Good to see that you aren’t disputing the early influence of European radicals and socialists in the founding of the Republican Party. There is a history prof who is a favorite of Glenn Beck who asserts that the American South was influenced by Marx, when in fact Marx and his fellow ‘48ers were ardent supporters of Lincoln. Granted that their heirs changed parties over time.
“Be that as it may, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that you are not a troll in defense of the Democrat Party “
You cannot imagine my relief at learning that. Is that the same Democratic Party that Ronald Reagan belonged to as a young man? I thought so.
” But the rest of your post does beg the question; by singularly bringing up the imperfections of the Republican Party’s history, are you defending the Democrat Party?”
No. FR is a conservative forum, not a Republican Party echo chamber. You may be disappointed if you expect to find fealty to the party of Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and other such luminaries that the GOP thinks ought to be President.
I know that Marx tried to influence the Lincoln administration; how much is the question. I will not justify any influence that may have occurred; but It was not nearly as influential as the socialism of George Fitzhugh during the Antebellum Era.
“You cannot imagine my relief at learning that. Is that the same Democratic Party that Ronald Reagan belonged to as a young man? I thought so.”
God does call us to forgive those who repent/turn away from evil. I even once supported the Democrat Party (barf) but saw the truth in how evil that Party has been and is. People have a choice of what Party they support – and defend. I, or anyone else for this matter, should not defend and/or justify the evil of the present or past; even if they may have had a legal right to do evil.
“FR is a conservative forum, not a Republican Party echo chamber. You may be disappointed if you expect to find fealty to the party of Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and other such luminaries that the GOP thinks ought to be President.”
Amen to it not being a Republican Party echo chamber, or any of the idiots you mention! But in our argument here you have not once stated anything negative about the Democrats –present or past. The Democrat Party has had many and held on to many evil ideals in their foundation. For this reason; the Democrat Party should be abandoned and never be defend and/or justified.
Your posts have tried to defend and justify the Democrat Party, so I will ask again; Why would you still want to defend this evil Democrat Party of then and now?
Nonsense.
The fact is, in terms of the overall size and cost of Federal Government, there was not much change between the Presidency of George Washington (2.2% of GDP in 1788) and that of Howard Taft (2.5% in 1912).
In all those 124 years, excepting the cost of various wars, Federal spending remained around 2.5% of the nation's GDP.
So you can talk about whatever "socialist influence" on Democrats or "Marxist influence" on Republicans, or any others, the fact is our Federal Government remained much as it was Founded until the "Progressive Era" beginning, really with President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 -- 100 years ago.
At that point (1913) "socialism" or "statism" or "progressivism" or whatever you wish to call it (I call it fascism) exploded on America with much the same force it had hit Europe some years earlier.
Its three chief enablers were the 16th and 17th amendments, along with the new Federal Reserve.
From that day until this, the Federal Government doubled in size (to 5% of GDP by 1932), then doubled again (to 10% by 1940), then doubled again (to 20% by 1952 -- mostly military spending) and is now trying to double yet again, with military reduced below 5%, Government grew to 25% in 2011 and Obama-care expected to take us to 30% in the next few years.
Add to that state and local spending in the 15% range, and now government-in-general consumes nearly half of US GDP.
None of this had anything to do with supposed Marxist or socialist influence on either Democrats or Republicans of the 1860s.
All of it came nearly 50 years later, and it did drive both parties, beginning with Southern Democrat President Woodrow Wilson.
Government was curbed somewhat under Republicans Harding and Coolidge, but then increased under Hoover and went wild under Democrat President Franklin Roosevelt.
Indeed, that's the pattern today: relatively small increases under Republican Bush II followed by explosive government growth when Democrats controlled all of Congress and Presidency.