annenberg media ♪ ♪ the work force is idle. income has been cut in half.ks and businesses are toppling. how long can this depression go on? "the depression can last indefinitely," according to british economist john maynard keynes. but is anyone listening? and can government intervention move us out of these terrible times? keynes and roosevelt met only once. each thought the other well meaning but ineffectual. however, they changed the course of the world. what did we learn from the depression? we'll investigate that with the help of economics analyst richard gill on economics usa. hard times. we've seen a lot of them over the years. 1932 and the years that followed were different. the hoover administration tried to popularize the word depression. they thought it a milder word that would soothe the american public. by 1932, hope was about gone. the depression was more than an economic problem. it was human calamity. millions went hungry some to starvation. proud people begged on street corners asking for pennies to feed their children for jobs that no lon