Recently someone in my social circle was talking about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal that rescued the U.S. from the Great Depression.
The Great Depression was brought on by the Stock Market Crash of 1929. In an instant, people lost their life savings. Businesses went belly up. Even the banks weren’t immune to the disaster of Black Thursday and the even more damning Black Tuesday. Almost half of all U.S. banks collapsed. Industrial production fell by almost 47%. And in a time before unemployment insurance and other social services, one quarter of the population was jobless. That’s 15 million people.
Herbert Hoover, a Republican, was President. Like Trump did with COVID-19, Hoover failed to act. He failed to lead. He downplayed the government’s responsibility to care for its citizens.
FDR was sworn into office as the 32nd president of the United States in 1933. Roosevelt’s New Deal invested in the people of the U.S. The New Deal launched programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations that helped America rebuild. Starting such programs as Social Security, FDR’s plan provided aid to struggling farmers and to the millions of unemployed. Programs were also enacted to provide for care of minors and elderly.
In bringing up FDR’s New Deal, my friend pondered whether Roosevelt would have been able to implement the policies and programs that rescued the nation if he was dealing with modern day Republicans in Congress. It is an interesting question, with a sad answer.
While some of Roosevelt’s actions were accomplished by executive order, others were passed in cooperation with Congress. I am confident that wouldn’t happen today.
The Republican Party, under Trump, has come to target the Democratic Party as its primary enemy. Think about that. According to Trump and his enablers in Congress, Russia is not an enemy. Russia has illegally meddled in U.S. elections. Russia has put bounties on the heads of U.S. soldiers. But according to Trump Republicans the enemy is Democrats.
The way our Democratic system is supposed to work is that Republicans and Democrats are two options of representing the people. Both are supposed to have its constituents’ best interest at heart. It should be a friendly rivalry with everyone focused on a common goal.
That’s not today’s Republican Party. Under Trump, Republicans see Democrats not as rivals, not as allies, but as the enemy. In their mind, it’s okay that Trump colluded with Russia to gain the White House as long as they defeated the Democratic candidate..
It should be that a politician’s first allegiance is to their country. Allegiance to political party should not come before one’s allegiance to one’s country. That’s not the case with Trump’s Republican Party. For Trump the order of allegiance should be to Trump first, to the Republican Party second, to Big Business third, and somewhere down the list eventually you might come to an allegiance to the country.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has gone on record saying his chief goal is to ensure President Joe Biden does not get anything passed in Congress. It doesn’t matter what those programs and policies are that Biden will want to enact. It doesn’t matter how much those programs would benefit the country and its people. McConnell’s chief goal is not to do anything and everything to stop Biden from passing any bills.
That doesn’t sound like America is a first priority to McConnell and his brethren in the Cult of Trump.
In 1933 Republicans in the Senate and the House worked with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat. Together they rescued America from one of its darkest hours.
Sadly, we cannot expect the same level of cooperation and patriotism from modern Republicans. As long as the cancer of Trump is allowed to fester and grow, the Republican Party will forever be focused on everything but what’s best for America.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt didn’t rescue the country alone. He needed the cooperation of patriots from both parties. Biden will do what he can, but what we need is people in office throughout the country who have the best interest of our nation first at heart.
Democrats and Republicans should not be enemies. They should be focused on the same goals. It appears Democrats are the only ones to understand this.
It is for this reason that I implore Biden and the Democrats in the House and Senate to do everything they can now while they have the numbers because Republicans will not be playing fair when their numbers increase via gerrymandering – and that will likely happen.
Get rid of the filibuster.
Pass 2021 For the People Act.
Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Expand the Supreme Court.
Pass Universal Healthcare.
It’s time to take the kid gloves off and get in the ring. To find out how to contact your elected officials to implore them to take action on these issues now go to: USA.gov/elected-officials.
Be vocal. Be relentless. Be for America.
Peace. Love. Trust.
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