Posted on 01/06/2019 12:01:17 PM PST by Borges
An another along the same line.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt
There were critical comments but there were also critical comments about FDR. The overwhelming impression was positive.
Today’s “Progressives” are a bastard child of Teddy’s?
The Heritage Foundation, at https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/theodore-roosevelt-progressive-crusader had this to say, among other things:
“Roosevelt continued until his death to press for Progressive reforms that would move the country closer to the social democracies of Europe.”
Somehow, that looks VERY familiar to at least one “modern” Democrat Socialist goal.
"I think the President is clearly insane in several ways, and insanest upon war and its supreme glories. I think he longs for a big war wherein he can spectacularly perform as chief general and chief admiral, and go down to history as the only monarch of modern times that has served both offices at the same time."
Ever what Custer could have been like if The Battle of the Greasy Grass never occurred? I always thought Theodore Roosevelt would have been about as close as I could figure. I also think Mark Twain was being rather kind to Roosevelt in his analogy.
Thing is, bottom line - Burns is a liberal hack. I’ve seen his stuff and it’s all weighted anti conservative pro liberal nonsense.
For those who have not read the book, Chapter One begins just after Teddy's funeral (and then Chapter Two goes back to 1896). This book was recommended by LS (who is about to come out with a book about Reagan) so will ping him here.
But Roosevelt missed being at the center of the action, and his political allies kept nudging him further left, to the point where he challenged the election bid of Taft, his hand-picked successor. Taft had a legal mind. TR was more combative and aggressive.
And Calvin Coolidge January 5, 1933 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Coolidge
Twain was right, TR was a warmonger. If he had regained the Presidency in 1913, he’d have charged us into WW1 3 years ahead of time.
And of course his son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. died at age 56 in Normandy. Maybe a heart condition ran in the family.
'We'll start the war from right here!' My Dad landed on Utah Beach.
Bully! My high school was Theodore Roosevelt high school. I’ve always been a Rough Rider (mascot). I always remember that I should speak softly and carry a big stick.
He, like President Trump, was a Populist. Unlike Trump he was an extreme conservationist and environmentalist. He set aside millions and millions of US acreage for national parks.
One of Teddy's cousins died at 35. Heart trouble, I think.
Interesting family. Lots of skeletons in the cupboard.
I am well aware that he did a lot of good things as President. No problems.
Later, when he tried to get elected President again, is when he did the damage to America.
Here is what Wikipedia says about that: “Frustrated with Taft’s conservatism, Roosevelt belatedly tried to win the 1912 Republican nomination. He failed, walked out and founded a third party, the Progressive, so-called “Bull Moose” Party, which called for wide-ranging progressive reforms. He ran in the 1912 election and the split allowed the Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson to win the election.”
Woodrow Wilson was NOT a good President! He set things in motion that still adversely affect the USA.
There is a letter in the Taft papers from TR to President Taft in 1910 when there was some agitation at the Mexican border. Roosevelt wrote to Taft demanding that Taft commission him as a Major General, saying he would only serve if it were not “a profitless police duty” and outlining exactly how his command would be set up:
“The division would consist of three brigades of three regiments each.. I have my brigade commanders, colonels, and in many cases majors and captains already in mind….”
Also that year TR went up in a Wright Flyer (a technology he ignored while President) and it was reported that during the flight TR shouted, “War, army, aeroplane, bomb!” and pretended to attack an Army Signals station they passed over.
Pretty funny, in a pathetic way, and not really prescient, as everyone recognized the wartime abilities of airplanes from the start (including Taft who as Sec War promoted the Wright’s efforts). It was more a mark of what Taft observed that TR was “obsessed with his love of war.”
TR loved the west, a healthy habit acquired from his decade of on and off ranching in western North Dakota. I can't see him wanting to put timber wolves back to feast on local cattle as today's so-called environmentalists do. He'd suggest they either be hunted or keep moving north to areas not suitable for cattle ranching.
Wilson is probably the only President ever to have been called a Byzantine logothete.
Agreed.
I wonder if anybody has ever played “What If” Teddy had won in 1912?
Over a century later and we've "progressed" quite a bit.
Progressives don't know when to say enough government control is enough.
Thanks Teddy.
And Sagamore Hill is right down the road from me.
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