Page 1 of 1
Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:50 pm
by Ad Orientem
http://youtu.be/A7sDOZIOqkA
A great lecture on the most underrated president of the last 100 years.
Re: Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:13 pm
by MediumTex
He was truly a man of inaction.
We need more like him in government.
Re: Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:48 pm
by l82start
Re: Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:54 pm
by Ad Orientem
Re: Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:55 pm
by MediumTex
TennPaGa wrote:
MediumTex wrote:
He was truly a man of inaction.
We need more like him in government.
It is very difficult for man of
inaction to get any accolades. In any field, I suspect.
Yep. We like people who
do things, whether or not anything needs to be done.
Re: Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 8:00 am
by moda0306
I was disappointed to find out Cool Cal was supportive of our involvement in WWI. I fully understand all the functional arguments for a draft, but overall I consider the draft one of the most coercive institutions imaginable.
I also hesitate to give too much credit to the presidents whose hands off attitudes may have had a large role to play in the Great Depression.
He also spoke very highly of the federal reserve.
At least he was against prohibition.
Re: Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 8:04 am
by moda0306
Coolidge quote:
It would be difficult to overestimate the service which the Federal Reserve System has already rendered to the country. It is necessary only to recall the chaotic condition of our banking organization at the time the Federal Reserve System was put into operation…
The Federal Reserve System… enables us to look to the future with confidence and to make plans far ahead, based on the belief that the Federal Reserve System will exercise a steadying influence on credit conditions and thereby prevent tiny sudden or severe reactions from the period of prosperity which we are now enjoying. In order that these plans may go forward, action should be taken at the present session on the question of renewing the banks' charters and thereby insuring a continuation of the policies and present usefulness of the Federal Reserve System.
To be clear, as most people know, I don't like the gold standard and think that sovereign fiat money is better... however, I definitely see the creation of the federal reserve as a very large, if appropriate, expansion of the federal government's role.
Re: Richard Norton Smith on Calvin Coolidge
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 9:47 am
by Ad Orientem
Re: The Fed...
It's important to remember that in the 1920's the Federal Reserve was still bound by the gold standard which Coolidge supported. So we did not have wholesale currency debasement that we have seen since 1933-34. In it's original mission and incarnation I am not all that hostile to the Fed.
