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Kids Speaking Up: Time to Fight Recession — Again
Whether or not President-elect Barack Obama will carry Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential legacy, Obama’s future administration already shows signs of parallels to Roosevelt’s policies.
This is a necessary step for the United States given its economic problems. As more jobs dissipate (533,000 in November alone), the country needs to implement radical policies like Obama’s and Roosevelt’s that increase jobs, stimulate the economy and provide future stability. It’s true that much of the United States’ past successes with the economy are a result of the free market and capitalist policies — but we need to realize, as a country, that this is the worst economic shape we’ve been in since the Depression.
As Obama advocated throughout his campaign, it’s time for change. It’s too late for the halfhearted raising and lowering of interest rates, or small stimulus packages. Hopefully, Obama, like Roosevelt, will be able to bring around a nationwide economic upturn with the image of strong government intervention.
I do realize that there’s a large chance Obama’s new legislation isn’t going to be as effective as Roosevelt’s were in the ‘30s. After all, most attempts to undo the economic crisis, subtle and drastic, haven’t made much of a change in the global recession that has hit in the past year. Whether or not you support the new president-elect, his radical policies may be the only thing that can save our falling economy.
Dos Pueblos High School senior Andrew Hsu is a member of Kids Speaking Up, a local group working to educate youth on social, national and political issues and inspire them to write.
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» on 12.12.08 @ 02:32 AM
Sorry to burst your bubble Andrew, but FDR’s policies made the Depression worse, not better, which is why unemployment never significantly improved until WW2. For instance, raising the price of labor through taxes (Social Security) is precisely the opposite of what you want to do when unemployment is high. Ditto on his taxes on business - Andrew, profitable businesses hire people, unprofitable ones fail, OK? FDR’s policies did get him a lot of votes as he cynically bought off certain sectors of the economy (farmers and unions to be specific) at the expense of others. Suggest you read Amity Schlaes’ “The Forgotten Man” or Flynn’s “The Roosevelt Myth.”
As to Obama’s policy proposals, he’s been long on criticism and short on specifics. As has been said before, “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Keep that in mind as you evaluate what our government does. Years of government deficit spending have created a national debt which limits our options. Obama can’t repeal the laws of supply and demand. What he will get is an uncritical bye from the press. You be smarter than that as you evaluate what he actually does, vs. what he says he does.
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» on 12.12.08 @ 05:01 AM
Hey, RKV, face reality. Even Mortimer Snerd would be infinitely better than what we’ve had for the last eight years!
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» on 12.12.08 @ 12:14 PM
Hey Texmex, the press will cover for Obama which they never did for Jorge Arbusto. Just look at how they are downplaying Hussein’s ties to Blago. Another note for histories sake - it was Landslide Lyndon Johnson (D - the same state as W) who was the first President to sign a budget spending the surplus in Social Security. Every damn President since has done the same, so they are all Crooks, and I include FDR in that characterization. Of course it is really the American people who are foolish enough to think they can get something for nothing, because we keep electing these criminals.
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» on 12.12.08 @ 03:58 PM
Creating jobs (like the CCC did, etc) certainly helped keep the Depression from getting worse, even if it did take WW2 to put the economy fully upright again. FDR had a “try anything” policy where, in his hundred days with Congress, tried a variety of things to alleviate the severity of the Depression. Believe or not, sometimes Government spending is needed. The key is to do it responsibly, which FDR did and President-Elect Obama will do. If you think President-Elect Obama is all talk and no action, just watch and see what he will do with his first term.
Bravo Andrew, for a well-written, insightful essay!
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