Posted on 08/13/2010 7:52:34 PM PDT by I still care
Todays episode of Glenn Becks Founders Friday looked deeper into the presidency of Calvin Coolidge. Silent Cal was Ronald Reagans favorite president. Historian Amy Shlaes, author of The Forgotten Man, was a guest and referred to Coolidge not as a reformer but as a refrainer. Coolidge knew when not to act, which is usually better than acting and doing the wrong thing.
Which, of course, is what our current president, Barack Hoover Obama, is doing. Each and every decision Obama has made since taking office has been an error, except perhaps allowing the Navy SEALs to do their job to rescue an American ship captain from Somali pirates.
Along with Amy Shlaes, Glenn also had another guest, historian David Pietrusza who authored Silent Cals Almanack. First, the basics. Calvin Coolidge became our 30th president when Warren Harding died suddenly during a trip to California. The Secret Service tracked Coolidge down at a cabin in Vermont where he was vacationing with his father. Coolidges father, who was a notary public, swore his son into office by light of a kerosene lamp (the home had no electricity, nor a telephone). Coolidge was sworn in again once he returned to Washington.
(Excerpt) Read more at rightpundits.com ...
I thought at the time it was a shame Stalin wasn't in the competition, so they couldn't choose him. I guess a president that left us prosperity and a decade known for personal freedom and exploration as a legacy didn't count. Anyway, this is a nice little, educational read. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s85t8_50EGY
Coolidge was exceptional—Mike Allen and I have him in the top 5 presidents in our “Patriot’s History,” and he only had two faults: he was too quick to “work with” the Japanese when they were already becoming belligerent (they despised us anyway and he gave them a running start on rearmament—not all his fault as Harding started the policies; and he gave farmers too many goodies (McNary-Haugenism). But no one is perfect and CC was George Washington comp3ed to Hussein.
For all the PC bullsh*t why can’t America see the truth? They bought Obama and it is all PC crap. What happened to their eyes? They were blinded by the comet that carried Obama and, like the day of the triffids, they are stumbling round, lucky to find their noses.
Nothing is easier than the expenditure of public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody. But the results of extravagance are ruinous.The property of the country, like the freedom of the country, belongs to the people of the country. They have not empowered their Government to take a dollar of it except for a necessary public purpose.
But if the Constitution conferred such right, sound economics would forbid it.
Nothing is more, destructive of the progress of the Nation than government extravagance. It means an increase in the burden of taxation, dissipation of the returns from enterprise, a decrease in the real value of wages, with ultimate stagnation and decay.
The whole theory of our institutions is based on the liberty and independence of the individual. He is dependent on himself for support and therefore entitled to the rewards of his own industry. He is not to be deprived of what he earns that others may be benefited by what they do not earn. What lie saves through his private effort is not to be wasted by Government extravagance . . .
While I favor a speedy reduction of the debt as already required by law and in accordance with the promises made to the holders of our Liberty bonds when they were issued, there is no reason why a balanced portion of surplus revenue should not be applied to a reduction of taxation.
It can not be repeated too often that the enormous revenues of this Nation could not be collected without becoming a charge on all the people whether or not they directly pay taxes. Everyone who is paying for the bare necessities of fool and shelter and clothing, without considering the better things of life, is indirectly paying a national tax.
Whenever the state of the Treasury will permit, I believe in a reduction of taxation. I think the taxpayers are entitled to it. But I am not advocating tax reduction merely for the benefit of the taxpayer; I am advocating it for the benefit of the country . . .
Full text:
Fourth Annual Message
December 7, 1926
In my house growing up “Silent Cal Coolidge” was a favorite. There are 2 very good stories re: Coolidge.
During a state dinner a young lady, knowing of Coolidge’s reputation for few words said, “President Coolidge, I bet my husband that I could get you to say more than 2 words”
Coolidge’s reply - “You Loose”.
The other story has Mrs. Coolidge not feeling well, so President Coolidge went to church without her. When he came back, Mrs. Coolidge tried to find out what happened at the service.
“Did you enjoy the service?”.
“Yes”
“What was the sermon about?”
“Sin”
“For heaven’s sake Cal, what did the preacher say about sin?”
“He was against it”
AG
http://www.foundingideals.com
I’m a Carly Simon “Haven’t the time for the pain” type of guy. Coolage had a song or two to sing in the car though.
I'm not surprised. Coolidge is probably the most underrated president. His predecessor, Harding, wasn't bad either.
I don’t always agree with Beck on his day to day show. Little too Libertarian for me. But I do enjoy history, so I do very much enjoy his founders Fridays. He woulod make an great History Teacher.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.