Republicans praise New Deal socialism

The Liberty Committee ^ | 3-22-2004 | The Liberty Committee

[jmc813]

Most liberty-loving Americans consider Franklin D. Roosevelt the single worst president of the 20th century, even with stiff competition from the likes of Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon Johnson. FDR was perhaps the most openly socialist leader ever to occupy the White House, and his policies reflected a firm belief that government should control business and redistribute wealth. His New Deal programs dramatically increased both the size and scope of the federal government, fundamentally changing (for the worse) the nation’s perception of the proper role for government in our society. Contrary to popular myth, Roosevelt helped cause the Great Depression through his monetary policies and public works boondoggles. All Americans are less free and less prosperous today as the result of Roosevelt’s presidency.

So why were congressional Republicans busy praising the man last week?

A resolution honoring Roosevelt and his "legacy" passed overwhelmingly in the US House of Representatives Wednesday. The resolution expressly praised his New Deal programs, applauded his administration's "productive partnership with private enterprise...by appointing top businessmen to run the production agencies" and repeated the lie that somehow he led America out of the Depression. The resolution ends with the preposterous assertion that "a grateful Nation and world are better off because of President Roosevelt's inimitable leadership."

The resolution was introduced by a Democrat, but Republican leaders of the House tightly control procedural rules that determine what legislation reaches the floor. The bill could not have seen the light of day without their approval. To read the resolution, go to http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/hjres87.htm .

Only five House Republicans had the integrity to vote against the resolution, while six others voted "present." Nearly 200 Republicans joined the unanimous and enthusiastic Democrats in voting to honor FDR's terrible legacy.

This vote provides yet another example that the mainstream Republican party has abandoned any last vestiges of principle and ideology. The big-government neocon faction of the GOP finds much to admire in FDR, but rank-and-file Republicans still believe in lower taxes, less regulation, and more personal liberty -- not socialism. Voters who rejoiced when the GOP took control of both Congress and the White House could not have imagined their heroes would proceed to spend, borrow, expand, and regulate even more than Clinton did! The national GOP has lost all credibility as the party of limited government, and Americans who love liberty should not be fooled by big-government socialists simply because they have an "R" next to their name.

You can see how your representative voted, as well as express your opinion about his or her vote by going to http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/votes/?votenum=65&chamber=H&congress=1082 .

[cynicom]

Dave...

Did not find much that I could agree with you in that post.

I was there during the DEPRESSION.

[Sweet Land]

That is why Republicans were not throwing a hissy fit over this. It was a differnt time with differnt challenges that required a more active central government (world war and depression).

There is a persuasive case to be made that it was active central government that, by keeping interest rates artificially low, caused the depression.

[Sweet Land]

The five with spines:

Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Joel Hefley (R-CO)
Steve King (R-IA)
Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)
Ron Paul (R-TX)

[headsonpikes]

The five with spines:

Duly saluted.

[Belisaurius]

Yeah, well we aren't fighting FDR anymore, and this resolution, like most, is meaningless.

FDR was a socialist POS, but at least he had the sense to start helping out the Brits while the Republican party of his day were still busy sucking their thumbs and wetting their precious patrician panties. Sort of like Pat Buchanon does nowadays.

[Dave S]

There is a persuasive case to be made that it was active central government that, by keeping interest rates artificially low, caused the depression.

Are you saying that the Fed along with Coolidge and Hoover caused the depression?

[Tauzero]

bttt

[Sweet Land]

Yes.

"The Federal Reserve Board was created in 1913. Ostensibly, it was to act as the lender of last resort to prevent bank panics like the one that had occurred in 1907. Although some conspiracy minded folks might weave elaborate tales regarding its creation, the reason is rather straightforward. The big banks simply wanted government protection and bailouts and were more than willing to endure a little government regulation in return. Like the Interstate Commerce Commission before it, the Fed would be staffed with people from the industry that it was supposedly a watchdog over and who would most likely feel that what's good for banks is good for America. Throughout the years preceding the Stock Market crash, the Fed did just that. The Fed set below market interest rates and low reserve requirements that all favored the big banks. The money supply actual increased by about 60% during this time. The phrase "buying on margin" entered the American vocabulary at this time as more and more Americans over-extended themselves to take advantage of the soaring stock market.

