So this is going around. Only problems with it are much is factually incorrect and some conclusions are unsupported at best and suspect at worst. For instance, it was the US Governments Resettlement Administration (later Farm Security Administration or FSA) under Democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelts New Deal that led to this photo of the Migrant Mother. The same group that was opposed by the landed farmers who were angry that sharecroppers (such as the woman pictured, Florence Thompson, who was colourised in this image) would become self-reliant and so the wealthy would lose their cheap/slave labour. They derided as Socialism the FSAs information programme (which was really benevolent propaganda) and attempts to empower poor workers. Thompson (born September 1 1903 and not 1907 as the OP David Pascoe states) never liked the exploitative photo; she felt it was taken under false pretences and her daughter said the family felt it shameful. The great pity was that extreme capitalism of the time, the lack of worker representation and weak or non-existent labour unions led to a situation where poor, desperate people were left to starve on bush roads. Contrary to what Pascoe claims, this photo didnt force Roosevelt to act at all - the New Deal had been in place for three years by the time this photo was taken and, indeed, the work of the FSAs photographers was a direct result of the reform programme Roosevelt had started (which was fiercely opposed by conservatives). I wonder how the family of this very strong and determined woman who overcame so much would feel about its politicisation out of context here and especially the incorrect information and linkages that Pascoe has made? More info: loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 09:27:56 +0000