Taking U Back In Time

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I want to take you boyz back in time to 1930. It was a world that no one born after 1945 can even conceive of.

It was a time of deep despair in America. It was in the throws of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many people thought capitalism has failed and Communism was the wave of the future. Stalin and the USSR was lookin pretty dam good to many people. Unemployment was running over 10% nationally and in many cities it was 25% or greater. There was no social security, unemployment insurance or social welfare system of any kind. The banks became insolvent and many of them failed. There literarily was no money, no jobs, no hope. The government under President Hoover didn't even know how bad the situation was, there was no Federal spending to stimulate the economy. And it dragged on unabated for 3 years.

In 1932 FDR was elected President. He was the hope of the nation. The first thing he did was create NRA..National Relief Act, Social Security (1935) and the WPA Works Progress Adm. He opened the government coffers and started spending money to get things moving again. He paid artists to paint, he created the TVA and got Boulder Dam started. All to give people some jobs and hope. He also closed all the banks and took the USA off the Gold Standard. things got better but the Depression dragged on for a full decade. The hope that FDR embodied was why so many people of that era fondly remember him, he represented hope, the ability to get things moving again.

To have a High School Diploma meant something in those days and a college degree was your ticket to success. Many kids had to drop out of school around the 8th grade and go to work to help support the family. If you want a flavor of the time just watch the movie Grapes of Wrath (1940) with Henry Fonda it deals with the failure of small family farms and the migration west to California the promised land in the 1930's. Crop prices had plummeted and the farms failed that is why there are farmers paid today not to grow crops, to help support prices. The Oklahoma Dust Bowl was only part of the story. California even had armed guards at the CA border to stop the American farmers from entering the state.

During the 30s America was still an isolationist nation that was opposed to getting involved in world affairs and as such had a small military service. FDR by the late 1930s was becoming increasingly aware of the threat that Fascism posed to the USA. Yet he could not openly express those concerns. During the 1940 election he even campaigned on a platform of not getting the US involved in European affairs. In 1940 the US passed the Selective Service Act and started drafting its' boys in the likely eventuality of war coming to the US FDR weaved and dodged and help support the Brits in their stand against Hitler, with schemes like Lend Lease. We got a lease on the Virgin Islands for a 100 years. We gave Britain 50 obsolete WW1 era Destroyers etc. In September 1941 the USA was guarding the Convoys destined for Britain 1/2 way across the Atlantic,(the Brit Navy was stretched so thin) and one of our Destroyers was sunk by a German U Boat. So the US was in a de facto war with Germany already. At this time you have to be cognizant that Hitler was the Master of Europe taking France and defeating the Brit Army in 6 weeks. Was knocking on the door of Cairo in Egypt, had virtually knocked Russia out and was at the gates of Moscow and Leningrad. Even Stalin in December of 41 thought he was finished.

Pearl Harbor came as a surprise to FDR and the nation, all though an attack was thought to be imminent. probably in the Philippines. within 6 months Japan had defeated the Brits in Malaya and taken Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, South East Asia (French In-do China), wake Island and Guam, sank the Brit Battle Ships Prince of Wales and Repulse, was knocking on the door of India and Australia, and was deep into China (Starting in the early 30s). It was a grim do or die time. Everybody had to pull together or go down, America and the free worlds back was to the wall. There was NO tomorrow, no discussion everybody went to work to win the war. There was unity of purpose.

Within a week of Pearl Harbor both FDR and Churchill realized that with the US industrial might harnessed to fight Fascism, it would be eventually defeated. WW2 virtually ended the Great Depression by putting everybody back to work 24/7. If you worked on the home front you got rich with OT. There was nothing to spend your money on, everything was rationed, tires, gas, meat, sugar, flour everything. You had Ration Stamps to buy things. New car production stopped until late 1945. Before WW2 there was virtually no market for used cars, during the war it was the only way to get a car. Women took the jobs in the factories that were left behind by the boys off fighting the war. Rosie the Riveter became famous. There were scrap metal drives, and US Savings Bond Drives, all with the purpose of winning the war.

