RIGHT- WASHING The New Deal

It's probably a good thing that cable news generally doesn't draw much of an audience from the 18- to 24-year-old demographic. Otherwise, history professors across the nation could very well be witnessing the undoing of their work to educate students about the dire economic climate the United States faced for much of the 1930s.

Those who have been watching cable news lately have undoubtedly noticed the litany of conservative media figures attempting to rewrite history by denigrating the tremendous successes of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal policies in what amounts to an orchestrated effort to derail the economic recovery plans of President Obama.

Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume recently called Roosevelt's policies "a jihad against private enterprise," just after claiming that "everybody agrees, I think, on both sides of the spectrum now, that the New Deal failed." That may be accurate if by "both sides of the spectrum" Hume is referring to the right and far-right over at Fox News.

Hume's own jihad against the facts, however, represents only a small portion of the historical misrepresentations passed off as reasoned debate about the New Deal.

Witness the day-break machinations of the crew over at MSNBC's Morning Joe. During a recent broadcast, Joe Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski kicked off a string of attacks against the president's recovery plan, using the New Deal as their dubious weapon du jour. Mika said of Obama's plan, "I think we're going to have the same unemployment in three or four years, just like the New Deal." That just isn't true -- unemployment fell every year from 1933 through 1937.

Her buddy Joe didn't fare much better, cherry-picking data in telling viewers that unemployment was at "20 percent" in 1938, ignoring the downward trend in unemployment that occurred under the New Deal.

Joe isn't alone -- conservative columnists George Will and Mona Charen have played the same numbers game to falsely claim the New Deal failed to reduce unemployment, a contention disputed by historians and economists.

Don't take my word for it -- data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the unemployment rate in 1933 clocking in at 24.9 percent and falling each year thereafter (to 14.3 percent in 1937) until 1938 when it rose to 19 percent. Why the increase from 1937 to 1938? As Nobel laureate Paul Krugman has noted, it was a reversal of these very same New Deal policies, which had reduced unemployment, that actually led to recession and drove the numbers back up. It's worth noting, by the way, that these numbers do not include those in federal work-relief programs (at the time, BLS counted those employed by the New Deal's emergency work programs as unemployed). So, the unemployment numbers were actually lower than reported in these years.

The strengthening of the social safety net during the 1930s stimulated the economy while also providing assistance to those waiting to feel the economic recovery for themselves. That's perhaps why Fox News' Bill O'Reilly saw fit to lambast portions of the president's plan aimed at assisting those most in need during these difficult times, claiming last week on his television show that increased funding for programs like food stamps has "nothing to do with stimulating the economy." Though his ego will never let him admit it, O'Reilly is dead wrong.

Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Elmendorf and former McCain campaign economic adviser Mark Zandi have both said that extending food stamps does, in fact, stimulate the economy. Zandi stated last year that "extending food stamps [is] the most effective [way] to prime the economy's pump," while Elmendorf noted in congressional testimony just last week that "[t]ransfers to persons (for example, unemployment insurance and nutrition assistance) would also have a significant impact on GDP."

Faced with the prospect that history will again demonstrate that government spending and investment are important tools in confronting an economic crisis, it is now clear that conservatives are engaged in a misinformation campaign to mislead the public.

So, when radio host Rush Limbaugh, whom former President Ronald Reagan reportedly called the "Number one voice for conservatism" and House Republicans named an honorary member of Congress in 1994, recently said of Obama, "I hope he fails," it makes one wonder if he might not be speaking for all of his pals on the right.

If Limbaugh and conservatives truly want the president to "fail," rewriting the history of the New Deal may very well be the first salvo in a long war to defeat Obama's agenda for America

