As Matt Drudge
has reported, Time Magazine is set to name Franklin Delano Roosevelt
as the "Man of the Century." While I am hardly an admirer of FDR,
I will readily admit that his policies have had enormous influence
on our country and much of the rest of the world. As such, he
is probably as good a choice as any for this honor.
Born into
a wealthy family in 1882, FDR's childhood was geared toward a
career in public service. And, perhaps, inevitably, given the
influence of his "progressive" fifth cousin Theodore, and Teddy's
niece, Eleanor, Franklin veered ever leftward. FDR moved up the
political ladder rapidly, starting as a New York state senator
in 1910, and then on to assistant secretary of the Navy in 1913.
In 1920, he
received the Democratic nomination for vice-president, but got
buried by the Republican landslide of Warren G. Harding.
Stricken with
polio in 1921, he stayed reasonably active in politics, operating
behind the scenes. He was elected governor of New York in 1928,
and president in 1932.
1933 was the
height of Great Depression, and desperate times seemed to call
for desperate measures. Many agencies were created as FDR single-handedly
redefined the role of the Federal government. In 1934, he devalued
the dollar by about 40%, and by the fall of that year, a limited
degree of economic recovery was noted. Opposition was mounting
to his programs from both sides. The poor felt that he had not
done enough, and middle class and business interests were horrified
by the proliferation of agencies, and especially the devaluation.
After all, holders of government obligations were now cheated
out of their just return!
1935 was probably
the killer year, with the advent of Social Security and a tax
reform scheme that even proponents admitted was a significant
factor in redistributing US income.
In his second
term, FDR tried to pack the Supreme Court, to fend off constitutional
challenges to his programs. This turned off more of his supporters,
and in the summer of 1937 he was blamed for labor troubles and
a further recession.
By 1939, of
course, foreign policy was becoming a huge issue, and just in
time for Roosevelt. He ran against Wendell Willkie in 1940. Both
candidates promised to keep the US out of the war, and FDR won
his third term.
FDR lovers
say that he was surprised by Pearl Harbor, but many, including
this writer, disagree with that assessment. The US did institute
an embargo of Japan, and was negotiating with them in the fall
of 1941. With the Japanese fleet on the move, it is difficult
to believe that he felt they were bluffing. At any rate, it is
safe to say that WWII is what brought this country out of the
Depression, rather than his domestic policies.
His apologists
re-tell the Tehran conference story of 1943 with both FDR and
Churchill being bamboozled by Joseph Stalin, but I don't buy it.
It seems to me that Uncle Joe lost a big ally when FDR died in
April of 1945.
So what is
his legacy?
A tremendous
political talent, he came up with a formula for winning elections
that worked even down to Bill Clinton's first try in 1992. He
established a massive role for government, that has caused way
more problems than it has ever solved. He got our country involved
in a war that arguably could and should have been avoided, and
he sealed the fate of millions who were forced to live under Communism.
Quite a resume
for the Man of the Century.