Job Retraining Quotes
This statement was a total reverse of his predecessor’s policy. Hoover stubbornly refused to consider any direct relief for workers on the philosophical ground that it would weaken their character, make them dependent, and provide benefits for the people who were not working so the motivation to work would be lessened. When FDR pronounced this on the radio, it dramatically reversed U. S. policy and gave many people hope that the government might do something about the depression rather than just wait out the business cycle.
One problem critics have with his argument is that while there is always work to be done, there are not always entities willing to pay for the additional work. Gains in productivity will justify investment in more rapid deployment of technology; thus entities in society are will to invest the funds. But if there is no visible economic return from the additional work, corporations and taxpayers may be unwilling to fund it leading to massive unemployment and instability.