Has anyone been watching "The Men Who Built America" on History channel?

freestater · 10-26-2012, 10:24 AM

It's been a fascinating series on the Rockefeller and Carnegie feud and the beginning of the industrial revolution here on home soil.

HessStation · 10-26-2012, 12:25 PM

F all that capitalistic bull****, it's not fair!

chiefst2000 · 10-26-2012, 12:34 PM

Haven't seen it but I will look for it now. My take pre-watching is that the "robber barrons" as they are sometimes called got a bad rap. Generally these were the folks that helped build America in to what it is today. And most were quite philanthropic.

Trades · 10-26-2012, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefst2000

Haven't seen it but I will look for it now. My take pre-watching is that the "robber barrons" as they are sometimes called got a bad rap. Generally these were the folks that helped build America in to what it is today. And most were quite philanthropic.

I saw the first episode and I thought they were fairly even handed with Vanderbilt but you can see they are heading to complaining about Rockafeller and showing how wonderful the unions are in the previews. I am hoping I am wrong. All in all, episode 1 was very interesting and I learned some things I didn't know.

My only complaint so far is that if they didn't rehash 10 minutes of previous material after every commercial it could have been an hour instead of 2. Are people's attention spans so short that they forget what happened in a show after 3 minutes of commercials so they need a recap? It is a common strategy in many of the Discovery\History channel shows. Makes the shows very tedious. Thankfully I watch them all on my DVR so I just fast forward through the recap.

WestCoastOffensive · 10-26-2012, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefst2000

Haven't seen it but I will look for it now. My take pre-watching is that the "robber barrons" as they are sometimes called got a bad rap. Generally these were the folks that helped build America in to what it is today. And most were quite philanthropic.

At the end of their lives.

Trades · 10-26-2012, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestCoastOffensive

At the end of their lives.

Which is when they had the most to give away and were no longer focused on growing their empires.

WestCoastOffensive · 10-26-2012, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trades

Which is when they had the most to give away and were no longer focused on growing their empires.

Lionizing those men seems obsequious; I prefer the stories around the monopoly-busting. Roosevelt had some tough choices.

Anyway, all those men were cold-blooded killers; no two ways around it.

21st Amendment · 10-26-2012, 01:59 PM

I watched some of it, Carnegie came across as a big wimp if you ask me. Had someone else doing his dirty work (got steel workers killed) while he was hiding in Scotland.

chiefst2000 · 10-26-2012, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestCoastOffensive

Lionizing those men seems obsequious; I prefer the stories around the monopoly-busting. Roosevelt had some tough choices.

Anyway, all those men were cold-blooded killers; no two ways around it.

I'd love to argue this point with you but I don't have enough background on the time period and people associated to discuss it knowledgeably.

WestCoastOffensive · 10-26-2012, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefst2000

I'd love to argue this point with you but I don't have enough background on the time period and people associated to discuss it knowledgeably.

I am definitely ill prepared to further the thread. Like you I am interested in doing some research.

quantum · 10-26-2012, 03:24 PM

I heard they didn't really built that.

southparkcpa · 10-26-2012, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefst2000

I'd love to argue this point with you but I don't have enough background on the time period and people associated to discuss it knowledgeably.

he has a valid position but what Carnegie did created wealth for tens of thousands of workers. Without Carnegie to Gates, this country is basically Sweden. yet we demonize them.

I fully enjoyed what I have seen so far.

WestCoastOffensive · 10-26-2012, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southparkcpa

he has a valid position but what Carnegie did created wealth for tens of thousands of workers. Without Carnegie to Gates, this country is basically Sweden. yet we demonize them.

I fully enjoyed what I have seen so far.

It's an interesting paradox*; they bent to rules, amassed great fortunes on the backs of others (who doesn't?

) and to a man were tortured by anxiety about their wealth (almost minute by minute) and the only thing that gave them relief was creating the foundations; becoming great philanthropists(New York City a prime benefactor). Maybe Carnegie is an exception; he seems more compassionate than rocky I...

*what was ultimately done with the wealth, contrasted with what had to be done to acquire it.

southparkcpa · 10-26-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestCoastOffensive

It's an interesting paradox*; they bent to rules, amassed great fortunes on the backs of others (who doesn't?

