now nearly 100 percent for all citizens. Women are no longer expected to marry at the start of adolescence and become concubines, but are free to pursue the same careers and successes as their male counterparts. China's highway system is now larger than that of the USA, and Mao set the foundation for making that happen. In China, all citizens are entitled to completely free healthcare, courtesy of the government. There is next to zero gun violence in China, and the police are unarmed citizens who interact with the public as a whole without shooting a person of color every five minutes.

Although Chairman Mao died a quarter century ago, his legacy lives on through the constant leaps and bounds China makes in technology, industry, and education, inspired by the communist party's dedication to reform and an equal society for all, not just the emperors or warlords.

Really? Really?

Of all the people, you pick Mao?
 
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