Father Charles Coughlin
Oh, capitalism shall never again flourish as once it did. Capitalism has been almost taxed out of existence in an effort to meet the coupons and the bonds, in an effort to meet the dole system that is absolutely unnecessary in a country of our wealth. Father Charles Coughlin 1937
The radicalization of America during the Great Depression is best be encapsulated by the conversion of Father Charles E. Coughlin from zealous Roosevelt supporter to ardent opposers of the New Deal, Roosevelt, capitalism, and democracy. Once deemed by a top government official as “the most dangerous man in America behind John Dillinger,” Coughlin daftly used the medium of radio to spread a gospel that at times more closely resembled the dogmatic speeches of Adolph Hitler, than those of Jesus Christ crowds in the hundreds of thousands. From his early days of railing against the Klu Klux Klan, Coughlin used his charismatic speaking style to attract a loyal following that teetered on cult status.
