These days, a Republican campaign or CPAC speech isn't complete without a quote by President Ronald Reagan or a self claimed certainty that Ronald Reagan would believe or do X Y and Z. Some Republicans have suggested the former actor turned politician should be placed on currency, public building names, and be given his own monument. In fact, sometimes Democrats are tempted to quote Ronald Reagan and place the former conservative warrior's legacy on their side of the aisle.
It's understandable why Republicans want to Reaganfy everything in their rhetoric and stage presence. Reagan represents the modern Republican party far more than Lincoln, Teddy, and even Ike and Dick. Furthermore, most Americans perceive Reagan as a victorious national hero, a bold leader, and a gifted statesman unlike the most recent Republican president who, it appears, can't be disposed in the dustbin of history fast enough. But still, Reagan only represents half the narrative of the American political spectrum.
Another great president's ideas, which had previously been rejected due to the Reagan Revolution, are making a comeback, but without any recognition. President Franklin Roosevelt made modern America possible, and led the country through its most difficult societal transition, the Great Depression. It was following this transition that the era of Big Government began. But this era meant far more than just that. It was an era where Americans were called by their government to help their country and their neighbors in a time of desperation. It was a time where the concept of "public" was equally valued to that of "individual." The rise of the John Does had begun so that America could continue to build for a better tomorrow.
It's time to resurrect FDR and establish him as the true ideological foil to Reagan. Democrats should not be afraid to be bold and pontificate the name and ideals of President Roosevelt, a president who laid the foundations for modern liberalism. FDR's vision of America is dramatically different to Reagan's vision, and this ideological gap warrants validity and recognition for both sides. Following the Reagan years, a shadow has been cast over the Roosevelt legacy which must now be removed. His ideas and vision are as useful for America's present as they were for America's past.
Today we face a similar crisis, and Roosevelt's ideas are being re-articulated by President Obama and other Democratic leaders. Like Obama, FDR entered office during a period of economic turmoil and high unemployment. During his first term, Roosevelt hardly got any progress done, but he did inspire Americans with hope and encouraged strength through unity during the dark times of the 1930s. Despite all the odds of widespread poverty and political tyranny spreading in Europe and Asia, FDR convinced Americans that a better day was on the horizon.
In order to preempt a communist revolution in America, FDR put idle hands to work by commissioning an array of new government agencies that would oversee public works projects. He had Americans design and build roads, bridges and lodges in the nation's great national parks for future leisure activities. He employed artists by having them create sculptures and murals for new public buildings and city centers. He raised taxes significantly on the rich to help ensure the survival of Middle Class. Under his administration, the foundation of the modern entitlement system, Social Security, was implemented.
Most importantly, FDR convinced Americans that government could be used to make society better to the benefit of all Americans. He espoused a national narrative, that the government was a physical representation of the country itself, and that it should be cherished as such. This wasn't a form of oppressive statism seen in other societies during that time (Nazi Germany, the USSR, fascist Italy and Spain). This was the answer to America's enemies, including the political threats from outside and the economic and social threats from within. It was a call to arms. From his wheelchair nestled softly next to the fire place, FDR appeared as a grandfather figure, bringing America constructive advice for how to overcome the trials and tribulations of the Great Depression.
His America called for an end to the tyrannies of want and fear, a message we desperately need to today. We live in a nation of massive income inequality, a nation that expects the majority of its citizens to buy expensive services and products such as a car, a house, health insurance, and a college education all of which cannot be purchased without accumulating a liberal amount of credit card debt. Our student loans and home mortgages have enslaved the majority of Americans into a game of chance played by the elite and wealthy minority. Americans live by the tyrannies of want when they watch television, go shopping, drive down the street and even use the internet as they are bombarded by a title wave of advertisements and billboards.
The tyranny of fear has hovered over Americans since the infamous day of 9/11 2001. We are a nation flailing at the edge of hysteria. Our fears are provoked further by a fanatical media more interested in ratings than truth. Behind our backs, politicians have slipped in Homeland Security polices such as the Patriot Act which allow our actions to be surveyed by a paranoid government that doesn't seek to better society but encourage submission.
These are the tyrannies that oppress Americans today, not the tyrannies of social welfare, taxation, and public spending, which are the basic functions of any government evil or benign. This is exactly why FDR's immortal words must be repeated by the American left. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." During President Obama's inauguration, he tried to reset the narrative made by Reagan that the government is always the problem. In doing so, he expressed that the government can take a positive role in society if it chooses to function efficiently. This exactly the message that was projected by FDR 80 years ago, and it is time to make it known by speaking his quotes and his ideas. In order to have a strong Democratic party, we must embrace Roosevelt, the triumphant leader of Liberal America.
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