Wonderful column Steve. Indeed a champion of ALL the American people like FDR is exactly what we need. The terrible corruption and greed that has infected American political life, with members of congress being funded by special interests, and even Supreme Court Justices on the take from those of obscene wealth and privilege - how can we overcome that? How can the NRA power with every level of government be overcome? We need a leader with the resolve and bravery of FDR. Like David H's comment a few minutes before mine, I only see the beginnings of that spark in some of the young people today. I hope they can make the changes that are so obviously neeeded.
Loved, loved, loved this piece, Steve! Once again, you have held up the mirror we should all look into and reflect on what we see.
As a relatively young nation with a diverse population of almost 350 million people, a large land mass with areas so large and different that they could be several smaller countries, it stand to reason that just as we “produced” the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Margaret Chase Smith, Edmund Muskie, George Miller, William Cohen, and Nancy Pelosi who saved the union, built our society almost from the ground up, and strove to preserve and protect our nation and its values and ideals; we also “produced” the likes of James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren G. Harding, Richard Nixon, Donald Trump, Joseph McCarthy, Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Josh Hawley, and Kevin McCarthy, who set out to destroy what had been built and to impose their prejudice, racism, bigotry and devotion to white supremacy on the entire nation by usurping power and entrenching the tyranny of the minority.
What offends, outrages, infuriates and saddens - take your pick - me is that we, the people, have been so complacent and disengaged that we now face the era of mediocrity. The tyranny of the minority has been established by a combination of lopsided representation in the House of Representatives because of gerrymandering and voter suppression measures taken to ensure that only the “right” people can vote, and reinforced with a Supreme Court of the United States packed with the corrupt, the liars and hypocrites, the boot licker, the handmaid, and the feckless and spineless, who solicit, with their writings whether in concordance or dissent, cases that should not be decided by the Supreme Court, and who avail themselves of suspect data to inform their rulings. The net result is that in the 21st century we have become the nation that settles for the mediocre in our lives and in our government and who have outsourced the power and responsibility of our citizenship to those who want to take us back to the era of bigotry and white supremacy.
How is it that in this day and age we sit there in our complacency and listen to Donald Trump lie over and over and over again and say things like, “I don’t like Trump, but his policies are good.” Really!? Are you serious? Tax cuts for those already rich who are already not paying their fair share of taxes? Alienating our Allie’s throughout the world? Putting the interests of Vladimir Putin above the interest of the U.S.A.? These are the good policies?
There is a lot of talk about bringing back manufacturing, about “made in America.” I would respectfully suggest is that we, the people, stop sitting on our laurels, start exercising the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship and stop settling for mediocrity!
Wow, Irma you are right on all accounts! The people, bent, spent, used, abused, beat down, etc., every dollar earned is already spent before it's earned. The American way of life, living in debt. This is what happens when we allow the govt. to allow big business, to run our lives.
Perfect example you stated, Manufacturing, in pursuit of profits moving Made in America, to the rest of the world. How's that working out in the long run. Sicking, everything in our world is about money, money, and more money.
BTW, your last name wasn't Smith previous, was it? Don't know too many Irma's, former wife's name was Irma. :-)
No, the last name is not nor was it ever, Smith. Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it. I also post on Substack. Go to : irmastuart.substack.com. Your feedback would be appreciated. You can subscribe to my newsletter. It’s free, as I don’t have a paywall. Thank you again for your comments.
I remember my parents discussing April 12 1945. They had moved from NYC to DC to support the war effort. When my father told my mother of FDR’s death, her first comment was “… is this another Republican lie?..,”. Their love of FDR impacted their political outlook, and in turn, my own belief if the possibility of visionary government for and by the people ( yes, I am mixing a little Lincoln in here).
We have an opportunity to further the FDR vision. Yes we are again at the inflection point of international and national crisis. We are seeing leaders emerge ( think about the Justins). We are the leaders to create a better future. FDR showed us how it could be done.
Omg, "another Republican lie?" The GOP's lying goes all the way back to FDR? This is part of their DNA? After all, they birthed Trump, not the Democrats.....
I was 12 years old when FDR died - he’d been President throughout the years of my childhood - I was walking through a backyad in my neighborhood in Smyrna, Georgia, and heard the news on the radio comin out of the house there. Years later, I went to the FDR memorial in DC, sat on a bench, and burst into tears. He was a prince and a true hero - We all owe a debt of tremendous gratitude to him - and the safety net he established that I now take advantage of in my elder years. Thanks for honoring him.
