Franklin Delano Roosevelt died 79 years ago today. Every American should remember his epic life and service to the cause of humanity. He was a titanic figure, arguably the most important human being of the 20th century because he was the greatest champion for freedom in an era during which the darkness closed in on the light. He is the only American president who truly stands as a peer of Abraham Lincoln. FDR saved free market capitalism, democracy and civilization. We should reach for his memory and the wisdom of his leadership in this time of national political turmoil and uncertainty. I’ve written much about FDR, including these essays below:
"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."
"Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education."
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
I visited the FDR Memorial in Washington, DC about 20 years ago. It is set up as, basically, four “rooms.” Each room represents a term in office. It is a low key and peaceful memorial.
There is a statue of him with his dog Fala. He is looking out calmly it seems to what was starting to happen in Europe. His quote: They who seek to establish systems of government based on the regimentation of all human beings by a handful of individual rulers call this a new order. It is not new and it is not order.”
Today, our finest robber barons continue to generously fund the GOP’s decades-old efforts to dismantle FDR’s legacy. Notably, their current hero is a man who dismisses those who died at Normandy as “suckers”.
In answer to Tracy Everitt, I was not from another country. I was born in California, I was a citizen of the U.S. I was 12 years old when this happened. We had laws and the constitution that supposedly protected me from this kind of treatment.
But he didn't like us, Japanese Americans. I spent 3 1/2 years in an American concentration camp during WW II because of FDR. Why did he do this to us, to me?
FDR was more like Geo. Washington than Abraham Lincoln. Both grew up in the Oligarchy of their time and both rose up to democracy. Lincoln was a (good) lawyer, but a lawyer nevertheless. Just say'n. All understood deeply what lies in the media of their times could do to destroy democracy and what history demanded by way of conversation and dialogue.
One of the most noble aspects of FDR was that he came from enormous wealth and, contrary to that US social dynamic, established meaningful, comprehensive financial support for poorer Americans, lifting them out of the hell of poverty where former boundaries ensured no escape. He established the Middle Class. We have witnessed how relatively ephemeral his efforts were, watching country club republicans utterly reestablishing the former conditional realities that reintroduced poverty. They destroyed the Middle Class. One question. Where were the members of FDR's political party during this desembling of the Middle Class?
The great FEMALE POLITICAL leader, Rosa Luxemburg, as she was being hanged for treason against the state, said this, and it is something I agree with---the People must choose between
"SOCIALISM OR BARBARISM".
You cannot have less than injustice and obscene wealth gaps in capitalism.
There is a way to suspect FDR of greatness, looking at the photo of FDR. No photos can show much.
If you look at his photo, you cannot see the character he had: you cannot see what his accomplishments just had to be; nothing of the great accomplishments he did is evident if judging by the face; it is the face of a white man with lots and lots of money (see the suit).
However, you see no Mafia cruelty, you see ugliness. It is a clean face, showing a resolute mouth.
Then look at Roy Cohn. The ugliness there on Cohn's face is beyond belief. By contrasting photos of Mafia men and FDR,, you see a bit of what FDR had the potential for.
Quotes by 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."
"Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education."
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
I visited the FDR Memorial in Washington, DC about 20 years ago. It is set up as, basically, four “rooms.” Each room represents a term in office. It is a low key and peaceful memorial.
There is a statue of him with his dog Fala. He is looking out calmly it seems to what was starting to happen in Europe. His quote: They who seek to establish systems of government based on the regimentation of all human beings by a handful of individual rulers call this a new order. It is not new and it is not order.”
Today, our finest robber barons continue to generously fund the GOP’s decades-old efforts to dismantle FDR’s legacy. Notably, their current hero is a man who dismisses those who died at Normandy as “suckers”.
In answer to Tracy Everitt, I was not from another country. I was born in California, I was a citizen of the U.S. I was 12 years old when this happened. We had laws and the constitution that supposedly protected me from this kind of treatment.
Chizu Omori
But he didn't like us, Japanese Americans. I spent 3 1/2 years in an American concentration camp during WW II because of FDR. Why did he do this to us, to me?
Chizu Omori
FDR was more like Geo. Washington than Abraham Lincoln. Both grew up in the Oligarchy of their time and both rose up to democracy. Lincoln was a (good) lawyer, but a lawyer nevertheless. Just say'n. All understood deeply what lies in the media of their times could do to destroy democracy and what history demanded by way of conversation and dialogue.
https://medium.com/liecatcher/inoculate-yourself-with-a-psematic-defense-ccc1e83c7a7e
One of the most noble aspects of FDR was that he came from enormous wealth and, contrary to that US social dynamic, established meaningful, comprehensive financial support for poorer Americans, lifting them out of the hell of poverty where former boundaries ensured no escape. He established the Middle Class. We have witnessed how relatively ephemeral his efforts were, watching country club republicans utterly reestablishing the former conditional realities that reintroduced poverty. They destroyed the Middle Class. One question. Where were the members of FDR's political party during this desembling of the Middle Class?
Thank you, Steve, for continuing to invoke the memory of our most important and inspirational leaders.
The great FEMALE POLITICAL leader, Rosa Luxemburg, as she was being hanged for treason against the state, said this, and it is something I agree with---the People must choose between
"SOCIALISM OR BARBARISM".
You cannot have less than injustice and obscene wealth gaps in capitalism.
wealth gaps.....
vs.
socialism.
How can there be a choice?
There is a way to suspect FDR of greatness, looking at the photo of FDR. No photos can show much.
If you look at his photo, you cannot see the character he had: you cannot see what his accomplishments just had to be; nothing of the great accomplishments he did is evident if judging by the face; it is the face of a white man with lots and lots of money (see the suit).
However, you see no Mafia cruelty, you see ugliness. It is a clean face, showing a resolute mouth.
Then look at Roy Cohn. The ugliness there on Cohn's face is beyond belief. By contrasting photos of Mafia men and FDR,, you see a bit of what FDR had the potential for.
Having a coherent statesman would be a relief. I suppose the amount of misinformation going around must have been tremendous, obviously.
So true