A radical "fringe" speech from a Democratic candidate. Keep that commie out of office!

[Armstead]

Last edited Sat Jan 2, 2016, 11:20 AM - Edit history (1)

Spoiler: This is an excerpt from a speech from 1936 Comparisons to current candidates are deliberate.


...Tonight I call the roll—the roll of honor of those who stood with us in 1932 and still stand with us today.

Written on it are the names of millions who never had a chance—men at starvation wages, women in sweatshops, children at looms.

Written on it are the names of those who despaired, young men and young women for whom opportunity had become a will-o'-the-wisp.

Written on it are the names of farmers whose acres yielded only bitterness, business men whose books were portents of disaster, home owners who were faced with eviction, frugal citizens whose savings were insecure.

Written there in large letters are the names of countless other Americans of all parties and all faiths, Americans who had eyes to see and hearts to understand, whose consciences were burdened because too many of their fellows were burdened, who looked on these things four years ago and said, "This can be changed. We will change it."

We still lead that army in 1936. They stood with us then because in 1932 they believed. They stand with us today because in 1936 they know. And with them stand millions of new recruits who have come to know.

Their hopes have become our record.

We have not come this far without a struggle and I assure you we cannot go further without a struggle.

For twelve years this Nation was afflicted with hear-nothing, see-nothing, do-nothing Government. The Nation looked to Government but the Government looked away. Nine mocking years with the golden calf and three long years of the scourge! Nine crazy years at the ticker and three long years in the breadlines! Nine mad years of mirage and three long years of despair! Powerful influences strive today to restore that kind of government with its doctrine that that Government is best which is most indifferent.

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....

[ms liberty]

1. FDR. Great man, Great President.

Not perfect, but great nonetheless.

[hobbit709]

2. And today he would be attacked by the same people that attack Bernie.

[SoapBox]

3. Yup.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

5. Hillbots of all stripes would be vilifying him as inelectable.

[Duval]

7. Too True!! eom

[uponit7771]

8. This is false, FDR had a 80% progressive congress in 4 terms... Sanders is promising similar without

.. that congress and totally dis's the current president for not getting done what he has no practical plan on following through with...

FDR did no such thing...

SBS is no FDR... not at all

[hobbit709]

10. As expected.

[Plucketeer]

14. Yeah

So let's do the "Obama Third Term Thing". The BIG monies would be just fine with that. Give us, as well, another toothless, de-clawed AG to "enforce" things. Then call the speaker in to talk over "saving" social security.

[uponit7771]

31. Obama kicked much ass, I pray he'd have a third term. People who are against the status

...quo aren't even being reasonable relative too what America was against with the Bush admin and a historically gerrymandered congress

[zeemike]

16. FDR did not wait for approval of congres

He hit the ground running with the CCC in his first year and that program helped millions of family during bad times...and btw, it helped blacks as well as whites.

And his "progressive" congress was largely due to the solid south.

That old excuse that the bad guys won't let him is wearing thin.

[uponit7771]

28. This is also false, before FDR had war Powers he was overturned by ussc

... And still has to answer to congress who were more progressive than he was

[sarge43]

18. Unless Dems have a working majority in the next congress, both House and Senate

Clinton won't get the time of day from a Repug congress. What's Clinton's follow through on any of her rather vague plans?

[uponit7771]

29. Clinton isn't promising unicorns and being more realistic with what can be done and not dissing

...others for not stepping over the historically gerrymandered congress

[sarge43]

33. Right, because trying to reach a compromise with a Repug congress

worked so very well for Obama.

[uponit7771]

34. It didn't so he stopped a lot later than I thought he should be o well, he still got ~80% of his

... agenda done but SBS folk loath him even after that.

I'm done with that kind of thinking

[Armstead]

27. Blame Congress again...But why is that when....

There's been Democratic Congresses, not much gets done either? Then its a lot of excuses about "can't offend the 'center' so we can keep our majority."

