wings wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 9:33 pm
Sure, ignore his racism and imperialism. Otherwise he's great.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate how progressive his policies were for the time. He was a product of his age. It was a fucking racist, imperialist age.
Yet he was castigated for inviting Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House. I'd describe him more as imperialist than racist. And, compared to Woodrow Wilson, a VIRULENT racist, he looks far better. He engineered Panama breaking away from Columbia and declaring independence, and, when the Columbian Navy went to suppress the rebellion (there was no good overland way to get there at the time) they found US gunships blocking their way.
TR was a VERY interesting man--dyslexic, yet wrote several books.
He lost an eye's sight as President--sparring in the WH, and it was kept secret for years.
He also was key to updating the coinage. New designs for the cent (Lincoln), nickel (Jefferson), dime (Mercury), quarter (Standing Liberty), half (Walking liberty), dollar (Peace), and the 4 gold coins as well. These are still considered the most beautiful designs ever for US coins and have been copied for bullion coins. He also pushed HARD to remove "In God We Trust" from all the money BECAUSE he was deeply religious and not hypocritical like today's Talibangelists--he saw putting it on the money as sinful--something about Mammon and God never being connected.
TR was the first to use anti-Trust laws against a corporation rather than a labor union, earning the knick-name of "The Trust-buster".
Despite being of opposite parties (and his widow campaigning for Hoover) TR and FDR were actually, personally, very close. FDR idolized the former President, who, despite DETESTING Wilson, encouraged FDR to take his old job in Wilson's cabinet as Assistant Sec of the Navy (under Josephus Daniels, founder of The Raleigh News & Observer, once a great newspaper). And, of course, FDR married TR's favorite niece, Eleanor, who was given away by the President. When Teddy was sued for libel looking like he would lose, Franklin testified for him that he had witnessed the very events that were claimed to be false. Teddy's defense was successful.
Ironically, the man who led the charge up San Juan Hill, is the only President to have won both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor, could not handle when one of his sons died in World War I. Teddy lingered for 6 months before passing away at age 60. FDR, too, died young at age 63. As I near my 67th birthday next month, it seems amazing these men could have done SO much, yet burned out so young.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."