Forward With Roosevelt: Paul M. Sparrow: 'FDR’s Four Freedom’s Speech Remastered'

Source:FDR Library- Paul M. Sparrow.

Source:The New Democrat

"There is only one speech in American history that inspired a multitude of books and films, the establishment of its own park, a series of paintings by a world famous artist, a prestigious international award and a United Nation’s resolution on Human Rights.

That speech is Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address, commonly known as the “Four Freedoms” speech. In it he articulated a powerful vision for a world in which all people had freedom of speech and of religion, and freedom from want and fear. It was delivered on January 6, 1941 and it helped change the world. The words of the speech are enshrined in marble at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island in New York, are visualized in the paintings of Norman Rockwell, inspired the international Four Freedoms Award and are the foundation for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948." 

From the FDR Library 

"January 6, 1941: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addresses a joint session of Congress in his "Four Freedoms" speech." 

Source:Classic News Clips- President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat, New York) addressing a joint session of Congress, in 1941.

From Classic News Clips

President Franklin Roosevelt with his Four Freedoms speech, was essentially arguing for a society where everyone would be free not to have to go without. Because there would be a big federal government big enough to prevent that and be able to take care of everyone. Because everyone would have what they need to live well, because it would be provided for by government. At least for people who didn’t work, or simply didn’t make enough money to support themselves on their own.

If you’re familiar with this blog, you know I’m a big believer in both Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion. But this idea that we would have freedom from want, or freedom from fear, sounds very utopian and like someone’s fantasy. Perhaps a fantasy that comes from drinking too much, or smoking pot that is stronger than you thought it was before you smoked it. 

I don’t make fun of people who want a world where there is no poverty and fear. But coming from and living on Planet Earth my whole lifetime, I’ve learned that it helps to have a healthy sense of reality in life. What’s possible and what might be out-of-reach and what is the best that we can do at the given time.

To create a society where there’s no such thing as poverty and fear, you got to create an economy where everyone has the ability to succeed.Where everyone can get themselves a good education, where their good jobs and modern infrastructure in every community. Where people have the, yes freedom to succeed and even take risks even if some risks don’t pay off. And then you have an insurance system for people who truly need it to help them when they fall down. And need help getting by in the short-term, but also get help to get themselves up and live in freedom on their own.

You create a society where everyone is essentially dependent on government to take care of them and people won’t feel the need and freedom to succeed on their own and more people will end up dependent on big government to take care of them. And people can point to Scandinavia all they want to, but very small countries in population, with a lot of land, that are not just energy independent, but export their energy and use those resources to fund very generous big centralized welfare states. America, is obviously not like that. Which means for this country to succeed the people need have to have the ability to succeed on their own.

The Nation: Richard Kreitner- 'FDR Signs The Emergency Act, Launching The New Deal: March 9, 1933'

Source:The Nation- 1930s America.

Source:The New Democrat

"Today in 1933 the newly inaugurated President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Emergency Banking Act, officially launching the New Deal. The act allowed the Federal Reserve to guarantee the assets of banks that Roosevelt had ordered closed a few days earlier. In its issue of March 22, 1933, The Nation ran the following front-page editorial note approving of the first two weeks of the Roosevelt presidency.
If you think President Barack Obama had it tough when he became President of the United States back in 2009, imagine being President Franklin Roosevelt when he became President in 1933. A country where the economy is literally in free fall. The economy shrinking at ten-percent or thereabouts, twenty or thirty-percent unemployment and about that or more people living in poverty. Without a functioning public safety net to help people who are going through these harsh realities. But that is what President Roosevelt inherited from Herbert Hoover and I’m sure people close to FDR were asking or at least thinking, “President Roosevelt, are you sure you still want to be President?” 

From The Nation

Within the first two-years a lot of the New Deal was already passed and I’m sure that had some positive effect towards the Depression, like putting money directly in people’s pockets who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t of had it. But the new infrastructure investment and the public works projects was where the real improvement in the economy started happening in the 1930s. Because those projects literally put people back to work with good jobs repairing and building the country. 

But to be completely accurate, it isn’t until the 1940s with World War II when the economy starts to completely climb out of the Depression and we start to see income and unemployment levels start to look like they were pre-Great Depression.