"So what went wrong? It was in 1929 that the Fed realized that it could not sustain its current policy. When it started to raise interest rates, the whole house of cards collapsed."

http://www.amatecon.com/gd/gdoverview.html

[Sweet Land]

we aren't fighting FDR anymore

Conservatives should still be fighting his ideas.

[goldstategop]

FDR was after all elected to FOUR terms... I can't really fault his leadership. The welfare state he established was perfect for American sensibilities. But the Democrats decided what they had wasn't good enough and started to lard pork on it in the 1960s and the American people finally had enough. We do NOT need a bigger or more intrusive welfare state. The limited one we have is plenty for this country and if anything, we need to reorient it to serve conservative ends.

[reelfoot]

We should be fighting FDR even now, as well as LBJ (their socialistic legacies continue) and every other big-spending, vote-buying Washington prostitute politician--regardless of which party flavor they espouse.

[Mikey]

by James W. Harris

House Republicans Praise New Deal Socialism

On March 17, nearly every Republican in Congress -- almost 200 of them -- joined unanimous Democrats in voting for a resolution honoring U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal "legacy."

FDR, of course, is viewed by many advocates of limited government as arguably the most anti-liberty president of the twentieth century.

As distinguished economist Richard Ebeling, President of the Foundation for Economic Education, has noted, Roosevelt "constrained the American economy in a straight jacket of regulations and controls under the promise of a 'New Deal.' In its essence, the economic philosophy behind the New Deal was modeled on Mussolini's corporativist state, under which industry was forced into government-mandated cartels that fixed prices and production. Agricultural prices and production were placed under the same strict controls. Vast public works projects were undertaken, with the federal government directly employing millions of people. Private ownership of gold was declared illegal and the people's money was confiscated, with paper money given in return."

This was the man, and the policies, that nearly all House Republicans voted to honor. Indeed, only *five* Republicans voted against the measure.

What, you say? You thought Republican congressmen were ANTI-big government? That they naturally opposed FDR's New Deal, which gave us an alphabet soup of tyrannical programs that advocates of limited government are still battling to this day? That Republicans were in Congress to *dismantle* the New Deal, not to praise it?

Think again.

Make no mistake about it, the resolution didn't just praise FDR as a wartime leader (a record that is also highly dubious, but that's another story).

No, the resolution expressly praised his New Deal economic programs, applauding the Roosevelt administration for "creating a series of New Deal programs that fundamentally changed the role of Government"</> and cheering FDR's wartime "productive partnership with private enterprise...by appointing top businessmen to run the production agencies."

The resolution also repeated the old canard that FDR's economic policies somehow led America out of the Great Depression. (Actually his programs and spending kept the Depression dragging on until the outbreak of World War II.)

Adding insult to injury, the resolution also praised FDR's wife Eleanor, who championed as much statist hooey as FDR himself.

The resolution was introduced by a Democrat. But Republican leaders of the House tightly control what legislation reaches the floor.This bill could not have seen the light of day without the approval of these Republican leaders.

Who were the five House Republicans who had the integrity and courage to vote against the resolution? You know, of course, that Congressman Ron Paul of Texas -- the only libertarian in Congress -- voted against this travesty. The other four: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO), Rep. Steve King (R-IA), and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD).

Six other GOPers squirmed away from the issue with votes of "present."

A furious Kent Snyder of the Liberty Committee -- a Washington D.C. group working for limited government -- summed it up:

"This vote provides yet another example that the mainstream Republican Party has abandoned any last vestiges of principle and ideology. The big-government neocon faction of the GOP finds much to admire in FDR, but rank-and-file Republicans still believe in lower taxes, less regulation, and more personal liberty -- not socialism.

"Voters who rejoiced when the GOP took control of both Congress and the White House could not have imagined their heroes would proceed to spend, borrow, expand, and regulate even more than Clinton did! The national GOP has lost all credibility as the party of limited government, and Americans who love liberty should not be fooled by big-government socialists simply because they have an "R" next to their name."

(Sources:

Liberty Committee
Full text of House Joint Resolution 87
Richard M. Ebeling on Roosevelt