Thoughts of FDR's 2nd Bill of Rights?

[MiamiHeat]

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Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.

[Winehole23]

I'd hate to live in a state that could provide all these things, but that's just me. The enumerated are desiderata, not rights. JMO.

[LnGrrrR]

I like 4, 8 and perhaps 6 with some definition on 'adequate'.

[MiamiHeat]

I'd hate to live in a state that could provide all these things, but that's just me. The enumerated are desiderata, not rights. JMO.

The State does not have to provide it.

Just has to provide the right to it. I have the right to free speech, does that mean I ask the government for a piece of paper to write on? or to pay for my demonstrations?

For instance, if the government gives all citizens the right to receive adequate medical care.

This doesn't mean the government is going to run health care.

It means the government sets regulations and forces all private businesses to provide adequate medical care.

If said business doesn't like it, they can go to another industry. Someone will take their place.

All businesses will have to operate within those margins.


Doesn't seem far fetched to me, at all.

All of those things can be achieved in this way.

[MiamiHeat]

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;


^^^^

That one needs to be put into place immediately.

Waiting on Congress to raise minimum wage is funny.

Are we to expect corporations and big business to go along with salary increases? Ha. Of course they will spend their money to oppose and lobby anything related to increasing salaries.


But the fact is, over the past 50 years, a job isn't what it used to be. You can no longer support yourself with only 1 minimum wage job and live an "adequate" life. No recreation, barely pay your bills, live in a shithole.

Shit needs to change, and fast.

[NFGIII]

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;


^^^^

That one needs to be put into place immediately.

Waiting on Congress to raise minimum wage is funny.

Are we to expect corporations and big business to go along with salary increases? Ha. Of course they will spend their money to oppose and lobby anything related to increasing salaries.


But the fact is, over the past 50 years, a job isn't what it used to be. You can no longer support yourself with only 1 minimum wage job and live an "adequate" life. No recreation, barely pay your bills, live in a shithole.

Shit needs to change, and fast.

Don't get me wrong about this since I want everyone to make a good living, raise a family or what ever is your desire or in other words pursuing what you want to do with your life. But what FDR proposed can only be implemented through government edit. IMHO. I understand that you think differently but how are you going to get business to follow suit? If it's in their best interests to keep wages down so as to make stock prices/ROIs/ net profits higher then why would they do it? Most do it when they are in a competitve situation and literally are forced to give higher wages to workers in order to keep them and their productivity within the organization rather than losing it to another business. Rare is the situation that workers across the board get substantial increases in wages just becasue the business "cares".

When you create any of FDR's "right(s)" by law you in effect make/force others to comply. Anyway in order to make it a right you need a constitutional convention. Laws passed that make others provide/comply aren't rights in the true sense of the word. Laws can be repealed and those "rights" instantly disappear. I believe that rights in and of themselves are passive in nature...ie...one doesn't have to do anything in order for others to exercise their rights. As you put it in order to exercise your rght to freedom of speech nobody or no organization has to provide paper or a mic...etc.

But the real issue at hand is the growing inequity of income and opportunity and it's consequences for society. The middle class has been hit hard lately and if it disappears or is reduced substantially then there will be a multitude of citizens that feel that they have been "disenfranchised" by society and want their piece of the action back. Frankly I've always believed it is the middle class that is the buffer between the rich and poor and has been a stablizing force in this country or in any capitalistic one. Take away that buffer and social unrest and it's consequences multiply significantly. That is the main reason I usually set forth when in a discussion about Central and Latin America and it's social divisions. They seem not to be able or unwillling to help in the creation of a vialble and stable middle class thereby enduring continuing social unrest. If they could do that the immigration northwards I think would diminish significantly.

Since I believe most people will do what is in their best interests at the time that means they wont give up any much less substantial portions of their income to help others gain the same. I believe that has lead many people to believe that socialism is the only answer to the question. The underlying premise to FDR's rights is that everyone has a right to live up to their potential with a comfortable standard of living and society must set up a system by which that can be fulfilled. Since most wont help in this creation then it seems that the only course of action is for the Feds to step in and make it so.

Our system as it stands now isn't perfect. Far from it but it is better than the socialistic model set forth much less the communistic one. If you were to weigh the accomplishments of capitalism vs. socialism, communism or any other economic system I would think that you would see that capitalism has out produced all others in helping society raise it's standard of living. Now I admit that I'm a product of western economic and political thought which is going to color my world significantly. So when I talk about the raising of the quality society enjoys I am looking at the inventions and discoveries that have lead to our increase in material wealth and longevity.

How to do what you suggested? The only way now is through government edit. Maybe in the future more will come to realize, as many are now with the enviromental situation, that one's country's action or the actions of business over time have consequences for all. If you think that in the last 50 years there has been a significant change in how we view "jobs" just wait for the next 50. Things are about to get real interesting and those who are able to adapt to fast and an everchanging world will be the ones who benefit and prosper. For better or worse things are going to change drasticallyIMHO.

For me I want someone to invent the replicator so I can get all my essentials at little or no cost. Once I don't have to work to live then I can expand my horizons further. Most now spend the majority of their lives working in order to live.

[MiamiHeat]

wonder why more people haven't posted

guess they don't want to talk abotu FDR

[EmptyMan]

Doesn't go far enough imho.


I should not have to put up with the daily routine of wiping my own ass. I pay taxes g**damnit.