Right-Washing the New Deal
by Karl Frisch

TERRORPATRIOT'S CONSPIRACY THEORY

One must first except the definition of "conspiracy" as inferred by H.G. Wells, described as follows;"The open conspiracy of all the sane men in the world against the things that break us up into wars and futilities." And to except or entertain the conspiracy of all Heavenly and Earthly things.
What has become quite clear to me is the "Confederate" nature of our Federal Government in conjunction with other World leaders and the most dominate influential wealth holders have combined, and embarked, many years ago, on a mutually perceived set of ideas and goals to solve all the bad things that inflict mankind.
Well great! Who could have a problem with a plan like that? Well, at this particular time that would be everyone of us who are "only" private citizens of "OUR" Country and the "ONE'S" who have shouldered most of the cost of this intrigue. We were not given the courtesy of having this grand and noble plot explained to us or were we honestly consulted. Thus the Confederalism or "being willing to commit unlawful acts or unlawful means to do an act that is lawful."
Our "Founding Fathers" well understood the Machiavellian nature that will inevitably infect governments and it's leaders without the unflinching involvement of the people it seeks to serve..This is why it is stressed to the point of redundancy, the importance of an ever diligent, well educated electorate to always remain engaged and to attack any and all infringements on our rights and privileges."Liberty once lost is lost forever"
Our Constitution while being far from perfect, is the result of some good men's very best attempt, to establish a fair system of government, that would allow men to be what he was born to be, free and independent.
This after just breaking away from a tyrannical king, and those in his favor, who had come to think of it's subjects as little more than slaves to produce and maintain his Royalty. Is it surprising then that "Patrick Henry" is still revered by free men everywhere for saying to King George of England at the time of the American Revolution,"I know not what path others may choose but as for me Give me Liberty or give me Death"
Our Government has failed us, and now turns to us, and generations of us not yet born, to bail it out and assist it in regaining it's equilibrium, while at the same time allowing hundreds of the miscreants that are at fault in causing this economic collapse to openly loot this assistance to further enrich themselves, not even offering up the truth or even holding honest discussions on this failed "Conspiracy"

Glenn Nunley. North Florida.

Panama City News Herald Editorial

VIEWPOINTS: Congress is the new face of tyranny
Comments 12 | Recommend 1
February 07, 2009 09:00:00 AM


Let me begin by saying this is not written as a Republican, Democrat or member of any political organization. This is written as an American, an American who was raised with love of country, tears up on the playing of our national anthem, can barely hold up on the playing of taps.

I seem to recall a couple of old sayings: "What goes around, come around" and "History tends to repeat itself." A little more than 200 years ago, our forefathers pledged everything they owned, including their solemn word and their honor to work toward freeing themselves and their neighbors from the tyranny of an oppressive yoke.

Time has passed, generations have passed and history is repeating itself. The only difference is in the location of that tyranny. Tyranny has moved a few thousand miles west from England to Washington, D.C. We should all have a replica of the revolutionary flag that had in its field "Don't Tread on Me" flying in our yards and from our balconies.

From my days in school I remember reading about our ancestors crying out, "No taxation without representation." The only difference I see between then and now is in the notion that we are represented. I am reasonably confident that there may be a few in Congress who represent their constituents, but on a whole it appears they only represent their egos, their self-interests and their never-ending need to possess power.

Knowledge of our history seems to be fleeting. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable." His contemporary, John Adams wrote, "Children should be educated and instructed on the principles of freedom".

Our founders warned us of the potential troubles of democracy. Mr. Adams warned, "But a Constitution of government once changed from freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." George Washington warned, "Guard against the impostures of patriotism." Benjamin Franklin probably simplifies a course of action the best: "Diligence is the mother of good luck"

We need to become more diligent, more aware of our history, if for no other reason than the reminder from Thomas Paine: "If there is trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace."


John Manville, Lynn Haven

Voices From Our Past

I believe that to understand human beings it is necessary to think of them as part of the whole living world. Our essential humanity depends not only on the complex biological structure which has been developed through the ages from very simple beginnings, but also upon the great social inventions which have been made by human beings, perpetuated by human beings, and in turn give human beings their stature as builders, thinkers, statesmen, artists, seers and prophets.

I believe that each of these great inventions — language, the family, the use of tools, government, science, art and philosophy — has the quality of so combining the potentialities of every human temperament, that each can be learned and perpetuated by any group of human beings, regardless of race, and regardless of the type of civilization within which their progenitors lived; so that a newborn infant from the most primitive tribe in New Guinea is as intrinsically capable of graduation from Harvard or writing a sonnet or inventing a new form of radar as an infant born on Beacon Hill.

But I believe, also, that once a child has been reared in New Guinea or Boston or Leningrad or Tibet, he embodies the culture within which he is reared, and differs from those who are reared elsewhere so deeply, that only by understanding these differences can we reach an awareness which will give us a new control over our human destiny.

I believe that human nature is neither intrinsically good nor intrinsically evil, but individuals are born with different combinations of innate potentialities, and that it will depend upon how they are reared — to trust and love and experiment and create, or to fear and hate and conform — what kind of human beings they will become. I believe that we have not even begun to tap human potentialities, and that by continuing humble but persistent study of human behavior, we can learn consciously to create civilizations within which an increasing proportion of human beings will realize more of what they have it in them to be.

I believe that human life is given meaning through the relationship which the individual's conscious goals have to the civilization, period and country within which one lives. At times, the task may be to fence a wilderness, to bridge a river or rear sons to perpetuate a young colony. Today, it means taking upon ourselves the task of creating one world in such a way that we both keep the future safe and leave the future free.
Margaret Mead essay 1951.