What the New Deal was and still is was the creation of the public safety net in America. We are still not like Europe and I imagine never will be as far as what the central government provides to the people as far as taxpayer-funded social insurance programs. But we’ll always have a public social insurance system, at least as long as we need it for people who truly need it. And have been knocked off their feet economically and need help getting back up. Which is where we should be as a modern liberal society that helps people in need, but also helps them help themselves so they can live in freedom. And not have to be taken care of indefinitely because they can take care of themselves.

GK Greger: FDR Fireside Chat: 2nd Bill of Rights

Source:GK Gregor- Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat, New York) President of the United States (1933-45)

Source:FreeState MD

“FDR: Jan 11,1944 Fireside Chat. The 2nd Bill of Rights or Economic Bill of Rights”

From GK Gregor

I don’t think Franklin Roosevelt would ever call himself a Socialist or ever did, but his 1944 2nd Bill of Rights Speech, is what American Socialists (democratic, generally) are talking about as far as their idea of freedom. The freedom not to have to go without the basic necessities of life in order to live well. And that it’s the job of government (especially the national government) to see to it that no American is hungry, doesn’t have an adequate place to live, not cold, not too hot, has affordable health care and insurance, a pension, etc. That’s what FDR was advocating for in this speech.

PBS: The Great Depression: The New Deal Response

Source:PBS- Americans living through The Great Depression, in the 1930s.

Source:The Daily Journal

"PBS Presentation: The Great Depression"

From PBS

In 1933 when Franklin Roosevelt became President of The United States he inherited the Great Depression, which was basically an economy that was sinking and collapsing with basically no money anywhere, or no money being created. And anyone who had money at this point in the private sector was not spending, or investing the money. The Federal Government was literally the only game in town that it could spend and afford to borrow the rest to make up the difference of money.

America needed money to be invested in the country to get people working again and creating jobs so people had money to spend to generate economic growth, or at least create a floor for the Great Depression and buy time for the American economy to recover. Which is very similar, but not exactly how the Obama Administration and Congress responded to the Great Recession in 2009. We can argue about the effects of these proposals, but that’s how they were designed. And at least to a certain extent were effective in dealing with the Great Depression in a successful way.

The New Deal represented economic progressivism in the United States and the creation of the safety net. The New Deal and President Roosevelt wasn’t looking to end American capitalism, but to save it and create a system that could respond to people who fell through the cracks of it. And be able to spend money and invest in the economy when no one else had the resources in a very centralized and anti-federalist way putting a lot of responsibility with the Federal Government to respond to economic crisis’ like this.

President Roosevelt brought a progressive approach to the New Deal designed to save American capitalism, not end it or replace it. Which is one of the reasons why his critics on the right as well as left, like Wendell Willkie a Classical Liberal similar to me called President Roosevelt a Socialist.

Thats the situation that Franklin Roosevelt inherited as President in 1933 and how we got the safety net in this country known as the New Deal, our first phase of the safety net in this country. Where previously we were more of an economic libertarian country, where support for these policies seemed extreme or far-left, or something. President Roosevelt made these polices seem mainstream. 

All Histories: 'New Deal- 1930's Government Promotional'

Source:All Histories- film about the New Deal.

Source:The Daily Journal

“A promotional video produced by the US government to highlight the projects and programs of the Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression.” 

From All Histories 

As bad as authoritarian regimes and states are, they don’t have a monopoly when it comes to government propaganda or government propaganda films. They do those things, of course, and so does the developing, democratic world that has a history of corruption and authoritarianism in their past. But so does the democratic, developed world, including in the West and even in the United States. Which is what you see from the New Deal propaganda film from President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration in the 1930s.

Public Resource: 'FDR Compilation 2 Great Depression/New Deal'

Source:Public Resource- Frank D. Roosevelt (Democrat, New York) being inaugurated as the 32nd POTUS, in 1933.

"FDR Compilation 2 Great Depression/New Deal - FDR Presidential Library 1933 - Video 257 - From the Pare Lorentz Center at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. NLR 201-29-5 NLR 201-29-6 NLR 201-30-1 NLR 201-30-2 NLR 201-30-3 Series of newsreels including FDR starts construction of San Fransisco Oakland Bridge New industrial codes FDR visits CCC camp John Roosevelt on his pony FDR asks for cooperation with NRA Nation unites to support NRA Big companies endorse Blue Eagle flies over US NRA spirit sweeps the Nation FDR returns from a cruise and is greeted by Anna Dall and children. Boy Scouts give FDR a headdress FDR at the Dutchess County Fair FDR at Vassar Sistie and Buzzie see FDR off FDR says NRA is working. Americans shop in Blue Eagle stores. FDR addresses leaders on relief for the needy Cheaper power from the TVA FDR rides through NYC The Fighting President Parts 1 and 2 J Ramsey McDonald Archival footage from the FDR Presidential Library." 

