SacredDigits, do you know?

his name is my name too!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Raskob

very annoying dude is all I know... businessman heavily involved in politics... money + power... not a good combo... even in America...

agreed, BenGuin

Woody Guthrie far more important

I presume that none of you actually know anything about him.

Catholic who spearheaded the repeal of Prohibition, saved GM, created the Modern Democratic Party, struck a blow for pluralism that was so strong that no one even remembers the "normalization" of Catholics during the 1950s (which is by far the most important social even of the American Century), popularized the word "Hooverville", got FDR elected, created the anti-New Deal "Conservative Coalition" within the Democratic Party that saved constitutional governance from FDR's dictatorial impulses, built the Empire State Building and then sold the Empire State Building 20 years later in an innovative way that revolutionized the real estate industry. He also advocated for what we would call mutual funds today and for the dispersed mass ownership of Corporate America. Boogle generally has kind words to say for him.

The Democratic Party as the political home for Blacks and urbanized city dwellers happened because of Raskob.

And Raro, you can keep Woody Guthrie. The ability of normal people to get credit and therefore buy cars and homes on credit had more positive impact on people's lives. If you've ever bought a car without having to pay cash, thank John Raskob.

the top 5-10 important person in the 1900-1950's? In my opinion, because of the two world wars, there are other Americans who made FAR more of an impact

on top of that, there's also Teddy who revolutionized America

Admittedly, leaded gasoline probably had more to do with GM going from the company Raskob saved from bankruptcy into the company that dethroned Ford than did anything he did.

Name 10, BenGuin. And every single one must be more important that the factories in Detroit that kept the Soviets well supplied.

Teddy Roosevelt did surprisingly little beyond stealing Panama. Taft did more of almost all of the things that people think Teddy did.

Everyone buying things on credit is why the economy sucks. I don't think a false sense of entitlement is a good thing. Woody Guthrie was the primary source of his worth, and didn't have more than he himself was able to produce.

My list would have to include Walter Sharp, Warren Burton and perhaps Hugh Roy Cullen. Without the first two. Henry Ford would have gone broke in 1908 like he did the first two times. John Raskob belongs in that company. Robert McCormick should probably be up there or perhaps his cousin Joe Patterson.

Were that logic even remotely followed, he would have starved to death.

nice dodging

Oh and Raro, that is the villain's from It's a Wonderful Life......every worker a renter in Potterville for life.....there is a vision for the proletariat.

Restricting access to consumer credit is how "oppressive" states funnel money to crony capitalism. And I mean countries like Japan or Canada up until recently, not real oppression, but restricting consumer credit is how you build a corrupt banking system.

Generally, it is accompanied by a very small number of massive banks rather than the great number of small banks that characterize the US, even now.

Anyone argue with Fleming for most significant human being of the 20th Century?

I can argue against it. Who's Fleming?

Well, his invention accounts for more than all extension of life expectancy in the West which occurred during the 20th Century. That's right it extended life by more than life actually extended, by compensating for some of our increased bad habits.

Borlaug for most significant American. Any arguments there?

Assuming a Sharp/Burton joint distinction would be out of bounds.

What was his invention?

antibiotics

farming wheat accounts for degeneration and loss of fertile topsoil. I'm a prehistoric diet kinda guy

but Borlaug wouldn't have know that. Still a pretty impressive guy. antibiotics good

India and Mexico are still feeding themselves with far more people than were starving in the '50s. We can't live on a prehistoric diet. That is why people shrank 10,000 years ago.

Correction: Dr. Burton's first name was William, not Warren.

I'd heard of him, but was unaware of his scope. Sorry, was just briefly surfing through while mostly watching the Lions tonight. Which, at this point, I'm still just happy to have seen them in the postseason and think there's a bright future.

Recognize that Raskob built the Empire State Building precisely because Walter Chrysler was building the Chrysler Building.

I have to say that I now expect Frisco to beat Nah'leans. I don't think that the 49ers can come back on anybody. But now I don't think that the Saints can stop anybody. ESPN keeps talking about what a great game the Packer-Saints was at the beginning of the season. I watched all of it and it was horrible. Colston fumbled and Capers got his one stop to go up 21-10 and it was over in the first quarter. The Packers took the rest of the game off and coasted to the win. There was a very little bit of urgency after the kick return TD, but that was pretty brief.

So I guess my prediction is a game that is over by the end of the first quarter. Either the 49ers mediocre offense will get buried early or their defense will get a stop or two and turn them into points knowing that the Saints can only trade scores and an efficient offense can hold any lead.

The Lions need something that might reasonably be mistaken for a running game and apparently to stop punting the ball on fourth down.

Running game and defensive backs without stone hands. Brees threw two passes that really should have been intercepted.

Take a look at the Texans draft in 2011 and the transformation of that entire team. There is hope. Now, repeat after me, "No wide receivers in the first round. No wide receivers in the first round." Keep repeating until you are sure that you will remember.

Hey, that's a Millen tactic, he's been gone for years.

Would you prefer I use Layne to mock you?

The Lions mock themselves, man. They don't need props.

Take heart, Bobby Layne's 50 years are up.