Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right by Thomas Frank

Author:Thomas Frank [Frank, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: General, History, Political Process, American Government, Political Science, Political Parties, economics, Social Science, Sociology, United States, Business & Economics, 21st Century, Economic History, Political Ideologies, Social Classes, Economic Conditions, Commentary & Opinion, Free Enterprise, Conservatism & Liberalism, Political Economy
ISBN: 0805093699
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2012-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

Say, Don’t You Remember

“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” was the so-called anthem of the Depression, a transcendent expression—if such a thing is possible—of the hopeless disillusionment of 1932. It derides patriotism in the voice of a working-class everyman, along with the American dream, and even the promise of the future.

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob.

When there was earth to plough or guns to bear, I was always there, right on the job.

They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead.

Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?

Once I built a railroad, made it run, made it race against time.

Once I built a railroad; now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once I built a tower to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;

Once I built a tower, now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee, we looked swell,

Full of that Yankee Doodle-de-dum,

Half a million boots went sloggin’ through hell,

And I was the kid with the drum.

Its obvious incitement of unrest got the song banned by certain radio stations. In the grand history of cynicism, the only other hit record I know of that comes close to it is the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen,” or maybe the Vietnam-era song “Fortunate Son.”

In 2009, someone posted Rudy Vallee’s recording of “Brother” on YouTube; immediately people began to share their reactions to that wrenching bit of Depressiana. Here are a few entries that caught my eye.

This song speaks to the failures of Keynesian Economics. Public spending on infrastructure to stimulate the slowing econonmy—it has never worked, and never will. It turns recessions into depressions like it did in the 30’s, and like it is doing now.

Kinda sounds like today, with the bailouts and stimulus packages. The whole, government making it worse thing.

This song is terrific!!! The theme applys again to us in 2009 like it did in 1929. Please “world leaders” give us “Hope for a brighter Future” not this thing called “Change” spoken by every two-bit politician since Hitler.

Brother, can you spare a trillion dollars?

America is staring this in the face again, watch closely what’s happening. April/May … will be the “dropping off the cliff” reality.

Call your reps and tell them NO to the proposed “stimulus.” It’s not going to help Americans when it’s spreading pork around for all the special interests groups and delayed for years. Not gonna work.

Stock up on supplies that are necessities, and hold on. We’re in for a spin.

The song’s famous lyrics were written by Yip Harburg, a socialist who was later blacklisted during the McCarthy period. But in our own enlightened age, it is evidently possible to listen to “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and hear it as a call for a purified form of free-market economics, as a warning against public works projects, maybe as an endorsement of the Hoover administration, even.

I do not bring all this up in order to score easy points at the expense of confused YouTubers.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.