FDR delivered this speech in October 1936. How much has really changed over the past 76 years? Sometimes I really wonder. Today, with the horrendous Citizens United decision and the flood of “organized money” into our political system, it seems to me that the “mob” FDR referred to is as bad or worse than ever. Let’s just hope that we can once again push back, if not defeat, the “forces of selfishness and of lust for power,” this time personified in the Koch brothers, Willard “Mitt” Romney, Ayn Rand-worshiping Paul Ryan, and the entire Republican’t corporate crew.
For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up.
We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace-business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.
They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.
Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me-and I welcome their hatred.
I should like to have it said of my first Administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second Administration that in it these forces met their master.
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