When you were at the FDR memorial, did you see visitors standing in the breadline? For those who have not seen the memorial, there are bronze statues standing in line to remember the starvation of the early Depression. There is space between the statues, and visitors will "join" the line, participating in a piece of US history.
I believe FDR would handle the epidemic of mass shootings with candor and action. He made sure the FBI was armed to fight the threat from dangerous criminals of the day. He was able to get legislation to ban automatic weapons. FDR was not a perfect man, as you mentioned, however he was a visionary and he was determined. His vision of a more fair system led to changes on Wall Street and on the streets where you and I live. FDR's fireside chats made a difference of how the common man envisioned government. We need that type of politics today. Someone who understands how to communicate to the masses and revitalize our society to where we are not living in fear. FDR once said "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." I still believe that statement is relevant today. We are in a time of crisis and change needs to happen. Republicans will not act because they are in bed with the lobbyists. They are more interested in keeping their jobs than they are in keeping our children and grandchildren safe. Their solution to the problem is to arm teachers. Yes arm the teachers with books not weapons. We need teachers in classrooms not police officers. Vote Blue for change and let teachers teach the children and have discussions about what makes people uncomfortable. That is the way you overcome fear and promote understanding.
Well said Patrick, anyone more interested in keeping a job than protecting children needs to find another job, maybe a job with a broom since they don’t seem to have vision for anything more complicated. When I was a child first in school in the 50’s no one in the schools carried a weapon, books 📚 were what our teachers were armed with, we need to get back to that reality. No interpretation of the 2nd amendment, and that’s where the problem lies, interpretation, is worth the life of one child. We have a highly trained military to protect us, we don’t need 20 million assault weapons in the general non-regulated population, “just in case”. We live in an era of lunacy where profit is more important than the lives of our children and grandchildren. More guns in our schools, stores, churches, and on our streets is not the correct answer to the problem we face, it doesn’t take a genius to see that.
I totally agree, more guns will result in more deaths. More books will result in more Nobel Laureates. I would rather live in the latter world as I am sure you also agree.
Your column shows why the current right-wing attempt to destroy teaching history must be stopped. FDR showed how government can work to help all people, not just the White Christian Patriarchy. Every move the current GOP makes is an action to destroy our social safety net. If Americans are not taught history they can easily be manipulated. Thanks again for speaking truth.
Unfortunately, I do not see an FDR in the makeup of our current leadership. However, I am hopeful that one )or more will arise from this current youth movement. They will have my fill support.
That you and @Cindy - and I - and perhaps others do not see this kind of leadership upcoming, is that we don't know enough of those in states who may be just the persons to lead us differently? To have the courage of conviction and the lack of fear (perhaps because they have means or no financial means and rather support?) to speak up and act?
What a beautiful essay Steve ~ thank you for this piece of inspiring history. When you paint these word pictures of great leaders it gives us an idea of what to aim for in choosing such a leader should one arise. I do fear with all of our modern technology that there isn’t enough time spent in critical thinking and expression. It’s the quick click now, and on to the next. I do hope and pray that the leader and the people needed for these times will rise above all that. Your excellent gifts of expression do rise above it, it gives me hope that there are others as well.
Your best yet. Thanks. FDR and his wife Eleanor were my dad's heroes. FDR's speech that you excerpted from was filled with words needed for today. A man of great wealth and privilege knowing the limitations and dangers they carry. Where are the ultra-privileged today in public office? Where are the 1970s, '80s and '90s graduates of Phillips Andover and Phillips Exeter? The graduate of St. George's School is none other than Tucker Carlson, married to the headmaster's wife. These schools have put public service at the center of their ethos for centuries, but how many graduates heeded the call? I have faith there will be other great leaders like FDR, who may come from any walks of life, including perhaps the chambers of Nashville via Oakland, C,A and Memphis, TN. We are a great nation because of our diversity and our freedom, which must bind us together. This is the fight of our lives. We must all step out of our comfort zones and fight for freedom in whatever big or small ways we are able. Thanks, Steve, for your continued clarity and truth-telling.
I think it’s right and proper to praise all that FDR did to bring our country through such a dark time, but I believe it’s misleading and unfair not to credit Eleanor Roosevelt who probably was equally as responsible for his successes and one of the most remarkable and powerful First Ladies we’ve ever had. Many of his programs came through the lens of her eyes, ears and travel. Part of the tectonic shift in our age will be raising the awareness and respecting the contribution of women. Roosevelt also had the power of the audio media and the cooperation of the press ( mostly male) who carefully helped downplay his visual disabilities. His polio taught him humility and made a statesman out of a playboy.
