Six Greatest

Six Greatest
Ataturk… 31
Mao Zedong … 30
FDR … 30
Stalin … 29
Lenin … 28
Ho Chi Minh … 27

The top six great rulers of the last century. So says, Arnold M. Ludwig concluding his 18 year study contained in his 2002 book, “King of the Mountain.”

Political genius, said Bismark, consisted of hearing the distant hoofbeat of the horse of history and then leaping to catch the passing horseman by the coattail.

Thomas Carlyle, was advocate of the great-man theory of history.

William James subscribed to the view that the “mutations of societies from generation to generation are in the main due directly or indirectly to the examples of individuals whose genius was so adapted to the “receptivities of the moment, or whose accidental position of authority was so critical that they became ferments, initiators of movement, setters of precedent or fashion, centers of corruption, or destroyers of other persons whose gifts, had they had free play, would have led society in another direction.”

Hegel subscribed to the “world-historical” hero who “actualizes his age,” an expression of the “spirit” or “soul” of his times.

Sidney Hook advocated the “event-making” man, as opposed to the eventful man, who brings about momentous happenings not just by what he does but also by what he is.

Ludwig believes greatness belongs to the “political catalyst,” the “facilitator/inhibitor of historical events.” At the top of the page are his top 6 Political Greats. His determination was based upon the 7 pillars of political greatness: dominance, contrariness, presence, change agent, vanity, courage, and wary unease ( a variation on ADD personality).

What do you think? Personally, I don’t care – they are/were all successful nutcakes responsible for more sadness than glee in the human condition.

BUT Bismark had it right when it comes to President Obama; he’s riding high now.