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I don't doubt that there was already a topic of this made years before I ever registered into Gaia, but I haven't found any threads asking this question, so I figured I'd make my move.

My question is this...if George Washington were alive and walking the Earth today....what would he think of America? What would he think of the republic he fathered? What would he think of President Bush, or all the other presidents before Bush? What would he think of the government? The military-industrial complex? The ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor? What of the world today?

You can post your opinions on what he would think. However, don't forget that since you and I have never been around during his time, your beliefs of his thoughts, his psyche, his conscience...are all just opinion in the end. Even my beliefs are just opinions. We can't just say "oh he'd carry out a revolution" because we don't know if he would truly justify a revolution or not. I'm not saying you CAN'T say it; I'm just saying that it's your opinion in the end. To each his own. Amendment I.

For those who for some shocking reason don't know, George Washington was the father of the United States of America, the first president and commander-in-chief. But there are other things we may not know about him, probably because some of his bio isn't covered in school textbooks (in this day and age, school only barely scratches the surface when it comes to historical topics....at least for me it did anyway), therefore we end up digging up information about him on our own.
This is his Farewell Address, and I also found a list of quotes, and of course, his profile on Wikipedia.

Elder

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Well right away I think he'd be freaking out at all the slaves running around, someone would have to really sit down and talk to him about the abolition, plus ya know, the giant building everywehre would be scary as hell. I would say that he'd be a little uncomfortable with how the constitution has been translated and I'd hope he'd really sit down and tell everyone what they meant when they wrote it, I know he'd be shocked at how much control the central government has on the people.

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Perhaps he'd be flattered that we've named a university after him.

On a more serious note, he'd probably be annoyed at how our nation allows itself to be divided by petty party politics while ignoring the real issues at hand. He'd look at our political campaign ads and sigh in admonition.

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Lady Merewyn
Perhaps he'd be flattered that we've named a university after him.

Yeah. lol

...and then she
On a more serious note, he'd probably be annoyed at how our nation allows itself to be divided by petty party politics while ignoring the real issues at hand. He'd look at our political campaign adds and sigh in admonition.

Yes. He didn't think highly of political parties. Although, he was part of a party, wasn't he? The Whigs?

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CrazyDave55811
Lady Merewyn
Perhaps he'd be flattered that we've named a university after him.

Yeah. lol

...and then she
On a more serious note, he'd probably be annoyed at how our nation allows itself to be divided by petty party politics while ignoring the real issues at hand. He'd look at our political campaign adds and sigh in admonition.

Yes. He didn't think highly of political parties. Although, he was part of a party, wasn't he? The Whigs?


Federalists.

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He wouldn't like the fact that we're meddling in foreign affairs so much.

Elder

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Well there really aren't any official parties, they don't even need to exist, somewhere down the line it just became a tradition and now everyones rapped up in them because they feel they're safer in one.

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I think that if he were to be brought to the future. First he'd need to be slowly and gradually introduced to what has changed since he has been gone. Quite a few history lessons, into into technology a bit, etc. That way the cultural shock wouldn't kill him or drive hime insane litterally.

Then I believe he'd be pleased that we still have the same consitution, altered a bit since his time, but still alive and well. As far as our position globally I suppose that is hard to say. While he did not want us getting involved in foreign affairs, I dout he ever expected a two world wars and a cold war. to take place nor how much America would eventually come to depend on foreign resources since back in his time our resources seemed infinite.

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Archon of Aegis
Well right away I think he'd be freaking out at all the slaves running around,

I thought at one point he had some conflicting views with slavery.

and
someone would have to really sit down and talk to him about the abolition,

I wonder what he would think of Abe Lincoln. He and GW are considered the US's greatest presidents.

and even
plus ya know, the giant building everywehre would be scary as hell.

Oh yes, definitely. During his time everything was basically a church, a cow-pasteur, and three houses. Now everything is a jungle of towering structures housing businesses and other innovative elements. Somehow though, I think he would get used to it in short time. GW was a quick-learner during his time in the British-controlled continental army.

and then
I would say that he'd be a little uncomfortable with how the constitution has been translated and I'd hope he'd really sit down and tell everyone what they meant when they wrote it, I know he'd be shocked at how much control the central government has on the people.

