Barack Obama will no longer be the president in 2020 when a woman finally appears on U.S. paper currency—but he will get credit for it.
The decision to put a woman on the $10 bill was announced Thursday by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, though exactly who the woman will be is still TBD. Still, the plan may give fellow Democrats some girl-power points heading into the 2016 presidential election to decide who succeeds Obama.
Beyond the electoral implications, Lew’s move in coordination with the White House represents a bookend for a president who took office in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and often has spoken of the economic challenges that women face. In public remarks throughout his presidency, Obama has drawn on the challenges his late mother and grandmother faced and expressed a sense of feminist obligation to his own two daughters, Sasha and Malia.
My question is: how will it be decided whom to give the honor to, and who do you think she will be? A former first lady is unlikely, how about Betsy Ross or a fictional character like Rosie the Riveter from WWII? Hey William, how about Taylor Swift? One of the Kardashians?
My question is: how will it be decided whom to give the honor to, and who do you think she will be? A former first lady is unlikely, how about Betsy Ross or a fictional character like Rosie the Riveter from WWII? Hey William, how about Taylor Swift? One of the Kardashians?
I think it'd a good idea as long as they get Hamilton off the ten. Tough call as to who it would be. If HRC is president I think Eleanor Roosevelt will get the print. I'd go for Taylor in a heart beat.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThere are many who deserve the honor but to a foreigner there are three who stand out. Abigail Adams for the influence she exerted on her husband during his political life. Eleanor Roosevelt for the same reason and Rosa Parks, perhaps the most deserving as she has become something of a National treasure during a period in history when treasure was mostly displaced by dross.
ReplyDeleteForeigners all know about Abigail and the trials and tribulations of living with the pompous and self opinionated Adams. Eleanor for her influenced on FDR and her own good works for the betterment of woman and humanity in general, particularly her achievements at the UN and the Human Rights declaration. Rosa Parks in my view is the most deserving. Rosa became the public face abroad of the battle to end racial discrimination in the South. We followed the story on an almost daily basis and without Rosa Parks the world may have never seen the important social changes within American society. I proffer the suggestion that without Rosa Parks, the influence of Martin Luther King would have been much diminished.
Cheers from Aussie
Seriously, I would nominate Clara Barton who founded the Red Cross.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePlease enlighten us as to why Hamilton should be removed form the 10?
ReplyDeleteDo you know anything about Hamilton?
Do you know anything about Jackson?
Hamilton:
Hamilton was a poor kid from the West Indies who immigrated to New York, joined the patriot army at age 17 or 18 and organized an artillery company, became an aide to General George Washington, authored more than half of the Federalist Papers, and served as first Treasury Secretary of the United States where he structured the finances of our infant republic so that we didn’t drown in debt. He was also a fierce opponent of slavery.
Hamilton belongs in the pantheon of American heroes. Though we’re currently in a fad for the Founders — countless successful biographies of Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson have been published and relished over the past couple of decades — our debt to those extraordinary men is bottomless. Besides, only a tiny fraction of the public buys books.
Jackson:
Jackson, seventh president of the United States, adamant opponent of paper currency, friend of slave power, and scourge of Native Americans. Who can forget that when the Cherokee appealed their treatment by the state of Georgia to the Supreme Court, and won,
President Jackson refused to enforce the law?
Jackson pushed for and signed the Indian Removal Act, which led directly to the forced deportation of nearly 17,000 Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee, and others — known as the Trail of Tears. He was fiercely opposed in this by his predecessor, John Quincy Adams, who took the view (in case you’re tempted to argue that Jackson was only doing what was possible at the time) that Indians should be paid for their land if they wished to sell, and that they should be given the protections of the U.S. Constitution
The march to political correctness continues. Equality, diversity. The pinnacle of the failure of the educational system in America clearly demonstrated by this fiasco foisted upon the American people by our first accomplishment president.
Check yet another box for diversity for the idiot if chief.
What will happen to Alexander Hamilton?
DeleteWhile the design process is complex and much work remains to be done, Secretary Lew has made clear that the image of Alexander Hamilton will remain part of the $10 note. There are many options for continuing to honor Hamilton. While one option is producing two bills, we are exploring a variety of possibilities. However, security requirements are the driving consideration behind any new design.
Born in Nevis of a Scottish father and a French mother. No doubt a genius but highly flawed character.
Delete"Alexander Hamilton was a talented political figure in American history, but he was prevented from achieving widespread recognition because of an overbearing nature and an inability to relate to the concerns of the common man. His views on the issues of favoring federal authority over the states rights, now firmly established, are still argued today."
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h367.html
He was a central planner. Was surrounded by Loyalists, NY power brokers, and relatives who held immence power. After reading about his duel with Burr it was quite apparent that many of the age thought he needed killing.
I'd leave him on the ten, but the leftists obviously want a communist chip and will push hard. Probably should put an abortionist on the ten. They affected the US population more than any other faction since the late sixties killing over 50 million people.
The Treasury is collecting feedback on the website thenew10.treasury.gov and with the Twitter hashtag #TheNew10. It will also host open houses, starting June 24 at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Fort Worth, Texas.
ReplyDeleteLew will attend some of those public meetings. He said he has “a bunch of candidates” but will withhold his judgment until he hears from the American people. He plans to make a decision later this year. The only requirements are that the person be deceased and fit the theme of democracy.
Back in the days when I first joined the old MW site I added a brief piece by way of an introduction. I said then, quite deliberately and with total conviction that Alexander Hamilton was the greatest of the founders who did not become president of the new nation. At the time I was starting to get interested in the political part of your history and I was not aware of the complete list of prerequisites for election to the office of President.
