The Presidents: #1: George Washington

[Ardent15]

I think in order to understand where we are today as a nation, we have to understand where we went right, where we went wrong, and the general history of the nation and the Presidency.

So, I've decided to launch threads discussing each of America's 44 Presidencies.

Number 1: George Washington

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_washington

EDIT: Maybe this belongs in the Lounge.

[Jennicut]

1. Did anyone realize old George was a Freemason?

That must make the New World Order types even more crazy. And a fresco of George on the ceiling of the capital building rotunda depicts him rising to the rank of...a God.



The Apotheosis of Washington

[RandomThoughts]

2. He never claimed to be more then a person.

If someone made stuff like that, it does not mean it was his views.

He also left office after two terms, and refused to take the role of King.

He was a Freemason, and I have always had some issues with the oaths of secrecy in some of those orders.

However I believe that there is a requirement to believe in God, with tolerance within the group of Masons on how God shows himself to each person. They also have ideals that are about helping people. I do have issues with pledges to help a member in the order over another person, just because they are part of the order, that creates multiple tier justice. I think it should be based on individual merit. But being part of that group by itself is not a totality of a persons character. A reason why it should not worry people that think on terms of conspiracy, nor should it give advantage to people in the group.



Keeping it simple :)

Some of these clips, played during Saturday morning cartoons, got me interested in societal thoughts, and history. George Washington is in a few of them.

A School House Rock Video
No More Kings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofYmhlclqr4

School House Rock - The Shot Heard Round The World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VQA5NDNkUM

School House Rock - The Preamble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNb9AoY5XXE

[Jennicut]

3. The Masons, I believe, just require you to believe in a higher being. Hence, they respect

all religions. That really seems to piss off some fringe conservative groups.

And the fresco depicted George Washington undergoing apotheosis-or man becoming divine, or god-like. I think it simply meant that God was inside all men and there was a potential for men to reach that divine level. Not really menacing.

[ZombieHorde]

5. Not all religions believe in a higher being.

Especially many of the Eastern religions, such as Shinto.

[Dr Morbius]

6. I've read a couple bios of Washington.

I think he may have been the nation's greatest President, and certainly counts as one of the greatest. I'd like to address the Freemason thing, for I recall what I read about it. As a young man in Virginia, Washington became a British officer, the best career path open to a Virginian at the time. He was a talented surveyor, said to be the best in the state in fact, and rose to the level of Colonel. Meanwhile he was an intelligent man and read as much as he could. Books being rather expensive in the colonies were quite scarce, and among the few Washington ran across was a Freemason's manual, or rules for living, or whatever they called their book. It contained a short list of rules for living which to young Washington made lots of sense, like always be courteous, never ever lie, refrain from commentary until you have all the facts, and so on. Washington decided to adopt these rules asa a late teen, and to live by them. Well, one thing about George Washington was that when he resolved to do something, that something always got done. And I do mean always.

That, as far as I know, is the full extent of George Washington's involvement with the Freemasons. He lived his life according to the Freemason moral code as set down in some book in the early 18th century. Ben Franklin, now, is an entirely different story. Franklin moved around in influential circles. I think we all know what influential circles means; it means big and usually old money. But Mr. Washington of Virginia was a farmer when he wasn't a soldier or a politician, and as a politician pretty much served, as opposed to manipulated.

Washington was the tallest President, may have been the wisest, and certainly set the appropriate standard for all the Presidents to follow. He tried to turn down the salary for the Presidency. He never, as President, publicly showed favoritism, and no evidence I've seen indicates he ever did so in private. No one ever saw him angrier than when he discovered the treachery of Benedict Arnold. He had a personal quirk in that he didn't like to be touched.

A mediocre general, really, but a brilliant logician. He never forgot a detail, and his achievement - basically stalemating the finest army in the world with scant uniforms, little arms and ammunition, and a motley assortment of troops from all over - is a wonder of getting scarce materials to the right places at the right times. Also, a fine judge of talent, which is important in any leader.

HUGE Washington fan here. I'm an admirer.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

12. The Preamble rocks

[denimgirly]

4. Wow a time with no 24/7 fake MSM news...

I would imagine a Single Payer system could ahve easily passed at any point int 18th and 19th century...not so much in the 20th.

[salguine]

7. This is really all anyone needs to know about George Washington.

http://rupyb.com/at/misc/washington_rap_video

[CBR]

10. That is truly bizarre but I liked it. nt

[kestrel91316]

14. That's frickin' AWESOME, lol!!!!

[wyldwolf]

8. Washington was a proponent of a strong central government

Alexander Hamilton and John Adams argued the Constitution was a "loose" document that did not define all of the powers that the federal government should have. The government had the right to adopt additional powers to fulfill its duties under the Constitution (to promote the general welfare.) While President, George Washington wasn't a Federalist but his policies favored that position.

