With the recession and the insane stimulus bill (buy your own damn condoms!), there’s been a lot of talk lately about Hoover was a Republican and bad and didn’t want to do anything about the recession and how Roosevelt was a Democrat and good and wanted to stop it in it’s tracks. Much of that is political and historical B.S. I decided to take a look at what Roosevelt actually ran on in 1932 – the Democratic Party platform, as obtained from the American Presidency Project.
We advocate an immediate and drastic reduction of governmental expenditures by abolishing useless commissions and offices, consolidating departments and bureaus, and eliminating extravagance to accomplish a saving of not less than twenty-five per cent in the cost of the Federal Government. And we call upon the Democratic Party in the states to make a zealous effort to achieve a proportionate result.
Wow, wasn’t expecting that one. That’s, um, different that today’s ideas. Here’s another one:
We favor maintenance of the national credit by a federal budget annually balanced on the basis of accurate executive estimates within revenues, raised by a system of taxation levied on the principle of ability to pay.
Balanced budget? No kidding? And there’s more…
The removal of government from all fields of private enterprise except where necessary to develop public works and natural resources in the common interest.
Like health care? Here’s another:
We oppose cancellation of the debts owing to the United States by foreign nations.
Bono would be so mad!
