FDR Exercised Real Presidential Leadership in a Time of National Crisis

FDR, surely the greatest President of the Twentieth Century, and one of the very best of all American history, adopted a take-charge attitude during, first the Great Depression, and second, during World War II. For those who say we live in very different times, let us remember that the fundamental style of economics was the same then as now -- capitalism. And let us be reminded that we are once again in war, now two active conflicts and a third still-simmering battle for democracy in Iraq.

America needs distinguished leadership again. Sadly, voices of a rigid, ideological orthodoxy of the past have been allowed to gain control of the public debate. Thus, actions which could truly help the country such as government spending to add jobs -- yes, government jobs, if necessary as in the New Deal -- are said to be off the table. But who has put such a solution off the table? Powerful financial and industrial owners and the media which is now also a powerful money-making and wealth-protecting institution of its own. Without a democratically-controlled media, we can hardly expect to have a democratic country. This is the sad state of affairs in the United States now. Yet, it doesn't have to be this way. Contrast the inept calcification of the current federal government with the robust leadership of Franklin Roosevelt. Then, you be the judge. Must we, after all, settle for less?

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President Franklin Roosevelt's Declaration on Price Controls -- January 30, 1942



The Emergency Price Control Act of 1942 is an important Weapon in our armory against the onslaught of the Axis powers.

Nothing could better serve the purposes of our enemies than that we should become the victims of inflation. The total effort needed for victory means, of course, increasing sacrifices from each of us, as an ever larger portion of our goods and our labor is devoted to the production of ships, tanks, planes, and guns. Effective price control will insure that these sacrifices are equitably distributed.

The Act, taken all in all, is a workable one. It accomplishes the fundamental objectives of setting up a single Administrator, and empowering him to establish maximum prices and rents over a broad field, to prohibit related speculative and manipulative practices, and to buy and sell commodities in order to obtain the maximum production. To make price and rent control effective, the Administrator is given adequate powers to license persons subject to the Act, to investigate and enjoin attempted violations, and to bring about the commencement of criminal proceedings against violators. Civil suits for treble damages by private persons provide an additional enforcement tool.

But a price control measure must fall far short of being a democratic instrument if it fails to surround the individual with safeguards against ill-considered or arbitrary action. This Act, while granting the Administrator broad powers, imposes upon him a responsibility of equal breadth for fair play. He must, so far as is practicable, consult with industry members before issuing price regulations, and must accompany each such regulation by a statement of the considerations upon which it is based. The provisions for adjustment assure flexibility in administration. Persons adversely affected by an order have a speedy and effective remedy in the Emergency Court of Appeals. The Administrator may proceed for the revocation of a license only through the courts. Finally, the Administrator is required to transmit quarterly progress reports to the Congress.

The farm program which has been developed since 1933 has set parity prices and income as a goal. There is nothing in this Act to prevent farmers receiving parity or a fair return. But I feel that most farmers realize that when farm prices go much above parity, danger is ahead. One of the best ways of avoiding excessive price rises, of course, is abundant production. And I hope agricultural prices can be maintained at such level as to give farmers a fair return for increasing production.

In giving my approval to this legislation, I am acting with the understanding, confirmed by Congressional leaders, that there is nothing contained therein which can be construed as a limitation upon the existing powers of governmental agencies, such as the Commodity Credit Corporation, to make sales of agricultural commodities in the normal conduct of their operations. In my Message to the Congress on August 25, 1941, disapproving the bill H. R. 5300, I pointed out the extreme disadvantages of any action designed to peg prices through the arbitrary withholding of Government-owned stocks from the normal channels of trade and commerce. I further pointed out that the Commodity Credit Corporation should be free to dispose of commodities acquired under its programs in an orderly manner, for otherwise it will be impossible to maintain an ever-normal granary, to protect farmers against surpluses and consumers against scarcity; and that to restrict the authority of this corporation would greatly increase its losses, nullify the effectiveness of existing programs, and by breaking faith with consumers be inconsistent with our present price control efforts....

The enactment of price control legislation does not mean that the battle against inflation has been won. I have doubts as to the wisdom and adequacy of certain sections of the Act, and amendments to it may become necessary as we move ahead. Moreover, price control legislation alone cannot successfully combat inflation. To do that, an adequate tax and fiscal program, a broad savings program, a sound production program, and an effective priorities and rationing program, are all needed.

Finally, all bulwarks against inflation must fail, unless all of us—the businessman, the worker, the farmer, and the consumer are determined to make those bulwarks hold fast. In the last analysis, as Woodrow Wilson said, "The best form of efficiency is the spontaneous cooperation of a free people."

