Originally Posted by ijusluvit

I think your original post fails to take into account all of the necessary aspects of what constitutes courage.

First, I do not agree with the "Greatest Generation" theory. And the real problem with it is how it is used to denigrate other generations, especially those now occupying and responsible for the planet. Comparing the present US with the country in the 1940's is truly comparing apples to oranges. What we often forget is that the decision makers of the time, including Eisenhower and Roosevelt were, at the most critical times, doing what they had no alternative but to do. Not only were we directly attacked on land and sea, but it was clear to everyone that the Axis forces had a single goal, to dominate and subjugate the Allies. There was no choice in June of 1944. Only one year later, with the invention of the atomic bomb, Harry Truman seemingly had a choice, to invade Japan or use the bomb. But today we Americans all agree he really had no choice. And, of course, since we all agree that these important decisions were also the RIGHT decisions, the idea that they are monumentally courageous seems grow larger with each passing year.

I think an even higher level of courage comes from making the right decision when there are real choices. Like Sgt. Dakota Meyer, the Marine who chose to drive repeatedly into enemy fire in Afghanistan, saving more than 20 Afghans and a dozen US comrades from almost certain death. He did this in defiance of orders from superiors. His choices were so obviously courageous that he has been awarded the Medal of Honor.

So what politician could be considered courageous? I think the best current example is President Obama. (sorry if this gives you a stomach ache, but) Obama campaigned on an platform which many saw as liberal enough to really be a CHANGE from prior ineffective leadership. He claimed he was a centrist, but made it clear that he had an ambitious agenda which he called critically necessary for America. He did not have to pursue this agenda tirelessly, but he believed each of the elements of it was the right thing to do. Every single element: health care, economic stimulus, financial regulation, consumer protection, ending war, fighting terror effectively, the entire national tax structure, equal rights within the military, equal marriage rights, jobs programs, the rebuilding of the country's infrastructure, and the balance of energy development with environmental protection, is intensely controversial. Each element has been an enormous struggle. For the mere mention of each element Obama has been vilified high and low. Much attention has been paid to the risks Obama took in his "all in" effort to get a health care package, and ordering the assault on bin Laden's compound, but continuing to pursue each one of the above has come with the real prospect of destroying his political future.

I also think the elements of the Obama platform were and still are the right things to do. They are not all done, and they are far from perfect, but what has been done is more than many Presidents have even attempted. Therefore, I applaud Obama's courage.

That's quite a post. Cannot really say that I know that much about Obama to comment. I have not read any of his books and cannot really say I follow his politics very closely. ObamaCare did take guts but it sounds more like something he planned on doing for a very long time???? Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Obamacare or the idea of it was part of his 2008 election??

Obama calls for universal health care - USATODAY.com This is from January 2007.

It sounds like the universal health care in the US was part of the job description Obama wrote for himself while campaigning. Not sure how he could give such a big commitment up and still run for President in 2012.

Richie: If it made you feel bad when Obama did something that resembled a bow to the Japanese Prime Minister (if I'm remembering my events correctly), I probably felt worse when Bush was fawning all over the Saudi dictator during a state visit (to say nothing of his impromptu back-rub he foisted on German Chancellor Angela Merkel)

Originally Posted by djplong

Richie: If it made you feel bad when Obama did something that resembled a bow to the Japanese Prime Minister (if I'm remembering my events correctly), I probably felt worse when Bush was fawning all over the Saudi dictator during a state visit (to say nothing of his impromptu back-rub he foisted on German Chancellor Angela Merkel)

Not quite the same thing, but you're entitled to your opinion. We've all got one.

He bowed to the Saudi King, the Japanese Emporer, and worst of all, he bowed to the Chinese President on American soil. Your memory is seriously flawed here.

If you want to compare bowing to foreign potentates, and groveling and apologizing to the world for the past actions of our country, to President Bush treating foreign leaders with respect they may not deserve, go ahead.

Okey-dokey.

To those who subscribe to the theory that the Greatest Generation is a myth fail to recognize that this generation faced the GreatDepression and judging by their generous behavior as exhibited in movie, song and commentary did so with surprisingly more courage and class than do the present whinning generations of today. To those who subscribe to the theory that the Greatest Generation had no choice but to........negates the true greatest of these people who were facing " a world at war" and either is not aware or ignores the fact that America was not prepared for a world war and but for many leaders in the business community who had the insight and courage to turn from making butter to making guns( because we were not prepared and lacking greatly in ships airplanes tanks ammunitions, etc)had they not we all would be speaking Nazi-isms today. And Truman's decision to use the A-bomb had to be one of the most difficult in the history of this country. Apparently the true greatness of this generation is fading with the passage of time....but then we have as some believe the courage of Obama that is showing us how to lead from behind and if things go wrong blame others. To compare the greatness of Obama to leaders such as Truman, Eisenhower, etc is to compare pure poetry to bupkus.

Yes there are some extrordinry examples of courage and class by members of our military but make no mistake it doesn't not translated to the President & Chief, Congress,many in the business community and forgetself absorbed Hollywood . Iopine other decide

Originally Posted by rubicon

To those who subscribe to the theory that the Greatest Generation is a myth fail to recognize that this generation faced the GreatDepression and judging by their generous behavior as exhibited in movie, song and commentary did so with surprisingly more courage and class than do the present whinning generations of today. To those who subscribe to the theory that the Greatest Generation had no choice but to........negates the true greatest of these people who were facing " a world at war" and either is not aware or ignores the fact that America was not prepared for a world war and but for many leaders in the business community who had the insight and courage to turn from making butter to making guns( because we were not prepared and lacking greatly in ships airplanes tanks ammunitions, etc)had they not we all would be speaking Nazi-isms today. And Truman's decision to use the A-bomb had to be one of the most difficult in the history of this country. Apparently the true greatness of this generation is fading with the passage of time....but then we have as some believe the courage of Obama that is showing us how to lead from behind and if things go wrong blame others. To compare the greatness of Obama to leaders such as Truman, Eisenhower, etc is to compare pure poetry to bupkus.

Yes there are some extrordinry examples of courage and class by members of our military but make no mistake it doesn't not translated to the President & Chief, Congress,many in the business community and forgetself absorbed Hollywood . Iopine other decide

Nothing you have presented suggests exceptional courage. The will to survive perhaps, but that is instinctual. If you say the "greatest generation" was more courageous because they suffered more from depression and the hardships of a war (fought thousands of miles away), then that pales bycomparison to the 'courage' of the Somalians, Bosnians, Nigerians, Syrians and Libyans whose lives have been torn apart recently. Or the Poles, Jews, Russians and other Europeans of the 40's. I could go on and on, but the common denominator is that these unfortunates had NO CHOICE in what occurred and how they dealt with it. Survival or death. Only a choice for the hopeless or already defeated.

The resolve to chose the difficult, right course when it is just as easy to do otherwise. THAT is courage. A President, like Obama, who sticks to what a current majority of Americans believe is the hard but correct road, despite the withering attacks, for myriad reasons, from the political and economic self interests... THAT is courage. And despite how much you and a few other posters here are in total disagreement, I think Obama is the best current example of a courageous politician, the original question of this thread.