Harry S. Truman, Reader
Doing some background reading on the Cold War in recent months, I've found myself more and more deeply impressed by Harry Truman. His domestic policies, a rehash of FDR's New Deal, which represented a hash in the first place, were more or less indefensible, but his foreign policy demonstrated immense courage and imagination--within about 18 months of the day FDR's sudden death elevated Truman to the presidency, Truman had established the policy of containment, which would remain our basic policy throughout the Cold War.
How did a man who had no more than a high school education learn what he needed to know to comport himself successfully--even, though unappreciated at the time, brilliantly--as chief executive? Simple. All his life, Truman read voraciously. Below, a photograph of Harry and Bess in retirement. Note, if you will--and I draw the particular attention of Mr. Rob Long to this--the absence of any television, computer, or iPad. We will never see his like again.
A tip of the hat to Ricochet's unofficial chaplain, Rev. George Rutler.
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Oct '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
David McCullough figured out the greatness of Harry Truman a long time ago and shared it with us. I always saw Truman as a great man that did great things because he was not an elitist. FDR refused to back the Anti-Lynching Law, when he easily could have passed it with little trouble. Truman desegregated the Army segregated by Wilson. Truman used the Atomic Bombs to save millions of lives and, as the recent book, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand informs us, it save the lives of hundreds of thousand of Allied POWs held by the Japanese. Truman recognized Israel despite the fact Truman knew Marshall would resign. None of the domestic programs passed by Truman were as damaging to our long term stability as the Prescription Drug Benefit passed by Conservative George W. Bush and the Conservative Republican Congress. Truman saved Korea and much of Asia, despite the idiocy of cutting out Korea and Taiwan at different times by the experts at DOD in the late 1940s. With the possible exception of Ronald Reagan, there is no Republican that ran or served after Truman that I would vote for instead Truman.
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Although Bess looks like she is reading The Cat In The Hat, I'm with you on this Peter. For Lent, I mortified myself for 40 days by turning off the TV before 10 PM everynight and doing "books only" before bed time. (we have no kids so we usually party all night)
What a better quality of life I made for myself. It was hard to keep it up after Lent, but it's a goal now. What I wouldn't give to be smarter, but it's my own fault I am not. The Europeans do this with the no TVs in the living room but who wants to be like them? But look at that Truman guy filling up his brain. Maybe he's going through UFO files.
Edited on May 29, 2011 at 10:53amFeb '11
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
If I recall correctly from McCullough's biography, when Truman was growing up he made a genuine effort to read every book in his local library.
Jun '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Truman had that rare quality known as good sense, all too often confused with common sense. Good sense isn't common.
Feb '11
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Earning a degree cannot be confused with a love of learning. Ricochet readers will find much to admire with what this photo captures--after all, remember the dozens of comments on a recent post about great books!
Dec '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Great post Peter,
Awhile back I read an article on the later President Truman by an historian who came to visit him in Independence, MO. When he stopped in, Truman was on his knees in the kitchen repairing the floor with some tacks. I've not been to visit the home, but am told the repair job, complete with the tacks, is still there.
Mar '11
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Quite a contrast with Mr and Mrs Obama.
Oct '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
I read a biography of Truman thirty years ago, and while most of the particulars escape me, I retained the sense that he was a Democrat to be admired. As Robert E. Lee says, a man with good sense.
Sep '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
I have a vague recollection from reading McCullough's book that Truman had a men's clothing shop (haberdasher?). Harry appears above to have been a pretty natty dresser.
I think it is helpful for a president's foreign policy, to remember what it was like on a grade school play ground during recess. Diplomacy, fair play, standing up for yourself, how to handle a bully, drawing lines in the sand, how to gain allies, and how to back down when necessary.
These are skills that Harry probably had from an early age.
Nov '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Mr. Truman went through high school when high schools actually taught something and a high school diploma signaled genuine achievement. One of the things that they taught was a love of learning. One of his biographers (the name lost to me now) went through the list of books that Senator Truman checked out of the Library of Congress during his years in the Senate and the range was remarkable. Apparently he read with understanding and retained what he learnt from his reading.