Time Out for Humor

A recent e-mail chain letter about the supposed year of Feng Shui inspired the following parody.


*********


I love these warning messages --


CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information or otherwise [be] protected by law. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.



The Year of the Bat

Did you know that this year, 2011, is the Year of the Bat in the Garuda religion of Southeast Asia? This little-known religion has been growing exponentially in recent years from mountain to plain, ocean to sea, and hamlet to metropolis. Since January 1, 2011, the number of adherents has mushroomed as this is a year of good luck occurring only once every 1,011 years. Thus, the last Year of the Bat was in A.D. 1000, a year in which the Apocalypse did not occur, but a huge explosion in the population of the Southeast Asian migratory auburn bat did occur. The Southeast Asians honored the bat by giving said bat its own year, even though the non-migratory blonde bat already had its own year and complained vociferously. The dispute was eventually worked out at the Council of Phnom Penh in A.D. 1016 and ratified at the Council of Trent many centuries later.

Anyway, you are in luck as you have been fortunate to have received this e-mail from a friend. Your friend has esteemed you with this honor because he (she?) feels lucky to have you, and knows your spouse would never refer to you as "You Old Bat." Indeed, if you forward this message on to eleven (11) other friends who are not Old Bats (or Old Biddies), you are sure to receive mucho dinero in the next five days. Of course, the money will be in pesos, so don't get your hopes up.

In the meantime, why not frequent your near-by Thai restaurant and check out the cute place mat and confirm that this is indeed the year of the Bat in Southeast Asia? If you don't believe me, just check out the Wikipedia article here:
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia#Religions >.

And by the way, did you know that if you take the last two digits of the year of your birth plus the age you will have or have this year, and add them, the sum for everyone is 111?! Ex: 63 + 48 = 111 What a co-inky-dink!

Blessings upon you and your mother, and father, first cousins, great aunt, and long-deceased great-great grand-pappy. May they all enjoy excellent Southeast Asian food forever -- but not roast bat.


Your friend,

Norm da Plume


(c) 2011 The Musical Patriot
All rights reserved.

Apologies to Garuda, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Spanish-speakers, and the peso!

New Florida Governor Sued -- Again

Republican Governor Rick Scott has been sued by the ACLU over a new voting scheme which seeks to limit voters' options. The article at Truthout referenced here tells more.

This is one in a series of recent law suits brought against the radical-right-wing chief executive of Florida. Scott is successor to the mantle of the great progressive governor Leroy Collins, who was an early champion of civil rights in the state. Following Collins later, "New South" Governors Reuben Askew and Bob Graham continued the progress. The Scott agenda, on the other hand, is a fairly retrograde attempt to turn the clock back to a time when wealthy, entrenched white men ruled the Deep South.

Let us wish the ACLU well.


http://truthout.org/aclu-sues-rick-scott-stop-voter-suppression/1307206596

House Moves Toward Reclaiming Prerogatives Regarding Libyan Air Operation

In a vote today, the U.S. House of Representatives moved closer to asserting its Constitutional right to declare war. While still giving the President fourteen more days whereas he is already in violation of the generous provisions of the War Powers Act, the vote today puts the Chief Executive on notice that violations of the law will not be tolerated forever.

Congressmen Rebel Against Open-ended Libyan Campaign

In a surprising development, House members from both parties rallied around a resolution introduced by Rep. Kucinich which sought to end American involvement in the Libyan bombing campaign in two weeks. Speaker Boehner was struggling to contain the rebellion Thursday, as the White House claimed fealty to the War Powers Act -- without being convincing.

It is bracing to see members of Congress reacting this way. President Obama has indeed flouted the War Powers Act, which was a compromise effort in the early '70s to rein in the Imperial Presidency.

Reference web page:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/boehner-introduces-alternative-resolution-on-libya/2011/06/02/AGSWIZHH_story.html

The Musical Patriot: Fifth Anniversary

Five years ago this weekend I began a new blog on the relatively new service from Google called Blogspot. It seemed others were getting into the spirit of the times. I decided to join them. This was in the days when George W. Bush was President and all of Congress was under Republican control, as well as a majority on the Supreme Court, which had acted in a clearly partisan fashion earlier in the decade in Bush v. Gore.

I wrote on May 28, 2006:

Welcome.
I begin offering to friends this log of information on events local and beyond. The focus will be on national and world events.

Posted by The Musical Patriot at 6:25 PM

With these simple words I launched an effort which has spanned these tumultuous last years, including a landslide victory for Democrats in 2006 and 2008, with a Democratic President taking charge in early 2009. At a later time, I hope to give more of an overview of the many events dealt with here. This has been a labor of love, one which has actually garnered financial support from several in the last six months through Kachingle, the support group for on-line bloggers.

