Quote:
Originally posted by Spanky
As usual you have totally missed the point. We (or at least) I don't blame FDR for manipulating us into WWII. I think it was a good thing. But we find it hypocritical that you get all up in arms for Bush allegedly lying to get us into war when that is exactly what FDR did. From documents and memos from his administration it was clear before the 1940 election FDR was really worried about Hitler and wanted to help England but most Americans, being encouraged by Lindberg and Kennedy, didn't want any part of it. FDR, in the election of 1940 promised to do everything in his power to keep us out of the war in Europe. And then he did everything he could to get us involved. Even though we were neutral Roosevelt had U.S. destroyers escort U.S. and British cargo ships that were bringing ammunition to England. They escorted these ships half way across the Atlantic and if any German U boat showed up we fired on it.
We pretty much gave an entire fleet of old destroyers to England. We did get to lease some bases we did not need, but England got supplies that were clearly critical to the war effort. Right after he was elected he instituted the largest peacetime draft in US history and jacked up military spending immediately in preparation for war.
And he had strategy meetings with Churchill all time. He pretty much made us an alley of Great Britain in everything but name. If FDR had not used US destroyers to protect British shipping, had not done the Lend Lease act, and sold goods to any ship that showed up at a US port - as a true neutral should - Germany probably would have not declared war on us.
But when FDR in the 1940 campaign said that he would do everything in his power to keep our sons and daughters at home, he knew was going to do the opposite. In other words he lied. But I for one am glad that he did. If he hadn't done what he did we might all be speaking German right now.
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Implicit in your diatribe here is some belief that I have smiled upon whatever misstatements FDR may have made. I don't think I ever said that, so you are wasting a lot of effort. But I also don't think that the single sentence that Penske dug up carries the weight that you two are trying to put on it. E.g., I can easily imagine that FDR said that it would be a catastrophe for the nation if all of Europe were to succumb to Nazi Germany, but that he also would do all he could to stay out of the war. If so, I think any listener would have understood that he was both trying to assist Britain and keep out of the war. And in light of what actually happened -- that we assisted Britain, and ended up in the war only when attacked by Japan -- if he said that, you'd have no complaint.
So, I'm willing to believe that FDR lied to the public and should be condemned for it, but before I accept that it happened, I need to see more than a single sentence pulled from a 1940 speech.
Meanwhile, I don't understand how you can accuse FDR of lying -- and me of hypocrisy -- on so slender a basis while absolving the current administration of everything. Have you read the 1940 speech that Penske was quoting? Do you know what FDR was saying to people? If you're willing to conclude that FDR lied on the basis of what's above, that looks an awful lot like a double standard. I'm willing to accept that FDR might have done something wrong, so why are you an apologist for W.?
