Sociology: Freedom and Equitability Critical Analysis - Paper Example

Introduction

The words freedom, liberty, and equality have formed part of American history for years. As a country with a long history of slavery and racial discrimination, the United States has had many individuals and movements rising with varied ideas. In the 1930s, a rise in political tyrannies and dynasties challenged many workers' freedom, leading to criticisms in an attempt to fix the situation. Below is an analysis of Franklin Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, John Lewis, Joe Jones, and A letter to Frances Perkins based on the whole subject of freedom and equality.

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According to Roosevelt, the New Deal sought to enhance economic reformation by providing equal platforms for every group and individual to be considered by the government. In other words, the New Deal aimed at restoring the financial status by balancing the conflicts surrounding it, such as inequality and oppression. For instance, at some point, he issues out negative criticism of the preceding government for supporting the citizen's right to elect leaders but not the right to live and work freely. Besides, Roosevelt saw the New Deal as a tool to counter the dynastic nature of politics, whereby few rich people created tolerable conditions for themselves while employing the legal way to justify it (Roosevelt, "Economic Freedom").

John Lewis's ideas mirror the New Deal's objectives in his Labor's Great Upheaval as he demonstrates how the rich continue to earn in all dimensions while the poor keep on suffering. John Lewis's ideas certainly would impact an ordinary employee who had barely received their wages while working for the millionaires who had benefited from the same companies. The fight for economic freedom is a priority in both Lewis' and Roosevelt's statements. It is an urgent thing that cuts across the country's significant sectors that had been deeply infected by inequality based on social differences. In the letter to Frances Perkins, there is an evident plea to Roosevelt to prioritize the disparity between wages and color. The letter identifies rampant discrimination of the white and black slaves and low pay, which is part of the New Deal addresses. This connection with Roosevelt sheds light on how the citizens depended on the New Deal to solve their mysteries.

From John Lewis' statement on labor and the letter to Frances Perkins, much can be concluded about the country's problems as according to the workers. The theme of inequality in workplaces emerges firmly. This inequality is seen when workers are not paid, and their employers divert the money to increase their wealth. Lewis demonstrates how the industries produce few millionaires and multi-millionaires while the employees are denied their salaries for as long as thirty-five years. The same inequality is manifested when there low wages that can barely sustain the lives of the workers. The employees support themselves using the little wages received to buy basic household needs from shops created by their very employers. To point out that this is a serious national issue, the letter even compares such inequality with the old slavery whereby the black slaves had access to meals and medical attention. Besides, the economic dictatorship was perceived by the workers as a barrier to outstanding achievements. In the economic context, Tyranny means that even the political class benefited from such companies that oppress the poor, making it extremely challenging to fight back. In the Letter to Secretary of Labor, senators are portrayed as traitors because they agree that living conditions in the South are reasonable compared with the real situation workers were facing.

Hoover hints at the problem of piling up the national debt, which can be related to John Lewis' point. According to Hoover, the federal money was spent to satisfy individual's prosperity producing the millionaires and multi-millionaires Lewis was pointing at. According to Hoover, the laws enforced to impose taxes on the rich to benefit the poor will still be diverted to the poor. This act is not different from the financial dictatorship, which points at the political class being the major actors in oppressing the poor and the socio-economically disadvantaged people. Piling up a national debt that is even misappropriated is the root cause of considerable differences in social classes, which is a threat to cohesion in the country.

The citizens do not feel as free while still in the hands of dynasties and tyrannies. Joe Jones's painting "We Demand" speaks a lot about the citizen's perception of freedom. This painting hints at the presence of several movements that sought to seek justice against the oppression by the political and economic first-class leaders (Jones, "We Demand"). The movement's force can be compared to the scale of the current Black Lives Matter movements that seek justice against the increase in racial discrimination cases. The message from the painting can be related to the problems citizens face, and few things can be deduced thereby.

