As Im preparing my winter Intersession classs midterm this coming week (Histoty of the US since 1865), one topic the students will be tested on is Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal (1933-1939). One item includes the Business Plot of 1933-1934 in which, in reaction to the Roosevelt Administrations emergency relief and reform measures taken to address the catastrophic economic crisis of the Great Depression, measures which involved the cooperation of the federal government and the private business sector, Wall Street, led by certain major US corporations cooked up a plan for the military overthrow of the Roosevelt administration, and for the militarys takeover of the national government. The plotters purpose was to repeal all New Deal measures already taken and the installment of a new government more to the liking of Wall Street and corporate capital. Fortunately for a of us, the military figure chosen by the plotters to pull this thing off (Brigadier General Smedley Darlington Butler, USMC), rather than going along with the pernicious plan, instead exposed it to the McCormack-Dickstein Committee in the House of Representatives. While the latter committee diligently investigated and prosecuted the affair, the matter ultimately ended up being covered up and relegated to Orwells memory hole: a.) Wall Street had too much influence and presence in the Congress charged with bringing the matter to justice; b.) the US press silenced the matter because back then, as now, our so-called free press was (and continues to be) owned and operated by private corporations in league with Wall Street.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 21:57:40 +0000
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