Americans alive today have no idea what they're missing by refusing to work together

[Nevilledog]

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*The* Editorial Board
@johnastoehr
Americans alive today have no idea what they're missing by refusing to work together: What the New Deal teaches us about democracy and freedom.

An interview with @rauchway.

editorialboard.com
Americans alive today have no idea what they’re missing by refusing to work together
What the New Deal teaches us about democracy and freedom.
11:59 AM · Mar 11, 2022

https://www.editorialboard.com/americans-alive-today-have-no-idea-what-theyre-missing-by-refusing-to-work-together/


After Joe Biden won the election, and after the White House began pushing passage of the nearly $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, there was a lot of talk about the old senator being the new Franklin Roosevelt.

I wanted to believe it, but being the skeptic that I am, I figured this was more propaganda than genuine belief by the 46th president. But after watching an interview with historian Heather Cox Richardson, it seems these are not mere words. Biden really sees history pivoting.

In rangy discussion, Biden said Roosevelt believed the way to “build the country back up was to build it from the bottom and middle out.”

In the next breath, the president said: “I think there’s those moments in American history where you go from Coolidge to Roosevelt, from government was the problem to where government was the answer, and then you go from Reagan to me. It’s a similar kind of transition.”

The American Jobs Plan, as Biden might say, is a BFD. But the rest of his legislative agenda, principally the Build Back Better bill, which would invest in so-called “human infrastructure,” has been snarled in the Senate due to one or two Democratic senators failing to get the memo about what’s possible in America when we work together.

*snip*

[UTUSN]

1. K&R, although FDR caught *total* divisive hate against him

[Caliman73]

2. Once again, Americans' lack of understanding about history keeps us miopic.

FDR was able to get a lot of what he need to get accomplished done because he had pretty strong margins in BOTH the House AND the Senate. We had Farm and Labor party members in congress for goodness sake. Republicans took a shellacking in the elections from 32 to all the way to Truman's Presidency.

Even then, FDR nor Truman were able to get their full agenda passed. FDR got stopped by the Supreme Court in a good number of his New Deal policies. He never got his "Second Bill of Rights" implemented.

Also, there was that small issue of a coup being actively plotted to get him out of office. Remember that Prescott Bush, grand father of GW Bush was in on that.

Joe Biden wants to and has wanted to be a transformative President since he started running. Problem is that he does not have the support in Congress to do that.

[Magoo48]

5. Yup, ignorance by design.

[Thunderbeast]

3. I was reading some history of the era last night

After being defeated by FDR in 1936, Republican Wendell Wilke came to Roosevelt's aid to help fight isolationism, and build support for a military build-up and a massive support effort for Europe. Arms, food, and logistical support were sent across the Atlantic...against the resistance of Republicans and Nazi sympathizers like Ford, Lindburg, and Hurst. Wilke was a loud voice in support of engagement, much to the dismay of many in his own party.

This narrative care of "These Truths" by Jill Lapore.

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. Republicans in the 1930's weren't reactionary fascists (n/t)

[Claire Oh Nette]

7. Enter the Religious Right.

Government requires compromise.
Faith requires blind believe in things not in evidence.

The Christo-Fascists do.not.believe.in.compromise. They are not permitted to doubt or question what their likely uneducated preacher tells them. The world is good and evil, black and white, jew or gentile, nothing in between, no shades of gray.

Goldwater nailed them:
“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”