To understand the American economy in the 1930’s a closer look at world events prior to the Great Depression is necessary. Across the globe, Europe’s agriculture supply was dwindled by effects of World War I. Meanwhile, farmers in the United States increased production of crops for export to Europe. By the 1920’s European agriculture production returned to pre-war levels and imports were no longer required. The US supply outnumbered demand and market prices began to fall below production cost. Suffering financial losses, the majority of farmers were in jeopardy of bankruptcy.
Many viewed the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency as the salvation of America during the Great Depression. His administration jump started the economy by creating an abundance of social programs. Shortened to 3 letter acronyms, these became known as “Alphabet Soup”. AAA, The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 was created to restore the American farmer back to pre-World War I levels by paying farmers to cut crop and dairy production by 30 %. According to Gilbert C. Fite, author of “Farmer Opinion and the Agricultural Act of 1933,” (The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 48 [Mar. 1962]: 656-673), farmers thought carefully about implications of the New Deal farming program, not only for themselves but also for the country. Opinion of government control varied, but most farmers were in desperate situations and welcomed any promise of relief, even when the principles were not sound.
Fite explains AAA policy required farmers to reduce acreage, burn surplus crops, and decrease dairy production to receive cash incentives. Farmers and citizens were outraged over the destruction of crops while the misery of nationwide hunger spread. Farmers believed there could be no surplus when people were on the verge of starvation. The problem in the farmer’s of view point was the improper government distribution of surplus agriculture products. They stressed the real surplus was an “overproduction of empty stomachs and bareback citizens”. Fite quotes John Simpson, president of the Farmer’s Union, saying he “believed if men could be employed and receive a paycheck at the end of the week, the agriculture crises could be solved”. Nationwide hunger prevailed during the Great Depression as the government forced farmers to destroy edible crops and dairy products. Eventually, based on the legality of taxation, AAA was determined unconstitutional.
During the golden age of radio, FDR broadcasted fireside chats to assure Americans of financial recovery. He frequently emphasized the needs of the “forgotten man” and a new unlimited classless society for Americans. Lee A. Gary, author of “The Forgotten Man: The Rhetorical Construction of Class and Classlessness in Depression Era Media” (The Journal of American History, 94. 4 [Mar., 2008]), explains the forgotten man is an image and phrase FDR used to identify all classes of deserving American citizens. The rhetorical forgotten man could neither gain long term employment, nor belong to the mythical classless nation. Behind the theatrics of politics, the success of Alphabet Soup programs was not necessarily the full truth presented to Americans.
The Coen Brother’s use of financially depressed 1930’s gave many creative opportunities to insert subtle political statements against the effectiveness and fairness of FDR’s Alphabet Soup programs. Without using scripted words, the film visually presents outrage towards AAA’s senseless policies. Although the time period is not accurate for an appearance by “Baby Face” George Nelson, he is correctly presented as a ruthless 1930’s gangster in the film. According to John Cline, (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA05/cline/obrother/free6/obrother1.htm.), Nelson is a sadistic, psychotic murderer that most likely never crossed the Mississippi state line. The Coen brothers have purposely inserted Nelson’s character to make no sense at all.
In a scene, Nelson kills one cow, scatters the rest, and the “miserable salaried sonsabitches” of the government wreak havoc on the livestock. No angry farmers are present demanding restitution or gathering his herd into the safe confinements of the pastures. The killing of innocent cows is a political statement towards the senseless destruction of surplus dairy products under AAA policies. In my opinion, the Coen Brothers are categorizing Uncle Sam’s AAA policies as simply a pack of murdering gangsters. They forced farmers to destroy crops and take cash incentives in order to survive while hungry spread nationwide.
The policy of AAA allows immoral behavior to be perfectly legal creating a conflict of morality verses legality. In The Odyssey, man's actions conflict with legal and Heavenly laws. Heavenly laws, including the laws of brotherhood, stipulate what is morally right and wrong. In the poem, the suitors break heavenly laws under the scheme of courting Penelope. They plunder Odysseus’s house and show contempt towards the Greek Gods by slaughtering cattle without sacrifice. Zeus destroys Odysseus’s ship and crew after Eurylokhos breaks a sacred oath and convinces them to eat Helios’s cherished cattle.
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