From Public Resource

President Franklin D. Roosevelt: 2nd Bill of Rights Speech (1944)

Source:Kill Will- President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat, New York) talking about his proposal for a 2nd Bill of Rights, in 1944.

Source:FreeState MD 

"This is FDR's proposed second Bill of Rights that was filmed after he delivered his State of the Union Address via radio on January 11, 1944." 

From Kill Will

Source:FreeState MD- President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat, New York) talking about his proposal for a 2nd Bill of Rights, in 1944.

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt became President in 1933 he obviously inherited the Great Depression and created the New Deal to respond to it. By the early 1940s, we were committed to World War II thanks to Japan bombing Pearl Harbor and Nazi Germany murdering European Jews. 

President Roosevelt created the New Deal, we get out of the Great Depression by the early 1940s, we win World War II by 1944-45 and President Roosevelt was looking to complete his Presidency. 

FDR was President for twelve years, 1933-45 and had plenty of time to figure out what to do with it. And he decided to build on the New Deal, which he called the 2nd Bill of Rights. Which has also been called the Fair Deal, which was about economic security for all Americans.

FDR wanted to create things like national health insurance, perhaps national healthcare as well. Education reform, perhaps a national higher education system. And all the economic rights, like a right to a good job, a right to a living wage, a right to health care and health insurance, a right to a pension. 

Europe already had the welfare state, created that post-World War II, which is essentially what President Roosevelt was trying to do here in America. But once you guarantee that all Americans have a right to a good job and other things like that, it makes it very difficult to remove unproductive workers. As long as they are not stealing or abusing coworkers and doing those sorts of things, because they now have a right to that job. Like someone would have the right to free speech and other things.

For any of these economic rights to be real, they need to be part of the U.S. Constitution. Which they currently are not, otherwise they can always be removed just by statue. And President Roosevelt was never successful in accomplishing that. What he should’ve focused on, was creating an economic system where everyone would have the opportunity to be successful based on what they contribute to society and that means quality education for everyone. Not guaranteeing everyone in America economic security, simply for being alive.

Guardian Mary Silver: President Franklin D. Roosevelt- Great Depression Fireside Chat

Source:Guardian Mary Silver- from a film about the Great Depression. Perhaps a left-wing propaganda film.

Source:FreeState MD 

“AP US History Assignment.

7th Hour

Great Depression/Unemployment

By: Riah Countryman, Kevin Islas, and Hector Mirelez”

From Guardian Mary Silver 

“President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who took office in early 1933, would become the only president in American history to be elected to four consecutive terms. He would lead his nation through two of the greatest crises in its history—the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II (1939-45)—and would exponentially expand the role of the federal government through his New Deal reform program and its legacy. From March 1933 to June 1944, Roosevelt addressed the American people in some 30 speeches broadcast via radio, speaking on a variety of topics from banking to unemployment to fighting fascism in Europe. Millions of people found comfort and renewed confidence in these speeches, which became known as the “fireside chats.”

Source:History- Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat, New York) President of the United States (1933-45)

From History

The fact that President Franklin Roosevelt was speaking about a recession in America in 1938, is pretty good evidence that five years after becoming President of the United States, that we were still not out of the Great Depression yet.

The economy was getting better in 1938, but we slipped back into recession in 1936 or 37. We were still looking 20-25% official unemployment. Maybe half of the country living in poverty. By the time the United States got involved in World War II in 1941-42, we were still dealing with the Depression, Recession and high unemployment. And it was really World War II that moved the country to full-recovery from the Great Depression. With all the money that was spent financing our involvement in that War.

What the New Deal deserves credit for, is establishing a public safety net that the country could turn too, when they are unemployed, or don’t have a large enough retirement account, to protect people’s savings in banks. And the New Deal did put some unemployed workers back to work through infrastructure investment.

But the Great Depression was so deep which is why it was labeled the Great Depression with so many people losing all of their money and jobs at the same time. With so many banks and business’s all failing at once. What the New Deal did was help sustain the country through the Great Depression, so things couldn’t get worse, but it didn’t bring us out of it.

