Democrats - Day Late and A Dollar Short As Usual - Historical Precedent

I recently was viewing a Democratic website and encountered an article in which the author was drawing upon a speech made by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, in which he referred to the emergence of an "Economic Royalty" in the country that was preventing the economic opportunities of the small businessman and everyday worker through their monopolistic goals and actions. The author in this article after emphasizing Roosevelt’s stature as one of our greatest Presidents went to great lengths to draw similarities between the current Republican leadership and these 1936 industrialists who stood in the way of FDR’s New Deal.

Skeptical of the broad generalities relied upon by this author but open to examine these viewpoints with an open mind, I followed the provided link. The speech referred to by the writer was Roosevelt’s 1936 Democratic National Convention acceptance speech. http://millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/diglibrary
/prezspeeches/roosevelt/fdr_1936_0627.html

As the drums of war were starting to beat in Europe, this was a snapshot in time of our political debate on the eve of the last Presidential Election prior to World War II. http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Time%20for%20change/102

As I read the speech, although seeing a few references which might support the writer’s viewpoint, I was even more surprised by what FDR’s speech did not contain. There was not one single mention of any international issues or concerns involving Germany nor any of the future axis powers even though critical movements were already taking place in the world. I was amazed and dismayed to see one of our finest Presidents so unaware of the perilous times which were fast approaching. Mr. Roosevelt’s sole "war" issue was centered upon his "war on poverty" and the economic recovery of the country following the Great Depression. Deliriously focused inward, America and her sitting President failed to see the tell-tale signs of an enemy who was industrializing and preparing for war at an alarming pace.

Specifically, Adolf Hitler announced on March 16, 1935 that Germany would rearm in violation of the Treaty of Versailles and subsequent Pact of Locarno. The following year on March 7, 1936 (three months before Roosevelt’s speech) Nazi Germany reoccupied the Rhineland also in violation of the Treaty and directly renounced the Locarno Pact. Additionally, the radical militarist Koki Hirota becomes Prime Minister of Japan. Although these events appear significant alone, they take on a more ominous setting when considered with other events that occurred in 1935 including; China’s conceding military control of north-east China to the Japanese, and Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia. It is interesting to note that the Treaty of Versailles specifically entitled the Allies to reoccupy the Rhineland if they unilaterally determined that Germany had breached the Treaty.

Instead France and Britain failed to act as America was blissfully unaware of the significance of these events. The true cost is made clear by the historical entry in Wikipedia,

"Hitler took a risk when he sent his troops to the Rhineland. He told them to 'turn back and not to resist' if they were stopped by the French Army. The French did not try to stop them because they were currently helding (sic.) elections in their country and no president wanted to start a war with Germany."

These events should have concerned the sitting President and been at least a peripheral issue to the United States. Instead FDR’s acceptance speech focused upon issues which would become irrelevant as the war began and the very industrialists who he demonized would become the backbone of the American War effort as they diverted significant resources to the building of America’s tanks, planes and ships.

Admittedly hind-sight is always 20/20 and it is far easier to spot the significance of events when you have the benefit of seeing what the future held. Even the Republican candidate, Alf Landon, http://www.kshs.org/research/topics/politics
/landonspeech1936.htm was inordinately focused in his acceptance speech upon the economic recovery; however, he at least did mention and emphasize America's position as a keeper of peace in the World. In the end, they collectively failed to heed the warnings. In our present day situation, no such excuse exists, the Democrats still are unable to recognize the approaching danger.

Instead our current President who is often derided as being "an idiot" (by democrats) has taken steps to meet these dangers before they reach critical mass with a foresight that obviously Roosevelt lacked. In such a time as this, I am personally grateful that President Bush has this insight because the approaching battle if left unaddressed will likely be borne by our children. Instead we should follow the President’s initiative and take up this battle now.

- Jay

Sorry for the lack of recent posts, I've been researching this one and needed time to collect my thoughts.