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(2) William Shakespeare
You may remember Shakespeare as arguably the greatest and most influential author. That should about do it. What, you want more? Okay, try this one on: the guy had the confidence to name his son Hamnet.
(7) General Douglas MacArthur
MacArthur had the sort of brilliant military career new recruits can only dream of. He became a general in 1918 following World War I, and later became Field Marshal of the Filipino army. It’s his service in World War II that makes him a legend, though. Despite inadequate resources and support, MacArthur gradually forced the Japanese out of the Southwest Pacific Theater, and once the war was over, he served as the Allied Commander of the Japanese occupation for six years. When the Korean War broke out, MacArthur became the commander of the United Nations’ forces in the conflict.
The Breakdown
“I shall return” or “To be or not to be”? That is the question. Both the Bard and the General were tough to beat when they were at the top of their games, but both have a few question marks on their resumes. Whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote all of the works attributed to him has been a raging debate for centuries now, and President Truman had to can MacArthur from his command post in Korea for insubordination. Even with these blotches, though, both were obviously superior minds. Who do you like: the man behind King Lear or the most famous corncob pipe this side of Frosty?
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Comments (6)
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Since there is so much hoopla about who Shakespeare was, was he more than one person, etc… I had to vote for the person we are sure did what we know he did, hah.
posted by Sarah in CA on 3-26-2009 at 12:10 am
I STILL CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU, A BLOG DEDICATED TO THE INTELLIGENT PEOPLE, PERSIST IN SPREADING LIES AND MAKING PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT MACARTHUR IS A HERO AND NOT A MURDERER.
Reposted from the last vote:
You left out that MacArthur is totally to blame for the destruction of most of the Pacific Airfleet.
Earlier in his life, he turned on the Bonus Army violently, killing some, when they were peaceful protesters.
He worked to exonerate Emperor Hirohito, who should have abdicated.
Finally, he mismanaged the Korean War, leading to more deaths of American Personel from disease and the elements, that could have easily been prevented by equipping them with proper gear and medicine. He also undermined the ceasefire efforts of Truman by sending a rude letter to China, which prolonged the war.
Please include the real facts in the write up, because MacArthur would not be considered a Genius if people knew the truth!
I cannot believe that a blog that is supposedly for the educated would persist in the fallacy that this deplorable man is a hero.
posted by K. on 3-26-2009 at 12:28 am
First K., what’s your personal vendetta against General MacArthur?
Second, his putting down of the bonus army was not his choice, but that of President Hoover, MacArthur was just doing his job. And by killing some, do you mean two? The two killed were some of the people that after being asked to leave peacefully, refused. MacArthur then had to remove them by force, his job as directed by the President of the United States.
posted by D. on 3-26-2009 at 7:52 am
To follow up D’s point, MacArthur supported Emperor Hirohito because he knew that it was the quickest way to restore order within Japanese society. The new constitution made his position mainly ceremonial, and as he had very little to do with the war itself, it made the most sense to allow him to remain the Emperor.
The discontent that would have been caused by hauling what the Japanese considered to be a living deity to prison would have made the transition much more difficult and most likely more violent.
K, it’s not that we don’t know the facts of what happened, it’s that we understand why those actions took place and mainly accept them as the better of the many choices available.
posted by B. on 3-26-2009 at 10:58 am
My personal vendetta? Not so much a vendetta as wanting the truth to be said. Most history books published lately include his failure that led to the destruction of the Pacific Airfleet in WWII and the mismanagement in the Korean War that led to more deaths.
posted by K. on 3-26-2009 at 4:52 pm
General MacArthur has not as yet been suggested as the real author of the Shakespearian plays, but I’m expecting it any day. Almost everyone of any note in Elizabethan times has been so honoured, so maybe we can move on. The authorship question is considered in depth in my book, The Ignorance Of Shakespeare. Like MacArthur, I believe I have achieved victory in the Pacific. Europe is next.
posted by John Doherty on 3-27-2009 at 12:46 am