By 1962 Norman Thomas summed up the whole situation as follows:
"The difference between Democrats and Republicans is: Democrats have accepted some ideas of Socialism cheerfully, while Republicans have accepted them reluctantly." (as quoted in The Naked Capitalist, page 130)
Excerpts from the Democratic Platform of 1932
"The Democratic Party solemnly promises by appropriate action to put into effect the principles, policies and reforms herein advocated and to eradicate the political methods and practices herein condemned..
"We advocate immediate and drastic reduction of governmental expenditures by abolishing useless commissions and offices, consolidating departments and bureaus, and eliminating extravagance to accomplish a saving of not less than 25 per cent in the cost of the Federal Government..
"We favor maintenance of the national credit by a Federal budget annually balanced on the basis of accurate Federal estimate within revenue..
"We promise the removal of Government from all fields of private enterprise except where necessary to develop public works and national resources in the common interest..
"We condemn the open and covert resistance of administrative officials to every effort made by congressional committees to curtail the extravagant expenditures of Government and improvident subsidies granted to private interests..
"We favor unemployment and old age insurance under State laws..
"We condemn the extravagance of the Farm Board, its disastrous action which made the Government a speculator of farm products, and unsound policy of restricting agricultural products to the demand of domestic markets.".
If you can believe it, these were planks in the platform under which Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected! Is it any wonder that people like Ronald Reagan and W. Cleon Skousen were registered Democrats at this time?
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