Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 04/17/2026 8:50:24 AM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
It is so refreshing to see that this week Justice Clarence Thomas called out the "new" ideology of Progressivism. Here is some what he said:
At the beginning of the 20th century, a new set of first principles of government was introduced into the American mainstream. The proponents of this new set of first principles, most prominently, the 28th president of our country, Woodrow Wilson called it progressivism. Since Wilson's presidency, progressivism has made many inroads into our system of government and our way of life. It has coexisted uneasily with the principles of the declaration because it is opposed to those principles, it is not possible for the two to coexist forever.
This is something I spent years blogging about until it dawned on me that most people didn't want to understand progressivism as a separate and wholly American ideology, most people want to lump it in with socialism. Why? The original progressives generally hated Marx. The elitism of Progressives had them believing that their beliefs in the administrative state outmoded the old ideologies of "revolution now" and government needs to nationalize everything that moves, breathes, and is taxable.
That and I started looking at the download numbers of my audio books vs the readership numbers of my blog. On the one hand I can get hundreds of readers and on the other hand I can get tens of thousands of audio downloads? The one that's worth my time couldn't be more clear.
Progressivism as of today is 126 years old - Thomas did get it just a tad bit slightly wrong by naming Wilson instead of Theodore Roosevelt in regards to Progressivism but that is alright. It is true and accurate to say that Wilson turbocharged TR's insanely terrible theories on government and scared the American People with Bull Moosism. In addition to Clarence Thomas, Hillsdale College has also long, long taught Progressivism as a separate ideology from socialism or communism. Here are the things of note:
The era of 1900-1920 is known as The Progressive Era. Nobody calls it The Communist Era, do they? Nor should they. That would be an act of historical malpractice.
America's first Progressive Party, founded in 1912 by in part Theodore Roosevelt, nobody calls it the 1912 Bull Moose Communist Party do they? Nor should they.
But as soon as I heard Clarence Thomas's comments, I had to write about it. It is such a vindication of so many years of hard work to have such a massive light, an amazing pillar of intellect - that being Clarence Thomas - come out and point specifically and exclusively to Progressives and not make the mistake of mixing it up.
Not marxists or communists or socialists. Just Progressives.
It is very refreshing.
I have recorded many, many Progressive/anti-socialist books into audio(books) so that they are updated for the 21st century. I would be happy to make recommendations for people to learn where to begin to study about this exclusive and new(as of the beginning of the 20th century) American anti-Constitutional ideology.
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Progressives do not want government control over the means of production. Progressives want, need, adore, and above all else will put their lives on the line for the administrative state. The Deep State. That is Progressivism.
It is harmful, not helpful, to call them socialists when they explicitly reject government control over the means of production.
“Everybody knows the differences between socialism and communism”
Yes, we know that Socialism is just Communism sold by the glass.
Perhaps. But they are not above using the power of government to control the means of production, definition of cultural and societal "norms", the people, etc.
Friendly ping to a few others..... No reply needed.
Here is where I got the text of the speech. I’ll try to find the full text from a better source though.
That is a good articulation of what makes progressivism so completely different from the others mentioned.
Being a direct owner of a puppet vs being a marionette of the puppet that someone else owns couldn't be more clearly distinct.
Well it’s not “progressive”, either...it should be called “regressivism”.
As in regression to Feudalism, which is all it is.
Yes, it’s not really societal progress it’s the predominance of societal progress.
Progressivism is a religion and abortion is its holy sacrament.
I call BS.
We already have communism. It’s just masked.
You don’t own anything. You just rent it. You pay rent to “own” it, and you pay rent every time anything you “own” changes hands.
The only difference is, no one actually says that were you stay or what you have in your pockets belongs to the state. They let you live under your delusions, happy to get your pittances.
“Means of production”?
That is a red herring.
Marx and Engles were hung up on who got the wealth out of farms and factories, but to me, trading one barons for tyrants does not pertain to the greater issue. If the government has all the confiscatory powers it wants, then you can debate semantics all day long.
And homosexuality is it’s vestments.
He forgot to throw fascism into the mix, because that’s there too.
This. Income tax and property tax make a serf of everyone.
Orwell knew those "differences" were bull$hit. That's why he wrote Animal Farm. For a clearer picture, I suggest Homage to Catalonia.
Progressives do not want government control over the means of production. Progressives want, need, adore, and above all else will put their lives on the line for the administrative state. The Deep State. That is Progressivism.
Those people have been with us since the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars imported the Institute for Social Research in 1933 to be planted at Teachers College at Columbia University. Of course, the original Progressives gave us the "Progressive Amendments," as sponsored by the richest people in the world.
IOW, it's still state-controlled fascism and it always has been, despite the window dressing.
A very interesting read. Thank you.
I remember David Horowitz describing his. Communist Party parents telling him that they would style themselves as progressive as the horrors of Stin were being exposed.
**************
The common thread running through all of them is power and having control over people. So in that sense they are all birds of a feather.
Progressivists are fascists
They are collectivists
And their flavor is fascism
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.