I recently came across this image and text on Facebook. I
found the image to be over the top and the accompanying text interesting. I
decided to take each bullet point and add my commentary.
(name removed) did a little research and came up with
the following about Franklin Delano Roosevelt:
1. Brought the country back from financial collapse.
2. Established and protected Social Security.
3. Worked toward ending a war.
4. FDR was completely opposed to everything Hitler stood
for - the biggest threat to national security. Hitler died on April 30, 1945 by
taking poison and then shootin
g himself with a pistol. (corrected)
5. Wife was an advocate of the disadvantaged
6. Invested in jobs and the nation's infrastructure.
7. Spoke to the people not at them.
8. Strong advocate of the military and its soldiers and
sailors.
9. Strong foreign policy record in the presence of
tyrants.
10. Established and sustained regulation of Wall Street.
11. A champion of minority groups.
12. Ended discrimination in the military.
Sound familiar?
FDR is consistently considered one of the top three
Presidents in history but the Tea Party consider him a dangerous Progressive
much as they have maligned Obama.
1. 1. Brought the country back from financial
collapse.
This is one topic that seems to come up more and more since Obama was elected. There are many comparisons of Obama to FDR. Obama loves to use the comparison himself. I can’t talk about this topic without mentioning the fact that some believe segments of the Democratic Party engineered this recession so that they could reclaim the power that Franklin D. Roosevelt and the democrats once held.
Below is a chart of congress by party since beginning of
this tug of war.
I am always amazed when people credit FDR for bringing the
country back from economic collapse when it was he who kept people in poverty
for a decade. Yes of course what I just said goes against everything you ever
heard in school. For a start let’s look at the unemployment numbers.
Average rate of unemployment
in 1929: 3.2%
in 1930: 8.9%
in 1931: 16.3%
in 1932: 24.1%
in 1933: 24.9%
in 1934: 21.7%
in 1935: 20.1%
in 1936: 16.9%
in 1937: 14.3%
in 1938: 19.0%
in 1939: 17.2%
in 1929: 3.2%
in 1930: 8.9%
in 1931: 16.3%
in 1932: 24.1%
in 1933: 24.9%
in 1934: 21.7%
in 1935: 20.1%
in 1936: 16.9%
in 1937: 14.3%
in 1938: 19.0%
in 1939: 17.2%
We can compare that to the unemployment of today and to that
of the previous decade. For almost two decades the country has been at what is
considered full employment, which is 4.5% to 5.5%. We can debate the reason for
the economic downturn in 2008, but this isn’t the time. For now we just know it
happened. Since that time we have drifted between 7.9% to 10.1% unemployment.
The average tends to linger just above 8%. We are told by Obama this is the new
normal. We know it’s not normal and never will be.
FDR instituted the New Deal which in part included the
building of infrastructure. We can look around at all the parks and statues to
see the things FDR built. Those projects created much needed jobs for which
people were grateful. This is why FDR became somewhat of a legend and was
elected to four terms. He also installed price controls which froze the price
of many goods. This prevented the economy from growing.
Here is the economic lesson we must learn. Price controls can stop a decline in economy;
it essentially freezes it in place and has a place in the scheme of things.
Price controls also prevent the economy from growing. If companies cannot
increase profits then they cannot hire additional workers and boost wages.
Thankfully, Obama hasn’t taken that route. He does continuously
talk about infrastructure spending. The country has an economic cycle that
resembles a sine wave. There will be
lows and highs. It’s during these highs we build infrastructure and send people
to the moon. Progressives like Obama and FDR practice Keynesian economics where
the government spends during a down turn in the economy. It was this practice
in part that helped lock the USA in depression for a decade.
US Gross Domestic Product (current dollars)
The Great Crash, 1929-1933
in 1929: $103.6 billion
in 1930: $91.2
in 1931: $76.5
in 1932: $58.7
in 1933: $56.4
The Great Crash, 1929-1933
in 1929: $103.6 billion
in 1930: $91.2
in 1931: $76.5
in 1932: $58.7
in 1933: $56.4
Obama, for the most part, has been held in check and not
allowed to dramatically raise taxes. FDR also manage grow the economy by not raising taxes. As the economy grows the government can spend more because it
should be taking in more revenue from the current tax rate. This spending does
allow for more economic growth. In 1937,
FDR raised taxes and reduced spending, which sent the country once more into an economic
spiral. This is because so much of the country’s economy was based on
government spending. The mortal sin in economics is to raise taxes in a recession,
even if it’s on the rich.
I must reiterate, the so called Bush tax cuts are a decade
old and have to be considered the current tax rate. Failing to renew those tax
cuts can be seen no way other than a tax increase. This would be an economic
sin.
2.Established and protected Social Security
2.Established and protected Social Security
We must first remember that Social Security was, in the
beginning, a voluntary program. The program is run much the same today as it was
in the beginning except for now participation is mandatory for most people. The
big debate today is that Obama and the democrats want to keep it mandatory,
while the republicans wish to return it to its roots where it was voluntary.
We also have to look at the budget deficit when looking at
Social Security since the trust fund is composed of private Treasury bills. At the time of this writing the budget deficient
is $16 trillion, which makes those t-bills virtually worthless.
Obama has cut the payroll tax which funds Social Security
and other benefits. With social Security facing problems, cutting the money
going into the fund could have disastrous results later on. Instead of saving
Social Security he might be hastening its demise. He has turned his head to any
attempts at securing Social Security.
