New Deal, Old deal, Big deal

Everyone is trashing FDR and the New Deal. In case of doubt, everyone refers to members of the GOP.

Made possible by President Obama and the state of our country, the GOP has raised the smouldering Old Deal (anti-FDR) into a roaring blaze.

Old deal, old talk:

FDR was responsible for the economy and the Great Depression.

World War II solved the Depression, and FDR's New Deal had nothing to do with it.

FDR's Big Spending programs like the CCC, WPA, and TVA put more people out of work and worsened the economy.

"Black Tuesday" and thus the Great Depression can be placed on the Hoover administration. Of course WWII ended the Depression, but that doesn't diminish FDR's New Deal. Big spending? Perhaps that was the thinking of the time. Realistically, his emergency measures were too narrow, too conservative. His proposed budgets were not large enough to provide the impact needed to stop the Great Depression.

Idaho is blessed with WPA buildings and roads. The CCC had a positive effect on Idaho, too. President Roosevelt said the CCC enhanced the value of both natural and human resources. Try telling the people who worked on these projects that they were worse off. Try telling their present day family members.

The anti-FDR and anti-Obama group makes comparisons between the two. They compare FDR's Fireside chats to Obama's Internet chats. Lately, they compare FDR's wheelchair to Obama's cigarets.

Big deal.

Is there a parallel here?

President Hoover (Republican) and his poor economic policies caused the Great Depression and the people call on President Roosevelt (Democrat) to fix it. President Bush (Republican) and his poor economic policies create disaster and the people choose President Obama (Democrat) to fix it.