The generation that grew up during this time never really stopped living it, it scarred them. They worked hard, saved their money, fought communism (another form of Totalitarianism they were told), indulged their children with everything they never had and stoical carried on till they left the stage of life. There was no use in complaining it wouldn't have gotten you anywhere in their time, except a rap across the mouth from pops. They simply did what they had to do to survie, they met the challenge of life in their time.

[Sapporo Guy]

Tabs,

If you wrote that I must say that you are very skilled at the written word.

[BRPORSCHE]

Just wait for MRM to comment.
Tabs seriously, have some cliffnotes man? I am trying to study.

[Jim Bremner]

I was told recently that we spent 36% of our nations grp to win WWII

Right now we're spending 3% for Iraq & Afganastan

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Sapporo Guy

Tabs,

If you wrote that I must say that you are very skilled at the written word.

Who else wrote it? This is first draft stuff. Now U know why I am a man of wealth and taste.

[tabs]

Now I see why so many of U Boyz are ignorant gits...this Thread died a quick death. Anything that ya can learn something from gets shoved off to the side.

[Jim Garfield]

I thought that we were on the gold standard until Nixon's reign.

[onewhippedpuppy]

But it requires READING Tabs.........

[daepp]

With all the spelling and grammar errors I would be surprised it was taken from anything published.

That being said, I agree with it 100%. It's an accurate description of the zeitgeist of the time! I love his posts.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Jim Garfield

I thought that we were on the gold standard until Nixon's reign.

The $$$ was pegged to $35 an OZ from 1944 until Nixon took the US off the Gold Standard in 1973. Meaning the $$ was no longer backed by Gold. The $$ was then allowed to float on the world market. In 1933 FDR had everybody turn in their Gold Coins, until Nixon it was illegal to own Bullion in the US. Coins were permited as collectables.


In 1967 De Gaulle turned in his paper $$ and demanded that France be paid in Gold. The USA was using an artificially strong $ to help finance the Vietnam war.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by daepp

With all the spelling and grammar errors I would be surprised it was taken from anything published.

That being said, I agree with it 100%. It's an accurate description of the zeitgeist of the time! I love his posts.

Maybe you should check your dictionary either that or Spell Check is wrong. Which is it? The spelling errors that are there are on purpose. I do have some organization probelms and the grammer could be cleaned up. But why bother, this isn't for publication merely entertainment.

For me it is the presentation of the idea.

[azasadny]

Good stuff Tabs!

[Taz's Master]

Tabs, your need for outside affirmation to validate your thoughts and actions should concern you.

[911Rob]

My Grandpa was born at the turn of the century; he's still alive today and although he doesn't tell stories like he used to, I would sit and talk with him for hours upon hours about the good 'ol days.

He'd often say, "Rob, I'm glad you asked, not many do, so let me tell you........" I would just love to hear his stories of the dirty 30's. What a time!

Somewhere around 1915, when he got his drivers license (good for life, ha) it was called a chauffeurs license and he explains how it would be similar to someone having a pilots license today. He was one of the very few to first have one.

Good write up tabs, thanks!

[daepp]

I wholeheartedly agree - Good stuff Tabs - I was just authenticating the originality of your prose.

And BTW - I'm the king of the tpyo!!!!!!!

[MT930]

True, accurate and nicely written.

[2.7RACER]

Tabs,
Well written. My parents lived through the depression as teenagers. My father was the classic "Okie" travelling with his family to Northern California from eastern Oklahoma in the late '30's.
Being dirt poor was the norm in those days. Hard working people lost everything. What little money they had was lost in bank failures.
President Roosevelt offered hope and the promise of better times.
When the war for the US began December 7, 1941, the rest of the world had been locked in a mortal struggle for over 2 years.
There was no good news, only defeat after defeat in the early months. It was concievable we all would be slaves to the Japanese and Germans if we didn't all pull together and fight.
It was very simply our fight for survival. No one knew the outcome.
Slowly with everyone pulling in the same direction the tide began to turn.
At very great cost, everyone knew someone over there.
Everyone knew of the loss of sons, friends and neighbors.

