Dapper .... stop with the patronizing regarding history.
Hoover was a great man. He just didn't have the outlook to deal with the Depression. He was by far more liberal than most Republicans today as near as I can tell, and one of the great humanitarians of the century.
But he backed few efforts that involved monetary intervention outside of encouraging voluntary efforts by the private sector. The Hoover Institute identifies the Fed (fairly new at the time) with intensifying the Depression by forcing an unnecessary contraction of the money supply. Contraction - understand? It's not until 1932 that Hoover begins pushing a policy that would have addressed foreclosures and increased liquidity - too little , too late. Sound familiar?
Some other themes of the time that have eery parallels to today. At the beginning of his administration he supported a huge tax break, which combined with the falling incomes of the Depression to severely contract tax revenues. He then had to turn around and support a large tax increase to keep the nation afloat (because unlike some of the conservatism of today, he did believe in avoiding deficits). THAT sounds familiar.
The Depression was GLOBAL in 1932, and unemployment was near 25% in the US. The idea that the Depression didn't get bad until Roosevelt came to power is strictly current ideological revisionism because it doesn't jibe with the image some people want instead of the truth.
.....So, please, don't start with the BS of patronizing others knowledge of history unless you know it yourself.