I completely agree -- Eleanor Roosevelt, too, was exceptional. I have written about her before and described her as FDR's "indispensable political partner and conscience." Here's the essay if you'd like to read it: https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/the-husband-of-that-woman.
April 12, 1945. April 12, 2023. There is something so illuminating about anniversaries, today as you remember the death of FDR. Three capital letters that define the man who would bestow American Legacy to the world. Our future now, a future in the making for coming generations. Our dear Marsha Shalloway asked me why men of different generations have acted so senselessly about the rights of women such as is the late attainment of the Women's Right To Vote and now the predicament faced in the Healthcare of Women and abortion medication, added to the Violence of failed gun control legislation (my rewording and may Marsha accept what I have written, now for the second time as I inadvertently erased my first comment, mishaps of clumsiness). I held on to my response. How significant it is for me now to repeat what you once again have quoted from President Roosevelt for this community of readers:
"... let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." Yes, Marsha, it is always Fear that impedes progress, in the sense that any flawed individual speaking for collective good does over and over again. Who is the one who dares to say of him or herself that he/she is a flawless one? No one is flawless. We are being subjugated to the will of a bunch of flawed women and men, mostly men, who have no capacity for introspection. It takes one American to push forward, at any given time and any given place. Hubris overtakes those who do not understand E Pluribus Unum.
Excellent piece Steve. A lot to think about. I think we're in the scariest, most depressing political shake-up of my lifetime. I'm in my 70's so I grew up in, what I think was, the best years to be a child in the United States. You are right, and I am so glad to hear you speak so forthrightly about the moment we are in. I know also that you are right when you express brilliantly "the tectonic plates of history are moving toward the end of an era." In that statement you have a vision that I struggle to see and need to hear. I must say here that I love the videos you find and share with us. I watch everything. Your grasp of history and reference to it are jus the best. I was a history major and see all of this through that lens but you really are laser focused.
Smiling. In a totally different context, @Steve and @Claire, today a work-related conversation wondered what happened to all those of my gen (also in my 70s and still working) from my industry (hospitality) who either never knew or refuse to remember what we had done that could have moved DEI/DEIAB along and chose not to. It is the same both forgetting intentionally or not and not using what we've learned. Not formally educated enough to know why, I ask.
Thank you for an eloquent tribute to our greatest president who, as you say, saved the world. But he didn't do it alone: he had an outstanding knack for picking remarkable administrators who built and guided the New Deal not least of whom was Eleanor.
We at the Living New Deal (https://livingnewdeal.org/) are uncovering and revealing the immense and indispensable legacy left to us by the New Dealers. Those ubiquitous artifacts are trying to speak to us in an ethical language we have been persuaded to forget by those who hated the Roosevelts because they were practicing, rather than professing, Christians committed to helping those less economically fortunate than themselves as well as to a government that served all citizens rather than those who could afford to buy it. No wonder few Americans know about the debt we all owe to FDR and the New Dealers: of the 55,000 museums in the U.S., none are dedicated to what the New Deal did and left us. That is not accidental.
Worth every penny. Steve's insights are kind of hard to wrap your mind around. They're literally next level. His creator has bestowed him with a phenomenal mind.
Smart! This community is my saving grace in a world that is just nuts. The civility, the warmth, the knowledge - Steve writes it. We write more and we hear each other. Welcome back.
This speech of FDR made me cry for the loss of the goodness of my country and our noble beliefs. Thank you, Steve for the best words reminding us to keep the faith. Go Reps. Jones and Pearson!
And I cried because my parents and grandparents (all z"l) are so long gone and brought me up on FDR's beliefs. I cried as I read because I wanted to call my mom, esp. and read it to her and ask her more questions. Alas.
Wonderful column Steve. Indeed a champion of ALL the American people like FDR is exactly what we need. The terrible corruption and greed that has infected American political life, with members of congress being funded by special interests, and even Supreme Court Justices on the take from those of obscene wealth and privilege - how can we overcome that? How can the NRA power with every level of government be overcome? We need a leader with the resolve and bravery of FDR. Like David H's comment a few minutes before mine, I only see the beginnings of that spark in some of the young people today. I hope they can make the changes that are so obviously neeeded.
