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Forum Post: Demand FDR's "Second Bill of Rights"

Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 5, 2011, 9:59 a.m. EST by hilld4 (0)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

I think it's time to revive President Roosevelt's dream of an "Economic Bill of Rights". All of these rights were incorporated into the new constitutions of Germany, Japan, and Italy after the Second World War. Americans, and all people, are entitled to economic liberty.

Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the Congress of the United States on the State of the Union:

"It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made. In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are: The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation; The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation; The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living; The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad; The right of every family to a decent home; The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health; The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment; The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being. America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens. For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world."

7 Comments

7 Comments


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[-] 2 points by trickledown (66) 12 years ago

Great words from the man who defeated the Nazis, got us out of the (last) depression and made America a superpower! Too bad we don't have any leaders like that today..

[-] 1 points by policyPhD (7) 12 years ago

I agree - all should watch Michael Moore's "Capitalism, A Love Story" - he talks about Roosevelt's plans for a second bill of rights.

[-] 1 points by antifed (2) 12 years ago

How 'bout we just follow the constitution ?

[-] 1 points by dreadsPoverty (93) from Mankato, MN 12 years ago

He was a great man. And I pray that someday we might have such securities.

[-] 1 points by moneyandbanking (45) 12 years ago

FDR confiscated Americans' gold in 1933 and gave them a bunch of paper in return so that he could pay foreigners. He defaulted on America.

The "rights" you list here are mostly not rights at all. All that is needed to attain these things is true economic freedom: freedom of choice in money, no central bank to finance government debt by stealing from people through inflation, freedom to exchange with whoever you want without a third party coercively interfering.

You are calling for an even bigger Nanny State -- which is what the politicians in D.C. want to give us and are giving us. You need to call for FREEDOM.

[-] 1 points by tomp (29) 12 years ago

regulation