) and to a man were tortured by anxiety about their wealth (almost minute by minute) and the only thing that gave them relief was creating the foundations; becoming great philanthropists(New York City a prime benefactor). Maybe Carnegie is an exception; he seems more compassionate than rocky I...

*what was ultimately done with the wealth, contrasted with what had to be done to acquire it.

There were no rules then.....so how could they break them?

I liken them to the Kennedy who have helped almost no one with their wealth.

freestater · 10-26-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 21st Amendment

I watched some of it, Carnegie came across as a big wimp if you ask me. Had someone else doing his dirty work (got steel workers killed) while he was hiding in Scotland.

Yup. At least Rockefeller would look you in the eye and tell you he was going to squash you like a bug.

WestCoastOffensive · 10-26-2012, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southparkcpa

There were no rules then.....so how could they break them?

I liken them to the Kennedy who have helped almost no one with their wealth.

Great point. I look forward to watching; "Think and Grow Rich" many people have given this book some time. I wonder if it's mentioned in Carnegie's tales.

21st Amendment · 10-26-2012, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southparkcpa

There were no rules then.....so how could they break them?

I liken them to the Kennedy who have helped almost no one with their wealth.

You don't have to agree with them politically, but you can't dispute that the Kennedy family have scarified greatly to serve the country. Call me niave, but I still find something noble in service to your country, weather it be in the military, public office, or volunteer work. My two cents.

southparkcpa · 10-26-2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 21st Amendment

You don't have to agree with them politically, but you can't dispute the Kennedy family have scarified greatly to serve the country. Call me something niave, but I still find something noble in service to your country, weather it be in the military, public office, or volunteer work. My two cents.

I can't agree...Lifetime politicians, abusing power, in the name of helping the poor. The poor have grown greatly under the last 40 years. I could go on but won't in respect of the dead.

But other than running for lifetime public office how have any Kennedy's helped America as much as Gates,Dell, Carnegie, and on and on.

21st Amendment · 10-26-2012, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southparkcpa

I can't agree...Lifetime politicians, abusing power, in the name of helping the poor. The poor have grown greatly under the last 40 years. I could go on but won't in respect of the dead.

But other than running for lifetime public office how have any Kennedy's helped America as much as Gates,Dell, Carnegie, and on and on.

3 of the 4 Kennedy brothers didn't have much of a lifetime. 2 of them war heros. Joe and Jack Kennedy both served in WWII, the former killed in action, the later narrowly survived. We obviously know how Jack and Bobby met their demise. Going into the politics and accomplishments of the 3 brothers that were politicians is rather pointless, considering we won't agree on anything. My point is not to compare them to the business giants of the 19th and 20th century, but to push back on the idea they have done nothing with their wealth. The Kennedy's didn't have to serve, they obviously didn't need to pay check.

quantum · 10-26-2012, 06:55 PM

lol

Joe Kennedy was no better than John Gotti. A bunch of self-serving, ego-centric jerkoffs. A disgrace to anyone Irish.

10-26-2012, 10:24 AM	#1
freestater we gonna lay around the shanty, Mama, and put a good buzz on Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 13,507	Has anyone been watching "The Men Who Built America" on History channel? It's been a fascinating series on the Rockefeller and Carnegie feud and the beginning of the industrial revolution here on home soil.

10-26-2012, 01:59 PM	#8
21st Amendment Banned Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 576	I watched some of it, Carnegie came across as a big wimp if you ask me. Had someone else doing his dirty work (got steel workers killed) while he was hiding in Scotland. Last edited by 21st Amendment; 10-26-2012 at 02:01 PM.

10-26-2012, 12:25 PM	#2
HessStation All Pro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,902	F all that capitalistic bull****, it's not fair!

10-26-2012, 12:34 PM	#3
chiefst2000 Champion of Common Sense All Pro Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 5,834	Haven't seen it but I will look for it now. My take pre-watching is that the "robber barrons" as they are sometimes called got a bad rap. Generally these were the folks that helped build America in to what it is today. And most were quite philanthropic.

10-26-2012, 03:24 PM	#11
quantum GFY Snatchez! Hall Of Fame Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: LI Posts: 17,894	I heard they didn't really built that.

10-26-2012, 06:55 PM	#20
quantum GFY Snatchez! Hall Of Fame Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: LI Posts: 17,894	lol Joe Kennedy was no better than John Gotti. A bunch of self-serving, ego-centric jerkoffs. A disgrace to anyone Irish.