How FDR Did It

A short quote from FDR (via Mark Thoma). For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up. We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred. I should like to have it said of my first Administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second Administration that in it these forces met their master.

FDR understood who his enemies were. I saw a newsreel of him signing a progressive income tax bill. He said this is for Randolph Hearst when he signed it. Hearst was the Rupert Murdoch of his day. He published the tabloids that kept people informed about nonsense fully informed about conservative political ideology. He was especially opposed to the progressive income tax

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