[Vattel]

11. True, but he was not a proponent of a federal govt

that is nearly as strong as the one we have today.

[wyldwolf]

21. the Founders never dreamed of anything as strong and big as it is today

Which is why many viewed the constitution as a loose (or living) document.

Second Amendment is another example - doubtful Jefferson and Adams imagined automatic weapons.

[tavalon]

9. This doesn't belong in the lounge at all

Very pertinent.

[grantcart]

13. You are really going to do a thread on every single President?

After this you should do one thread for each state.

[Ardent15]

15. Lol.

nt

[Renew Deal]

16. I'll start:

Paranoia

Discuss....

[Renew Deal]

17. Who unrecced George Washington?

:wtf: :rofl:

[mikekohr]

18. Washington is remembered by the Onadaga as, "The Town Destroyer," & killer of women and children

GEORGE WASHINGTON:
Known as the, "Father of our Country," he is known by a different name among the Onadaga People. Washington is remembered by the Onadaga as , "The Town Destroyer," and the killer of women and children. 12). 71).

He once described Indian people as, "Having nothing human except the shape." 1).
Washington would make a comparison between Native People and wolves in 1783, "... both being beasts of prey, tho' they differ in shape," and in his words deserved, "total ruin." http://www.eyapaha.org

Having tried twice, unsuccessfully, to enter the British Army, he formed a militia, allied with the British, during the French and Indian War. It was Washington's hope and ambition that this alliance would result in a commission to the British Army.
Washington led this militia against a peaceful village of Native people and slaughtered the inhabitants in a manner so wanton and brutal as to cause mortification, and condemnation even among his own allies in this war, the British.
This British mortification and wounded sensibility over the slaughter of the villagers, was short lived however. Washington was rewarded by the British, after the war, with title to 80,000 acres of "Indian" land. It was suggested, by his British allies, that this land should be shared with the commoners that served Washington in his militia as payment for their services to the Crown. Washington felt that dividing the land among his soldiers would be an insult to the honor of his officers and himself. Washington solved this dilemma, and spared himself insult, by keeping title of the 80,000 acres for himself.
It was on this 80,000 acres that Washington started a slave plantation. Selling at inflated prices, portions of this "Indian" land, made him a rich and influential member of the British colonies. These riches and influence, along with his prior "militia" experience against the Native People, propelled him to become the leader of Colonial military resistance against the British crown during the War for Independence. 43).

During the Revolutionary War, General Washington, sent General John Sullivan and 5000 men against the fiercely neutral Onondaga People in August of 1779. Washington instructed Sullivan that no talks of peace were to be considered until all villages, homes, fields, food-stores, cattle herds and orchards of the Onondaga were destroyed. Sullivan completed Washington's orders just as winter set in. Hundreds of Onodaga People starved to death and died of exposure in the deep winter snows. 12). 71).
During Washington's darkest hour at Valley Forge, when his troops faced starvation and death by exposure, the Onieda People carried over 600 bushels of corn and many blankets to Washington's desperate troops. After the war was over, the generosity of the Onieda was re-paid by the confiscation of their lands. The Onieda were scattered like leaves before a winter wind. Some remained on a small parcel of land in New York, others migrated to Wisconsin, and the remainder found refuge in Canada. 12).

http://www.brotherhooddays.com/HEROES.html#GEORGE WASHINGTON

[Tsiyu]

19. Like the Chikasaw to the various Squatters in Augusta and Savannah,

the Iroquois - Onondaga and Oneida are two of the Nation - kept the Caucasians alive, then were decimated for the effort. It's convenient to leave their murders out of biographies of pasty white guys. As if how a certain individual treated these mere humans has no bearing on the personality being discussed.

But think about the bloodshed accomplished by this dude, and how he had to turn off some part of himself in order to just murder babies and old people just so he could have their shit. Our heroes....now we send kids and old guys to the ME to do the same thing.


Thanks for keeping it real, mikekohr

:yourock:

[mikekohr]

20. "WE died a million deaths, in a million nameless places. Who will Remember us?"

Thank you for remembering.

In the Spirit of Brotherhood,

mike kohr
International Brotherhood Days
http://www.brotherhooddays.com

[tedk_355]

22. Great man he was

[Capt. America]

23. I recently read a book about the political mind of Washington and he had a tendency to

throw his subordinates under the bus for his mistakes. He was quite crafty. Also, when you think about it, as a general he had a losing record and the idea to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown was actually Destaing's idea.