Jim Powell (1) (1944–)

This book pummels the hoary myth that FDR got America out of the Depression. FDR didn't get America out of the Great Depression, however he made people feel. Too many things are of note, here but let me give you the gist: (1) FDR's policies were ad hoc, and did not fix the depression; (2) FDR's policies, in fact, prolonged the depression because they increased taxes, added regulations, and did not allow businessmen of all stripes (big to little) to plan; (3) FDR's monies went more to states where the vote was in doubt, the West, rather than the politically secure Solid South, oh, and welfare, relief, and jobs increased around election time. These are the biggies. Powell gives capsule bios of every subject he mentions; he sometimes gives overlong lists of things. His writing is clear, though.

I'll illustrate the idiocy of New Deal regulations, the idiocy of bureaucracy, and the idiocy of trying to socialistically mess with free market capitalism, page 121: "In April 1934, forty-nine-year-old immigrant Jacob Maged of Jersey City, New Jersey, was jailed for three months and fined for charging 35 cents to press a suit, rather than the 40 cents mandated by the NRA dry Cleaning code."

Read this in conjunction with Amity Shlaes's The Forgotten Man. Shlaes provides the social history; Powell provides the economic history.… (altro)

This is a good book for everyone. It gives a perspective that you don't see often in history books about FDR. Since FDR was a great president, it's easy to write a pro-FDR history book but this book points out the flaws in FDR's policies and how the New Deal did not actually end the Great Depression. I am a fan of FDR but he was not perfect, nor were all his programs perfect. I did not agree with everything the author stated and it's obvious the authors holds distain for the New Dealers and progressives but it does open up new dialogue on the New Deal and its issues.… (altro)