And or watered down 'reforms' that are tailored to the desires of Corporate America, like the ACA with mandates to buy overpruced health insurance from private companies, and even a mild public option killed by Democrats.

[uponit7771]

30. There wasn't an 80% PROGRESSIVE congress of democrats like FDR had and that congress lasted

... for 59 days...

The sophistry here is the wingerish meme of "the congress was democratic" .. yeah... for 2 months !!!

and those weren't even majority progressive!!!

[JDPriestly]

21. For sure. Thanks for saying it.

[Proserpina]

4. Wow. Just Wow.

If FDR were saying this today, they'd call out the National Guard from all the exploding heads making such a noise...

[reformist2]

6. The country doesn't realize how far left it really is, thanks to Repug - and New Dem - brainwashing.

You list off all the things Bernie stands for individually, and the vast majority of Americans agree. Restrictions on banking and Wall Street. Health care for all. Much higher minimum wages. Higher taxes on the rich. Free education, K-12-college, just like they have in Europe. And no more wars. Emphatically, no more wars!

Pretty liberal.... even "fringe", by corporate media candidate standards.

But ask them what their politics are in general, and they say they are moderates!

We need to change that. This year.

[George II]

9. FDR is a "radical fringe candidate" in 1936? Sorry, he was neither radical nor fringe.

[Armstead]

11. If that speech had come from Sanders you'd be all over him for being an unrealistric commie

[George II]

12. Pretty bold accusation. You know nothing about what I'd do.

[Armstead]

17. I'm just basing it on experience

"I welcome their hatred." You really think if Sanders said that you'd be jumping up and down and supporting that?

[George II]

24. Still making bold and unsubstantiated accusations. Happy New Year.

[Jack Rabbit]

13. Good play, Armstead

K/R

[Enthusiast]

15. Kicked and recommended!

[Doctor_J]

19. "...enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, ..."

The friends of Hillary's campaign.

[jwirr]

20. That is still one of the best descriptions of today we have.

The only difference is that the enemies of peace are now larger and stronger.

Go Bernie go.

[PyaarRevolution]

23. So true and...

These people tried to stage a coup and overthrow FDR at that time. It was halted because Smedly Butler reported on it. Frankly I hope FDR threw those people in prison.
This is why, as much as possible, you must encourage competition within' industry and have an alternate, especially for the necessitous goods industries/services like Oil and Healthcare.
Because those industries became such a necessary part of American life they then had the money to bribe government officials and get subsidies to further entrenched themselves and become bigger. This is called Crony Capitalism and it is as much a Cancer today as it was then. Crony Capitalism is a large part of why Marijuana got banned and Hemp by extension. Let us not forget Dupont and Nylon in addition to them making the chemical that whitens the paper coming from wood pulp.

[JDPriestly]

22. Thanks, Armstead.

I dare the Hillary supporters to quote one speech by Hillary in which she even broaches on the truths that FDR told us and that Bernie is now telling us.

"We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob."

Government by organized money -- makes me think of Reagan, Bush I, Bill Clinton and Bush II and, in so far as the commerce and banking leaders in the Obama administration, of Obama too. Government by organized money.

And organized labor????? Taking a definite back seat.

So many part-time and temporary jobs and no government policies to bring stability into the lives of the many Americans who find no other work.

That has to change somehow.

[cascadiance]

25. We definitely need a person representing the 99% as prez today. Economic Royalists need not apply!

[mhatrw]

26. No place in the DNC for FDR. nt

[BlueStateLib]

32. 🎇FDR was unmercifully attacked by Father Coughlin and the progressive movement🎇

for the New Deal not going far enough

[mhatrw]

36. How in the hell is Father Coughlin a representative of "the progressive movement"?

His politics were a weird conglomeration of Huey Long, Ron Paul, Jimmy Swaggert and Adolph Hitler.

[Uncle Joe]

35. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Armstead.