General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: FDR Democrats, check in here! [View all]Warpy
(111,622 posts)We older Boomers especially remember what it was like growing up with all the New Deal protections in place. Some of us even got sent to college and didn't have to work full time or go into debt because our parents were paid enough to pay our way. Yes, you heard that right, no debt.
We remember an economy that worked for nearly everybody who gave it a go. Even marginal workers like janitors were paid enough to feed their kids on one job. Some of our dads worked for the same place until they were 65, then retired with a pension, Social Security and savings. Our grandparents stayed in their own homes and always had enough food for everybody on holidays.
The New Deal was the best deal workers in this country ever got and it worked well in practice. Even the rich managed to get richer, although they did so more slowly and had to pay close attention to what was happening. Downward mobility affected their class if they were spendthrifts who didn't take care of their investments.
So yes, I'd say most of us around my vintage are FDR Democrats. That's because we realize he created a basically Keynesian economy that actually worked.
If rigid sex and ethnic segregation hadn't been the rule, the 1950s might have been even better. Well, we're working on fixing those things so if we get a Keyesian president and Congress again, we'll be well on the way to building a country that is worth all the jingoism and feel good propaganda we got fed as kids in school.