“There is only one legitimate issue of creed in this campaign — and that is our devotion to the public good ahead of private interests — a creed the Republicans call creeping socialism — but FDR called it ‘A New Deal,'” said Senator John F. Kennedy, July 10, 1960, in a Democratic National Committee Dinner.
On Nov. 8, 1960, Kennedy became President-elect.
As we know, history has a way of repeating itself. The increasing attraction to democratic progressivism or democratic socialism or social democracy is today’s call for a commitment to the public good ahead of private interests.
As with any political movement, there are extremist opinions that I do not believe serve the public’s good. But once we remove our emotion from the political commotion and objectively understand the issues, we can see a path forward in our democracy where capitalism very successfully co-exists with the public good focus endorsed by these movements.
Rather than make assumptions and fall victim to the arrogance of ignorance, or listen to the deceptive tactics by some that communism is upon us, we should educate ourselves on the “creeping socialism” of the past. Kalman Hettleman’s marylandmatters.org article, “A voters guide to democratic socialism: it isn’t what most people think” is a good starting point.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal included relief for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform of the financial system, and the Social Security Act, perhaps the most important and far reaching domestic government program in our nation’s history.
We would learn about President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call for social justice, examples of progressivism promoting public good ahead of private interests.
Sadly, our nation’s current direction could not be further distant from the path taken by Teddy, FDR, JFK, LBJ and MLK. We are at a crossroads in our history between a democracy for the common good of all Americans and an authoritarian leadership for the wealthy.
I have faith in the human decency of every day Americans. Despite our differences and prejudices, we know that right versus wrong, and basic human rights transcend red and blue. Our human nature is to help others.
JFK’s July 10, 1960, remarks also included the following:
“The Free World that anxiously awaits a leader — the dark clouds gathering ominously on the world horizon — the cries for help that come from around the country, from abandoned farms and mines, from overcrowded slums and schools, from the unemployed and the underpaid and the unprotected — a hundred, a thousand voices crying, here and around the world – cries that have not been heard — cries that must now be heard.”
Times are very difficult for many in America today. We are at war. People are finding it increasingly difficult to afford food, housing, healthcare, and fuel. Our rights are threatened. The climate is ignored. We have lost respect across the world.
As we move forward from this dark time in our nation’s leadership, I am confident that the power of our people will prioritize the public good ahead of private interests in future elections. Everyone must vote or we risk losing our freedoms and failing our forefathers.
Michael Bertrand lives in Derry.