In conclusion, we find that Obama differs from FDR in this
area.
3. Worked
toward ending a war.
This is where there is a huge difference between Obama and
FDR. FDR led the country to defeat Japan because we had been attacked. We
fought until the enemy was on its knees and destroyed. Japan is now one of our
greatest allies.
Obama has essentially surrendered in Afghanistan. He has
negotiated to allow the Taliban back into the government. We will leave Afghanistan
essentially as it was found. I could go into how FDR planned and schemed to get us into a
war with Japan and then into the war in Europe, but that can take far too long.
I will add some of his words form 1940.
Mr. Roosevelt said in Boston on October 30: "I have
said this before, but I shall say it again and again and again: Your boys are
not going to be sent into any foreign wars."
The same thought was expressed in a speech in Brooklyn on
November 1: "I am fighting to keep our people out of foreign wars. And I
will keep on fighting."
The President told his audience in Rochester, New York, on
November 2: "Your national government ... is equally a government of peace
-- a government that intends to retain peace for the American people."
On the same day the voters of Buffalo were assured:
"Your President says this country is not going to war."
And he declared in Cleveland on November 3: "The first
purpose of our foreign policy is to keep our country out of war."
4. FDR
was completely opposed to everything Hitler stood for - the biggest threat to
national security. Hitler died on April 30, 1945 by taking poison and then
shooting himself with a pistol. (corrected)
Hitler worked closely with the unions to build his empire. Obama helped orchestrate the handover of
General Motors to the unions and the federal government. He did much the same
with the Chrysler Corporation.
Hitler, FDR, and Obama have all worked to expand the size
and scope of the central government. They all imposed strict regulations on businesses
of all types. They were all very business friendly as long as that business
toed the party line. Today, we see Obama sending copious amounts of money to industries
that promotes his green agenda and donate to his campaign. All three embraced
the socialist agenda. The three men may have more in common that this
statements portends.
5. Wife
was an advocate of the disadvantaged
Who isn’t an advocate of the disadvantage? The greatest way
to help the disadvantage is to maintain equal liberties for all Americans and
to support a healthy economy. Neither
FDR or Obama managed to produce a healthy economy while spending trillions on
social programs.
6. Invested in jobs and the nation's
infrastructure
Obama and FDR invested huge amounts of money in jobs and
both have the highest unemployment of any presidents. It’s the private sector
that must invest in jobs, not government. Anytime government creates a job it
adds little or nothing to the economy. Anytime the government spends/invests
money it is taken from the economy.
Most of this nation’s infrastructure belongs to state and
local governments, and often private industry. By increasing taxes the federal government
robs these local governments and private industry from growing or doing much
needed repairs. The federal government
takes money from states and then makes them beg for the money back. When states
do manage to get some of that money back, it often comes with conditions. I have written often on how the federal government
withholds tax money to effect regulations that congress had already denied the federal
government.
7. Spoke to the people not at them
Both often tell/told people what they wanted to hear
8. Strong advocate of the military and its soldiers
and sailors
This is an area where FDR and Obama are different. Once FDR
committed to military action he supported them morally and financially. Obama
and the democrats have time and time again tried to push through spending bills
to de-funded military action. Under Obama the Veterans Affairs department fail former soldiers.
9. Strong
foreign policy record in the presence of tyrants.
While Nazi Germany ravaged Europe, FDR did nothing. His
speeches supported the isolationist stand of the USA at the time. Obama has
apologized countless times to the tyrants of today. He bows before dictators.
He refuses to stand with Israel against Iran’s development of nuclear weapons.
In the Libyan action, Obama said, “We lead from behind.” Any general or former president will tell you
that one does not lead from the rear.
10. Established
and sustained regulation of Wall Street.
This came from both presidents as a result of the financial
collapse. It could be said the one good thing FDR did was the safeguard that
prevented banks from investing in the stock market. In 1999 Congress enacted,
and President Clinton signed into law, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, also known
as the Financial Services Modernization Act which repealed parts of the Glass–Steagall Act that prohibited
banks from entering the investment, commercial banking, and insurance services
since its enactment in 1933. The Glass–Steagall Act was passed in an effort to
prevent another chain of bank failures that created the Great Depression. It would have also helped lessen the effects of
this recession. Obama’s financial reform did not rebuild this wall nor did it
cover Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the center of the crisis.
11. A champion
of minority groups.
For this one let’s just look at Obama. Today, minorities have the highest unemployment rate. One can stand on television and talk, but we must look at the results of their actions. The results of Obama’s and the democrat’s policies have done more to harm minorities. We have only to travel to the inner cities and the projects to see the results of the Democratic Party’s war on poverty.
When Obama first became president, he proudly proclaimed to
be against gay marriage. Now that he
seeks re-election he has had a change of heart and supports gay marriage. Many
of the obstacles for a couple not sanctioned by a government marriage are
government induced. As president, Obama and the democrats could have changed
the tax laws which would have allowed unmarried couples to file taxes jointly. If
he truly cared he would work to change laws that require any marriage to be
sanctioned by government.
12. Ended
discrimination in the military.
I guess this means allowing gays to serve openly. Don’t Ask Don’t
Tell was passed by the Clinton
Administration. Having never served in the military, I can’t best judge what
would have been best for the military. I can say the same for Obama; he should
have left that decision to those who run the services. For the past several decades the military has been one of
the least discriminating entities in this country.
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