Doing My Part On The Local Forum.

Re: Stop to think
posted at 2/4/2009 10:24 PM CST on newsherald.com

terrapatriot
First post: 12/11/2008
Last post: 2/4/2009
Total posts: 494
Replying to:


Please help me! I didn't know that the president had anything to do with economics. Maybe I need a little more education, but I thought that there were three branches of government, Administrative, Judicial, and The Legislative Branch which writes the bills.
Posted by jencabo23


The three branches of our Federal and State Governments are Executive, Legislative, and the Judiciary. They were set up this way to provide checks and balances so power would not become concentrated in any one branch. They each have specific powers which are spelled out in the respective Constitutions. The art of politics is to remain within these parameters while governing according to the will of the people. The problem is that the people who the Government is supposed to serve have failed in our responsibility to keep an eye on the people that we elected and many of those elected to serve were corrupt or became corrupted by the special interest groups who showered money on them in return for special considerations. The two houses of Congress, made up of the House Of Representatives and the Senate comprise the Legislative branch and supposedly the most powerful branch due to the fact that they make the laws and control the purse strings or monetary policy. They are supposed to be the branch that decides if we go to war or not. The Judiciary branch is made up of all the courts and judges and are given the power to interpret and administer the laws that are passed by Congress or the Legislative Branch. They have the last word on any and everything as far as the Constitutionality of it. And then the Executive Branch or the President is supposed to be the least powerful among the three powers. We had just escaped a King and were trying to set up a system that could never be so powerful as to have the people serving it rather than it serving the people.


As the most casual observer can see this generation of Americans stand an excellent chance of being the first ones ever to let our country be taken away from the will of the people that are currently alive and the generations that will follow. We have also dishonored all the people who gave up their lives so others could be free. Our Bad. TerraPatriot.

Right On----Right Move----Right Now

Thank you, Tim, for your hard work on this issue and on our economic recovery.


The economic crisis we face is unlike any we've seen in our lifetime. It's a crisis of falling confidence and rising debt. Of widely distributed risk and narrowly concentrated reward. A crisis written in the fine print of sub-prime mortgages, on the ledger lines of once-mighty financial institutions, and on the pink slips that have upended lives and cost the economy 2.6 million jobs last year alone.


We know that even if we do everything we should, this crisis was years in the making, and it will take more than weeks or months to turn things around.


But make no mistake:


A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession, a less robust recovery, and a more uncertain future. Millions more jobs will be lost. More businesses will be shuttered. More dreams will be deferred.


That's why I feel such a sense of urgency about the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that is before Congress today. With it, we can save or create more than three million jobs, doing things that will strengthen our country for generations to come. It is not merely a prescription for short-term spending - it's a strategy for long-term economic growth in areas like renewable energy, health care, and education.


Now, in the past few days I've heard criticisms of this plan that echo the very same failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis - the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can ignore fundamental challenges like energy independence and the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive.


I reject that theory, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. So I urge members of Congress to act without delay. No plan is perfect, and we should work to make it stronger. But let's not make the perfect the enemy of the essential. Let's show people all over our country who are looking for leadership in this difficult time that we are equal to the task.


At the same time, we know that this Recovery and Reinvestment plan is only the first part of what we need to do to restore prosperity and secure our future. We also need a strong and viable financial system to keep credit flowing to businesses and families alike. My administration will do what it takes to restore our financial system; our recovery depends upon it. And so next week, Secretary Geithner will release a new strategy to get credit moving again - a strategy that will reflect the lessons of past mistakes while laying a foundation for the future.


But in order to restore our financial system, we've got to restore trust. And in order to restore trust, we've got to make certain that taxpayer funds are not subsidizing excessive compensation packages on Wall Street.


We all need to take responsibility. And this includes executives at major financial firms who turned to the American people, hat in hand, when they were in trouble, even as they paid themselves their customary lavish bonuses. As I said last week, that's the height of irresponsibility. That's shameful. And that's exactly the kind of disregard for the costs and consequences of their actions that brought about this crisis: a culture of narrow self-interest and short-term gain at the expense of everything else.


This is America. We don't disparage wealth. We don't begrudge anybody for achieving success. And we believe that success should be rewarded. But what gets people upset - and rightfully so - are executives being rewarded for failure. Especially when those rewards are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers.


For top executives to award themselves these kinds of compensation packages in the midst of this economic crisis is not only in bad taste - it's a bad strategy - and I will not tolerate it as President. We're going to be demanding some restraint in exchange for federal aid - so that when firms seek new federal dollars, we won't find them up to the same old tricks.


