With the death of Ronald Reagan we have been treated to many lists of 'great' Presidents. Infallibly Lincoln is at the top, this is why he should not be. Lincoln destroyed the concept of free and independent states, which led the oft-mentioned next 'great' President FDR to create a monolithic, central and socialist bureaucracy, which LBJ further expanded and Reagan attempted to tear down. So maybe we need to rethink who is actually a 'great' President.
Lincoln destroyed the concept of free and independent states>>
No, Lincoln destroyed the "illusion" of "free and independent states", one that kept one american in 10 in bondage to the South. And a good thing, too, otherwise this conversation would be in German.
So who was a great president in your eyes?