Did FDR Save Capitalism?

Fans of Franklin D. Rooselvelt claim that big government was needed during the Great Depression to save capitalism. That's analogous to the fire department setting your house ablaze, then claiming they saved half of it.

The economy of the late 1920s had its share of speculation, market bubbles, and other problems, as economies have had since the dawn of civilization. But let's see what the Hoover and FDR governments did about it:

They started a trade war with Smoot-Hawley (Hoover), raised the lowest income tax rate from 0.5% to 4%, raised the highest income tax rate from 25% to 63% (Hoover) then 79% (FDR), raised the corporate tax from 11% to 15%, added a 27% tax on undistributed profits, raised numerous excise taxes, raised the inheritance/estate tax from 20% to 70%, instituted a new 2% employer/employee payroll tax, and much, much more. The effect of the economy was crushing.

The Fed manipulated the money, causing deflation, then later imposed increased reserve requirements on banks leading to lower lending. FDR screwed up markets through his disastrous agricultural policies and subsidies, and his government-imposed industry cartels. FDR also gave unions way too much power and forced up wages, making unemployment worse. Other policies forced up prices, which is the opposite of what's needed in a downturn.

And don't forget the mindlessly idiotic pig slaughter, which has parallels to Cash for Clunkers. Destroy things to artificially create demand. Let's pay half of Americans to dig holes with spoons, and the other half to fill in the holes with spoons. Full employment! Zero productivity! Totally progressive!

All those GOVERNMENT actions are big downers for the economy. Thus the government came in to fix a major problem resulting from their idiotic attempts to fix a much smaller problem. Then we're supposed to believe we needed them. Hah! This is a classic case of a government manufactured crisis.