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San Francisco, 5:12 AM
Wed Nov 11
27 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of AmishJohn AmishJohn
    10/31/09

    In reply to 20 Best (And 20 Worst) Pets In Science Fiction
    The only problem with Bouncers is that they eventually grow up. #robertaheinlein
     Reply
    AmishJohn was starred AmishJohn was unstarred
    Image of radiochief radiochief
    10/25/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    Lincoln by far, he presided over the most bloody war in our history (US) and put the union back together. You can't beat Lincoln, as long as he has the Amazing Screw-On Head on our side!

    With him in charge, it would not be all, "Bully" for all you TR fans. But he would win. I like Nixon as a choice, but my only fear is since he was so paranoid- he'd cause the invasion and THEN repulse it.

    Also for those of you enamored with Clinton, I'd suggest the 19th century version of him-- Thomas Jefferson. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Mathmos promoted this comment radiochief was starred radiochief was unstarred
    Image of Mathmos Mathmos
    10/25/09

    @radiochief: I was surprised Lincoln wasn't on the list. To paraphrase Janwillem van de Wetering in one of his mystery novels: "When one thinks of the superior man, does not Abraham Lincoln come to mind?" #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Mathmos was starred Mathmos was unstarred
    Image of Daveinva Daveinva
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    I'm ashamed of all you for allowing the above statement to pass without comment:

    "I'm not making it a story point or anything, but [Clinton] puts his pants on one leg at a time, y'know?"

    Yes, but it's when he takes his pants off that he's REALLY dangerous.

    (Seriously, commenters. . . ashamed) #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Daveinva was starred Daveinva was unstarred
    Image of Hlaode Hlaode
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    I for one am glad that Nixon made the list. He may be a douche and a horrible president, but he would be exactly what is needed in the event of alien contact. Very careful diplomatic relations trying avoid actual conflict at all cost, since their technology would devastate us in practically any battle. At the same time nuclear weapons would be the only thing with the slightest hope of combating an invasion, and not only would he discretely put plans into place for their use but he would subtly let it be known that he would use them regardless of the cost were we facing invasion. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar promoted this comment Hlaode was starred Hlaode was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/24/09

    @Hlaode: What if they landed when he was drunk or crazy? I'd rather have Truman or FDR or Eisenhower. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of creamed_corn creamed_corn
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    Obama. And it really has nothing to do with him as a president. The generals are going to be the ones laying out the strategy and tactics, and it just so happens our current generals are battle-hardened, have the most advanced weapons humanity has ever seen at their disposal (which you better believe you're going to need in order to fight an advanced intelligence), the largest population of draftable servicemen, and 4000 years of armed conflict to reference for ideas (history is our best teacher). #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment creamed_corn was starred creamed_corn was unstarred
    Image of Makidian Makidian
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    Even though I put this below, I want to officiate it again by saying Teddy Roosevelt. He is the majority on the thread because he is the only president who could take them on properly. They would come in guns blazing at dawn and they'd be shining his shoes at dusk. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Makidian was starred Makidian was unstarred
    Image of Chip Overclock Chip Overclock
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    Harry Truman. He was president when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed. He'd support the Near Earth Aerospace Treaty Organization (NEATO). #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Chip Overclock was starred Chip Overclock was unstarred
    Image of se7a7n7 se7a7n7
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    Ronald Reagan was really into this stuff... #usavsaliens
     Reply
    se7a7n7 was starred se7a7n7 was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/24/09

    @se7a7n7: Franklin Roosevelt would be better than Reagan. FDR actually won a global shooting war for Earth dominance. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of wingdynasty001 wingdynasty001
    10/24/09

    @cletar: Reagan led the free world to victory in a NON-shooting war for Earth dominance. I'd prefer to go that route.
     Reply
    cletar promoted this comment wingdynasty001 was starred wingdynasty001 was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/24/09

    @wingdynasty001: No he didn't. You're confusing him with Gorbachev, the guy who ended the Cold War. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of antimatty antimatty
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    TEDDY ROOSEVELT . the most badass president of all time , and one of the most badass americans of all time. there doesn't need to be a list of five people . we only need the one. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Atomictao promoted this comment antimatty was starred antimatty was unstarred
    Image of Atomictao Atomictao
    10/24/09

    @antimatty: Tales From the Bully Pulpit was a one-off comic that featured Teddy Roosevelt and the ghost of Thomas Edison fighting, among other things, martians.

