Franklin D Roosevelt.

Gogar · 05-20-2008, 08:20 AM

I saw a pretty interesting documentary on PBS last night about FDR. I'm not sure if it was the "american experience' one or not.

All these things:

Socialism
Regulated markets
Unions and regulated capitalism
The Press, and taste
Entitled upperclass leaders deciding how you should spend your money
Social security,

etc. etc.

Were all big parts of the FDR legacy. I thought it was interesting to watch and draw parallels to all the silliness that's going on these days; lots of the same talk, just turned up to 10, I think.

I think the only thing that has changed since then is the percentage of the populus that gives a $hit. Back then it seems like everyone was emotionally and financially invested in their love or hate (mostly hate) for the administration. Nowadays, 20% of the population screams its head off, and 80% yawn and turn on "the hills."

The thing I found most interesting was the unwritten cooperation between the Press and the govt to downplay and hide his physical ailments; something that could never happen now. In the Hyde Park FDR presidential library there's something like xx,000 pictures of him, and there's

TWO. Yes, two.

pictures of him in a wheelchair. Pretty amazing.

m21sniper · 05-20-2008, 08:23 AM

The American Emperor.

Many of the ills of modern day American can be laid at his doorstep.

Dan in Pasadena · Dan in Pasadena's Garage

Yeah, like ending the Great Depression and saving the World from Nazism and Fascism too.

m21sniper · 12:18 PM

Or not getting involved until the Problems were completely, totally out of hand to begin with because he wanted to crush the European colonial empires?

Had he declared war on the Axis in, say, 1936-1939....maybe he could get some credit as being a visionary fighter of Facism, but he didn't.

ANY US president would've seen WWII on to victory after Pearl Harbor. He just so happened to be the one sitting, and he also just so happened to be the only president who has suspended term limits so that he could continue on in power.

And no, i am sorry, i do not credit the introduction of socialism in America as 'ending the depression.'

Anything else to add?

PS: Ooooh, i have something to add. FDR is also the father of American Gun Control too.

Gogar · 05-20-2008, 08:56 AM

I just think it's interesting how the public during FDR was hugely divided, much like today; depending on which side of the new deal feed trough they were on.

The Gaijin · 05-20-2008, 08:59 AM

Apparently my grandfather disliked Ellenor as much as I dislike Hillary!

daepp · 05-20-2008, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Yeah, like ending the Great Depression and saving the World from Nazism and Fascism too.

Read Amity Shlaes recent book, The Forgotten Man. She demonstrates quite effectively what many even knew at the time - but has largely been downplayed since. To wit, that the majority of FDR's fixes served to extend the Depression, further ruining the common man.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Yeah, like ending the Great Depression and saving the World from Nazism and Fascism too.

WW II did those things, FDR did not.

sniper, there were no term limits when FDR was President, it was just the accepted norm, until some Democrat decided he was above all that

MRM · 09:14 AM

I come from people who were proud to vote 4 times against "That Man in the White House". I agree with much that is being said, but history is more nuanced. The main political movement in the 1930s was the isolationist movement. Then there were the American Firsters. Such as Lucky Lindberg. Ever hear of Father Coughlin? One of the most popular radio personalities of his time. Think Rush. There was no appetite to enter WWII in 1939 when it started in Europe or in 1938 when it started in Asia. The US was near Revolution in 1933 and was only concerned with keeping its citizens alive.

For an illustration of how bad it was, look into the history of how the Selective Service Act was passed in 1940 - by one vote. A guy named Sam Rayburn violated the spirit of every rule of the House of Representatives and saved our bacon. It's an amazing story. The US entered WWII with a standing Army because Sam Rayburn was a patriot who knew parlimentary procedure better than anyone else in the House.

stevepaa · 05-20-2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m21sniper

and he also just so happened to be the only president who has suspended term limits so that he could continue on in power.

Please clarify that. I think that is erroneous

stevepaa · 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobra

sniper, there were no term limits when FDR was President, it was just the accepted norm, until some Democrat decided he was above all that

actually Grant tried it first

yeah a Republican.

MRM · 05-20-2008, 09:16 AM

Sniper is big on the Constitution. It appears that he's never read it. Term limits for the president are contained in that document. It's worth reading once or twice.

Gogar · 05-20-2008, 09:34 AM

http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am22.html

February, 1951.

Moses · 05-20-2008, 09:59 AM

This was FDR's biggest failure;

varmint · 05-20-2008, 10:04 AM

FDR was as close to a dictatorship as we've ever come. he tried to add more justices to the supreme court so they'd rubber stamp his power grabs. and his administration was full of commies.

stevepaa · 05-20-2008, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daepp

Read Amity Shlaes recent book, The Forgotten Man. She demonstrates quite effectively what many even knew at the time - but has largely been downplayed since. To wit, that the majority of FDR's fixes served to extend the Depression, further ruining the common man.

depends on who writes the book.

9dreizig · 05-20-2008, 10:19 AM

I watched it as well.. Found it extremely interesting that he was silently waging a war on Germany without the public knowing it.. Also the turn of industry from making cars etc to planes and tanks was amazing..
Interesting how much of the social issues were Ellenor instigated..