Spot On, Craig--$$$
Loved, loved, loved this piece, Steve! Once again, you have held up the mirror we should all look into and reflect on what we see.
As a relatively young nation with a diverse population of almost 350 million people, a large land mass with areas so large and different that they could be several smaller countries, it stand to reason that just as we “produced” the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Margaret Chase Smith, Edmund Muskie, George Miller, William Cohen, and Nancy Pelosi who saved the union, built our society almost from the ground up, and strove to preserve and protect our nation and its values and ideals; we also “produced” the likes of James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren G. Harding, Richard Nixon, Donald Trump, Joseph McCarthy, Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Josh Hawley, and Kevin McCarthy, who set out to destroy what had been built and to impose their prejudice, racism, bigotry and devotion to white supremacy on the entire nation by usurping power and entrenching the tyranny of the minority.
What offends, outrages, infuriates and saddens - take your pick - me is that we, the people, have been so complacent and disengaged that we now face the era of mediocrity. The tyranny of the minority has been established by a combination of lopsided representation in the House of Representatives because of gerrymandering and voter suppression measures taken to ensure that only the “right” people can vote, and reinforced with a Supreme Court of the United States packed with the corrupt, the liars and hypocrites, the boot licker, the handmaid, and the feckless and spineless, who solicit, with their writings whether in concordance or dissent, cases that should not be decided by the Supreme Court, and who avail themselves of suspect data to inform their rulings. The net result is that in the 21st century we have become the nation that settles for the mediocre in our lives and in our government and who have outsourced the power and responsibility of our citizenship to those who want to take us back to the era of bigotry and white supremacy.
How is it that in this day and age we sit there in our complacency and listen to Donald Trump lie over and over and over again and say things like, “I don’t like Trump, but his policies are good.” Really!? Are you serious? Tax cuts for those already rich who are already not paying their fair share of taxes? Alienating our Allie’s throughout the world? Putting the interests of Vladimir Putin above the interest of the U.S.A.? These are the good policies?
There is a lot of talk about bringing back manufacturing, about “made in America.” I would respectfully suggest is that we, the people, stop sitting on our laurels, start exercising the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship and stop settling for mediocrity!
Agree 100%, Irma.
Steve
Wow, Irma you are right on all accounts! The people, bent, spent, used, abused, beat down, etc., every dollar earned is already spent before it's earned. The American way of life, living in debt. This is what happens when we allow the govt. to allow big business, to run our lives.
Perfect example you stated, Manufacturing, in pursuit of profits moving Made in America, to the rest of the world. How's that working out in the long run. Sicking, everything in our world is about money, money, and more money.
BTW, your last name wasn't Smith previous, was it? Don't know too many Irma's, former wife's name was Irma. :-)
No, the last name is not nor was it ever, Smith. Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it. I also post on Substack. Go to : irmastuart.substack.com. Your feedback would be appreciated. You can subscribe to my newsletter. It’s free, as I don’t have a paywall. Thank you again for your comments.
I remember my parents discussing April 12 1945. They had moved from NYC to DC to support the war effort. When my father told my mother of FDR’s death, her first comment was “… is this another Republican lie?..,”. Their love of FDR impacted their political outlook, and in turn, my own belief if the possibility of visionary government for and by the people ( yes, I am mixing a little Lincoln in here).
We have an opportunity to further the FDR vision. Yes we are again at the inflection point of international and national crisis. We are seeing leaders emerge ( think about the Justins). We are the leaders to create a better future. FDR showed us how it could be done.
Yes, I agree with you. Thinking about the courage and integrity of the Justins gives me hope.
Omg, "another Republican lie?" The GOP's lying goes all the way back to FDR? This is part of their DNA? After all, they birthed Trump, not the Democrats.....
They've always been like this on the past century, especially after the time of Eisenhower, who in my mind was the last decent Republican President.
I was 12 years old when FDR died - he’d been President throughout the years of my childhood - I was walking through a backyad in my neighborhood in Smyrna, Georgia, and heard the news on the radio comin out of the house there. Years later, I went to the FDR memorial in DC, sat on a bench, and burst into tears. He was a prince and a true hero - We all owe a debt of tremendous gratitude to him - and the safety net he established that I now take advantage of in my elder years. Thanks for honoring him.
When you were at the FDR memorial, did you see visitors standing in the breadline? For those who have not seen the memorial, there are bronze statues standing in line to remember the starvation of the early Depression. There is space between the statues, and visitors will "join" the line, participating in a piece of US history.
