FDR Saw This Coming And Tried To Warn Us

[Playinghardball]

We should have listened


Found on MoveOn.org

[Dawson Leery]

1. k/r

[liberalmike27]

36. Sadly, it's a little like

The scorpion crossing the river on the Turtle, that bit the turtle, knowing it'd drown both. The Turtle asked "Why did you bite me." The scorpion said "It's my nature."

We are all the turtle, the innocents, suffering along with the rich (The scorpions), their venom.

Point is, the rich think nothing is going to happen to them, but they are wrong. In the end, it comes back to get us all. Even they may regret allowing money to be so hoarded into a few hands.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Playinghardball.

[66 dmhlt]

34. Another FDR Gem:

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.”

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/franklind163168.html

[freshwest]

38. FDR's Definition of Fascism:

“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerated the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself.

That in its essence is fascism: ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.”

― Franklin D. Roosevelt


Can anyone say that this is not happening?

[Marley01]

3. The greatest President

FDR did more than any President for the common man than any President has every done period. The facts are there prove me wrong.

[closeupready]

7. Ditto that.

K&R

[MarianJack]

19. IMHO,...

...He was the greatest of all Presidents.

PEACE!

[rwsanders]

21. Also agree...

Even if there were others that had the potential for greatness, he faced challenges that were greater than any other president except maybe Lincoln. He did it with great vision for what would make the country great. He did do things that were mistakes in hindsight (interment camps), but I'm sure he would be the first to say that we should correct the mistake and move on.
If his second bill of rights had come to pass we wouldn't have to fight the battle we have to fight now.
Sad his leadership is forgotten. Also funny how the right likes to rattle sabers, but hasn't had a president who has won a war since McKinley (if it isn't declared by congress, it isn't a war).

[WiffenPoof]

24. Yep The Best Indeed...

Of course, today he would be considered a Left Wing, Commie, Pinko Pig. You see...there was a time when I was just considered a Democrat...I haven't changed...but now I'm a part of the extreme. Go figure.

[joshcryer]

25. NLRB and NLRA

Neutering of labor started with FDR. NLRA was the direct precursor to Taft–Hartley. In fact, it enabled it.

He did good things, possibly more than any for the common man than any other President.

But he also did very bad things.

Here's a cute letter he to someone in Labor: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15445

[FogerRox]

45. Taft Hartley was huge warning sign,m Reagans handling of the PATCO strike was another caution sign

A cute letter, hah, FDR makes an excellent point in that letter.

[SidDithers]

28. He's particularly loved by Japanese-Americans...nt

Sid

[Hepburn]

39. +1,000,000!

See my Scottie? I got my first Scottie Dog when I was in grade school and that was because of my admiration for FDR. I wanted a dog just like Fala. When I was a child and I read about what he had done and how he overcame his own handicaps from polio, he became my hero. To this day, he is still and will always be my #1 hero.

[freshwest]

40. FDR on Social Justice and Human Kindness:

“In these days of difficulty, we Americans everywhere must and shall choose the path of social justice… the path of faith, the path of hope, and the path of love toward our fellow man.”

― Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”

― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Is there no clearer contrast between the intentions of this man and those of the GOP, like Bush and torture, the actions of GOP governors across this country and now the Ryan budget approved by Romney?

[dotymed]

42. There is no doubt.

FDR did made some mistakes (Japanese Internment) but he has been the greatest leader we have ever had. His only wish was that Americans were treated fairly and not be the victims of unfettered capitalism. Eleanor was instrumental in shaping his policy.
It is so sad that because of the Fascist state we have become, we can no longer elect a President who puts people before profits. If he had survived and gotten the SECOND BILL OF RIGHTS passed, America would be a different country.
Maybe that was the cause of his death. TPTB will stop at nothing to retain and increase their power/profits. They attempted a coup against our country and FDR. If those aristocrats had been prosecuted, that too would have been a positive thing for America's future.

[WillyT]

43. Yep... K & R !!!

[MannyGoldstein]

4. What did FDR know about the realities of politics?

Realistically, we must do almost anything these selfish men, er, Job Creators want.

If FDR had ever been President, he'd have gotten nothing done.

[nebenaube]

8. um...

Perhaps you shouldn't participate at this site... this kind of ignorance is embarrassing.

[malthaussen]

11. um...

Manny doesn't use the "sarcasm" tag.

-- Mal

[sulphurdunn]

35. The sarcasm thingy

should be retired.

[MannyGoldstein]

15. Sorry - I didn't use the "sarcasm" thingy

Under normal circumstances I suspect that I wouldn't need it... but hard to tell fact from fiction these days.

[tclambert]

33. Good sarcasm is hard to tell from sincere stupidity.

Lots of conservatives think Stephen Colbert is really one of them. There are Tea Party "morans" who want government to keep its hands off Medicare who might honestly make the statement you made originally, or just say, "Amen" to it. The tip off to your sarcasm was a complex sentence structure with correctly spelled words.

[scheming daemons]

13. FDR never had to deal with a GOP congress and always had at least 65 Dem Senators

Give our current president a filibuster-proof Senate and a 300-130 edge in the house like FDR had and some more shit might get done.


As for the 60-Senators Obama had for about 3 months in 2009, since a handful were blue dogs who voted with the GOP, it wasn't a filibuster-proof majority.

