Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Grossly Too Fair

People try to have it both ways with FDR. They say that he was great because of the New Deal but then they inadvertently blame him for not continuing with the New Deal in 1937 (the depression within a depression). HOW, pray tell, can the fellow be great if he didn't even faithfully follow his own damned policies (especially considering that the unemployment figure ticked back over 20% in 1938)? The way that I see it here, Mr. Roosevelt was either the greatest of the worst or the worst of the greatest.

23 comments:

Commander Zaius said...

He understood the threat from the Nazis and got us through most of WW2, the stuff before I'll cut him a great deal of slack.

Will, this is anicent history, am I missing something?

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

FDR, in certain respects (and you bring up the most important one) WAS a great man/leader. I just think that his handling (or mishandling) of the economy has been greatly overrated (this is kind of a side debate that I've been having with one of my colleagues).

Les Carpenter said...

Indeed it is ancient history. A history we ought to have learned from. The evidence strongly suggest we didn't.

Oh well... I suspect 73 years post 0bama the debate will run along similar lines.

Dervish Z Sanders said...

Will just loves bashing FDR because he's a progressive icon. He was also a human being, however, and humans are flawed and they make mistakes (and listen to bad advice).

This is just another post where Will shows he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

As for us not learning from the success of FDR, Rational Nation is correct. Right now we are repeating the mistakes the Hover administration made.

Perhaps we can call what happens next the "Tea Party Depression"?

John Myste said...

FDR defined our socialist economy, and was perhaps great in other ways also.

If I had to choose one president who had the best effect on the nation post Lincoln, he would be the won.

Long Live FDR!

Mordechai said...

FDR set the stage for the post WW2 boom and the rise of the middle class. This lasted until Reagan and his merry band of hatchet-men trickle down scam artists and out sources from Wall Street began to undermine the middle class in their class warfare for the rich and corporations over people, policies the country has followed the last 30 years.

The CDM said...

Teddy and Franklin were both known for their Republican, but humanitarian philosophy. While the Progressive movement was based on Teddy's ideology, it was Franklin that continued that vision and became it's founding father.

Interesting stuff, ay?

Rusty Shackelford said...

Whatever FDR was...the fact is he could'nt run very fast.

Mordechai said...

Typical rusty nothing constructive to say;

BTW rusty;

After he became President, Roosevelt helped to found the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, now known as the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes initially focused on the rehabilitation of victims of paralytic polio, and supported the work of Jonas Salk and others that led to the development of polio vaccines. Today, the Foundation focuses on preventing premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality.

Roosevelt's association with the March of Dimes led to his image being placed on the face of the American dime.


He has done more then you ever will for people in need.

IrOnY RaGeD said...

"He understood the threat from the Nazis..."
And admired Stalin.

"FDR defined our socialist economy, and was perhaps great in other ways also."
THIS is considered "great"???

"FDR set the stage for the post WW2 boom and the rise of the middle class."
Yeah, well I guess you have to destroy the economy first before you can have a "boom"...

"Teddy and Franklin were both known for their Republican, but humanitarian philosophy."
Franklin was a Republican???

Oh and WD?, Hoover spent like Bush. The problem was FDR spent like President Zero. (only nowhere near as much...)

IrOnY RaGeD said...

I'm just scared cause O now says he's going to turn his attention back to jobs...
What happened, were too many created while he was distracted?

Anybody notice the markets tanking? Good thing we averted the debt crisis...
I only HOPE that when this clowns term is over I have some CHANGE left.

IrOnY RaGeD said...

Somebody better notify Janet Neopolitan about the above comments of mine.

I understand they're on the look out for white middle class terrorists and are searching social media.

Rusty Shackelford said...

Hey zip code....how do you know what I've done in my life time? Have you had acess to my tax returns.Do you actually know how many jobs I've created? Do you know how much I've given to charity. One thing I'm certain of....I've never ever sucked off the public teat.Can you say that?

Rusty Shackelford said...

As I said previously....if Hitler had'nt showed up FDR would have been one of the biggest presidential failures in american history.Maybe thats why you libs always throw around the nazi references,you realize that fact.

Rusty Shackelford said...

At his birthday fund raiser last night Obie not only again blamed Bush for everything,he said his job was only half done.Does that mean we should expect 18% unemployment,consumer spending at rock bottom,the DOW down to around 7,000 and debt up to over 20 trillion? Christ I hope this clueless bastard was'nt serious,I hope he was only joking.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

wd, FDR in fact did do some good things early on; the bank holiday and the peeling back on tariffs, to name a few. But he also did some abominably idiotic things. The NRA, for example, was such a stupid action that no less than John Maynard Keynes himself wrote an open letter to the NY Times asking FDR to reconsider. Add to that the fact that his tax policy was extremely regressive (a big reliance on excise tax) and, yeah, I really gotta go overrated on the fellow. In my estimation, Truman and JFK were far superior 20th Democratic Presidents. Hell, wd, I would even take Bill Clinton, for Christ (now there's a guy who should have stayed on for a 3rd term!!).

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Sorry, 37927, John M, CDM, but I credit Truman for the post WW2 boom. He got rid of price controls, peeled back even further on trade restrictions, and stopped Mr. Roosevelt's constant threatening and bad mouthing of businesses. In my particular pantheon of U.S. Presidents, Mr. Truman is a definite top 3 contender.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Russ, I know that you don't like Mr. Obama, but do you really want to give ALL of Washington back to the Republicans? Do you have that much faith that they've improved the formula. Plus, Obama's kind of rolling over for them anyway.

IrOnY RaGeD said...

Will, we've already lost our country. No Dem, no Rep. is going to save it. They've all become self centered and pander to those who will elect them.

FDR threw out the Constitution a long time ago.

In my opinion the only way we'll ever return to the Constitution is with an armed revolt.

Rusty Shackelford said...

Its not that I dont "like" Obama,Will.The fact is I detest Keynesian economics and Obie is leading the tax and spend parade.Look around you Will,keynesian policy is a failure and always has been.
Today,this very day...not two or three years ago is the result of this administrations policies.
The condition of america today is a direct result of electing a man president who never had to balance a budget,never created even one job,never ran any thing that demanded a profit...never actually did anything.Do you for a minute think if Ford Motor Company was looking for a new CEO they would hire a former community organizer,a professor type? The american people hired just such a guy,a guy with absolutly no resume,no experience who's in completely over his head.

John Myste said...

Today, this very day, is the sole result of Tea Party insanity, sir.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I just don't see all that much of a difference between him, Obama, and Bush. I mean, think about it. They both did bail-outs. They both did "surges". They both enacted stimulus programs. They both enacted new expensive entitlement programs. They both approved warrantless wire-taps. They both deficit spent. I mean, come on. Does anybody really think that Mitt Romney is going to do a major about-face here? Just look at his record in MA.

Rusty Shackelford said...

Will,have you ever seen me wave the Bush flag here? I think his first term was passable,his second term was like having a dem in the office.
Also,I'm no big fan of Romney's,but the fact is the guy in the oval office today is sinking and his policies are taking an already weak american economy off the friggin cliff.Now,are they not only blaming Bush for all their incompetence but also the tsunami in Japan and Arab Spring.Look right here,you've got this Obamabot John blaming the Tea Party.This is all from the liberal play book....take no responsibility,everybody gets a trophy,you're all winners.