Quote Of The Day, 1936 Edition

“The more things change…”

Alright, I guess I’ll be the one to take the bait here.

Lee, while it’s a great quote, and it illustrates FDR’s willingness to fight for the little guy, the separate variable not being considered is the attitude he projects out with this quote.

It’s essentially “I believe wholeheartedly that this is right, and I dont give a f*ck who hates me for it, I’m gonna do it”. Who does that sound like to you? If you answered Dick Cheney, or George W. then you get a prize.

Look it, I’m not suggesting FDR was in any way shape or form like BushCo, he fought for fair and decent things for the american people, while BushCo did not.

But in their own mind, they did. And if Obama were to take a stance like FDR, and say something like this today, after 8 years of BushCo expressing the same type of attitude (albeit for different purposes and ends), we wouldnt have elected him, he wouldnt be as loved, and his ability to appeal broadly (to those with brains, no matter the political affiliation) would be lost.

We should rally the progressive troops, no doubt. But asking Obama to change who he is, or how he does things, after electing him for being who he is and how he does things, is absurd. It’s being a fair weathered fan, short sighted, and completely dismisses Nov. 2008 and why so many came together to work, vote, and believe in Obama.

Amen skywriter,I couldn’t have said it better myself. I’m so frustrated with all the bickering negative, sky-is-falling nonsense that I find myself at a loss for words.

Shorter FDR: “Bring it on!”

Great quote, Lee.Here’s a few of my favorites:Thomas Jefferson and the Constitution: “Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the ark of the Covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment… laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind… as that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, institutions must advance also, to keep pace with the times…. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain forever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”George Washington on a strong centralized government: With such powerful and obvious motives to union, affecting all parts of our country, while experience shall not have demonstrated its impracticability, there will always be reason to distrust the patriotism of those who in any quarter may endeavor to weaken its bands.Teddy Roosevelt: Of that generation of men to whom we owe so much, the man to whom we owe most is, of course, Lincoln. Part of our debt to him is because he forecast our present struggle and saw the way out. He said:”I hold that while man exists it is his duty to improve not only his own condition, but to assist in ameliorating mankind.”And again:”Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”If that remark was original with me, I should be even more strongly denounced as a Communist agitator than I shall be anyhow. It is Lincoln’s. I am only quoting it; and that is one side; that is the side the capitalist should hear. Now, let the working man hear his side.Well, that just about covers a tiny fraction of my favorite key insights from the faces on Mt. Rushmore.What’s interesting about FDR, is that there was a bona fide attempt to overthrow him plotted by America’s wealthiest corporations seeking to use Smedley Butler and his influence with the military to carry it out.In Smedley’s words: “I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”As for now, who needs a Smedley Butler when there’s an Erik Prince running around the country?Who needs a coup when you can just buy off a Senators and congressmen?

I always enjoy your comments MrBrink, thank you. I will be sharing this on FB.Very well done, indeed.

It’s a great quote. Lee.The President should take it to heart, and stop being a wuss.

Sorry, skywriter, but I must disagree. I used to buy into the whole idea that in order to get things done, government had to listen to everyone and try to compromise on an approach that was acceptable to all. And I used to think people were mostly reasonable and rational, just holding slightly different views of how things should work.Have you looked around lately? Which side has compromised and compromised and compromised (hint: LEFT) and which side ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY REFUSES to accept anything less than what they believe is right, so much so that they are now arming themselves for the Christian insurrection to come? Who is twisting religion and nationalism into a hate-filled, status-quo seeking orgy of NO F’ING WAY, P.S. DIE EVIL SOCIALISTS?And on top of that, the right in this country has no respect for anyone who compromises because they believe that compromise is weakness. How is Obama going to work with that??Ability to appeal broadly to who? Anyone with a mind or their own is already standing for reform; and we want the real change we were promised and not some bullshit policy that charades as change.I don’t mean to be harsh, but there are times in the world when it takes someone to stand up, like Roosevelt did, and say, “I’m going to do what is right here no matter what all of you think.” If the Cheney/Bush crew actually thought that is what they were doing, they would have done it in the sun instead of behind the scenes and underground. I don’t accept your comparison.

Saw this quote yesterday on Salon, Man we need all Dems to grow a pair like he had….Big Giant brass ones.