the nra, the wpa, the pwa. for those too old to swing a pick or handle a shovel the depression continued full force. extreme trouble made people ready to listen to extreme solutions. i ask you... schoumacher: detroit priest charles coughlin preached a gospel of anti-semitism and easy money to millions of radio listeners. and the masses of america... schoumacher: a louisiana governor later senator, huey long wanted to soak the rich and give pensions to the elderly and every family a house a car, a radio, and $5,000 a year. ...into economic slavery. old age evolving pension plan... schoumacher: a california doctor, francis townsend wanted the government to give everyone over 60 $200 a month. the townsend plan, like the long and coughlin schemes was wildly impractical. astronomical taxes would have been needed taxes a depression-burdened america could never have paid. but fdr's plan, social security, would pay for itself. employers and employees would contribute to a pension fund. social security would be a nationa