"Given the chance to go forward with the policies of the last eight years, we shall soon with the help of God, be in sight of the day when poverty will be banished from this nation."
Herbert Hoover said these words during his inauguration. A few months later, he ate those words, as several others starved while the nation was in the grips of the Great Depression. In an ironic twist that O. Henry or Rod Serling would be proud of, Hoover, who was responsible for feeding millions during World War I (and would later be a key figure in providing aid post-WWII), will forever be remembered as an uncaring, selfish president, due to his failure to get us out of the Great Depression. Would we have been able to recover from the Great Depression faster if we had someone else in office? Would Hoover have made a great president if he were elected during any other time period? Who knows. If history has taught me anything, it's that NO ONE UNDERSTANDS HOW THE ECONOMY WORKS. Whatever. Herb has been gaining some supporters over the past few years, and heck, I certainly respect him for being a self-made man and for all the charitable work that he did. Here's my Hoover song.
Copyright Brian Bonelli 2010