Yes I saw and was moved by that - I stood in line. It’s an elegant memorial.
I believe FDR would handle the epidemic of mass shootings with candor and action. He made sure the FBI was armed to fight the threat from dangerous criminals of the day. He was able to get legislation to ban automatic weapons. FDR was not a perfect man, as you mentioned, however he was a visionary and he was determined. His vision of a more fair system led to changes on Wall Street and on the streets where you and I live. FDR's fireside chats made a difference of how the common man envisioned government. We need that type of politics today. Someone who understands how to communicate to the masses and revitalize our society to where we are not living in fear. FDR once said "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." I still believe that statement is relevant today. We are in a time of crisis and change needs to happen. Republicans will not act because they are in bed with the lobbyists. They are more interested in keeping their jobs than they are in keeping our children and grandchildren safe. Their solution to the problem is to arm teachers. Yes arm the teachers with books not weapons. We need teachers in classrooms not police officers. Vote Blue for change and let teachers teach the children and have discussions about what makes people uncomfortable. That is the way you overcome fear and promote understanding.
Well said Patrick, anyone more interested in keeping a job than protecting children needs to find another job, maybe a job with a broom since they don’t seem to have vision for anything more complicated. When I was a child first in school in the 50’s no one in the schools carried a weapon, books 📚 were what our teachers were armed with, we need to get back to that reality. No interpretation of the 2nd amendment, and that’s where the problem lies, interpretation, is worth the life of one child. We have a highly trained military to protect us, we don’t need 20 million assault weapons in the general non-regulated population, “just in case”. We live in an era of lunacy where profit is more important than the lives of our children and grandchildren. More guns in our schools, stores, churches, and on our streets is not the correct answer to the problem we face, it doesn’t take a genius to see that.
I totally agree, more guns will result in more deaths. More books will result in more Nobel Laureates. I would rather live in the latter world as I am sure you also agree.
Your column shows why the current right-wing attempt to destroy teaching history must be stopped. FDR showed how government can work to help all people, not just the White Christian Patriarchy. Every move the current GOP makes is an action to destroy our social safety net. If Americans are not taught history they can easily be manipulated. Thanks again for speaking truth.
Unfortunately, I do not see an FDR in the makeup of our current leadership. However, I am hopeful that one )or more will arise from this current youth movement. They will have my fill support.
I did not know about Barrack Obama until he was elected at the Democratic Convention.
That you and @Cindy - and I - and perhaps others do not see this kind of leadership upcoming, is that we don't know enough of those in states who may be just the persons to lead us differently? To have the courage of conviction and the lack of fear (perhaps because they have means or no financial means and rather support?) to speak up and act?
@Steve - who do you see that perhaps we do not?
I share this concern.
What a beautiful essay Steve ~ thank you for this piece of inspiring history. When you paint these word pictures of great leaders it gives us an idea of what to aim for in choosing such a leader should one arise. I do fear with all of our modern technology that there isn’t enough time spent in critical thinking and expression. It’s the quick click now, and on to the next. I do hope and pray that the leader and the people needed for these times will rise above all that. Your excellent gifts of expression do rise above it, it gives me hope that there are others as well.
Your best yet. Thanks. FDR and his wife Eleanor were my dad's heroes. FDR's speech that you excerpted from was filled with words needed for today. A man of great wealth and privilege knowing the limitations and dangers they carry. Where are the ultra-privileged today in public office? Where are the 1970s, '80s and '90s graduates of Phillips Andover and Phillips Exeter? The graduate of St. George's School is none other than Tucker Carlson, married to the headmaster's wife. These schools have put public service at the center of their ethos for centuries, but how many graduates heeded the call? I have faith there will be other great leaders like FDR, who may come from any walks of life, including perhaps the chambers of Nashville via Oakland, C,A and Memphis, TN. We are a great nation because of our diversity and our freedom, which must bind us together. This is the fight of our lives. We must all step out of our comfort zones and fight for freedom in whatever big or small ways we are able. Thanks, Steve, for your continued clarity and truth-telling.
Correction: former headmaster's daughter
I think it’s right and proper to praise all that FDR did to bring our country through such a dark time, but I believe it’s misleading and unfair not to credit Eleanor Roosevelt who probably was equally as responsible for his successes and one of the most remarkable and powerful First Ladies we’ve ever had. Many of his programs came through the lens of her eyes, ears and travel. Part of the tectonic shift in our age will be raising the awareness and respecting the contribution of women. Roosevelt also had the power of the audio media and the cooperation of the press ( mostly male) who carefully helped downplay his visual disabilities. His polio taught him humility and made a statesman out of a playboy.
