American Exceptionalism and the Art of the Quid Pro Quo

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is often seen as a great American hero. As our president, he lead the United States through our worst depression. Roosevelt directed our World War II War effort, defeating Hitler, making The United States The dominant world power.

Franklin Roosevelt also was a “realist”. He proposed and supported New Deal programs. They formalized segregated American housing and education. The racism we face today is most visible in these two areas.

Franklin Roosevelt posited himself as a “friend of the Jews”. He has been (sometimes) harshly criticized related to the Holocaust. He consistently opposed helping desperate 1930’s German Jews escape Hitler’s control.

By November, 1942, Roosevelt clearly knew that Hitler intended to kill all the Jews in Europe. Winning the war (alone) was prioritized, ignoring calls to substantively try to slow the murder of Jews.

John F Kennedy is often idolized. He blundered into the Bay of Pigs fiasco in Cuba, where on April 17, 1961. 1400 Cuban exiles failed miserably that day, trying to overthrow Castro.

Kennedy was reluctantly dragged into supporting Civil Rights efforts. During his first two years as president, he “compromised” (i.e. gave in) repeatedly to the pressures of Southern Democratic Party politicians. His efforts in the last months of his life largely were responding to popular pressures caused by major southern atrocities.