Greatest Orator of the 20th Century

[Apoi_Viitor]

Who do you believe was the greatest orator of the 20th century?

[Amphictyonis]

Unfortunately.... Hitler but the material conditions in Germany after the loss of WW1 and the intentional impoverishment of the nation by the allies set the stage for the once enlightened German people to accept such drek as Nazism.

[deadmeat1471]

Winston Churchill. He inspired a generation of Brits to hold on against the Nazis. But then I'm British so I would say that :D

[Tablo]

Just to throw a leftist in the mix I would say Emma Goldman. It is pretty well established she was a good public speaker that brought many to the anarchist cause. Wish I could see her give a speech.

[bricolage]

Arthur Scargill.

[genstrike]

This is flat-out impossible to decide.

First, there is the language question. There have probably been many equally great orators who it would be impossible for me to judge because I don't speak their language.

Then, there is the question of audience. I'm sure there were some solid soapboxers who could give the most famous politicians of the time a run for their money, but soapboxing Bill's speeches aren't recorded and broadcasted or kept in an archive.

Finally, there is the question of whether these speeches are prepared, off the cuff, or written by some professional speechwriter. Surely, an orator who is doing his own speech rather than something written for him by someone else is showing more talent.

[La Comédie Noire]

Malcolm X!

[Eastside Revolt]

Fred Hampton should certainly be on the list!

Frederica Montseny as well!

Lucy Parsons!!

[Milk Sheikh]

First Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

[IronEastBloc]

I heard that Kwame Nkrumah and Mussolini were the ones everyone was taking notes from.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Malcolm X!I can only judge English-language speakers, so this would be my vote. If you have never heard "the Ballot or the Bullet" you have never really heard a speech before. Politically spot-on (more often than not in the later years) or politically off, his mastery of logic, verbal imagery, and presentation is top-notch.

I'm sure he could have convinced me that the sky was purple if he wanted to:lol:.

To paraphrase a bit: when the white man asks you to defend the nation, he sends you to Korea and you give your blood, he sends you to Vietnam and you give your blood to defend the country. But when little black girls are bombed right here, suddenly the white man asks for peace and when it comes to defending your own people right here at home, you don't fight you say you don't have blood to give!

and

I am not an american, I am one of the millions of black victims of americanism! Having a seat at the table doesn't make you an american unless you are eating the meal too! Being born here doesn't make you an american - otherwise you wouldn't need politicians and legislation to give you the rights of an american.

Malcolm says it better.

The speech also has some of the best lines against American Liberalism ever spoken... I just can't remember any of them right now.:blushing:

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Listen to it here:

CRNciryImqg

[Os Cangaceiros]

Eugene V. Debs and John L. Lewis (both important figures in American labor history) were supposedly good orators.

[ed miliband]

Eugene V. Debs and John L. Lewis (both important figures in American labor history) were supposedly good orators.

As was Big Bill Haywood.

[Burn A Flag]

Fidel Castro probably. He still holds the record for the longest speech in the UN FYI. He Cultivated the revolutionary Bolivarian culture in Latin America.

[Tomhet]

Adolf Hitler, Malcolm X, Castro..

[Vanguard1917]

Lenin, for his ability to present the most complex and progressive ideas on earth to an everyman (and often semi-literate) audience. Not one for the rhetorical frippery so characteristic of demagogues, he always sought first and foremost to appeal to the masses' ability to reason.

[RED DAVE]

MARTIN LUTHER KING

None of the above could top him.

Here's a couple of minutes from one of his speeches. (For some reason, I can't embed it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAYITODNvlM

I was there in Washington the day he gave the "I Have a Dream Speech." Although it's great to hear it on youtube, they can't replicate that moment in history: the great crowd, the setting, the heat, the fatigue, the hope. The three men you see marching together at the beginning, two black, one white, are Roy Wilkins, President of the NAACP, A. Philip Randolph, President of the Sleeping Car Porters Union, and Walter Reuther, President of the UAW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

(If anyone can embed these, please do so.)

RED DAVE

[Os Cangaceiros]

TAYITODNvlM

PbUtL_0vAJk

(My revleft civic duty is done for the day.)

[Hit The North]

Trotsky was reputed to be an awesome orator.

But in terms of actual speeches, in English, my favourite is MLK Jr's 'I have a dream' speech. Sends shivers down the spine.

[B0LSHEVIK]

Ronald McDonald. He has reached billions of people! Take that Marx!!!

Just kidding, IMO, MLK Jr gives me chills. He had a passion in his voice which very few people have, and he spoke of something very few can disagree with (nevermind the uncountable # of Americans who think he was a womanizing communist, I wish!). He was at the very least, one of the greatest orators in 20th century.

And my other favorite, Fidel, in the early enthusiastic days of the revolution. Unlike Che, Fidel spoke with a natural cunning talent for words and tone.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I guess you can't beat MLK in terms of English language.

Hitler's speeches and rallies were showpieces, but then you have to remember that it was all choreographed to the tiniest detail.

Fidel Castro, also.

[NoOneIsIllegal]

Eugene Debs
Bill Haywood
Emma Goldman
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

[∞]

qYHUJBRRnc4

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is one of the greatest orator of all time.

dhbhiDBEfVY

[El Rojo]

i have a nomination for the 21st century

not great on structure but ill vouch for this on passion alone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7LV8XlC8ko&feature=related

[scarletghoul]

Martin Luther King
Hitler
Eldridge Cleaver

Thesis
Antithesis
Synthesis

[Os Cangaceiros]

Did you know that E.C. was influenced quite a bit by Bakunin?

[empiredestoryer]

the greatest orator would have to be israels greatest hero ...HITLER

[scarletghoul]

Did you know that E.C. was influenced quite a bit by Bakunin?
That makes perfect sense, considering the passion of the lumpen

Also, are there any videos of Trotsky speeches ? Ive heard he was a great speaker but havnt been able to find anything

[∞]

Guys please watch the vids I posted :) in one he tears a UN resolution paper.