Mason4Assassin444 wrote:
TheDarkRaven wrote:
I have to first ask when he made the aforementioned statement? Context is extremely useful in analysing the meaning of any quote.
From what I gather it was around 1912/1913 during the lobbying of the Aldrich Plan.
Thanks!
To analyse:
“I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world - no longer a Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.”
-President Woodrow Wilson
The overall theme of this is 'regret'. I personally don't have enough knowledge of the Aldrich 'Plan', but from what I gather from looking up in a few books, this resulted in the formation of The Federal Reserve Act. However, I also can see that Wilson seems to be pleased with this and sees it as a dawn of a new era in business. Indeed, his political clout got it recognised and passed (2 years before, the Aldrich 'Bill' had been rejected). I thin the context seems confused. For this reason, I struggle to either believe the quote, or the context in which you think it comes from.
Just as a piece of general knowledge for you:
Wilson may have been a great, ambitious man, but he was also an avid supporter of the Klu Klux Klan. Just remember that. Do not let it cloud your judgement of him, just remember that even the most outward seemingly pleasant man can hide, to modern day society, dark truths.
All the best,
Andy