The year was1932. The country was deep into the great depression. 12 million people were out of work and 12,000 more were added every day. 20,000 businesses had gone bankrupt. 23,000 people had committed suicide.
The response of the then President was that people should not ask for help, but should help themselves, and that is still the view of the Republicans of today.
In Herbert Hoover's own words "It is not the function of the government to relieve individuals of their responsibilities to their neighbors, or to relieve private institutions of their responsibilities to the public."
Although Hoover did release $300 million to create jobs, the Republican-controlled states refused to use the money. "Prosperity is just around the corner" was believed because a depression can't last forever. That was the end of 13 years of Republican rule.
We are again facing the same rhetoric from the same party that led us into the great depression and bought us to the brink of financial collapse. The Republican-controlled states had an opportunity to take funding to create jobs but, just like what happened in 1932, they refused and the American public had to suffer.
We had been given an opportunity to bring about recovery. However, many were not satisfied or patient enough for recovery and demanded it happen overnight. When, after two years, it hadn't progressed as fast as they liked they were ready to scrap all efforts and change direction.
They chose to place the control back into the hands of the very party that had once again led us to the edge. Only this time they were fed by distrust of the nation's first black President. That fueled racial fears and hatred from an group of extremists.
The President offered a bill to restart the economy by creating jobs, but again the Republicans stopped it. Government can't create jobs, but they also shouldn't prevent jobs in an attempt to gain political favors.
Our economy is sitting in a wagon racing towards the cliff's edge with the parties fighting for control. Will we regain our sanity before it plunges over the edge?
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