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Greatest politicians

posted 3 months ago by KiwiJim (1762)
4 replies | jump to latest

Who is your pick for the greatest politician of your lifetime, or before? Please try to keep it civil and not lose your marbles if someone chooses Trump, Obama or even Adolf Hitler. I just think it would be interesting to see who each of you admire and believe did the most good in your country or the world.

For me it’s the 23rd prime minister of Australia, Bob Hawke. A cricket loving, beer swigging, ex-trade union man, he served as prime minister from 1983 to 1991. Some of his achievements while in office included:

- overseeing the creation of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
- offering asylum to over 42,000 Chinese students following the Tiananmen Square massacre
- enacting the Sex Discrimination Act for the prevention of discrimination in the workplace
- negotiating a ban on mining in Antarctica
- creating the Australia Act which removed the remaining jurisdiction of the UK in Australia
- initiating an international boycott of foreign investment to South Africa which is regarded as a key point in the collapse of apartheid
- floating the Australian dollar, making the country a global economic force for the first time

For me his greatest achievement was introducing Medicare, a universal free health care scheme which made Australia the leading country in terms of healthcare outcomes at the time. It’s still in place to this day, although it has been diluted by subsequent governments.

He was a fine man, a national hero and loved by a great majority of Australians. It was a national day of mourning when he passed away in 2019 at the age of 89.

[–] robocat893 (16248) 3 months ago

I didn't care for Carter as president but after losing the 1980 election he became an outstanding humanitarian by building houses for the homeless with his bare hands and he didn't quit until just recently. That's a fantastic legacy to leave behind.

[–] KiwiJim (1762) 3 months ago

Indeed it is, and it’s not often that a politician builds that sort of legacy after their political career ends. Thanks for contributing!

[–] TrentnQuarantino (9443) 2 months ago

Carter was a scum, as have been all of our Presidents since FDR. They have all lined up to be actors in a facade that has been working to enslave people and take over the world militarily. Kennedy and Johnson and surprisingly to some extent Nixon were responsible Presidents who walked the line fairly competently, but since Reagan it has been downhill, poverty and powerlessness to Americans by both parties.

[–] Keelai (36123) 2 months ago

The closest American I can think of is FDR, but he forfeits the title for placing Americans of Japanese descent into concentration camps during WW2.

I never previously heard of Bob Hawke. After reading about him and not finding anything negative, I'll choose Bob Hawke as greatest politician, also. Too bad he can't be cloned and become leader of many countries.