ReplyDeleteMy ignorance was duly noted and someone courteously explained why Hamilton was barred from the office.. If we look to the first half a dozen Presidents we find British ancestry of course but of the six, four were Virginians(even Washington) and Adams from Quincy near Boston. The sixth John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams and then comes Andrew Jackson.
So what of Jackson? was he as bad as his detractors proclaim? Well I for one think not. Flawed, yes of course, a racist, no more than just about everyone else in the country. A centralist yes, and with justification. His claim to be represented on the US Bank note is his achievement in monetary policy during his period as President. As I said before, he cleared the national debit with the aid of his Sec Treasury. Jackson is less well known for his political success in the first secession attempt in the new nation when he circumvented an attempt by South Carolina to opt out of the Union over tariff plans. His abhorrence of the second Bank of America and his relentless attempts to close it down have generated discussion ever since the events of 1835.
The strife between Jackson and his predecessor, John Quincy Adams was mostly of a personal nature and much has been written of its genesis. I believe that in the general scheme of the political history of your nation, it was but a small pimple on the body politic.
Finally with Jackson, you got what you saw, a crusty military mind with only one direction to travel, a straight line and those who were not with him were against him. Leave Old Hickory on the note please, he deserves to be there.
Following is part 2
Now, what of Hamilton? A complex genius with a character destined for trouble simply because of his ego. Even with Washington he resigned his position on the staff over a sleight, real or imagined and of little consequence even in those times when formality dictated whether a man could be considered a gentleman simply by the way he laced his boots. His subsequent conduct and activities during the war of independence ensured he would amount to something in the nation, then in the final stages of its birth.
ReplyDeleteNo point here in recounting the beginnings of Hamilton’s activities, other than the early evidence of his undoubted genius. To be placed in charge of a business for protracted periods while still under 16 years of age is no mean achievement. His master during this apprenticeship was Nicholas Kruger, a merchant trading from St Kroix.His formal education began in a Grammar school in Boston and after a year there he enrolled in Kings College (Columbia) from where he graduated after two years study. Princeton by the way had rejected his application to study there under his own conditions of moving through the syllabus “at his own pace” .
Hamilton’s progress through Law , Politics and the Military are well enough known. His contributions as the nations first Sec.Treasury are enough on their own to justify his place on the currency. Hamilton also can command posthumous fame for his work with the Federalist papers and his constant bickering with President John Adams over plans to form and equip the army for a war he was sure was about to occur. At this time, Washington still had enormous influence and Hamilton was I believe a Washington man at heart.
I have written this without notes or references, for me it is an exercise in the fallibility of an ancient memory. No doubt there will be some who will correct factual errors and I welcome this. As to the currency Bill; neither can be justifiably removed but perhaps the memory of Hamilton deserves to be preserved. if only as a salutatory lesson concerning an affair concerning a man destined to become the fifth President. Clue here is Reynolds
Cheers from Aussie
“Barack Obama will no longer be the president in 2020 when a woman finally appears on U.S. paper currency—but he will get credit for it.”
ReplyDeleteOf course the whole purpose of this exercise is to put a woman on a bill and not to find a bill to put a spectacularly deserving woman on. While there are certainly many women who have played important rolls in American history the exercise doesn’t start with someone saying THIS woman deserves to be on US currency… it starts with more of an affirmative action point of view that says … any woman will do, just as long as we have a woman represented… how about a black? … how about an Indian?… how about Bruce Lee ?
The whole purpose of the redesign of currency is to help eliminate counterfeiting. The up coming $10 redesign was already scheduled before the question of who would appear on it was raised. Most people felt that Andrew Jackson should be the one to be replaced. He probably is next. But the $10 was next on the schedule, hence Hamilton. The decision to place a woman on the note was made by the Treasury. Now, as stated above, Treasury is seeking public input into the final decision of exactly who that woman will be, also Hamilton will remain.
DeleteEquality, diversity is everything to this administration yet it is nothing.
DeleteReplacing a picture on the currency is nothing yet everything when it comes to being politically correct.
Though I abhor political correctness, I am a big believer in picking your battles. This is one of those times. So a woman's gonna be on the $10 - so what? It's still gonna buy you the same lap dance that Hamilton did. The "outrage" about this seems a little overblown to me and sounds a little bit ugly. There are plenty of other reasons to go after the PCers, ie, "Free Speech Zones". This seems like one of those pick-your-battles moments ...
DeleteI nominate HRC to be on the Google. Under her administration we'll be trading in them to cover the debt.
Deletepfunky,
DeleteIt doesn't matter, this government will do whatever they want to do. To this government, I don't matter nor do you, nor does what you thinkor I think. The quest for diversity, equality, political correctness in the race for votes and POWER is the center of this government. A bit disconcerting isn't it. Then it matters.
Government for me has reached the pinnacle of pathetic.
Not really a battle pfunky as much as it is a comment about the ridiculous drive for a world that turns diversity… the thing that actually makes us unique … into a homogony that in the end, makes no one special. Again, I have no problem recognizing an individual for their personal contribution regardless of who they may but when we create needs and then scour the history books to find someone to fulfil it seems a bit like someone wanting to have a block party setting up a committee to brainstorm a justification for it…. Just small minded thinking by me… Anyone for a’ Mighty Fine Day’ party?
DeleteGwen Stefani ...
ReplyDeleteTo that I must reply.... No Doubt!
Delete