PickledCherub

I just read this in Harper's.

FDR said in his State of the Union (January 11, 1944) that in addition to our right to freedom of speech, etc, and in order to enjoy such rights as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, American citizens should have a Second Bill of Rights, which includes:

"The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education."

Now, is it just me, or does this seem radical? Badical, even. Just imagine living in a nation like the one FDR proposes. It seems so obviously right, this "freedom from want." But imagine just how much things would have to change. It makes me tingle inside.