We need 60+ *REAL* dems (Lieberman doesn't count).


Then some shit could get done.

[provis99]

14. half of those "Democratic" congressmen were arch-conservative Southern Democrats.

he still got stuff done.

[Smarmie Doofus]

17. Ex-actly ! n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

22. Carter Glass of Virginia was a prominent pain in FDR's side wrt the New Deal

as was fellow Virginian Harry F. Byrd. On the other side of the Southern Democrats was Joseph Robinson of Arkansas, who was an enthusiastic and influential supporter of the New Deal.

[MannyGoldstein]

16. Obama could have UNQUESTIONABLY done all kinds of things

From fighting for his campaign pledge of a public option with no mandate, to vetoing NDAA, "free" trade agreements, Cantor's JOBS Act, and other disturbing/evil legislation.

He chose not to.

P.S. - RomneyObamaCare was passed by reconciliation. No Lieberman needed.

[bongbong]

18. I like it!

"RomneyObamaCare"

Great for use on the unhinged savage thugs known as "repukes".

[joshcryer]

27. That is patently false.

Lieberman voted yes: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00396

[joshcryer]

26. The labor movement was huge back then, and he killed it.

They gave him the benefit of the doubt and he paved the way to neuter labor completely. It worked, too. Though, WWII helped, also, but NLRA paved the way for it.

[brush]

30. Real Dems

Thank you. You are so right. Many people forget what the President has been up against for most of his time in office. All the repugs have vowed to make him a one-term president and the treacherous blue-dog dems have voted right along with them, yet quite a bit still got done.

[pnwmom]

31. Lieberman wasn't a Democrat during that three month period, he was an Independent

who had beaten the Democrat, and took pleasure in voting against the Dems.

So we never had 60 Senators, not even for the three months.

[joshcryer]

32. Yeah, Liberman framed the whole thing, shame Franken was held back, too.

[liberalmike27]

37. This is Exactly Right

We need not only 60 plus, but we need voting in off-term elections to achieve it. Corporate money was a big factor in 2010, but more than that, it was a whole lot of folks that voted in 2008, NOT voting for Obama in 2010, that allowed the Senate and House to revert to "impotent" status, and allowed Republicans to filibuster over 300 jobs' producing bills in the House.

If there is any hope at all of getting corporate money out of elections, or getting a living wage, perhaps some reasonable laws about trade instead of our send all the jobs away strategy, just good sense people stuff, we're going to have to make it almost impossible for a Republican to get elected, even as dog-catcher. Only then will the political spectrum start moving back to the left enough to achieve the things we need done.

That said, I think FDR had 66, but he didn't have the media, and the level of bribery going on now to fight against, along with 34 years of constant brainwashing on hating the poor, and worshiping the rich.

[FogerRox]

46. FDR used the fireside chat to great effect

also there were only 48 states, so the Dem majority in the Senate should be looked at in that regard.

On Oct., 22nd 1933 FDR went on the radio and declared there will nore more foreclosures, told Americans they should send a telegraph to a new office he opened to handle foreclosures if they faced losing the farm or home..

The flood of mail and telegrams were then touted to Congress as a mandate, or as a club to force Congress to Action. FDR played hard ball with the best.

http://www.mhric.org/fdr/chat4.html

[dotymed]

47. Possibly and I hope we get the chance to find out.

But FDR walked the walk. Remember his threat to pack the supreme court? Obama could have done the same thing for his health (insurance) "reform" bill. There are so many instances of FDR going around the PTB and taking his case directly to the American people. He informed the electorate and made it virtually impossible for his opposition to vote against the interests of Americans. They would have been creating political suicide.
If President Obama would have done this during the bailouts for the wealthy (instead of supporting it) or the health care debates (2/3 of Americans want universal health care) he could have gotten any thing that was good for America.
I will vote Obama and straight Democratic, one more time. I want fairness and a just life in our country. I strongly believe that our time for getting this at the ballot box has passed. IMO it will take a peoples revolution (and the end of the two party system) for Americans to get back on the path that FDR laid out for us. I hope this can be achieved peacefully, but TPTB will fight dirty. Like the "Brooks Brothers riots of 2000 that installed W.
Personally, I think that President Obama should pack the SCOTUS right now and challenge citizens united to start with.

[jtuck004]

5. So, perhaps in the spirit of keeping your enemies closer, we hire them to help formulate

economic policy.

[antigop]

6. except it's not just men....nt

[jwirr]

9. K&R I have always love this man. Remember setting on my mothers lap as she cried while listening

to his funeral on the radio. He was not perfect but he was way above most of the world leaders today. President Obama would do well to emulate this man while still being true to himself.

[Moonwalk]

10. What an amazing quote! K&R

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. We DID listen. We forgot. And of course we got stupid. n/t

[lonestarnot]

20. And ALEC became expert wing clippers right under our noses.

[upi402]

23. He wouldn't get into the nomination debates now

I want my party back. Then we can get our country back.

[Norrin Radd]

29. kr

[jopeli]

41. Did FDR foresee Fox news and talk radio

The big difference now is this: A small group of selfish men control information and thus the voters .

[Egalitarian Thug]

44. I like how this thread honoring the greatest President turns into

a litany of excuses for why this one is not even close.

President Roosevelt did some bad things, but he achieved so much good. President Obama has done some good, but he has failed at far more.