Paths for Reconstruction in the 21st Century

FDR's Four Freedoms — Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear — were presented to the American people in his 1941 State of the Union address, and they became the inspiration for a second bill of rights, extending the New Deal and guaranteeing work, housing, medical care, and education. Although the bill never was adopted in a legal sense in this country, its principles pervaded the political landscape for an entire generation, including the War on Poverty and the Great Society reforms of the 1960s. Furthermore, the ideas expressed in the Four Freedoms speech inspired the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But since the late 1970s and early 1980s, these freedoms have been under assault, from presidential administrations of both parties, economic pressures, and finally, the alleged requirements of national security. After 9/11, this process accelerated even more rapidly.

The new epilogue to the book discusses what needs to be done to lift the siege on the four freedoms and repair the damages incurred by the Bush administration.

For decades, U.S. military officials have used the euphemism “collateral damage” to refer to the deaths of civilians and destruction of property that resulted from military operations. As a public relations device, this term has helped mask the true toll of aggressive actions and given the impression that any harm inflicted was purely unintentional. Military officials also repeatedly assert that they make every effort to minimize these accidental results. As former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stated in an ABC interview shortly after the Iraq invasion in 2003, “Our preference is, as a country, to have as little collateral damage as possible.” However the reality is that the U.S. military has made very little effort to avoid massive destruction in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and in some cases, policies and practices seem intended to drive up the level of devastation.

Citizens are prone to stand up when the President enters a room. They may even put on their suit jackets when the president phones, as distinguished historian Arthur Schlesinger did when President Kennedy called. However, since the beginning of the Republic, Americans have made clear to their Presidents that they should not expect respect. This despite the best presidential efforts; when President Nixon sought to foster an imperial aura about himself with an honor guard dressed in uniforms reminiscent of Kaiser Wilhelm's escort, there was such an outcry of laughter, derision and disbelief that he quickly withdrew his clumsy attempt.

Presidential Disrespect profiles the political life and presidency of John Quincy Adams, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Within each profile you will find quotes from colleagues, press and ordinary citizenry disrespecting the presidents. The profiles also contain information about the elections that each president faced which in some ways parallel this year's political races.