10 Greatest American Achievements

[ToadSprocket 12]

A. Do you agree?

B. Would you rearrange any or add / delete any?

And

C. If any one of these had not happened and Obama had brought forth the idea, would the republicans have agreed and passed legislation?

Just wondering.

 

10. The Internet, circa 1985.

9. Cell Phones, 1973.

8. Machine Guns, 1862, 1884.

7. Panama Canal, 1914.

6. Modern Submarine, 1900.

5. Trans-Oceanic Cable Communication, 1858.

4. First Nuclear Reactor, 1942.

3. Model T Ford, 1908.

2. First in Flight, 1903.

1. Men on the Moon, 1969.

 

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

1980 Hockey Gold Medal.

[hoytdwow 202]

A. Do you agree?

B. Would you rearrange any or add / delete any?

And

C. If any one of these had not happened and Obama had brought forth the idea, would the republicans have agreed and passed legislation?

Just wondering.

 

10. The Internet, circa 1985.

 

 

Depending on what you mean by this, it is arguably a British accomplishment (Tim Berners Lee)

[Mike Honcho 5,339]

American Football.

[Jetdoc 20]

The order is obviously debatable, but I wouldn't have the construction of the Panama Canal on the list. It was a big achievement...but not as important to the world as some of the other items you have on the list.

 

You put The Internet on there, but I think the invention of computers in general is probably the bigger achievement.

 

Also the invention of the lightbulb has to be on the borderline of cracking the top ten.

[dain11279 977]

Edjr 95,000 posts

[TD Ryan2 316]

achievements is a funny word.... inventions? achievements?

 

some version of electricity, the transistor, the semiconductor has to be on there - this was the pathway to computer technology and the connected, information age we have now.

 

all other achievements should come exponentially faster now that this is in place.

 

 

[Cruzer 1,995]

I might insert the Battle of Midway and kicking Japan's ass, essentially the turning point in the war. Had we not, things would be a lot different around here.

[IGotWorms 4,060]

#1 has to be when Donald Trump finally called out Islamic terrorism for what it is thereby ushering in world peace

[parrot 789]

I would say our WWII weapon, vehicle, aircraft, and ship production was maybe the greatest American "achievement". It required pretty much the combined efforts and sacrifice from the whole country for a period of several years and the world might look far different if not for it.

 

Honestly what did going to the moon really "achieve" other than allowing us to say "Yeah? Well we went to the moon fockers!" Which is good, don't get me wrong.

[SUXBNME 1,582]

 

C. If any one of these had not happened and Obama had brought forth the idea, would the republicans have agreed and passed legislation?

Just wondering.

 

 

Troll !@#

 

[mighty_thor 115]

Some of these are even debatable like first in flight. I think other countries have claims to this.

[MDC 7,634]

#1 has to be when Donald Trump finally called out Islamic terrorism for what it is thereby ushering in world peace

I laughed

[wiffleball 4,793]

A couple of thoughts here:

 

1, It is very important to Note the word achievement and not to conflate that with invention. So don't get lost running down that rabbit trail.

 

For example, the french actually started the panama canal and failed horribly. Roosevelts determination along with the sacrifice of thousands on thousands of men That led to the panama canal. And I would disagreeStrongly with jet on its inclusion on this list. It may not seem like such a big deal today, But it had a major global impact upon Modern naval and military strategy Distribution of food And culture And upon travel itself.

 

In fact The impact the panama canal today is so great that the chinese and americans and others are Competing to build yet another. Bigger 1due To the fact that global shipping continues to rise exponentially.

 

In fact comma Expansions of Ports And docks And dredging of the Mississippi River To make it deeper for larger cargo ships has already begun in anticipation of this.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

One woukd also have to be the greatest middle class the world has ever seen. It lasted about 40 years. That has to be a record, right?

[wiffleball 4,793]

I agree that landing on the moon Was In the larger picture Pretty Meh. One might argue that the Technologies developed In order to do so Were the real accomplishment. Butt As we know now, Commodore 64 Had more technology in it Then our spacecraft ever did.

 

I continue to believe that whatever collateral technologies well developed in the course of our sword fight with russia Could have been and would have been developed far more cheaply with far less loss of life.

 

And, I'm pretty sure we could have gotten by without tang or Velcro.

