Posts: 4,444
Threads: 97
Joined: Mar 2011
Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.
The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.
When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.
After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.
When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."
Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."
As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.
Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!
I say dig him up and clone him!
You seek escape from pain. We seek the achievement of happiness. You exist for the sake of avoiding punishment. We exist for the sake of earning rewards. Threats will not make us function; fear is not our incentive. It is not death that we wish to avoid, but life that we wish to live. - John Galt
Posts: 8,507
Threads: 241
Joined: Sep 2014
Funny how we were supposed to send our neighbors to Washington for 2 years so that We The People would actually mean something in our Congress.
Sometime between then and now, it went to insider trading, $150k+ per year with paid travel, junkets, "educational retreats" financed by lobbyists, golf trips at the most exclusive resorts where they can rub shoulders with lobbyists, and professional careers as political whores for the people and foreign entities that pay their campaign finances.
The 2nd Amendment was eroded along the way, and we have woken up in this generation to the fight of our lives, where a lot of headway has actually been won.
If we could just overturn 1986, 1968, and 1934, we would be cooking with crisco.
NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
www.AR15buildbox.com
Posts: 3,214
Threads: 215
Joined: Jun 2011
bwaites Wrote:Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.
The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.
When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.
After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.
When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."
Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."
As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.
Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!
I say dig him up and clone him!
My late mother was 17 when she met President Truman for girl state. She was always proud of the picture she had with him. I'm sure we both could write stories about our parents and grandparents lives and how grateful they were for all they had and the standards and hardship they over came yet never complained or blamed others for life's struggles. I think the President reflects the people of the era and for that reason I fear for my children's future. You are absolutely correct when you stated they don't make them like they used to.
Posts: 3,087
Threads: 74
Joined: Mar 2011
02-17-2016, 01:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-17-2016, 01:43 AM by sneaky one.)
We really do need to dump the current parties at the curb, for refuse haul away. Time for a betterment for America. WHO IS GOING TO STEP UP?
Who has the sack to start a new party ? Should we, as the Grendel gang- start up something. What is out there for us all? Easy to complain- what's your thoughts ?!!
Kick some ideas out. Do a something. ANYTHING --- for Gods sake- help us out ! What do you guys have for us? As a candidate? Really? Who?
Was not meant for the previous 2 posters- just mad in general
Posts: 3,214
Threads: 215
Joined: Jun 2011
sneaky one Wrote:We really do need to dump the current parties at the curb, for refuse haul away. Time for a betterment for America. WHO IS GOING TO STEP UP?
Who has the sack to start a new party ? Should we, as the Grendel gang- start up something. What is out there for us all? Easy to complain- what's your thoughts ?!!
Kick some ideas out. Do a something. ANYTHING --- for Gods sake- help us out ! What do you guys have for us? As a candidate? Really? Who?
Was not meant for the previous 2 posters- just mad in general
I really don't think it is going to get better since there seems to be a majority of parents who failed to parent and educate their own kids. The old methods of parenting, teaching kids right from wrong,how to think for one self,or how to be an adult seems to be wavering. I hope I'm wrong but it doesn't look good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33D3NOl0-ag
Posts: 2,098
Threads: 42
Joined: Feb 2015
The old saying of they don't make them like they used to has never been more true. These days it seems there are more that complain about what they don't have than those that are thankful for what they have.
Programs that were put in place to help us out of a bad time in history that were to be temporary became permanent and a way of life/existence for many.
Back to Truman, very upstanding man for the people and the country. We need more like that today.
Posts: 452
Threads: 27
Joined: Dec 2014
Unfortunately Eisenhower, the man who followed him to the Presidency, made one of the worst decisions. On Oct 4, 1957 the Russians launched Sputnik, Eisenhower became convinced that America was falling behind in the space race because we weren't teaching "the Theory of Evolution" in schools, and our children weren't interested in math and science. In 1958 he asked Congress for a billion dollars to teach "the Theory of Evolution" in American schools and got it.
As they say, the rest is History....
|
