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Author Topic: The most influential European of the 20th Century  (Read 1685 times)

Offline Tank-Ace

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #60 on: April 12, 2012, 11:41:00 PM »
Still, I've gotta agree with Kilo. He did the work in the late 19th century...... really a bit sketchy to say hes one of the most influential people of the 20th century.
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Offline wil3ur

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #61 on: April 13, 2012, 12:47:08 AM »
Quote from: Tank-Ace on April 12, 2012, 11:41:00 PM
Still, I've gotta agree with Kilo. He did the work in the late 19th century...... really a bit sketchy to say hes one of the most influential people of the 20th century.

Maybe he meant the band....    :x
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Offline nrshida

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #62 on: April 13, 2012, 01:25:16 AM »
I'm just sketching here so don't take this too seriously but I don't think Hitler will leave much of a legacy when all said and done. Like Ardy said he was just another common or garden megalomaniac, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time: a socially and politically unstable Europe and in a tragically malleable and obedient Germany. A particularly destructive post Industrial Revolution bullyboy in a human history replete with bullyboys. It's important to separate circumstance from individual contributions. If it hadn't been Hitler it would have been someone else in that environment. Similarly with Gavrilo Princip. One man's actions could not have lead to a World War, in my opinion you are focussing on the wrong component regarding those world events.

If we are discussing 'influential', then I think of far more importance are those contributors in the chain of human development & progression. I suppose if pressed to name one I'd have to agree with Ardy that Turing is responsible for setting off a Computing Revolution which is comparable in magnitude to the Industrial Revolution.
 
But I would say something like that, I'm technologically biased. Perhaps Yarbles or Zack will show up shortly and make a convincing case for Nelson Mandella or Mr Kipling.  :banana:

« Last Edit: April 13, 2012, 01:57:39 AM by nrshida »
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Offline Rob52240

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #63 on: April 13, 2012, 05:07:58 AM »
Did you pick a person yet?
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Offline Ruah

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #64 on: April 13, 2012, 05:27:42 AM »
Martin Heidegger or Ludwig Wittgenstein

i tend to say Heidegger, but my colleagues here continue to argue for Wittgenstein - but both of them are indispensable for many ideas circulated today.

'influential' is a tough category, far too broad to be meaningful tbh.  The usual politician answers all focus around the geopolitics of the 30s (Hitler, Stalin) and the rise of nationalism (Mao, Ho Chi Min) or even the radical changes that came about during and around the fall of communism (Regan, Gorbachev) - but these are all historical actors in my opinion - an intimate part of the tapestry and hard to isolate - so I settle on intellectual history since their influence far exceeds someone who is blind to the spirit of history.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2012, 05:36:10 AM by Ruah »
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Offline nrshida

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #65 on: April 13, 2012, 06:07:12 AM »
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Offline -tronski-

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #66 on: April 13, 2012, 06:33:45 AM »
Einstein or Alexander Fleming

 Tronsky
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Offline Rob52240

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #67 on: April 13, 2012, 07:10:45 AM »
Quote from: nrshida on April 13, 2012, 06:07:12 AM
Who?

the guy who started this thread
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Offline nrshida

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #68 on: April 13, 2012, 08:51:14 AM »
Quote from: Rob52240 on April 13, 2012, 07:10:45 AM
the guy who started this thread

Well I don't think he was very influential in the last century, but there's plenty of time for the new one  :banana:
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Offline Slate

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #69 on: April 13, 2012, 09:25:45 AM »
   George Washington

  He has influenced every century since born and I have his picture in my wallet.  :D


  But if you want someone who lived in the 20th century it would be........................... ..............

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Offline Shuffler

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #70 on: April 13, 2012, 09:31:52 AM »
Einstein...... I find anyone thinking Tesla to be shocking. :D
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Offline Rob52240

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #71 on: April 13, 2012, 09:44:59 AM »
Better go find a Faraday cage to hide in Shuffler.

As far as Einstein goes.  He invented nuclear power and nuclear weapons and came up with the theory of relativity.

Tesla came up with the first practical way to generate electricity and send it considerable distances.  With or WITHOUT wires.  He is responsible for the electrification of the industrialized world.
He is also the inventor of Radio, Radar, the concept of an internet, a death ray, weather control and a whole lot more than I can list on a thread.

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Offline Banshee7

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #72 on: April 13, 2012, 09:51:19 AM »
Quote from: Rob52240 on April 13, 2012, 05:07:58 AM
Did you pick a person yet?

No, not yet.  Although Hitler was my first choice, I'm starting to turn away from him after speaking with several of my classmates....who all picked Hitler  :bhead
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Offline Rob52240

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #73 on: April 13, 2012, 09:52:33 AM »
Pick someone that will impress the teacher.  Like Tesla, the most under-appreciated scientist of all time.
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If I had a gun with 3 bullets and I was locked in a room with Bin Laden, Hitler, Saddam and Zipp...  I would shoot Zipp 3 times.

Offline Banshee7

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Re: The most influential European of the 20th Century
« Reply #74 on: April 13, 2012, 09:55:17 AM »
I was going to try impressing him by picking someone that was French (his wiffe is French and he's spent many years there), but....well....it's the French  :bolt:
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