Edited on May 29, 2011 at 10:51amDec '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Peter,
This has nothing to do with the thread, but I'm getting cranky cause I haven't gotten this week's Ricochet podcast. What's up guys? Where else am I supposed to find a comparable mix of wit, wisdom and belly laughs? Do I have to start worrying about you guys?
Oct '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Peter,
I know it has become common practice but Harry Truman's middle name was S with no period after it. I was taught that in writing the English language putting a period after a letter means you are abbreviating a word. The S is not an abbreviation of a longer middle name.
Everyone does it, even Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman
Maybe I should leave it alone but it seems to stand out every time see it.
Apr '11
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Jim Wilkins: Peter,
I know it has become common practice but Harry Truman's middle name was S with no period after it. I was taught that in writing the English language putting a period after a letter means you are abbreviating a word. The S is not an abbreviation of a longer middle name.
Everyone does it, even Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman
Maybe I should leave it alone but it seems to stand out every time see it. · May 29 at 11:21am
It doesn't really matter. You can write it either way. When you write it as Harry S Truman, you are, in effect, writing his full middle name, like 'John Quincy Adams', or 'Edgar Allan Poe'. Putting the period behind it means you're abbreviating it, but in this case the abbreviation is the same thing as the actual name. I personally usually just call him Harry Truman. It's easier that way.
May '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
I hate throwing a wet blanket on this thread because I'm generally in agreement with Peter's post and I don't disagree with the general tone applauding Truman's good horse sense. However, I come from a rural Missouri family active in local Republican politics for several generations and we should not forget that Harry Truman is emblematic of all that was wrong with Missouri politics for most the the 20th century. He was without debate a product of the corrupt Kansas City Pendergast machine that dominated the Missouri Democrats - and, by extension, the Kansas City rackets and Missouri politics - for decades. Truman stirred up quite a kerfuffle when he was Vice President by using government planes to fly to Kansas City to attend his patron Pendergast's funeral. I will allow that Truman performed surprisingly well in office but the image of him as a simple, self taught and innocent Independence haberdasher is ... inaccurate.
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Emerich: Peter,
This has nothing to do with the thread, but I'm getting cranky cause I haven't gotten this week's Ricochet podcast. What's up guys? Where else am I supposed to find a comparable mix of wit, wisdom and belly laughs? Do I have to start worrying about you guys? · May 29 at 10:54am
Chalk it up to technical difficulties. We're sorry for the lapse, but the next two weeks should make up for it.
Sep '10
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Peter Drucker had some insightful things to say about Truman; I believe his favorite source of wisdom was Plutarch, an author he preferred to all of his advisers.
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Ronald Reagan would have agreed. In 1948 he served as chairman of an organization called "Hollywood for Truman."
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Jim Wilkins: Peter,
I know it has become common practice but Harry Truman's middle name was S with no period after it. I was taught that in writing the English language putting a period after a letter means you are abbreviating a word. The S is not an abbreviation of a longer middle name.
· May 29 at 11:21am
How did Truman himself approach the question? By leaving out the "S" altogether.
Apr '11
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
Peter Robinson
Ronald Reagan would have agreed. In 1948 he served as chairman of an organization called "Hollywood for Truman." · May 29 at 2:47pm
Wasn't Reagan a Democrat for most of his life?
Re: Harry S. Truman, Reader
You touch on one of the great themes of Truman's life--one with which, we know from his letters and diaries, he himself constantly struggled: how to be a good man in a rotten business. For that matter, any assessment of the Pendergast Machine, and the other Democratic machines of the day, has to reckon that they did a certain amount of--well, of good. One example: Going into the 1944 convention, FDR wanted either Henry Wallace or William O. Douglas as his running mate, both of them men of the left. Five big Democratic bosses, one of them Tom Pendergast, stood up to FDR, insisting on Truman instead. In doing so, they saved the world--literally. Only Truman would have stood up to the Soviets as he did.
Everything you say is true, Matthew, and Truman was no saint. But as president he reflected the decency, and the toughness, of the heartland, and thank God.