Lyndon Johnson was not a spellbinding orator. As his speeches consisted of short, near monotonal utterances, audiences were obliged to listen for content rather than for pastiches of lofty rhetoric..
On the night of 27 August 1964, LBJ accepted the Democratic nomination for the presidency less than a year after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In Atlantic City, New Jersey, the 'accidental' president adopted the theme of 'Let Us Continue'. The three word phrase was intended to connote LBJ's intention to fulfill the Kennedy legacy by enacting legislation on civil rights, instituting socio-economic reforms and advancing the ambitious goal of sending a man to the moon by 1970.
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Some of the remarks in his address have particular relevance today. Although forty-four years have passed since the landslide election of 1964, America is still beset by many of the same core social and economic problems. In the middle of his speech, Johnson outlined seven points of agreement between the preponderant political sentiments of the country and his vision for a full-term as president. Each point has been reproduced and contrasted with the most recent economic data available for the US (2006) in the paragraphs below. Only one inescapable conclusion can be made. Entrenched poverty, broad access to high-quality education and economic vulnerability remain fixtures in American life.
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'Most Americans want medical care for older citizens. And so do I.' -LBJ
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Although fundamental medical costs are covered by Medicare, seniors currently have to pay thousands of dollars annually for a supplement to offset the residual costs of catastrophic illness. Younger persons do not fare nearly as well in comparison. Nearly 20% of the 47 million Americans, who do not have health insurance, work either full or part-time. Why? Neither employers or employees can afford the cost. Even more significant, approximately 90 million citizens were without health insurance for some period of time in 2006-07 due to losing or changing jobs. Until the US government acts decisively to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care, companies (i.e. GM) and people alike will remain vulnerable to both disease and bankruptcy or a combination thereof respectively.
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'Most Americans want fair and stable prices and decent incomes for our farmers. And so do I.'
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In the current economic downturn due to the meteoric rise of oil prices, general inflation has risen to a level not seen since the Bush recession of 1990-91. Most notably, food prices have soared, and many staples including eggs and wheat have experienced double-digit percentage increases. As a result, relative wages continue to fall and business has slowed on less consumer spending. Meanwhile, the top American CEO made just over $84 million last year. What is 'fair and stable' about a system that not only allows but perpetuates extreme economic disparities? LBJ and most of the political leaders from the WWII era, regardless of party, would be incredulous at the gap between the rich and the poor in the 21st century.
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'Most Americans want a decent home in a decent neighborhood for all. And so do I.'
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The sub-prime mortgage crisis has been a travesty for hundreds of thousands of Americans. Many have lost their home as a result of having agreed to non-fixed, usurious rates of interest, and another 10-20% of the population is threatened with the possibility of foreclosure in the future. Because only 40% of working Americans have made financial progress (i.e. the ability to save money with higher incomes) since 2003, 6 in 10 prospective home-buyers have ruled out purchasing a house within the next two years.
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'Most Americans want an education for every child to the limit of his ability. And so do I.'
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While progress has been made on many levels, the cost of higher education is making college an unreachable prospect for millions of young people. A private college, which has always been beyond the scope of middle-class families, now charges an average annual tuition of $23,712 - up 6.3% over a mere 12-month period. Tuition at public 4-year colleges, which costs considerably less, rose 6.6% over the last year and averages $6,185 annually. After adding the cost of room & board, books, fees and miscellaneous expenses, the dream of graduating from college will become a broken dream unless politicians and college administrators rethink the value of education in something other than monetary terms.
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'Most Americans want a job for every man who wants to work. And so do I.'
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Since the failure of the Truman administration to pass the 'Full-Employment Act', Americans have continued to be at the mercy of the boom and bust cycles of the economy. Unemployment insurance is, unfortunately, becoming a more popular source of income today due to the spike in recent layoffs. While the national average nears 6.0%, parts of the nation have been mired in high unemployment of 10% or more. College tuition credits, job training and targeted government investment will be required to lift the burden of indignity off the shoulders of millions of blue and white collar workers.
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'Most Americans want victory in our war against poverty. And so do I.'
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The war in Vietnam prevented LBJ from building a 'Great Society' whereby poverty was to have been relegated to history books and museums. Indeed, poverty is a scourge that runs through the heart of American society in the 21st century. More than 1 out of every 10 (12.3%) or 36.5 million Americans live in poverty amid the wealthiest nation on earth. Homeless shelters, food pantries and churches providing food and/or shelter have been reporting record numbers of visitors around the nation. The plight of Blacks and Hispanics is simply appalling. As almost 1 in 4 (24.3%) African-Americans lives below the poverty line, more than 1 in 5 (20.6%) Hispanics cannot survive without economic assistance. On this subject, there is little more to say - and much to do.
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'Most Americans want continually expanding and growing prosperity. And so do I.'
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As the United States makes headway in eliminating the uninsured and reducing poverty in the coming years, the breadth of prosperity will be greater and more enduring than in previous decades. If the 37 million Americans in poverty can be turned into 37 million working, tax-paying citizens, then any governmental assistance rendered in lifting the impoverished out of their unfortunate circumstance will pay for itself many times over.
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Whether the next president is a Republican or a Democrat, perhaps he should utter the following words at his inauguration speech, 'Most Americans want our government - 'of the people, by the people and for the people' - to make education, health care, housing and a good job a right for every citizen instead of a privilege. And so do I.
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J Roquen