To follow-up on my thoughts in my opening post, I am certainly not saying that FDR is entirely responsible for today's troubles. But the main flaw in his meddling with our constitution has irreparably damaged this countries ability to COPE. As a result of the entitlement mentality he created, the US population will be EXTREMELY vulnerable during an economic collapse, natural catastrophe or terrorist attack. Ask yourself what would happen if suddenly commerce was halted and food no longer was available in the stores...even for a few weeks or so. Remember, there are only 3 days food supply in our system at any one time. Most people would look to government for a solution....one that would not be forthcoming. Before the New Deal people had to be self-reliant in one way or another. Ask yourself if the majority of people are this way anymore. Then ask yourself what our major cities would become in a food-shortage scenario. Scary stuff!
I'd like to take a quick look at some of the changes our country experienced from the New Deal. It saddens me deeply that nobody in the US born in the past few generations has experienced the freedom our Founders provided for us. Yes, we have experienced "wealth", but is that wealth real or is much of it simply debt based?
My contention is that the US became incredibly wealthy in the 150+ years leading up to the Great Depression precisely BECAUSE of the system the Founding Fathers gave us. And we have squandered most of this wealth in the past 70 years, partially because of the promise of 'cradle to grave' security FDR gave us. Before FDR we were free to succeed or fail, and most succeeded because the government wasn't in the way. The government didn't come to the rescue for anybody...this was left to families, churches and local communities, who are much more efficient and caring than a bloated Washington DC bureaucracy. And the nation would have survived the 30's just fine, much as we had survived other Depressions (Google 1873 Depression if you think the 30's was bad.) Even the poor in this country were wealthy by the standards of most nations. But the past couple generations have spent these riches with their ever-growing entitlement mentality. And many of today's economic, political and social woes can be laid directly at the feet of FDR, who clearly thought he knew better than the Founders. Anyway, try to imagine what life would be like if we still actually followed the constitution. Below are a few examples of the changes FDR made in the name of "security":
- Central economic planning (socialism anyone?)
- State's Rights (Yep...they used to have some)
- Income Taxes (imagine not having ANY)
- Social Security (bankrupt)
- Medicare (bankrupt)
- Fanny Mae (bankrupt)
- Freddie Mac (bankrupt)
- End of Gold Standard (enabled skyrocketing govt spending and debt)
- FHA (part of the cause of the housing bubble)
- FDIC (this hasn't blown up...YET! Wait a few months/years)
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC - where have they been during the recent crisis??)
- etc.
There are numerous other changes implemented during FDR's terms as president, but these are the most widely known. Ask yourself what life would be like without them.
More to follow...
