Found this wonderful Fire Side Chat by the 32nd President of These United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Referred to as FDR, Roosevelt was instrumental in creating the New Deal. FDR served during the Great Depression, and was considered the father of American Liberalism. He is the only U.S. President to serve more than two terms, because he believed he could single-handedly resolve the challenges of the Great Depression. Prior to the 22nd amendment, which limits a President to 2 terms, Presidents were expected to honor the precedent set forth by George Washington and willfully leave office after serving a total of two terms.
So, FDR was considered the Father of American Liberalism, but he still emphatically believed in Liberty for All! He believed, or at least led people to think that he believed, that we must stand by our principles and do all we can to halt our “gradual regimentation into the service of the privileged few”. This gives me chill bumps, listening to how our Commander-in-Chief articulates the need for vigilance in protecting our liberties and freedoms.
Here is the clip 01 Fireside Chat, Pt. 1 . Come to find out that this was actually made the night before the mid-term elections in 1934, and is regarded as a slap in the face of businesses for their lack of support for his reforms. Well that is up for discussion, but for now we will overlook his perceived intentions.
The Significance
of my pointing out this Fireside Chat is the overwhelming theme of ‘Liberty’ and ‘Free People’. Where are the references to these terms today, have we just accepted that Freedom is whatever the Government gives us? Have we accepted that we as free people are being gradually regimented into the service of the privileged few? The privileged few being the government, corporations, and the wealthy? To me, often times the meaning of freedom and liberty are lost in translation when wrapped in superficial campaign speeches, of promises of handouts.
What Does Freedom Mean
is for all Americans to be able to speak their mind, to live their own life, without coercion, without interference, without prejudice. I think this is a statement most people could agree with. What we have to be conscious of is the ‘without coercion’ part of the statement, because this is where the tentacles of interpretation vary in many different ways. Coercion is often used as a means of getting free people to surrender their liberties. A promise of a lower cost of health insurance if we just let the Federal Government coordinate the delivery of our Nation’s health coverage. The promise of improved education for disadvantaged students if we let the Federal Government dictate our educational needs, as in the case of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
So Back to the Fireside Chat…. If we place significant value in what it means to be free, which seemed to be commonly agreed upon back in 1934, then maybe we wont be so eager to trade these freedoms and liberties for another ‘eloquently presented’ government program which will be riddled with unintended consequences.
Are we being regimented into the service of the privileged few? Your thoughts?