History Today, January 8, 1964: US President's Declaration, Lyndon B. Johnson To Fight Poverty

US President who served in 1963-1969, Lyndon B. Johnson. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA History today, 59 years ago, January 8, 1964, the President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson declared a war against poverty. The recitation was carried out not only to reduce poverty in the US, but to eliminate it.

Previously, the poverty rate in the US has increased since the economic recession hit the world in 1929. It was known as the malaise era. Poverty then thrived as the US began to waste a lot of funds for war.

The Great Depression (malaise crisis) was once touted as the worst economic crisis in history. There was a fall in the US stock market behind it. At that time many people released shares simultaneously in 1929. The number of releases touched 13 million shares.

The shares changed hands in one day. Problems arise. The act shook the US economy. The economic crisis also emerged. The company went out of business and was unemployed everywhere.

This condition makes the poverty rate in the US increase sharply. As a result everywhere. The world is also unlucky because of the US incident. The world's countries are feeling what the US is feeling. Their businesses went out of business, and the poverty rate shot sharply.

It may be that the past can be passed. However, the impact on US poverty is great. This condition was exacerbated by the US government which failed to set a priority scale. Instead of choosing to run many pro-people programs, many US presidents have actively chosen to waste a lot of funds for war needs.

That fact took place in several periods of government. In fact, until the Lyndon B. Johnson era served as the number one person in the US. Johnson felt for himself how difficult it was to struggle with poverty.

Smeua is because Johnson considers himself not much different from the other poor who live in the US. He also wants the US to immediately solve poverty.

Johnson's father failed. Even though his father was once a highly respected state legislator and entrepreneur, he failed completely. And as a result, for the rest of his childhood, Johnson lived in a house where every month they feared it would be seized by the bank. "

"Often there is no food in the house, and neighbors have to bring closed plates filled with food. In this small town, even though they are poor, there are always moments of insult and feeling insecure for them. It was a bad childhood," wrote on the NPR page, January 8, 2014.

Johnson does not want the US people to continue to struggle with poverty. He also had the idea to keep the US people away, even poverty disappeared. Johnson revealed the narrative in a state speech on January 8, 1964.

Johnson declared a war against poverty. He began to try to improve the shortcomings of the US people in getting access to education, health, and housing. All of that was then poured in the product of the law. The goal is to increase the dignity of the US people.

On similar occasions in our past, we have often been asked to fight against foreign enemies who threaten our freedom. Today we are asked to declare war on domestic enemies who threaten the strength of the nation and the welfare of our people.

If we now move forward against this enemy if we can face the challenges of peace with the same determination and strength that have brought us to victory in war, then today and this Congress will have a safe and honorable place in the history of the countries of the world. Nation and the eternal gratitude of future generations of America," Johnson said in his speech as quoted by the Britannica page.