Indeed, if the employees could stay unpaid for long, there is a clear message that there was no freedom of speaking their minds in the presence of the financial masters who were dictators. Also, Lewis points out of the inexistence of workers' liberty to form the organizations that would enable them to voice out their problems to the political class. Such endeavor was usually interfered with and coerced hence prevented from concluding. Perkins's letter demonstrates this through the author's urge to Roosevelt to investigate the reality of the people's living conditions in the South, which was always exaggerated by the senators who also benefited from the funds meant for the poor people.

Roosevelt and Hoover differ in their definition of freedom. According to Hoover, freedom or "liberty" is in the nation is more of restricting government activities while enhancing the individual and free organization involvement. On the other hand, Roosevelt supports government involvement and sees it as relatively good since individual freedom or liberty is concerned. Hoover criticizes the government involvement and blames it for destroying freedom through the New Deal instead of building it (Hoover, "New Deal and Liberty"). To him, the toil and hard work of the ordinary citizens are directed to building the political class, which is the most significant violation of the definition of liberty. Besides, he speculates for more and more oppression towards the citizens and the workers by accumulating national debt that will have to hint the future generation. His main point has an idea in it that only free men can build a progressive nation rather than a failing one. One weakness that emerges from his definition is that people may choose to be free but the standards set by the government limit this freedom to a great extent without opposition. His description is also against the New Deal idea, which had the objective of freeing the citizens from economic and political oppression.

Roosevelt criticizes the notion that the government has a role in ensuring voting rights while its ability to control economic and political freedom is suppressed. Thus, the government has the mandate to facilitate equality in market places, employment, education, and other facilities (Roosevelt, "Economic Freedom"). Besides, Roosevelt points out the clear set strategies that have been employed by the government through the convention to address the forms of lack of freedom in the modern world. His definition, however, has its limitations, one being that the same government can contain dynasties that can divert the way to freedom to the way of oppression for their own sake. Such presence of dynasties can be identified from the same words made by Roosevelt when he points out how people who thirst for power and fame wealth can reach out for control and create routes to oppress the disadvantaged while masking the evil with legal actions.

Hoover believes that the future of freedom is at stake by comparing the trend by which money is continuously borrowed but not used for the correct purposes and the individual satisfaction of the people. Such acts are meant to create a future burden to the local citizens who depend on the government to ease their burdens. The increase in bank credits that arise from the government act of borrowing is more of diverting democracy, a platform that would ensure freedom is acquired by all. Additionally, the working conditions were intolerable, where the employers' main aim was to benefit more while the workers' lives are compromised. Hoover's interpretation meant that if the situation perpetuates, then the future of freedom should be worrying (Hoover, "New Deal and Liberty").

Roosevelt quotes an English saying that needy men are not free. Freedom is positively impacted by the ability to make enough and decent living that will sustain a person and give them the reason they live. For instance, someone unaware of where his next meal comes from is not free because they are locked by the struggle to survive rather than obtain the food. Therefore, he advocated for the need of the political class to consider the disadvantaged rather than enhancing oppressions.

Conclusion

All humans tend to see what satisfies them but respect other human beings, which constitutes freedom. Many citizens saw the New Deal as a breakthrough that would solve their mysteries in a society where the rich oppressed the poor for their financial gain and fame. People will always revert by cherishing movements that enable them to voice out their pleas to the government. Since political leaders have a lot of influence, their perception of ideas has implications on several people. There is a need for leaders to take a right stand on emerging political issues while representing the citizens in the fight against inequality issues.

Works Cited

Franklin D. Roosevelt on Economic Freedom: Acceptance of Re-nomination for the Presidency, Democratic National Convention, June 27, 1936

Herbert Hoover on the New Deal and Liberty: Official Report of the Proceedings of the Republican National Convention (1936).

Letter to Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins (1937).

John L. Lewis on Labor's Great Upheaval: Radio address on July 6, 1936 Painting by Joe Jones titled "We Demand" (1934)