Part 6: 100 Most Influential Rankings

[vcczar]

@vcczar @ShortKing @WVProgressive @ConservativeElector2 @mark2 @jnewt @Mark_W @OrangeP47 @Arkansas Progressive @A man from Colorado @SilentLiberty @Rodja @DakotaHale @jvikings1 @themiddlepolitical @Edouard @Vols21 @Timur @Patine @10centjimmy

Here's the 1st part of the 100 most influential rankings. 

Rules:

- Please keep discussion on topic. 

- No trolling. 

- No complaining, although constructive criticism is okay. 

- No personal attacks.

- No commenting without voting. 

Candidates in this poll: 

Charles Babbage	originated the concept of the programmable computer.
Charles Darwin	for his contributions to the theory of evolution. He came up with the concept of natural selection, that all species come from common ancestors; Fundamentally altered natural science and how we think of human beings and Biblical history; the Darwinin concept of survival of the fittest comes from him, which has led to several sociopolitical movements or policies.
Charles Dickens	Arguably the greatest English-language fiction writer; created several stories that have been made into films.
Charles Goodyear	Invented the process for vulcanizing rubber, allow it to be used for practical purposes.
Charles I	His perceived absolutist tendencies led to the English Civil War, his execution, temporary abolishment of the monarchy, and laid the foundations for a Constitutional Monarchy in Great Britain.
Charles II	Restored the British Monarchy after the Civil War; arguably the first British monarch to accept Parliament as the predominant governmental power
Charles Lindburgh	First person to complete a solo trans-atlantic flight across the Atlantic
Charles V	Presided during the height of Habsburg power in Europe and in the New World; Fought for a Universal Monarchy in his younger years, but ultimately voluntarily abdicated all his titles in old age.
Charlie Chaplin	Influential figure in film and worldwide pop icon; masterful actor and director
Christopher Columbus	His exploration of the New World led to the permanent European colonization of the Western Hemisphere and the direct or indirect extermination of the majority of the natives of the New World; all sort of goods, plants, animals, etc. were traded between the hemispheres after Columbus.

[vcczar]

Darwin and Columbus seemed like the obvious choices for me. I could see Babbage and Goodyear arguably sneak in at the end of the list. 

[ShortKing]

Not Dickens? I voted for Dickens cause his works are seminal and long lasting and dickensian is a word that's entered the cultural lexicon

[vcczar]

26 minutes ago, ShortKing said:

Not Dickens? I voted for Dickens cause his works are seminal and long lasting and dickensian is a word that's entered the cultural lexicon

I would if this were the 100 Most Influential People in the Western World. I'm just not sure how Dickens has the weight that Shakespeare has in Japan, China, Korea, China, India, Iran, or in Africa, South America, etc.  I could see Dickens possibly making a top 200 most influential list, but I feel rather certain he couldn't get into the top 100. 

[Timur]

25 minutes ago, vcczar said:

I would if this were the 100 Most Influential People in the Western World. I'm just not sure how Dickens has the weight that Shakespeare has in Japan, China, Korea, China, India, Iran, or in Africa, South America, etc.  I could see Dickens possibly making a top 200 most influential list, but I feel rather certain he couldn't get into the top 100. 

I know a lot of Dickens's works are translated into Korean.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Timur

[Timur]

13 minutes ago, Patine said:

I'm surprised only about half voted for Babbage, given how we're communicating here.

Darwin, definitely. Dickens would be a top 250, but I don't about top 100. Same with Goodyear and his vulcanized rubber.

Charles I and II, while colourful historical figures, are almost stains and bad vibes in terms of the British Monarchy to the point that they, as well as Bonnie Prince Charlie, are like the three strikes of why Charles, Prince of Wales, has said in public statements that when (and if) he ascends to the throne, it will not under his given name, but that of his grandfather. Also, saying one should be given credit for advancing Constitutional in spite of one's policies is a bit dubious.

Charles Lindbergh, not really. Besides, there are those two French pilots who apparently beat him to the record, and then disappeared without a trace before they could claim the prize. 😛 

I'm surprised more people didn't choose Charles V (I'm really surprised ConservativeElector2 didn't choose him). His achievements in this life were astounding and interesting - if the very face of imperialism, absolute monarchism, religious conformity, and Machiavellian manipulation. And the impact of his reign is far more profound than many realize.

Christopher Columbus, for good and for ill, is definitely VERY influential. The colonial era in the Western Hemisphere began because of him, and all sovereign nations now there owe their existence to his voyage, and said colonization also majorly impacted directly Europe and, unfortunately, Africa. Of course, there is the dark side of the decimation of the Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere - some who had been comparable in technology, development, and organization to civilizations of Old World Antiquity - to wretched, broken, and destitute states, minorities suffering centuries of abuse, inequity, genocidal actions, cultural assymilaition, looting and exploitation, and outright theft of their lands. And, the fact, that Columbus, himself, apparently had a rotten character and has a very nasty, ruthless, greedy, sadistic, and grasping man - even his own journals and his letters to Isabella and the guy who financed his expedition show this. But his influence can't be denied.

Maybe I should have voted for Charles V.  His empire was very powerful back then...

[mark2]

I keep messing up my voting, add one extra vote for Charles V as I forgot to click on him.

[OrangeP47]

Waffled on the Charleses, but didn't include them.  Ironically I have a much greater respect for II than I, but I can't really argue in his favor over I.  Babbage was marginal yes, as I feel like it's an obvious development in hindsight, but maybe I'm just some idiot yelling from the peanut gallery "hey I could have done that!" after having the sum total of human knowledge already at my finger tips.  Overall a lot of marginal yeses and nos here. I think I'm developing a trend of just throwing out anyone involved with literature haha.

[Pringles]

This list was pretty easy for me unlike the previous one haha. Babbage, Darwin, and Columbus are no brainers imo.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

I'm still shocked that Charles V should be much higher. The man ruled over an empire that was directly involved in or planted the seeds for continued Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Protestant Reformation, Dutch independence, the split of the Habsburgs into two branches who would intermarry for generations leading to the War of Spanish Succession, integration of Europe to a level not seen since Charlemagne, etc. I truly believe that Charles V laid the groundwork for much of what modern Europe is to this day but can see how that might get overlooked since his impact is not as obvious as inventions and works of art or science.

[vcczar]

1 more vote and I'll do the next one. 

[Timur]

Add a vote by me for Charles V.

[Timur]

10 hours ago, Patine said:

Philistine! 😛 

Philistine?