What would people think of a modern "New Deal?"?

Question

Would most Americans unite under a New Deal-like plan like that under FDR, but for the new century? Or is America and Americans so different today that uniting the country in that way wouldn't be possible? Would you support something like this, or would it be widely dismissed as socialist movement?

Answer 1

Its a good idea but the public would never go for it. They are propagandized by the Republican owned "news media"--Faux, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, all with their hands out for government favors and all kissing the okoles of the Republicans by propagandizing for them. The public is too stupid to even go for national health care, and they are losing their health insurance and dying because of it, but they don't care. So they certainly won't accept anything that will improve their own lives or stabalize the economy or God forbid help future generations because that would cost the wealthy priviledged elite money and their puppets, the "press", will continue distracting them from reality with even more Anna Nicole Smith stories. Nice idea but no chance.

Answer 2

Do you even understand why Roosevelt came up with the several programs known as tne New Deal? The grave economic conditions of the country, at that time, produced high unemployment in the double digits, Roosevelt found a way to use the government as an employer.

Do you think that the government should become an even larger employer than it is now? I would think that it's far larger already than it should be.

Roosevelt's programs were known as "make work" projects. This simply means that work that didn't need to be done was created just to give people something to do.

Unemployment today is at very low levels, despite the many illegal immigrants, there are very few jobs on the market which are worth pursuing.

Until and unless we have massive unemployment, the New Deal concept is dormant.

Answer 3

The "New Deal" under FDR, was a plan to rescue the country from the Great Depression. People were in dire need of jobs to feed house and clothe their families.

The programs helped, but ultimately, WWII was the real savior of our economy. (War is profitable)

We aren't in an economic crisis, so I don't see the need for a program like that.

The government already offers programs like welfare, Medicate, and Social Security; All of which are abused and are in terrible need of restructuring!

I would be more in favor of revamping the current aid systems in place, or at least get rid of the current programs in favor of new ones.

And as harsh as this sounds, you can't help everyone. Especially those who won't help themselves. There are many, healthy capable people content to take advantage of any aid they can get, and don't feel compelled to give back.

I don't think anything will bring this nation "together". I unfortunately think that ideal has long since passed.

Answer 4

Prior to the Depression, there was no minimum wage in this country. Employers paid as little as possible, resulting in a severe lack of consumer spending, which hurt businesses, causing layoffs, higher unemployment, lower wages, less consumer spending, etc. A vicious cycle leading to the Great Depression. Republicans opposed a minimum wage and still do. However, at that time a healthy minimum wage wasn't a solution, since most businesses couldn't afford it, and labor was a high percentage of overall business costs.
FDR's tax and spend programs were the best solution at the time. Those programs are still with us, as are many more programs.

During the 60's the minimum wage was $2.25 per hour and a home cost $20,000. Today, homes cost over 10 times more, yet the minimum wage has only doubled. If the minimum wage was tied to the cost of living for the past 40 years, it would currently be $20.00 per hour. The minimum wage in England, France, Australia and many other western nations is over $10.00 per hour USD, Germany's is over $11.00 per hour, and Luxembourg's is $17.00 per hour.

Across the country, in some counties you can rent a 2 bedroom apt. for $400.00 per month, in other counties $800.00, and in high cost counties $1,200.00. How can the USA have the same minimum wage in all U.S. counties?
I would tie the minimum wage to the cost of housing by county, according to an annual HUD report, which already exists for the purpose of qualifying people for FHA and VA loans.

Since a healthy minimum wage would lift over 20 million households out of poverty, these 20 million households, which presently don't pay taxes, would begin paying taxes, allowing the govt. to lower business payroll taxes and possibly personal income taxes. The higher minimum wage(s) would also cause a reduction in public assistance as well as reducing the size of the bureaucracy that administers it.

Answer 5

Uh, no! The anti-thesis to most everything FDR did with the New Deal is Reaganomics.

I doubt you'd find a con worth his salt that would sign on to an FDR-like program, that's ridiculous!

Answer 6

I wasn't aware that the country was in an economic depression. The New Deal was something that was born out of necessity, and a few of its programs are socialist (welfare for example). You really want to unite the country? Stop embracing diversity and start making us one people. Being tolerant and embracing diversity are two different things.

Answer 7

It would be dismissed, after all...and the end of they day we will still have to pay for it. Nothing is for free

Answer 8

We need it but won't get it....the new New Deal is the old raw deal.

Answer 9

Socialism is a bad thing no matter what you call it. Same old rotten deal.

Answer 10

No. This is not the Great Depression.