It is a privilege and an honor to put -- if not pen to paper -- at least word to byte and have my words viewed by hundreds of readers. I hope to be increasingly worthy of this distinct privilege.

Big Win for Democrats in New York

Democrat Kathy Hochul won the race for New York's District 26 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. She bested Republican candidate Jane Corwin and tea party adherent, Jack Davis.

This is a clear victory not only for Democrats locally but for the party nationally as the national Republican party poured money into the race and even House Speaker Boehner traveled to the district to campaign.

The race revolved around the Republican budget agenda, especially Republican House plans to end Medicare as we know it. Voters in New York this week clearly didn't like the Republican plan and said so by handing the seat to a Democrat for the first time in forty years according to reports.

It is evident Republicans will have to run scared in 2012 if they continue to advocate gutting Medicare.

View Ms. Hochul's victory speech at the You Tube link below.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb5kg86L68Y

You Have Been Warned: The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report

The blow-by-blow chronicle of regulatory negligence and Wall Street recklessness released...by a Congressional commission amounts to a scathing warning to the government about ways to prevent a recurrence of the 2008 financial crisis.


So begins The New York Times article about the report which was released by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. This report, which I will begin reviewing today, delves into several areas of the crisis and contains several case studies of actual institutions involved in the crisis. Contrary to the view that no one could have seen the crisis coming, the report is said to offer specific recommendations for ways such a dire tragedy can be averted in the future. The report is available at the referenced link.


http://fcic.law.stanford.edu/

The President Surprises

Briefly --

In his recent speech at the State Department, Barack Obama set forth his vision for the Middle East. Observers were pleasantly surprised with the clarity of the vision.

Strauss-Kahn Feared Political Trick

The Daily Mail (U.K.) on line is reporting that Strauss-Kahn had said he feared a political enemy would pay a woman to allege rape. The newspaper is also reporting suspicious circumstances relating to the first reports of the story.

More at this link or by clicking on the blog post title above.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1387625/IMF-chief-Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-feared-political-enemy-pay-woman-allege-rape.html

The Remarkable Solidarity of Wisconsin Laborers

What is happening in Wisconsin now has its antecedent in the 19th Century Grange movement and kindred movements of protest and solidarity. Anti-unionists thought Wisconsinites would fail to stand up for state workers. In this they were sorely mistaken, for Wisconsin workers of every political stripe have rallied to the defense of state workers. They realize that if union rights for state workers end, rights for all workers are in serious danger.

This article at Family Farm Defenders tells more:


http://familyfarmers.org/?p=308

Gorillas Increasingly Endangered

The following letters arrived recently in my e-mailbox. They are important, especially at this time of proposed Draconian and needless budget cuts. I felt they would be of interest to my readers.


Regards,

The Musical Patriot

*********

Gorillas are gentle giants. Like us, they play, hug, and laugh. But they're endangered and under assault – from illegal hunting, mining, agriculture, and infectious diseases.

And if we don't act now, they'll soon have another threat. Federal lawmakers are planning to cut vital funding for international conservation programs that save gorillas' lives and protect their habitats.

Send a letter to your members of Congress right now and urge them to stand up for Africa's gorillas.

Bob Fertik

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From the Wildlife Conservation Society --

Dear Friend of Wildlife,

Adult gorillas weigh a colossal 500 lbs. and stand six feet tall, but they don't eat meat. Instead, after they've eaten enough of the very tastiest plants they can find, they do what we do – play, hug, and laugh.

But right now these gentle giants are facing a three-fold struggle for existence: they are killed for their meat; their habitats are destroyed by logging, mining, agriculture, and other invasive activities; and infectious diseases ravage their families.

Today, the U.S. government funds vital programs that help alleviate these threats to gorillas. But the newly-released federal budget is promising deep cuts in these programs – putting the future of these animals and other threatened wildlife in even greater jeopardy.

Tell your members of Congress to rescue funding for these gorillas, before it's too late.

These are just some of the critical international conservation programs that could be crippled if we don't speak up now:
The US AID Biodiversity and Sustainable Landscapes programs support the Central African Regional Partnership for the Environment (CARPE), which brings together seven central African countries to work together to find ways to protect forests that serve as vital gorilla habitats.

The Great Ape Conservation Fund, part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, protects gorillas in the wild in Africa through support to anti-poaching, monitoring, and collaboration between conservation organizations, governments, and timber companies to stop illegal hunting and bush meat sales.
The Wildlife Without Borders program, which trains local wildlife managers on how to tackle issues as far-ranging as climate change, the bush meat trade, infectious diseases, and local community development.
Programs that enable the U.S. Forest Service to work with African land management agencies to promote sustainable forest management and slow the destruction of the rain forests.