It was World War II that brought the United States out of the Great Depression and back to prosperity and an economic power, as well as a world power, where we’ve remained ever since with the millions of people it employed, either in the Defense Department, or working with private contractors that did business with DOD. Making all of our equipment and the American auto industry did very well during World War II making all of those tanks And President Roosevelt deserves a lot of credit for this as well.

The New Deal, served as a buffer from the Great Depression. Put in the floor that the American economy could cash on and buy it time to recover. But it didn’t get us out of it and back to full-recovery.

James Miller Center: ‘FDR Fireside Chat 6- On Government and Capitalism’

Source:James Miller Center- President’s Herbert Hoover & Franklin Roosevelt, at FDR’s 1933 presidential inauguration 

Source:FreeState MD

“An edited version of President Roosevelt’s sixth fireside chat, delivered September 30, 1934.

Full presidential speeches and transcripts available at:James Miller Center." 

From the James Miller Center

President Franklin Roosevelt, did not become President of the United States, to destroy American capitalism. As some Conservatives and Libertarians have suggested. But he became President to save it, by changing it.

Before 1933, when FDR became President, we were essentially a libertarian society, economically, where we were all on our own and if we needed help, we were basically at the mercy of our families, friends and private charity. Had we had a functioning safety net pre-1933, the Great Depression, which essentially lasted for ten years, wouldn’t have been as bad. Because all of those unemployed workers would’ve had some public assistance they could count on. I’m not saying this as a fan of the New Deal, because I’m not.

A safety net, should be designed to empower people to get themselves off of public assistance. Not just pay people while they are on public assistance. But if we had a safety net back then and we had an FDIC with the Stock Market Crash and we were regulating Wall Street and Corporate America properly, not trying to run it, we could’ve saved ourselves a lot of pain from the Great Depression.

So FDR basically ended up trying to create a safety net while people needed it the most. And creating these programs on the fly. FDR, wasn’t trying to turn America into Russia, with a state economy. But more like Europe, with healthy private and public sectors.

FDR didn’t set out to destroy American capitalism, but to save it. By putting in regulations so irresponsible people in business, wouldn’t be able to destroy the economy again. And lead to another Great Depression. And so people who fall through the cracks, can get help and not end up homeless and on the street.

C-SPAN: President Franklin Roosevelt’s 1933 Presidential Inauguration

Source:C-SPAN- Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat, New York) inaugurated as the 32nd POTUS, in 1933.

Source:FreeState MD

“Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Inauguration (March 4, 1933)”

From C-SPAN

When Franklin Roosevelt became President in 1933, America was in the worst economic condition in its history, at least in the 20th Century. And since the Great Depression obviously and moved quickly to deal with it with his New Deal agenda that was a collection of brand new social insurance programs from the Federal Government. Unemployment Insurance, Welfare Insurance, Social Security, public works programs and other programs and has been credited got getting America out of the Great Depression.

President FDR, is the father of the American safety net. A collections of Federal social programs to help people when they’re in need. And can’t financially support themselves.

President Roosevelt, should get credit for that, but not his New Deal getting us out of the Depression. By the time America got involved in World War II in 1941-42, we were still dealing with the Great Depression. And at best we’re going through a severe recession. We still had 20% unemployment and 50% poverty in the United States. By 1942, almost nine years after FDR became President.

If you look at when the United States finally broke out of the Great Depression, it was during World War II and after World War II. That President Roosevelt committed us too, because of all the new jobs that opened up in America. With all the new military spending and work needed to produce those parts. And with everyone being drafted in the military. And with these workers going oversees, that opened up more jobs at home.

President Roosevelt, is one of the greatest president’s we’ve ever had. And deserves credit for it, but mainly because of his foreign policy success’. And also to call him a Liberal Democrat or even Progressive Democrat, just doesn’t fit. He was a Progressive on economic policy obviously. But had neoconservative leanings when it came to national security. With his detainment Camps for ethnic-Japanese, Italian and German-Americans. Because of their ethnicity.

The Roosevelt Administration, inherited such a huge hole in the economy from the Hoover Administration and didn’t have a clear outlined agenda for exactly how they were going to deal with. They had a bunch of experiments and ideas, sure. But didn’t know exactly how they were going to respond to the Depression. And they did the best that they could to deal with it.