By James J. Devine
President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his Four Freedoms speech on January 6, 1941, but the message continues to reverberate as a testament to the enduring pursuit of human rights and dignity.
In his address, Roosevelt articulated four essential freedoms that people worldwide should enjoy: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Among the freedoms defined by America’s 32nd president, perhaps none is as relevant today as the concept of “freedom from want,” which is the ability to have basic human necessities, such as food, water, shelter, and companionship, without worrying about where your next meal will come from.
This principle found resonance in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. Article 25.1 of the Declaration explicitly states that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, and social services.
The freedom from want underscored the importance of ensuring access to an adequate standard of living for all individuals, regardless of their circumstances and it is a terrible stain on American history that this has become a problem for so many people in the 21st century.
Despite the passage of decades, the relevance of Roosevelt’s vision remains undeniable. In today’s world, economic disparities persist, and millions of people continue to face financial insecurity and deprivation. Medical debt burdens a significant portion of the population, while many struggle to afford basic necessities such as housing and healthcare.
One in four Americans still live with medical debt. A third of America’s workforce work for less than $15 an hour; half can’t afford a one-bedroom apartment. Half our seniors live on less than $25,000 a year.
The United States has the highest poverty rate of any advanced democracy.
If you’re in the top 20 percent of American earners, the economy works well. And for that we can be grateful. But that 20 percent live on an island that is surrounded by a sea of economic despair.
This is more imperative than ever, since almost everyone will soon live, “on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”
Roosevelt said we would not need to worry about fascism in America so long as democracy delivered on its promises.
In America today there is a genuine fascist threat.
In response to the unprecedented financial distress built over more than four decades of trickle-down economics and dramatically witnessed in the global 2008 meltdown, more than 70 percent of Americans say they have lost hope.
Americans simply do not see opportunity in what they know is an inherently unjust economic system.
America is at a crossroads—one that presents hard choices to us about the kind of nation we are and will become. This moment demands our courage and our morality, that we listen and lead with humility, curiosity, and empathy. And we must be brave enough to meet this moment.
The choices we face are about what kind of nation we are and will be; about what kind of leaders we will be; about what kind of citizens we will be.
These are choices between hope and fear; between courage and despair; between one world view that tells us “might makes right” and another that insists, as Lincoln affirmed for the ages here, that “right makes might”—that our shared values, our democratic values, remain our greatest strength.
Our government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” has become a government “of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations.” Our public policies regularly do more to serve the goal of short-term profit maximization for corporate and billionaire donors, than to serve the goal of safety, health and well-being of the American people.
Within that sea, a myriad of personal and societal dysfunctions breed easily – from chronic anxiety and addiction to ideological capture by genuinely psychotic, even fascist elements of our society.
Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities, laying bare the fragility of social safety nets and underscoring the urgent need for systemic reform. As unemployment rates soared and businesses shuttered, millions found themselves grappling with economic uncertainty, highlighting the imperative of ensuring robust social protections for all.
Roosevelt’s advocacy for the freedom from want was rooted in the belief that economic security is essential for fostering peace and stability globally. Indeed, as nations grapple with the fallout of economic turmoil and social unrest, his words serve as a poignant reminder of the interdependence between economic well-being and societal harmony.
As policymakers and advocates continue to confront the challenges of the 21st century, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms offer a guiding framework for advancing human rights and social justice.
By prioritizing policies that promote economic security, equitable access to resources, and inclusive prosperity, societies can strive towards realizing Roosevelt’s vision of a world where every individual enjoys the fundamental freedoms essential to a life of dignity and fulfillment.