As I observed here, history tends to repeat itself about every 80 years. That being the case, I thought it might be a good time for some Great Depression era humor. Who was the best back then?
Will Rogers died in 1935 after living about 56 years. By all accounts, he was a decent fellow and much loved by the American people. The quote perhaps most identified with him is this: “I never met a man I didn’t like.” That most likely explains why people loved Will Rogers. Will Rogers loved people.
Rogers was acute observer of people, and he had an unsurpassed a talent for expressing himself in simple humor. For example, after the economy collapsed, he observed that those out of work still had automobiles to drive. He put it this way.
We’re the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poorhouse in an automobile. (from here)
Rogers particularly enjoyed telling jokes about politics. Here are some of his better one liners (from here).
If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?
The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.
The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf. Even when you make a tax form out on the level, you don’t know when it’s through if you are a crook or a martyr.
This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.
So when all the yielding and objections is over, the other Senator said, I object to the remarks of a professional joker being put into the Congressional Record. Taking a dig at me, see? They didnt want any outside fellow contributing. Well, he had me wrong. Compared to them I’m an amateur, and the thing about my jokes is that they dont hurt anybody. You can say they’re not funny or they’re terrible or they’re good or whatever it is, but they don’t do no harm. But with Congress every time they make a joke its a law. And every time they make a law its a joke.
America is a great country, but you can’t live in it for nothing.
Here are some quotes from Wikiquote. See here.
This country has gotten where it is in spite of politics, not by the aid of it. That we have carried as much political bunk as we have and still survived shows we are a super nation.
Sure must be a great consolation to the poor people who lost their stock in the late crash to know that it has fallen in the hands of Mr. Rockefeller, who will take care of it and see it has a good home and never be allowed to wander around unprotected again. There is one rule that works in every calamity. Be it pestilence, war, or famine, the rich get richer and poor get poorer. The poor even help arrange it.
This website (here) provides some recordings of Will Rogers. Check them out.
Wikipedia also has an article about Rogers here.
Citizen Tom 
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