Leon Lefson is 90 years old and has the energy of men half his age. A Sacramento resident, he has been a political activist for decades. His working life includes a stint as a research assistant for the famed labor historian Philip Foner. In this interview, Leon provides an historical look at a watershed time in U.S. history—the Great Depression in the 1930s—as it connects with the current politics of Social Security.
Seth: President George W. Bush has made reform of the Social Security system a high priority. Lost in his talk about reforming it is mention of how Social Security was created in the first place. Please explain that part of the story that is basically overlooked in schools and mass media.
Leon: As the depression worsened and people were reduced to selling apples on street corners, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was literally forced to initiate measures to alleviate their suffering. In reality all he was trying to do was save the capitalist system. This was at a time when talk of revolution was very much in the air. People by the millions were desperate and the capitalist class really began to feel threatened. And so we got FDR’s “New Deal.” Under it, some of the most progressive legislation in US history was forced through Congress which then, as now, was made up of mostly the rich and powerful. The crown jewel of the New Deal was the Social Security Act of 1935.
Seth: How did the birth of Social Security change the lives of the American people?
Leon: For the first time, the principle was established that the government was responsible for assuring a minimum adequate income for older people. Prior to 1935, if you were no longer able to work and had no income, you were dependent on private charity.
Seth: In 1933, one-quarter to a third of American workers were out of a job, according to historian Howard Zinn. How did private charities do meeting people’s needs then?
Leon: In the 1930s, private charities were overwhelmed and simply did not have the resources to deal with mass poverty of the time. Thousands of people in cities across the country were being thrown out of their dwellings for non-payment of rent. Farmers in huge numbers were going bankrupt and losing their farms.
Seth: Talk about current political attacks on the social safety net. What are the main points to understand, and what do you recommend?
Leon: It is no coincidence that the Bush administration is trying to get rid of Social Security as well as other major social programs, and turn people over to the mercies of the free market. This cannot be allowed if our democracy is to survive. What is needed today is a single-payer health care system that matches the scope and boldness of Social Security in the 1930s.
--Seth Sandronsky is a member of Sacramento Area Peace Action and a co-editor of Because People Matter, Sacramento’s progressive paper. He can be reached at: ssandron@hotmail.com.
