The worst general in American history?

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The worst general in American history?

Postby Mikethehack » Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:35 pm

The worst general in American history?
Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Wednesday, June 2, 2010

That was the discussion I was having yesterday with several friends. Here is my ranking of their nominees:

1. Douglas MacArthur
2. Benedict Arnold
3. Ned Almond
4. Tommy R. Franks
5. William Westmoreland
6. George McClellan
7. Ambrose Burnside
8. Horatio Gates

It was my contest, so I declared MacArthur the No. 1 loser, because of his unique record of being insubordinate to three presidents (Hoover, Roosevelt and Truman) as well as screwing up the Korean War. Plus additional negative points for his role in the gassing and suppression of the Bonus Marchers in 1932. You can't defend a country by undermining it.

It really is extraordinary how the Army has extirpated his memory. The influence of Marshall, Eisenhower and Bradley lives on, while MacArthur has been treated as a historical dead end. Kind of amazing, considering he was a general for 26 years, was the Army chief of staff, received the Medal of Honor, fought in three wars and was a senior commander in two.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=51835&start=60
I'm not really a proper reporter, due to the chronic lack of discipline, negligible attention span, and a certain juvenile difficulty taking serious things seriously.
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby AztecDave » Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:59 am

if you could ask my dad (he died 3 yrs ago), it would be dugout doug, hands down. he got to spend 3 1/2 yrs in jap POW camps as a result of dougie.

modern era has to be westmoreland and franks. with the edge going to westmoreland only because his befuddled incompetance resulted in more US casualties than franks'. but both were conventionally minded to a fault who didn't know that they didn't know that they were outta their element, fighting the types of war beyond their ken (defined as "knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception.").

benedict arnold was actually a very good general. he just also happened to be a traitor.
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby nowonmai » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:58 pm

Wot no Sanchez?
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby gnaruki » Fri Mar 23, 2012 1:07 am

7. Ambrose Burnside

What a nutjob
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Ultra Swain » Fri Mar 23, 2012 7:59 am

Why is General Malaise not on this list. Fail.
Geez,am I NOT ALLOWED TO BE INTENSE FOR JUST 10 FUCKING SECONDS??!!!!!!!
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Mikethehack » Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:55 am

Ultra Swain wrote:Why is General Malaise not on this list. Fail.


Because his team members failed him, including Major Woody and Private Parts.
I'm not really a proper reporter, due to the chronic lack of discipline, negligible attention span, and a certain juvenile difficulty taking serious things seriously.
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Ultra Swain » Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:05 am

Mikethehack wrote:
Ultra Swain wrote:Why is General Malaise not on this list. Fail.


Because his team members failed him, including Major Woody and Private Parts.


And corporal punishment.
Geez,am I NOT ALLOWED TO BE INTENSE FOR JUST 10 FUCKING SECONDS??!!!!!!!
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Royal » Fri Mar 23, 2012 3:43 pm

If MacArthur hadn't secured Hokkaido for Japan I would have been taking a Russian spunk bag to Habana? (No bad thing)
She's now back home in Sapporo.

NO. I'm glad you asked.
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby gnaruki » Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:08 am

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6UlXZxch-A[/youtube]
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Royal » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:26 am

My old aunt ethal loves the Ramones.
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby gnaruki » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:08 am

No idea. Sapporo has a nice brewery and that song is a great theme song when heading South.
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Spartan Actual » Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:26 am

No serious list can be without Stormin Norman Schwartzkoph
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Ultra Swain » Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:44 am

Spartan Actual wrote:No serious list can be without Stormin Norman Schwartzkoph


Why? for not starting the Iraq clusterfuck 12 years early?
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Detroit_Pierogi » Tue Jun 26, 2012 4:45 am

Westmoreland goes to the top.

And McClellan was almost without peer as an incompetent dumbass.

Benedict Arnold doesn't belong within a mile of this list. He was a very, very good general.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
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Re: The worst general in American history?

Postby Spartan Actual » Mon Aug 06, 2012 10:14 pm

Why? for not starting the Iraq clusterfuck 12 years early?[/quote]

No, while his Hail Mary pass worked out as a tactical operation, his battlefield was relatively unprepared. He had an lingering and unsubstantiated fear of JSOC, their motivations, and their abilities.

He was proven wrong. Often, fatally.
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