This was personal.

The entire nation suffered. We knew who was the enemy. We knew exactly why we were fighting. We also knew if we didn't put every effort into this struggle now, there would be no hope for a future, nothing.

Our backs were against the wall.

When we finally prevailed a great weight was lifted from each and every person in America. We had killed the dragon and entered into a time of peace and prosperity.
Our fighting men came home with the life changing experience of all out war. The nation had come from the bottom with a set of values gained from close to a generation of suffering and struggle.
Today we read this in a history book, knowing how the story played out.
We have great wealth. The fathers and mothers, grand fathers and grand mothers that suffered so are leaving us.
The challenge for us today is to remember it can happen again.
The world can go to hell in a hand basket.

The question is will we as a nation find the resolve to unite and overcome?

[Joeaksa]

Would agree with most of the above but FDR knew of Pearl Harbor ahead of time and did nothing to allow America to have a reason to get into the war.

He also gave away the Far East at this time and the world will never be the same because of it.

[tabs]

Joey if FDR knew the NIps were gona bomb Pearl their planes would have found an empty harbor. Our Aircraft Carriers would have been lieing in wait, to hit them hard. There is no way that any President would have left 8 Battleships sitting like ducks in the harbor.

What part of the Far east did FDR give away. If you remember, at the time the little yellow men were not given very much credit.


Now here is the real reason why FDR didn't know about the Jap plans for Pearl. FDR wanted to fight the Germans and not the Japs. Fighting the Japs would not only be a distraction but the WRONG WAR. It was the Japs, Americans were mad at not the Krauts. How was FDR going to get America involved in a war with Germany, if he was allready fighting the Japs.

FDR got lucky and Hitler declared war on America on December 11, 1941. Hitler did so because he thought the Japs would then declare war on Russia to help him out. But the Japs knew better, because they had tangled with the Russians a coupla years earlier up in Manchuria. The Japs got their as$$es kicked by the Russians. Russian T-34's sliced right through the rice burning, beer cans that the Japs called tanks.

Hindsight is 20/20 Joey.

[911Rob]

Originally Posted by 2.7RACER

Tabs,
Well written. My parents lived through the depression as teenagers. My father was the classic "Okie" travelling with his family to Northern California from eastern Oklahoma in the late '30's.
Being dirt poor was the norm in those days. Hard working people lost everything. What little money they had was lost in bank failures.
President Roosevelt offered hope and the promise of better times.
When the war for the US began December 7, 1941, the rest of the world had been locked in a mortal struggle for over 2 years.
There was no good news, only defeat after defeat in the early months. It was concievable we all would be slaves to the Japanese and Germans if we didn't all pull together and fight.
It was very simply our fight for survival. No one knew the outcome.
Slowly with everyone pulling in the same direction the tide began to turn.
At very great cost, everyone knew someone over there.
Everyone knew of the loss of sons, friends and neighbors.

This was personal.

The entire nation suffered. We knew who was the enemy. We knew exactly why we were fighting. We also knew if we didn't put every effort into this struggle now, there would be no hope for a future, nothing.

Our backs were against the wall.

When we finally prevailed a great weight was lifted from each and every person in America. We had killed the dragon and entered into a time of peace and prosperity.
Our fighting men came home with the life changing experience of all out war. The nation had come from the bottom with a set of values gained from close to a generation of suffering and struggle.
Today we read this in a history book, knowing how the story played out.
We have great wealth. The fathers and mothers, grand fathers and grand mothers that suffered so are leaving us.
The challenge for us today is to remember it can happen again.
The world can go to hell in a hand basket.

The question is will we as a nation find the resolve to unite and overcome?

Great post Doug,
Would love to hear more.
Puts a lump in my throat to think of that kind of loyalty and dedication.
To give your life, or worse, your sons, for what you believe and honor.
Outstanding! Thanks.