[shotsup 833]

The Transcontinental Railroad

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

I think you'd have to put "worlds first written constitution" pretty high on the list. I mean we invented the form of government of most of the world.

[wiffleball 4,793]

I would also Argue that the Model T Ford in and of itself, that particular vehicle, Is not particularly a great achievement On its own. There have been and frankly, were at the time Simply Better cars than that.

 

However, I do think that it is emblematic of an American cheese month Bad mood America he coming Not only an economic But a Military global super power.

 

I am speaking of course Of henry ford use of then modern Assembly line Procedures and technologies.

 

This was an American game changer. His methods were borrowed by manufactures of all kinds across the This went far beyond A single automobile. It lowered the costIt lord the cost of food And literally hundreds of other goods.

 

And , When we employed those same practices In building The allied war machine, Are allies and enemies I'll like were simply stay here by the sea And volume By which we could turn out Bullets and tanks and airplanes and literally everything needed Fight the war.

 

The Axis Forces were literally Forces were literally Banking on the fact that the war would be effectively over in asia and Europe before america could generate nearly enough assets to be an effective adversary. And by then, it would be too late.

 

Or is that cool All the way up into the last months of war, The german tiger tank Was universal eat and still is universal accepted as a far more superior Tank Then Sherman Tanks. However, in the time to fix them put out 1 day we could put out a dozen and we simply made more than they could destroy.

 

Since then America has enjoyed global economic and military dominance Unlike no other in the modern era.

 

So yeah, I think it's more than just the car.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

I think you'd have to put "worlds first written constitution" pretty high on the list. I mean we invented the form of government of most of the world.

The Archbishop of Canterbury circa 1215 would disagree.

[Djgb13 2,339]

Chuck Norris

[wiffleball 4,793]

Chuck Norris

 

He invented Amurica.

[Mike Honcho 5,339]

<bawstin>Tom Brady</bawstin >

[shotsup 833]

No one mentioned pron circa forever ? :headslap:

[mighty_thor 115]

Rock and Roll

[shotsup 833]

Rock and Roll

Good one

[Bert 1,128]

Creation and perfection of the corporation.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

Rock and Roll

We still get to claim that? I remember a certain ethnicity claiming they started it by themselves. Good one nonetheless.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

Creation and perfection of the corporation.

Enron says not perfect. And the Dutch east India corporation says not first.

[mighty_thor 115]

We still get to claim that? I remember a certain ethnicity claiming they started it by themselves. Good one nonetheless.

Doesn't matter what ethnicity created it. There is no dispute that it was created in America.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

Doesn't matter what ethnicity created it. There is no dispute that it was created in America.

Gotcha

[rholio 339]

Creation and perfection of the corporation.

The downfall of the American economy.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Doesn't matter what ethnicity created it. There is no dispute that it was created in America.

Really? I'd say the Brits have a fairly good claim on it too...

[Bert 1,128]

The downfall of the American economy.

What created the American economy. Read your history and get off the political talking points

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

What created the American economy. Read your history and get off the political talking points

Labor creates all wealth. Except inheritance and theft.

[Bert 1,128]

Labor creates all wealth. Except inheritance and theft.

And without Ford, Carnegie and Rockefeller and the corporations and technologies they developed labor would have nothing to do.

[wiffleball 4,793]

Creation and perfection of the corporation.

Really?

 

Even with the guys you mentioned quite a bit of imperfect/ corrupt practices to get there.

[Bert 1,128]

Really?

 

Even with the guys you mentioned quite a bit of imperfect/ corrupt practices to get there.

I completely agree. I didn't say they were perfect I meant they perfected the model.

 

But are they any worse than any one or anything else?

 

They have done a lot of evil things but you can not deny what they contributed.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,672]

And without Ford, Carnegie and Rockefeller and the corporations and technologies they developed labor would have nothing to do.

Did they invent the car, railroads ect? Rockefeller invented oil? All replaceable. Let's not make them out to be Jonas Salk. They were businessmen, nothing more, and the way they operated is illegal now. Rockefeller got rich once because of a monopoly, then got richer when they made him break it up. And I won't get into the cruel labor practices all of them used.

[Big Guy 1,416]

looks good

 

#1 still in progress