The funny thing is that I learned from a confederate co-worker of mine (confederate, as in, a political party, and NOT a racist hick) that the Constitution was created with loop-holes on purpose. This is a disturbing thought, and I wonder if GW was aware of this or not.

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kikurui piero
He wouldn't like the fact that we're meddling in foreign affairs so much.

There you go. Part of his Farewell Address stated that we should stay out of European affairs. Well, the First Great War came about, and America was left with no choice after Kaiser Wilhelm II said they would use U-boats to attack anywhere.

According to those neo-Nazis on deviantART, "since 1918 the United States has been the most destructive nation in the world". Personally I would rather not fully believe what they say, but since I'm objective and since I have a personal agenda (a fictitious storyline), I at least take what they say into account. I don't know if the US has been as destructive as they claim, but the US involved itself with Europe after Hitler declared war on the US, and the US continued further relations with Europe throughout the Cold War. This did indeed go against GW's wishes, but on the other hand the US may have been wiped out if it didn't involve itself with Europe.

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Archon of Aegis
Well there really aren't any official parties, they don't even need to exist, somewhere down the line it just became a tradition and now everyones rapped up in them because they feel they're safer in one.

I think that GW mentioned in the end that the formation of parties is part of human-nature. Problem is, GW didn't demand that groups like the Democratic Party of Republican Party not form. Maybe if he had demanded, then these parties wouldn't exist. However, doing such a thing as demanding would contradict his work and make him appear as a hypocrite to the people. So, all he did was warn us of the dangers of forming political parties.

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Then I believe he'd be pleased that we still have the same consitution, altered a bit since his time, but still alive and well.

This is true. The government has always maintained a reasonable level of stability, and there hasn't been the type of power-struggles you would see in the Middle East (you know, someone shoots the current leader and assumes his title, etc). I wonder what he would think of the Bill of Rights at this point too. The confederate I previously mentioned thought that we should, basically, "tear it down and start over", but keeping the first ten amendments.

Mind you all; I disagree with all of today's so-called revolutionaries.

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As far as our position globally I suppose that is hard to say. While he did not want us getting involved in foreign affairs, I dout he ever expected a two world wars and a cold war. to take place nor how much America would eventually come to depend on foreign resources since back in his time our resources seemed infinite.

This is something that has concerned me for a while now. The Founding Fathers are so revered and publicized that some think they had the ability to foresee future events for the United States. Some sources I found are like "if they foresaw George W Bush they wouldn't have bothered making this country lol". But I usually stop right there because some people thought that some of the Founding Fathers were extraterrestrial-beings. ******** that, I say.

Omnipresent Warlord

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Washington eh? He'd be pleased that slavery had finally died out and would be so outdated that he couldn't understand the US. Remember that when he died the US was a weak country and all that. He probably wouldn't like the power of the executive or any presidents we've had since Wilson since they had far too much power. I dunno what he'd think about welfare since at the time of Washington it didn't exist. It's really too hard to know what he'd think since he would be unable to adapt to modern times. Now maybe Franklin might have been able to adapt but not him.

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Omnileech
Washington eh?

Who else but he? 3nodding

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would be so outdated that he couldn't understand the US.

He would. It would just take some explaining and understanding. I heard he was a quick-learner. And since the US is his own creation, he would have more reason to learn quickly.

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Remember that when he died the US was a weak country and all that.

It wasn't entirely weak. Maybe militarily; this fledgling republic wouldn't stand a chance against the almighty British Empire. But the economy would eventually prosper, and then there would be the so-called "Era of Good Feelings". Kinky as it sounds, I think you can imagine what they really meant. Of course the Union wouldn't harness strength all too quickly.....although, it would only take nearly 200 years for the US to become the most technologically-advanced, and most powerful, nation in the world.

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He probably wouldn't like the power of the executive or any presidents we've had since Wilson since they had far too much power.

I wonder how GW would react to the fact that the Mexican marijuana-dealer was able to cross the border by bribing the Executive Branch, and even get two Border Patrol agents put in jail.

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I dunno what he'd think about welfare since at the time of Washington it didn't exist.

Based on what I read, GW did have great care for his fellow citizenship (which, at the time, he referred to as "his people" wink . He probably wouldn't mind Welfare, but I don't know what he'd think about anyone who abuses the Welfare program.

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The first thing he'd do is probably get a decent set of dentures.
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