10 Of The Most Idiotic Quotes From Liberal Hero Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Father of Modern Liberal Thought Said Very Outrageous Things

by Josh Guckert

1. “There seems to be no question that [Mussolini] is really interested in what we are doing and I am much interested and deeply impressed by what he has accomplished and by his evidenced honest purpose of restoring Italy.”

This comment was made by Roosevelt in early 1933. It is hard to tell if he was simply being ignorant of Mussolini’s track record or if he really did approve of his oppressive policies.

Benito Mussolini, Fascist leader of Italy from 1922 to 1943, is considered one of the most brutal leaders in recent world history. During his time as Prime Minister, he reduced the influence of the judiciary, stifled free press and arrested political opponents before eventually declaring himself dictator of Italy.

Mussolini then banned opposition parties, expelled over 100 members of parliament, enacted the death penalty for political crimes, increased the amount of secret police activities and abolished local elections. During World War II, Mussolini partnered with Adolf Hitler of Germany and Hideki Tojo of Japan to form the Axis Powers.

2. “I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of man. Harry [Hopkins] says he’s not and that he doesn’t want anything except security for his own country, and I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won’t try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace.”

Roosevelt also apparently underestimated, and was somewhat sympathetic toward Joseph Stalin. This quote, made in response to proposed containment against the Soviet Union in 1943, shows that Roosevelt thought quite highly of Stalin’s motives and was nearly oblivious to his wicked intentions.

Yet another brutal dictator, Stalin’s aggressive actions in Europe following World War II would lead to the Soviet Union becoming the US’s biggest rival for the next 40 years. In addition to the 20 million Soviet troops and civilians who died during World War II, it is estimated that another 20 million people died as a direct result of Stalin during his time as ruler.

#3. “In my Inaugural, I laid down the simple proposition that nobody is going to starve in this country. It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.”

This quote from 1933 reveals just how little Roosevelt thought of private businesses and what they deemed to be necessary to survive. Despite economic realities, Roosevelt thought that every business should supply a “living wage,” and perhaps even more striking, that any businesses that do not (or cannot) supply such a wage have no right to exist. This populist exclamation shows complete economic illiteracy and neglects the many entry-level jobs which are never meant to serve such a purpose as granting a living. In fact, some jobs return to employers such a small amount that it would require that they go “into the red” in order to pay a living wage.

#4. “Great accumulations of wealth cannot be justified on the basis of personal and family security. In the last analysis, such accumulations amount to the perpetuation of great and undesirable concentration of control in a relatively few individuals over the employment and welfare of many, many others.”

Once again, Roosevelt strikes a very socialist tone with his remarks. In this address to Congress in 1935, he decries the rich and wonders for what reason they need so much money, when it could instead be used by government for much more “benevolent” purposes. In the same address, Roosevelt would suggest that in addition to the estate tax, there should be inheritance, succession and legacy taxes, as well as gift taxes to avoid evasion. This kind of class warfare is familiar, as it is regularly spouted by modern-day liberals.

#5. “The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism – ownership of government by an individual, by a group.”

In this message to Congress in 1938, Roosevelt fear-mongers about a day when “private power” becomes stronger than the government. Oddly enough, isn’t this the way which the Founders crafted the Republic? Isn’t government supposed to be beholden to private individuals, rather than the other way around?

Perhaps the most amazing part about this quote is its irony. Fascism is defined by dictionary.com as “a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.” This definition is eerily similar to the kind of government that was in place during FDR’s presidency.

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