A Broken World

‘A man can make a huge difference.’ We may think it’s impossible, but if you hear about the New Deal programs that Roosevelt has made for the solution of the Great depression in U.S. , you will understand why such a sentence exists.

New Deal programs are so amazing. It was October 29, 1929; Black Tuesday, when people with investments tried to pull out of the market at once. This was the day that informed the Great Depression in U.S. Everything stopped and people lost their hope. After 4 years, when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, everything started to become alive. It was slow but by making New Deal programs, the economy started to flow again. In New Deal, there are some programs that I was surprised.

One of the marvelous actions Roosevelt had taken was the Banking Act and the foundation of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). On March 6, 1933 he closed all the banks down in U.S and forced Congress to pass the Emergency Banking Act. This act made an opportunity for the government to check the health of all banks. At the same time, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was established to insure deposits up to $5000. The government found out that the banks were healthy and two-thirds were opened soon. The deposits of course, became useless. This reduced the anxiety of many Americans who were scared of loosing money when they save in a bank. Do you think you would’ve found a good solution like this to solve the Great Depression? Remember, just a little act that you make can save or kill thousands of people.

Later on, Roosevelt created Civil Works Administration (CWA) This public work program reduced the unemployment by providing jobs such as building or repairing roads, parks, airports, etc. Also, the CWA supported mental and physical encouragements to many frustrated workers. I think this was one of the best actions that Roosevelt has taken. Because encouraging workers can give hope and trust of the possibility that they could live again like the time they did before the Great Depression.

Another similar program that was made after CWA was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It was an environmental program that made 2.5 million unmarried men to maintain and restore forests, beaches, and parks. Though the workers earned only $1 a day they received free board and job training. From 1934 to 1937, this program funded similar programs for 8,500 women. The CCC taught the men and women of America how to live independently, thus, increasing their self esteem.

Today, Roosevelt has consistently been ranked as one of the three greatest U.S. presidents in the surveys. No wonder why. One brilliant brave man has saved the nation from the dark fate. I think this is why history is so interesting because it contains the story of minority changing the life of majority.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

This is a picture of Germany’s great inflation. One US$ was worth 100,000 marks.

I think that many people would agree if I said that globalizing made our lives more complicated and busy. Before globalizing started, countries did not have to worry if other nations more than 3000 miles away from them had a very bad economy. But obviously, it matters now, because most countries rely on export and import as a huge part of their economy.

Look at the Great depression. It’s all linked to one another. America collapsed because their production was surplussing the customer demand and purchase, then Europe did too because America took back the money that they borrowed from America. The Great Depression became a world depression that made people suffer for more or less ten years, until WWII started.

It seems like we have more things to worry than ever since globalizing started after WWI. On the contrary, though, we are able to travel to other countries, learn their ways  and use imported goods for our own satisfaction. So, economy has to circulate around the world, because there is a complicated network of trading and stock market is installed all over the globe. But since when did we have to worry about other countries when our own isn’t good enough? Most countries seem to be handling with external matters other than internal ones. I don’t know if it’s inevitable in some ways, as the collapsing of other economies could affect their own; but really, globalizing became a world-wide problem that is making everyone worry about ten times more than they used to.

Well, this is not a question that requires black and white answers : it’s simply a matter that can’t be re-written, but I love to think about.

Here is a footage of USA during the Great depression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08k16MBoTik

By Jiyeon H