Mrs. Kelley tells Perkins, “[M]aking enemies is how you know you’re doing things right.” Do you agree with her? Do you think it would have been possible for Perkins to implement reform without making enemies? Do you think it’s possible now?
She probably couldn’t have implemented reform without making enemies. She had to fight against new “notions” of what government should do as well as fight against the men who didn’t want a woman making important decisions. Thankfully she had FDR in her corner.
It’s definitely not possible now. The country is way too polarized.
I’m doubtful that big changes are possible without conflict. Even small changes encounter resistance. Perkins’ experiences in state government schooled her in developing necessary skills, attitudes, and persistence. She learned how to recognize enemies and where to look for alliances. The author presents a person who shrugged off “noise”; however, as a human being she likely felt many emotions when she heard or read disparaging comments.
If you tried to “ do the right thing” in today’s government you would be branded a traitor and fired immediately and probably be charged with a crime. So no, I see absolutely no possible way that anything resembling the “ right thing” based on any moral compass for the American public or the health of our democracy is even remotely possible. The big law firms are even too craven to make a stand .
“Making enemies is how you know you are doing right.” That was an expression that worked at the time, but who knows if your argument is on the right side. It certainly worked at the time. A safety net was much needed for Americans.
I think you can’t please everyone all the time, so sometimes, yes making enemies is inevitable. Truly skilled politicians are the ones that are able to bring 2 opposing sides together to meet in the middle and come to a resolution that benefits all. She had some allies on her side, like FDR, who was a huge help, without which she might have not gotten so much done. Still amazing to me that one woman accomplished so much!!
1 Like
In no way would Perkins have accomplished what she did if she didn’t have a knack in handling both her enemies and her followers. We need more Perkins in the government now.
I think that reform does result in some who consider themselves enemies of certain causes and that there are always people who want to maintain the status quo for reasons of profit. Now, seems a particularly polarized time.
Any change is a struggle. Change at a broad level inevitably results in those who perceive they’ve lost things even when the changes are generally believed to be positive. Unfortunately I think our tendency is to view the world as a zero sum game. If a group gains then necess