At first glance, FDR’s 1941 State of the Union speech might seem like a relic of the past. He delivered the speech at the end of his second term, right before he gave his inaugural address for his third term about two weeks later. Roosevelt delivered the speech before the United States entered World War 2. While the United States was theoretically neutral, FDR was not neutral in his support for the democracies taking part in the war.
President Roosevelt told Congress they were “at a moment of unprecedented in the history of the Union, because at no previous time has American security been as seriously threatened from without as it is today.” He gave an overview of threats to the United States in the past and contended that past threats were not that threatening to American independence and autonomy to act in the world. He believed, though, that the current conflict was different. FDR contended, “the democratic way of life is at this moment being directly assailed in every part of the world–assailed either by arms, or by secret spreading of poisonous propaganda by those who seek to destroy unity and promote discord in nations that are still at peace.”
If Americans did not prepare to meet the moment, American freedom and democracy were on the line. While the United States was probably safe if the British navy protected the seas, if the United Kingdom fell, could the Atlantic and Pacific oceans really protect the United States? Roosevelt imagined the threat in phases. Over time, the enemies of democracy would create the conditions that allowed the invasion of the United States.
American security required meeting the moment. International affairs were now threats to America’s domestic agenda. The moment was so extraordinary that this should be the focus of the American government. He outlined domestic priorities to meet the moment. Basically, prepare for the possibility of war. Also, be an arsenal for the democratic countries under siege.
Would this upset the oppressor nations? Probably. But America had to be free to act in her own interest. The oppressor nations attacked Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands without provocation. Surrendering our autonomy and freedom to appease oppressors was not a guarantee of future peace and security. Our best bet was to support other democracies standing against the oppressors.
In preparing for war, the US needed to continue to work on “the social and economic problems” at home. Those problems not being addressed in other countries led to social revolution, and this factored into the conflict the world was experiencing. He then offered his understanding of the “foundation” a “strong and healthy democracy” required. He offered the following examples:
· “Equality of opportunity for youths and others.”
· “Jobs for those who can work”
· “Security for those who need it”
· “The ending of special privilege for the few.”
· The preservation of civil liberties for all.”
· “The enjoyment…the enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising standard of living.”
Roosevelt then offered concrete ways to make these examples real. It would require personal sacrifice. More tax revenues would be needed for the government to act. He believed that while most people are not fans of increased taxes, if Congress did this in the right way, their constituents would support these efforts.
The speech is famous for the next part. He laid out “four essential human freedoms” to found a future world in. These four essential freedoms are: 1) freedom of speech and expression, 2) freedom of religion, 3) freedom from want (economic security for everyone), and 4) freedom from fear (which FDR-in the speech-meant nation states should not need to fear other nation states).
In the unprecedented times we live in today, I have been thinking about these four freedoms and how they are under assault in our own country, let alone the world. FDR saws these four freedoms as goals to work towards as the foundation of a new post-conflict world. Roosevelt believed these four freedoms are the bedrock of a world where democracies can flourish. My concern is that this bedrock is eroding in the present moment both in the United States and around the world.
For example, the freedom of speech is under assault. The current administration attacks academic institutions, and the government desires to control speech in these institutions. They also attack law firms, and what the administration wants, in part, is different speech or less speech from the law firms. Trump’s administration assaults in a multitude of ways the media’s speech. Lawsuits, FCC pressure, public comments from administration officials, social media posts from the president, there are so many assaults, it is hard to keep track of it all.
Freedom of religion is also under assault. Christian nationalists are trying to blur the lines between state and religion. There are conservative movements hoping to end the separation of church and state. Politics and religion are being enmeshed in ways that potentially threaten the health and vitality of both.
Freedom from want is under attack. The Big Beautiful Bill undermines the social safety net. Tariffs make everyday items more expensive. Going after renewable energy funding approved during the Biden administration will likely increase energy prices. Fear due to want and need is a growing specter for many Americans.
The attacks on the freedom of speech are creating a climate of fear. Will the administration go after me or my interests if I say something critical? If I challenge something? Will a MAGA mob go after me if they dislike what I say?
FDR understood the freedom from fear in an international sense. The reality for our democracy at home, though, is that the government is being weaponized in ways that create an atmosphere of fear here at home. The president ordering the Attorney General to go after critics of the president. Promises of retaliation for the Kirk assassination, even though it seems like the perpetrator was a lone gunman operating independently of anyone and anything.
Attacking freedom is folly. Freedom in a democracy requires reciprocity. In Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King argued “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Once injustice is allowed and accepted by a society, how can anyone in society truly be safe from injustice? I think the same is true in terms of freedom. If we allow society to unjustly oppress one person, no one is really safe from unjust oppression in our country. Curtailing the freedom of one person threatens everyone’s freedom ultimately.
I have been thinking about Solomon Burke’s version of “None of Us Are Free.” In the song, he sings “none of us are free, none of us are free, none of us are free, if one of us is chained, none of us are free.” When we allow leaders and the government to attack the freedoms of others, it undermines our own freedom.
FDR’s four freedoms are foundational not only for the cause of democracy internationally but also at home. The freedom from fear might be the most important. If we are afraid to speak or practice our religion, both freedoms are undermined. Freedom from want was important to Roosevelt because desperate need can drive revolution and undermine civil society. I would contend that fear amplifies the danger.
In January 1941, the future did not look bright. The world was at war. Many feared the US would enter that war. Memories of World War I hovered in the background. The United States was barely out of the Great Depression and that was mostly because of the economic demand conflicts around the world created.
Roosevelt ended his 1941 State of the Union address on a high note. He believed they could make the world a better, safer, freer place. There are parallels between America on the cusp of World War 2 and now. Things look bleak for lovers of democracy. The future feels uncertain. Faced with fear and folly, we need a hopeful moral vision that challenges the fear-fueled Trump administration’s way of governing. If we could embrace Roosevelt’s four freedoms, they could be foundational to a post-Trump America.
