Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States, more than one century ago, of which, the square deal that Roosevelt was a strong proponent of, seems to be something that not every American is actually receiving as being part of this land, of, for, and by the people. Roosevelt stated that “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.” And further, Roosevelt, said “We must see that each is given a square deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less."
What Roosevelt had to say, hardly seems controversial, in which, first of all, those that serve their nation through the armed forces, or through civil service, or through other public based professions which are conducted for the betterment of the people of this country, deserve to receive in return, a square deal, which should include a living wage, healthcare, and a society to live in, which is safe and vibrant. So too, all those people that work hard, deserve for their labor, a square deal, as well, for they are helping to strengthen the economy, and deserve no less from this the richest nation that the world has ever known.
Further to the point, part of having a square deal, is for this government, to step in, when so necessary, to see that each American is provided with the basis to live a good life, by having fair access to a good public education, as well as a safe community to live in, which thereby consists of amenities such as public parks, playgrounds, the arts, and libraries. So too, every American deserves the fair opportunity to be employed, and, if so necessary, to be employed by that government, for sensible public endeavors so created for the improvement and addition of necessary infrastructure, for remediation of environmental damage, and for just about anything that will thus provide a material benefit for the people.
The objective of any good governance that believes that its people truly deserve a square deal, is to actively put together the necessary ingredients for this to thus become actualized. After all, words on a piece of paper, or when we express the best of sentiments, that subsequently are not diligently addressed meaningfully, aren’t going to do all that much good for anyone. The question that ought to be asked, is why hasn’t this nation done more to fundamentally improve the lot of those people who are its most vulnerable and thus exposed to the toxic effects of being marginalized, and effectively ignored by the “last great hope of humankind.”
The fair measure of any nation, should never be about what the superrich, elite, and privilege, so own and control; but should rather be the overall character of that nation – thus best represented by the people, in whole, from rich to poor, from urban to rural, from the west coat to the east coast, and everything in-between. If this really is the United States of America, what better way to be united than to be united in the abiding principle that every man, woman, and child is deserving of the fair opportunity to have a square deal, for that so represents the very foundation of what makes a nation great, and always will be.