As part of the reforms we are announcing today, top executives at firms receiving extraordinary help from U.S. taxpayers will have their compensation capped at $500,000 - a fraction of the salaries that have been reported recently. And if these executives receive any additional compensation, it will come in the form of stock that can't be paid up until taxpayers are paid back for their assistance.


Companies receiving federal aid are going to have to disclose publicly all the perks and luxuries bestowed upon senior executives and provide an explanation to the taxpayers and to shareholders as to why these expenses are justified. And we're putting a stop to these kinds of massive severance packages we've all read about with disgust; we're taking the air out of the golden parachute.


We're asking these firms to take responsibility, to recognize the nature of this crisis and their role in it. We believe that what we've laid out should be viewed as fair and embraced as basic common sense.


Finally, these guidelines we're putting in place are only the beginning of a long-term effort. We're going to examine the ways in which the means and manner of executive compensation have contributed to a reckless culture and quarter-by-quarter mentality that in turn have wrought havoc in our financial system. We're going to be taking a look at broader reforms so that executives are compensated for sound risk management and rewarded for growth measured over years, not just days or weeks.


We've all got to pull together and take our share of responsibility. That's true here in Washington. That's true on Wall Street. The American people are carrying a huge burden as a result of this economic crisis: bearing the brunt of its effects as well as the costs of extraordinary measures we're taking to address it. The American people expect and demand that we pursue policies that reflect the reality of this crisis - and that will prevent these kinds of crises in the future.


Thank you.

A FAVORITE OF MINE.

"I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
-Patrick Henry, 1775"

JUST A THOUGHT

"But now I know the things I know,
And do the things I do;
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you!"

SOWING THE SEEDS OF A BITTER CROP

I have watched over the last couple of years as our government and it's agencies have been enlisted and utilized by the greedy bankers and wall street thugs. They have diligently worked hand in hand to craft the rules of the game in a way to reap a bountiful harvest off the backs of millions of honest working and middle class people and in the process have sewn the seeds of despair and anger throughout the lengths and depths of our country. What has been over looked by these pilgrims is that while they gathered in their ill gains they could not harvest our spirits. The American people are for the most part good and decent folks just like you and me given to fair play and live and let live attitudes, but they also possess a deep rooted spirit of independence and a strong dislike of being bamboozled by the very people who are sworn and obligated to run our institutions in a way that is fair with equal opportunities for all. When the evidence is laid bare and there is no doubt that we have been railroaded by these groups then it will not be long until there will be hell to pay. So when the facilitators of all this mischief becomes more clear everyday and with each function of our lives that is disrupted only serves to bring the day of reckoning closer. You had better know that if you are not with us you are against us and that sooner or later you will be called to answer for the devious and greedy behavior that has resulted in so much unnecessary suffering and disruption of our lives. The retribution that will be exacted could take many forms and the methods will vary but in the end the seeds that have been sewn will produce a bitter crop for all those malevolent planters and harvesters. Glenn Nunley. North Florida.

LEAGUE OF THE SOUTH NEWS

For Immediate Release
January 31,2009
Re: Congress passes “bailout” legislation
The League of the South, the only existing Southern nationalist organization, condemns in the strongest possible way the “bailout” legislation passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress.
League President Dr. Michael Hill noted: “Giving three-quarters of a trillion dollars of taxpayer-guaranteed funds to the very people who caused this financial crisis in the first place is not only irresponsible, it is insane. It would be a sweet deal indeed to go to Vegas and be able to keep your winnings but throw your losses on to someone else’s shoulders. Essentially, what has been done is to allow the bankers to keep their profits in good times and make the American taxpayer responsible for their losses in bad times. This legislation was pushed through the House and Senate by a campaign of fear mongering. There was even talk of a declaration of martial law if the House didn’t pass the Senate’s version of the bailout bill.”
The League believes that the passage of the bailout legislation will serve only to cover the crisis temporarily and make the final day of financial and economic reckoning even worse. Moreover, the League sees this as a major step toward socialism in the American economy.
Hill stated that he hoped “the Southern people would wake up and see that both major political parties are bought and paid for by the banking and business elites and that the current American empire is not worthy of their consent and support. Instead of protecting their lives, liberty, and property, the regime is robbing them blind.”
Since its inception in 1994, the League has sought to advance the cultural, social, economic, and political well being and independence of the Southern people by all honorable means. It believes this stand is necessary now more than ever.
The League of the South, the premier Southern nationalist organization, can be reached for comment by phone at (800) 888-3163 or by e-mail at mailto:jmichhill%40cs.com
END OF RELEASE