[HokieMom]

[Oratam]

Sumner’s essay provides guidance and warning to modern conservatives who want to champion the forgotten.

One hundred years on and Sumner's description of the Forgotten Man is still accurate . . . yet I failed to see where his analysis serves as a warning.

[Dalberg-Acton]

The Forgotten Man by William Graham Sumner, from the Mises Institute.

"The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C's interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the Forgotten Man."

[StormEye]

When the "forgotten man" starts forgetting about and not
giving a damn about the rotten society he lives in, that's
when real change will occur. Like when the
forgotten man doesn't show up for work, forgets to pay his taxes
or forgets to keep the lights on in the cities or the fresh water flowing, or the sewers clear, or the food delivered to the grocery stores, or even forgetting to farm his land.
Yeah, there will be some real change coming then.

[Jacquerie]

Shlaes described the forgotten man as the poor, working class, forgotten shlubs who paid the bill for progressive, Utopian dead end projects.