Posted
on January 30, 2017
I
could ask a bunch of questions with the same answer:
Who
is one of the most revered presidents of all time? (Most praised,
most important, most influential, most honored...)- Who is one of the most hated presidents of all time?
- Who is one of the richest presidents?
- Which president was most despised by rich people?
- Who served as U.S. President longest?
- Which U.S. President was the weakest, physically speaking?
Come
on – there is no way that all of those questions could have the
same answer! And of course, the secret is, it depends on who you
ask...
Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, who was born on this date in 1882, grew up in a
prominent (important) and wealthy family in New York. He went into
politics but then was stricken with polio. That illness so weakened
his legs, he had to rely on wheelchairs and braces and canes in
order to get around. However, his personal victory over polio gave
Roosevelt a kind of strength and optimism when faced with
difficulties.
And
when he won the presidency of the United States, in 1932, he had to
face a lot of difficulties! The nation and the world were in the
middle of the Great Depression. Later on in his presidency, the
world plunged into World War II, and the U.S. was attacked by Japan.
FDR
was bold with his depression-fighting policies, called the New Deal,
and he radiated a kind of calm positivity in the face of being
attacked and entering into the WWII. Those traits are a major reason
why Roosevelt won a record four elections (although he died during
his fourth term). And those traits are a big reason why FDR often
ends up among the top five American Presidents. (On this list
– which takes into consideration a bunch of other lists – he is
ranked #2, higher than George Washington, even!)
But
Roosevelt's bold moves to combat the depression also made the United
States into more of a “mixed economy” than it had been, with
capitalistic and socialistic aspects. In other words, a lot of jobs
and monies were involved with privately-owned businesses and
companies and corporations, but a lot of other jobs and monies were
based on public programs – everything from government programs to
build roads and bridges to government-run schools and parks. Some
people with power and money hated that – they complained about high
taxes, they complained about “redistribution of wealth,” they
felt strongly that those that had money deserved money, and those who
didn't should earn it with hard work rather than having any sort of
safety net provided by society.
(Of
course, a lot of people that don't have money CAN'T earn money with
hard work. They are babies, or they face severe illness, or they are
80 years old, or or or...Enough said.)
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