2006-07-08 16:30:04 · 19 answers · asked by Professor Chaos386 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
I think both. I was taught that FDR was a "Great" President because he "lead us out of the Great Depression" and was a "great wartime President"
The simple fact is that if his economic programs were a complete disaster; unemployment was never less than 14% for 10 whole freaking years, he raised taxes, he completely turned free enterprise on it's head, which explains why the pain lasted so long. Worst of all, he used the Depression to secure vote for the Democratic Party. In his own words, his philosophy was "Tax Tax Spend Spend Vote Vote"
I've already covered his disasterous his conduct at Yalta. On the advise of genuine Communist spies he sold out Eastrn Europe when we could just as easily have secured Berlin and Prague and have DICTATED the term of the armistice to the Russians.
2006-07-09 00:23:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
What? That's an either/or scenario? It IS possible to be both, you know.
Although FDR did advocate what could be viewed as socialist ideas to get the country out of the Depression, he was hardly a socialist. Most agree that he was a great president for providing strong leadership during the difficult times of the Great Depression and WWII.
2006-07-08 23:37:50 · answer #2 · answered by libertarian.conservative 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Socialist
2006-07-08 23:35:43 · answer #3 · answered by Hank 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
FDR was not a great President. He was not a socialist. He was, the father of Socialism in the USA. He was also the Father of inflation. He was also the Father of all the Govt. help programs.
2006-07-09 01:25:06 · answer #4 · answered by oscar 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
His most famous legacies include the Social Security system and the regulation of Wall Street (the New Deal). During the war, industry in the US became essentially state directed and economic decisions where centralized in the Federal Government. Production and distribution were controlled by the state. Whats that sound like to you?
2006-07-08 23:43:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A socialist... he single handedly created a welfare state, he espoused the distribution of wealth, and he was in league with NAZI Germany, allowing corporations to rebuild the country while ignoring the stories of the rounding up of Jews and the massacre of Catholic Poland and annexation of catholic France.
He allowed the Germans to go unchecked until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor... that's when Germany declared war on the US... sure he sent the Liberty Ships to the USSR and Britain... but allowed Germany to bank in the US and US companies to help build the Wehrmacht.
2006-07-08 23:46:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say both he was a great man who had to deal with a terrible situation the great depression. It was not good time to be living in those 10 years when all of the world was in economical depression. All I can say he tried to turn America around start social program to help those that had no one to help them or no place to turn.
2006-07-09 14:46:22 · answer #7 · answered by Gail M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both, FDR was a great president in terms of his foreign policy but we are still paying for his domestic agenda, and paying dearly.
2006-07-08 23:39:47 · answer #8 · answered by tm_tech32 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He used socialistic ideas to get America moving, but still embraced the goals of democracy.
2006-07-08 23:32:41 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A socialist.
2006-07-08 23:31:43 · answer #10 · answered by meathead76 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