    Teddy knew his stuff. Bully! #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Atomictao was starred Atomictao was unstarred
    Image of Makidian Makidian
    10/24/09

    @antimatty: That's exactly what I was going to say! Teddy would eliminate the need for a list because he would take out the people on the list and take out the aliens. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Makidian was starred Makidian was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    You know Eisenhower basically conquered Europe, right? With modern weapons and airpower and whatnot? He might be a little better equipped than 18th or 19th century guys to fight a space-age enemy. If you are going for a president who was also a general, the guy who beat Hitler might be a better choice than one of the pre-industrial dudes. FDR also has a pretty good track record as a war-fighter.

    But Nixon? Are you frakkin' serious? In addition to being batshit insane, he also has a crappy record, military victory-wise. Vietnam was not, you know, a victory.
    Loser + crazy = not a good choice #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of Star Kid: Romulus Rex Star Kid: Romulus Rex
    10/24/09


    @cletar: I 'll just leave this here... #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar promoted this comment Star Kid: Romulus Rex was starred Star Kid: Romulus Rex was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/24/09

    @Star Kid: Romulus Rex: Oohh. I didn't realize you meant Robot Nixon. I thought you meant tragically flawed crazy-ass Meat Nixon.

    My apologies. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of caritas caritas
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    Eisenhower, anyone? He was a five star general during WWII, where he also held the title of Supreme Commander of the Allied forces. #usavsaliens
     Reply
    cletar promoted this comment caritas was starred caritas was unstarred
    Image of txtphile txtphile
    10/24/09

    In reply to #5: Richard Nixon
    Only Nixon could go to Ceti Alpha V. #politicalsciencefiction
     Reply
    txtphile was starred txtphile was unstarred
    Image of txtphile txtphile
    10/24/09

    In reply to #2: Teddy Roosevelt
    Everyone knows lasers auto-cauterize. Lightsabers, too. #politicalsciencefiction
     Reply
    txtphile was starred txtphile was unstarred
    Image of gutlesswonder gutlesswonder
    10/24/09

    In reply to 5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion
    It's a tie between Teddy Roosevelt and Andrew Jackson.

    There are no other correct answers #usavsaliens
     Reply
    Makidian promoted this comment gutlesswonder was starred gutlesswonder was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/24/09

    In reply to #5: Richard Nixon
    I would like to point out that Nixon was unable to actually win the one war he actually prosecuted. I'm not sure I would want America's second-worst president at the helm when the aliens land. #politicalsciencefiction
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of LegalizeRoofies LegalizeRoofies
    10/25/09

    @cletar: You can't blame Nixon for the catastrophe of Vietnam, the four presidents that were involved before him didn't do any better. He actually managed to get the troops out. And before you go off saying that I'm just a blind republican, I'm Canadian, and I just studied Korea and Vietnam in political science, so not biased. #politicalsciencefiction
     Reply
    cletar promoted this comment LegalizeRoofies was starred LegalizeRoofies was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/25/09

    @LegalizeRoofies: Nixon didn't start Vietnam, but he ran the war longer than anyone else, and he was the author of it's conclusion. He owned plenty of the catastrophe. He would have been president when South Vietnam was finally over-run, too, if he hadn't already been forced out of office for being one of the worst, most corrupt presidents ever. I wouldn't put Johnson or Kennedy on the list, either. All I'm saying is, if the question is "which president is the best war-fighter," no way is the answer Nixon. No way is Nixon better than FDR, Eisenhower, or even Lincoln. To any question "what president would be best at X," the answer is pretty much NRVER Nixon, unless x= "screwing things up." #politicalsciencefiction
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
    Image of richardmkeane richardmkeane
    10/25/09

    Nixon was no saint, but the man was the first President who stopped writing off China as an evil power tied to Russia and re opened diplomatic relations. This redefined the diplomacy of the Cold War, turning China into a possible ally against a hostile Russia. Despite Nixon's corruption, he was able to change 20th century politics, and stopped the United States from their backward US vs any communist thinking. With an alien invasion looming Nixon's diplomatic prowess would be a great asset. I'd mark him up a few points.
     Reply
    cletar promoted this comment richardmkeane was starred richardmkeane was unstarred
    Image of cletar cletar
    10/25/09

    @richardmkeane: Nixon's diplomatic prowess is over-rated. It was more a matter of China opening up to the US than the US opening China. Nixon happened to be president when China opened the door. The China-USSR split was not Nixon's doing. #politicalsciencefiction
     Reply
    cletar was starred cletar was unstarred
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