Revisiting the Economic Bill of Rights

How close are we to achieving the rights that FDR outlined 65 years ago?



There are times in which to understand the present, we must look back into the past. In this video, Roosevelt outlines a second bill of economic rights:

"In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

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.

America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens."

We must ask ourselves after hearing this a few questions after hearing this:

1. How far have we come to securing these rights for our own people?
2. Are we plagued by the same forces that existed before?
3. What steps do we need to take to ensure every American has these rights guaranteed to them?