# The greatest of the greatest Americans/Britons/Canadians **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017 "2014-08-30T23:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/21 "2014-09-01T03:16:55Z")
How is it that Dostoevsky is mentioned but not Tolstoy? ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/22 "2014-09-01T08:54:02Z")
Scientists, authors, playwrights and artists get the majority of my votes. The greatest of them all, I would go for William Shakespeare - who I suspect will be mainstream culture in another 500 years+ when all the politicians here will have been largely forgotten. Alexander the Great was exceptional I have to admit, although not sure about his legacy. The fact that George W Bush has yet to earn a vote warms my heart somewhat. It is extraordinary that his name appears on the list to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/23 "2014-09-01T09:27:23Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Again, these are from the [top ten results found from the ‘greatest nationality’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Britons_spin-offs) programs, … Oh, the lists are from TV shows! I get it. And the U.S. one was on the Discovery Channel in 2005. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/24 "2014-09-01T13:21:57Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > You chose to post it. Why not find something sensible and interesting to post next time, instead of incoherent rubbish like this? You don’t have to repost all the shit you find on the internet here. How about if you don’t like it, don’t post in it and see how many fucks I give. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/25 "2014-09-01T19:43:18Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > You chose to post it. Why not find something sensible and interesting to post next time, instead of incoherent rubbish like this? You don’t have to repost all the shit you find on the internet here. > [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > How about if you don’t like it, don’t post in it and see how many fucks I give. Both of you cut out the snarky replied in this thread/forum and stop the (mild) jr modding. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/26 "2014-09-04T22:49:47Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Both of you cut out the snarky replied in this thread/forum and stop the (mild) jr modding. Just want to apologise for acting like a complete jackhole in this thread, when you like to post a lot of polls about stuff as I do not everything’s a winner, and I clearly didn’t think this one through. ---
**Author:** ![ILikeForeignLanguages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc8723/32.png) [@ILikeForeignLanguages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ILikeForeignLanguages)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/27 "2014-09-05T05:00:57Z")
I was going to vote for Margaret Thatcher as the world’s greatest Briton, but I saw that she wasn’t there and went with Winston Churchill instead. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/28 "2014-09-05T06:44:17Z")
I am disappointed that known nutjob Newton is winning over Shakespeare. There’s not enough Cousteau love. And what do people have against Canadians (I voted for Suzuki)? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/29 "2014-09-05T12:58:33Z")
In retrospect, perhaps you should have entertained nominations before making the poll. Seriously, George W. Bush? Reagan? Diana? Cromwell? ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/30 "2014-09-05T13:18:20Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Just want to apologise for acting like a complete jackhole in this thread, when you like to post a lot of polls about stuff as I do not everything’s a winner, and I clearly didn’t think this one through. Isn’t the reason polls and Top Ten™ lists are created is to provoke emotional and factual retorts from people who vehemently agree or disagree with the results? In that respect I think it has been a resounding success 🆒 FWIW I also agree some names are missing - no Muhammad Ali is one - but it’s an interesting take on what different countries think their best are/were. At least the US poll didn’t have Steve Jobs or Mickey bloody Mouse! ---
**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 6, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/31 "2014-09-06T19:58:01Z")
Why is Stalin on the poll but not Adolf? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/32 "2014-09-06T20:24:27Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Why is Stalin on the poll but not Adolf? > [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Again, these are from the [top ten results found from the ‘greatest nationality’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Britons_spin-offs) programs, these \*aren’t \*my personal choices. Should have made that more clear I guess. Out of the top ten pick your preference, if you have one. [The German version.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsere_Besten) Does this help? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017/33 "2014-09-06T21:22:49Z")
The only woman on the American list is Oprah Winfrey? the woman who made the anti-science careers of Jenny McCarthy and Dr. Oz? Cripes, I can roll off ten greater women, like Dorothy Parker and Gloria Steinem, who aren’t even getting into the superlative territory. Alice Paul? Barbara Jordan? Sally Ride? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-americans-britons-canadians/697017.md?page=1)