# Did LBJ and Ted Kennedy destroy America? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 19, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230 "2013-09-19T14:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/21 "2013-09-20T16:21:39Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Well, Ted was a Democrat and sponsored more legislation that passed than any other US Senator (and probably House Rep too) in US history. Unlike right wing hero Strom Thurmond who served even longer, but never passed a single authored bill. But he had to get it passed - which means he had to get his Senator buddies, plus that rabble in the House, and the President - who was not always in the same party as Teddy. Its far easier to destroy this country through inaction rather than action. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/22 "2013-09-20T22:23:31Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > If they’re singling out LBJ and Teddy Kennedy, while it could be the Great Society and their notable liberalism, my guess is it’s the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which was signed by LBJ and of which Teddy Kennedy was a pretty big promoter. It got rid of the quota system of immigration, and allowed in a lot more non-whites and people from non-European countries. A lot of racists think that the passage of this bill is when the US really started to go to hell. This is true-the old quota system favored immigration from Europe. This meant that immigrants from places like the Third World now account for the bulk of immigration-and many have no skills or assets. Whether this is good or bad, it has imposed huge costs upon the taxpayers. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/23 "2013-09-21T07:03:11Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > This is true-the old quota system favored immigration from Europe. This meant that immigrants from places like the Third World now account for the bulk of immigration-and many have no skills or assets. Whether this is good or bad, it has imposed huge costs upon the taxpayers. This is false. Immigrants by helping replace the aging labour force and paying taxes while using fewer social services on average are net contributors to the American economy. In addition the old quota system also denied access to hundreds of thousands of skilled and educated middle class individuals from Asia and Africa and was more or less blatantly racist. For example here: [http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-usa-immigration-health-idUSBRE94S1GB20130529](http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-usa-immigration-health-idUSBRE94S1GB20130529) As for the OP’s question, neither of these men “destroyed” America. LBJ despite his strategic error in sending troops to Vietnam remains one of America’s greatest Presidents for finally achieving equal civil rights for blacks, providing access to health care for millions of Americans, and setting about regulating pollution. Ted Kenendy was a murderer and Fenian apologist but he did not “destroy” America either. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/24 "2013-09-22T17:03:39Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > This is false. Immigrants by helping replace the aging labour force and paying taxes while using fewer social services on average are net contributors to the American economy. In addition the old quota system also denied access to hundreds of thousands of skilled and educated middle class individuals from Asia and Africa and was more or less blatantly racist. > > For example here: [http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-usa-immigration-health-idUSBRE94S1GB20130529](http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-usa-immigration-health-idUSBRE94S1GB20130529) > > As for the OP’s question, neither of these men “destroyed” America. LBJ despite his strategic error in sending troops to Vietnam remains one of America’s greatest Presidents for finally achieving equal civil rights for blacks, providing access to health care for millions of Americans, and setting about regulating pollution. Ted Kenendy was a murderer and Fenian apologist but he did not “destroy” America either. This is false…something like half the recent immigrants from central America are now on some form of welfare or public assistance. this also ignores the huge cost of educating millions of children who speak no English. Take the Tsarnaev family (from Chechnia)-the ones whose sons murdered 4 people in Boston: this family received over $100,000 in taxpayer assistance. They also received free housing and healthcare…amounting to well over $400,000. In return the murdered 4 American citizens. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/25 "2013-09-22T17:23:24Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > This is false…something like half the recent immigrants from central America are now on some form of welfare or public assistance. this also ignores the huge cost of educating millions of children who speak no English. Take the Tsarnaev family (from Chechnia)-the ones whose sons murdered 4 people in Boston: this family received over $100,000 in taxpayer assistance. They also received free housing and healthcare…amounting to well over $400,000. In return the murdered 4 American citizens. Cite? I’d like to point out that Central America begins south of Mexico; but you probably don’t know that. Really, let us know where you get your data. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/26 "2013-09-25T04:02:48Z")
> [@](#): > > **ralph124c** This meant that immigrants from places like the Third World now account for the bulk of immigration-and many have no skills or assets. They seem to be doing fine in my neighborhood (Cambodians, Koreans, Mexicans, Iraqis). They are known for their hard work. When I was teaching, the students coming in from India were particularly better educated than most students their age. Usually, they graduated at about the age of 15. We are a nation of immigrants and usually we’ve taken pride in that. Excerpt from a poem on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door." – Emma Lazarus Did you think they was just pretty but meaningless words, **ralph**? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/27 "2013-09-25T04:14:04Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > This meant that immigrants from places like the Third World now account for the bulk of immigration-and many have no skills or assets. The [Pothead Indian Doctors](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_and_kumar) seem to be not only doing well enough, but improving our society by their example! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/28 "2013-09-25T04:31:34Z")
LBJ was crass, but a good arm twister to get what he wanted which was _very_ good for the country. He made some really bad choices with the war in Vietnam. But he wasn’t the first to send the military in. That was Eisenhower. Edward Kennedy was not a murderer anymore than was Laura Bush. He _did_ believe in _noblisse oblige_. This principle was one of his greatest qualities. He was very effective and was known as “the Lion of the Senate” for good reason. **Jerbert** , are your college friends younger than you? I don’t know of many young people who hold those views about LBJ or Ted Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-lbj-and-ted-kennedy-destroy-america/669230/29 "2013-09-25T04:41:35Z")
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