"Crises are the ultimate in painful learning experiences. The United States cannot afford to squander this opportunity. Runaway consumption must now give way to a renewal of saving and investment. That’s the best hope for economic recovery and for America’s longer-term economic prosperity."

How true. I am often struck by the difference between FDR's approach (what I know of it) and Bush's. The Bush stimulus plan mailed out checks to each of us, in hopes that we'd spend more. The FDR plan created jobs with government money, so everyone could work.

One saw consumption as the solution; the other saw work - employment - as the answer.

When London was being bombed during the Blitz, the government encouraged people to "Keep calm and carry on".

After 9/11, Bush encouraged people to keep shopping.

Those who have must lose and those who don't, can't. It's kind of ironic.

http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/9D31AC61-FC9C-4BA5-9E6F-4F0DB9623F97/

It's definitely a rich man's bargain.