Val,
I completely agree -- Eleanor Roosevelt, too, was exceptional. I have written about her before and described her as FDR's "indispensable political partner and conscience." Here's the essay if you'd like to read it: https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/the-husband-of-that-woman.
Steve
April 12, 1945. April 12, 2023. There is something so illuminating about anniversaries, today as you remember the death of FDR. Three capital letters that define the man who would bestow American Legacy to the world. Our future now, a future in the making for coming generations. Our dear Marsha Shalloway asked me why men of different generations have acted so senselessly about the rights of women such as is the late attainment of the Women's Right To Vote and now the predicament faced in the Healthcare of Women and abortion medication, added to the Violence of failed gun control legislation (my rewording and may Marsha accept what I have written, now for the second time as I inadvertently erased my first comment, mishaps of clumsiness). I held on to my response. How significant it is for me now to repeat what you once again have quoted from President Roosevelt for this community of readers:
"... let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." Yes, Marsha, it is always Fear that impedes progress, in the sense that any flawed individual speaking for collective good does over and over again. Who is the one who dares to say of him or herself that he/she is a flawless one? No one is flawless. We are being subjugated to the will of a bunch of flawed women and men, mostly men, who have no capacity for introspection. It takes one American to push forward, at any given time and any given place. Hubris overtakes those who do not understand E Pluribus Unum.
Excellent piece Steve. A lot to think about. I think we're in the scariest, most depressing political shake-up of my lifetime. I'm in my 70's so I grew up in, what I think was, the best years to be a child in the United States. You are right, and I am so glad to hear you speak so forthrightly about the moment we are in. I know also that you are right when you express brilliantly "the tectonic plates of history are moving toward the end of an era." In that statement you have a vision that I struggle to see and need to hear. I must say here that I love the videos you find and share with us. I watch everything. Your grasp of history and reference to it are jus the best. I was a history major and see all of this through that lens but you really are laser focused.
Claire,
Thanks so much for your feedback. I wish more people understand our history and its importance to what we're living through today.
Steve
Smiling. In a totally different context, @Steve and @Claire, today a work-related conversation wondered what happened to all those of my gen (also in my 70s and still working) from my industry (hospitality) who either never knew or refuse to remember what we had done that could have moved DEI/DEIAB along and chose not to. It is the same both forgetting intentionally or not and not using what we've learned. Not formally educated enough to know why, I ask.
Thank you for an eloquent tribute to our greatest president who, as you say, saved the world. But he didn't do it alone: he had an outstanding knack for picking remarkable administrators who built and guided the New Deal not least of whom was Eleanor.
We at the Living New Deal (https://livingnewdeal.org/) are uncovering and revealing the immense and indispensable legacy left to us by the New Dealers. Those ubiquitous artifacts are trying to speak to us in an ethical language we have been persuaded to forget by those who hated the Roosevelts because they were practicing, rather than professing, Christians committed to helping those less economically fortunate than themselves as well as to a government that served all citizens rather than those who could afford to buy it. No wonder few Americans know about the debt we all owe to FDR and the New Dealers: of the 55,000 museums in the U.S., none are dedicated to what the New Deal did and left us. That is not accidental.
This essay turned me into a paid subscriber!
I'm so glad, Candace!
Welcome to The Warning community. So glad that you're here.
Steve
Worth every penny. Steve's insights are kind of hard to wrap your mind around. They're literally next level. His creator has bestowed him with a phenomenal mind.
Stan,
Thanks for the kind words!
Steve
Smart! This community is my saving grace in a world that is just nuts. The civility, the warmth, the knowledge - Steve writes it. We write more and we hear each other. Welcome back.
This speech of FDR made me cry for the loss of the goodness of my country and our noble beliefs. Thank you, Steve for the best words reminding us to keep the faith. Go Reps. Jones and Pearson!
And I cried because my parents and grandparents (all z"l) are so long gone and brought me up on FDR's beliefs. I cried as I read because I wanted to call my mom, esp. and read it to her and ask her more questions. Alas.
Thank you, Steve. Such a well written column. I appreciate it very much. We so need leaders like him again.
Such a pleasure to have your writing in my inbox. 👍🏾