FDR and the Four Freedoms Speech ( What we must remember and fight for, again )

[Jefferson23]

How do we secure this? Public funded elections would be a fight worth our time and effort.

** This week, Bill speaks with historian Harvey J. Kaye, author of the new book, The Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great, about how FDR’s speech was a rallying cry to build the kind of progressive society that Roosevelt hoped for but did not live to see at war’s end.

Kaye says the president was able to mobilize Americans who created “the strongest and most prosperous country in human history.” How did they do it? By working toward the Four Freedoms and making America “freer, more equal and more democratic.”

He believes Americans have not forgotten the Four Freedoms as goals, but have “forgotten what it takes to realize them, that we must defend, sustain and secure democracy by enhancing it. That’s what Roosevelt knew. That’s what Jefferson knew. And no one seems to remember that today. That’s what we have to remind people of.”

http://billmoyers.com/episode/fighting-for-the-four-freedoms/

snip*Franklin Roosevelt was elected president for an unprecedented third term in 1940 because at the time the world faced unprecedented danger, instability, and uncertainty. Much of Europe had fallen to the advancing German Army and Great Britain was barely holding its own. A great number of Americans remained committed to isolationism and the belief that the United States should continue to stay out of the war, but President Roosevelt understood Britain's need for American support and attempted to convince the American people of the gravity of the situation.

In his Annual Message to Congress (State of the Union Address) on January 6, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt presented his reasons for American involvement, making the case for continued aid to Great Britain and greater production of war industries at home. In helping Britain, President Roosevelt stated, the United States was fighting for the universal freedoms that all people possessed.




http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/fourfreedoms

[Octafish]

1. The "Four Freedoms"

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Address to Congress January 6, 1941

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression -- everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way -- everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want -- which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants -- everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear -- which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor-- anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb.

To that new order we oppose the greater conception -- the moral order. A good society is able to face schemes of world domination and foreign revolutions alike without fear.

Since the beginning of our American history, we have been engaged in change -- in a perpetual peaceful revolution -- a revolution which goes on steadily, quietly adjusting itself to changing conditions -- without the concentration camp or the quick-lime in the ditch. The world order which we seek is the cooperation of free countries, working together in a friendly, civilized society.

This nation has placed its destiny in the hands and heads and hearts of its millions of free men and women; and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God. Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose.

To that high concept there can be no end save victory.

From Congressional Record, 1941, Vol. 87, Pt. I.

SOURCE: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/workbook/ralprs36b.htm

[Jefferson23]

2. We've been robbed, we must demand and band together to stop the theft.

I do believe at the heart of the theft is the infiltration of lobby money..if we do
not fight for public funded elections I don't see how we will win over the oligarchs.

Thank you for your post, Octafish.

[shanemcg]

3. I'm not a supporter of public funded

I think that will lead to more of the same only we pay for it.

I would imagine the vast amount of the money raised is spent on media advertising. I think networks should be made to give a certain amount of time each election year for political commercials as a cost of doing business in the US. Back when it was all over air I thought that the way it was anyway. The same should apply to local stations for local elections.

Get the money out of politics sure, but I don't see why we should have to be the golden goose for media.

Edited to add that I made my first post on DU about this very subject (FDR 2nd Bill of Rights) a few days back in the politics forum. I got one reply and lots of cricket noise. Quite a few recs, but I guess no one wants to go public on it.

[Jefferson23]

4. The Scandinavian model works well...your concern would be money would go to

the MSM? A serious concern but not one that should preclude public funded elections.

[shanemcg]

5. I just don't see why the public should foot the bill for it, anymore than we do already n/t

[Jefferson23]

6. I understand that, yet I feel we must speak to the one element that has threatened our

democracy...the lobby money. All our problematic policies, domestic and foreign, are riddled with it.

[Octafish]

7. shanemcg suggests above we keep political money from Corporate McPravda.

It's an outstanding idea. Why should the public shell out millions for the likes of Karl Rove to use to lie or Bob Shrum to miss the point with. Make the PUBLIC airwaves carry PUBLIC information about the candidates running for PUBLIC office.

PS: You are most welcome, Jefferson23. Even as he stands with the greatest of Presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of the most unappreciated leaders. What public school book out of Texas talks about him? They don't even like Thomas Jefferson, another great Democrat.

[Jefferson23]

8. We should not have to tolerate funneling money to the MSM, and I don't see why we would

presume we would have to. The initiative to promote public funded elections would
not need to include that. It would take a great effort but I do not believe we have
ever fought for it with the promise of a very good man, Senator Sanders out in
front of it..which he is calling for as well.

No small task, but we need to try..we already know what the policies will likely
look like with the next POTUS/Congress without it.

True about FDR, and why I posted this thread...it is up to us to try.

Any other ideas I am open to, status quo will not sustain a democracy.

[Jefferson23]

9. Can we build a political force for public funded elections? Senator Bernie Sanders:

Overturning Citizens United, however, is not enough. If we are serious about elections being fought over ideas, we must move toward public funding of elections.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Democracy-vs-Oligarchy-by-Senator-Bernie-San-Billionaires_Democracy_Democracy_Democracy-140401-741.html

On edit:

[Jefferson23]

11. kick, Can we all get behind an effort to fight for public funded elections? If we don't, what is the

alternative to ensure that policy will not continue to marginalize the 99%?

[woo me with science]

10. K&R