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You want a more 'progressive' America? Careful what you wish for.
CS Monitor ^ | 2/5/08 | Jonah Goldberg

Posted on 02/07/2008 9:02:39 AM PST by peggybac

Voters should remember what happened under Woodrow Wilson.

Washington - I'm thinking of an American president who demonized ethnic groups as enemies of the state, censored the press, imprisoned dissidents, bullied political opponents, spewed propaganda, often expressed contempt for the Constitution, approved warrantless searches and eavesdropping, and pursued his policies with a blind, religious certainty.

Oh, and I'm not thinking of George W. Bush, but another "W" – actually "WW": Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat who served from 1913 to 1921.

President Wilson is mostly remembered today as the first modern liberal president, the first (and only) POTUS with a PhD, and the only political scientist to occupy the Oval Office. He was the champion of "self determination" and the author of the idealistic but doomed "Fourteen Points" – his vision of peace for Europe and his hope for a League of Nations. But the nature of his presidency has largely been forgotten.

That's a shame, because Wilson's two terms in office provide the clearest historical window into the soul of progressivism. Wilson's racism, his ideological rigidity, and his antipathy toward the Constitution were all products of the progressive worldview. And since "progressivism" is suddenly in vogue – today's leading Democrats proudly wear the label – it's worth actually reviewing what progressivism was and what actually happened under the last full-throated progressive president.

The record should give sober pause to anyone who's mesmerized by the progressive promise.

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; jonahgoldberg
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To: peggybac

I say screw it. Give the people what they want and let them face their reality. Democracy was a great experiment; maybe in another 1000 years, we’ll try it again and get it right that time. But for now, the masses are just too ignorant and emotional to make critical decisions.


21 posted on 02/07/2008 11:33:53 AM PST by Clock King (Bring the noise!)
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion

Thanks for the ping. Goldberg left out a couple of the greatest accomplishments of the progressives/socialists...

1) In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution made the income tax a permanent fixture in the U.S. tax system.

2) Federal Reserve Act (the record shows that there were no Democrats voting “nay” in the Senate and only two in the House).

Thanks for the ping. Very good article.


22 posted on 02/07/2008 1:32:36 PM PST by PGalt
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To: Billthedrill
Well said. LOUDER: That "common good" is an illusory progressive future. The only real part is the taking.
23 posted on 02/07/2008 6:39:38 PM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: ClearCase_guy

This group of progressives want to take us into socialism, where our first alliance is to Africa or to Marxism. We choose. Which do we want, if we don’t back the Republican Nominee?


24 posted on 02/07/2008 6:48:44 PM PST by tillacum (The only way to vote is REPUBLICAN, no matter what. We've got to win.)
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To: Clock King

No, with the school system we have today, the citizens of this country will be under a tyrant.


25 posted on 02/07/2008 6:54:40 PM PST by tillacum (The only way to vote is REPUBLICAN, no matter what. We've got to win.)
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