We are facing an uphill battle today. Programs protecting the world's wildlife and wild places amount to only a minuscule part of the overall federal budget. While we all recognize the need for responsible spending, skimming off funding for international conservation programs won't solve our budget problems. But it will strike a devastating blow to species already on the brink of extinction.

Send a strong message to lawmakers: These animals are already endangered. Don't rob us of our chance to save them with shortsighted cuts to international conservation.

The tight budget season makes an urgent situation for these critically endangered animals all the more dangerous – please, join our call to action today. Make sure Congress knows that conservation is a priority for their constituents.

Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Liz Bennett
Vice President, Species Conservation
Wildlife Conservation Society


The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

Ministers Decry Rejoicing Over Death of bin Laden

Note: Normally I shy away from religious issues and topics. With the death of Osama bin Laden, an exception is appropriate.


The Richmond Times-Dispatch has today printed an article describing the views of several pastors in the area who have decried the public cheering over the death of Osama bin Laden. I share the criticism by the pastors over this celebrating of the death of a human being. Traditional Christian teaching says that everyone is a child of God, yet all have gone astray. The first statement is represented by the commandment to "love one another." The second leads to a doctrine of forgiveness.

Forgiving does not mean denying the reality of sin. But if all are sinners, all may lay claim to forgiveness. (A major exception is the traditional Presbyterian doctrine of pre-destination. However, quite a few Presbyterians do not actually believe in the doctrine.)

Without going any deeper into theology, a field I have studied but am not an expert in, it can be said that the cheering of the death of any individual is more than suspect. We can say that in every foreseeable case, the forced death of anyone is tragic, and many would say wrong prima facie.

All the evidence we have seen points to guilt for Osama bin Laden. But if America had been so sure of his guilt, why not capture him alive and bring him to trial? This was too difficult? Then we have a failure of American leadership and diplomacy. For any criminal of this nature should be tried in court, as was Milosevich.

People are not mere animals to be exterminated. Along the religious line again, "'Vengeance is mine,' says the Lord." Let us not disdain the teaching of the wise patriarchs of Bible times.


http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/may/09/tdmain01-bin-ladens-death-a-tough-subject-for-the--ar-1025374/

Dare I Ask It?

Has Osama bin Laden become a martyr? Dare I ask the question? Certainly in portions of the Arab world he has become so.

Now comes evidence the Obama administration broke International law to accomplish the gruesome business. This from a President who promised to re-establish the rule of law.

For days I have avoided reading press accounts or listening to broadcast reports of this murderous deed. I knew I wanted to form my own opinions without media blather. This I am beginning to do tonight with the help of the important article linked below. Author Dr. Curtis F.J. Doebbler* has quite clearly set forth the way crimes of the nature attributed to bin Laden are to be handled. He exposes the hypocrisy of an administration which lectures countries about their human rights abuses, then does not even follow International law itself. (I suspect, but cannot yet prove, that this assassination was contrary to U.S. law.)

I love my country very much and I decry the dramatic and atrocious killing which took place on September 11, 2001. But as is said here, Osama has proved he could not be killed legally. What a sad commentary on the state of affairs in the United States and the world.

* Dr. Curtis F.J. Doebbler is an international lawyer with an office in Washington D.C., a professor at Webster University and the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, both located in Geneva, Switzerland, and the representative of Nord-Sud XXI at the UN in New York and Geneva.

Source: < Jurist.org >


http://jurist.org/forum/2011/05/curtis-doebbler-illegal-killing-obl.php

The Useless Euphoria of Killing

We have now the death of another Arab leader at the behest of the United States. And this time the killing has been done directly by Americans. There is so much to say about this. The main thing is this was not so much justice as revenge for here was no indictment by any grand jury, no trial, no judge, indeed no court room. Only death.

When one begins to grasp the facts surrounding September 11, 2001 -- especially when one follows the money trail -- it becomes clear there was more to the story than met the eye at the time. In any event Osama bin Laden did not act alone. No one claims he did. Are we then to exterminate the totality of al Qaeda? This is deadly child's play with nothing funny about it.

Here is what David Swanson has to say:

Our killing of Saddam Hussein has been followed by years of war and hundreds of thousands of pointless deaths. Our attempts to kill Muammar Gadaffi have killed his children and grandchildren and will end no war if they eventually succeed. Our attempts to kill Osama bin Laden, including wars justified by that mission, have involved nearly a decade of senseless slaughter in Afghanistan and the rest of the ongoing global "generational" war that is consuming our nation.

It is time for both truth and peace.


http://www.truth-out.org/killing-resolves-nothing/1304358911