When I first noted anything about politics in my family F.D.R. was the president, hard times were still about, and Norman Thomas was promoting socialism. Hitler pressed the Russians, millions of Russians died defending the German advance, bitter snow killed as many or more than guns. Americans were already supplying Britain through a lend lease program. The Russians needed similar aide to combat Germany. America filled ships and sent them on a sub infested supply route to Murmansk. The communist-socialist government of Russia was not working well. All across Russia the people were starving. The military pressure from Germany was bitter and costly.
And F.D.R. entered America into World War II.
F.D.R. was a Liberal Democrat and a strong leader. He put the depression to bed by printing more money, borrowing from future taxes, and establishing government infra-structure maintenance and construction projects. During his term it was the war itself that demanded immediate escalation of America's industrial capabilities. Again, financing was through the government and paid for with "projected future taxes paid into the national treasury".
The result of all this is still in dispute. There are many citizens that truly believe F.D.R., despite "winning"the war, despite ending the depression, and despite his constant effort to increase the power of the Presidency . . . they believe he was personally a disaster, a terrible influence on our carefully structured democratic republic, and took America closer to a Royal Presidency than any of the previous Presidents.
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