With all the hype surrounding the auto industry bailouts, order it seems that now would be as good a time as any to revisit Henry Ford on Self-Help, circa 1932.

According to a Time Magazine from that era, Mr. Ford “presented [his ideas] directly to the public by a series of three newspaper advertisements throughout the land. His company paid for them as ‘a contribution to public welfare.’ They summarized the fundamental economic philosophy of the man whose factories supply more industrial employment than those of any other individual.”

This particular ad included the following:
“The land! That is where our roots are. . . . No unemployment insurance can be compared to an alliance between a man and a plot of land.”

Were he alive today, it seems likely that Mr. Ford would have signed our petition to President-elect Obama.

Click here for a PDF of the entire advertisement.