Posted on 07/22/2014 12:27:55 PM PDT by Borges
Wisconsin Senator Robert La Follette and his supporters pioneered long-shot primary challenges, strong ideology, and populist rhetoric a century ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
I screwed up the formatting here.
Things are a little different this time, lefty Atlantic scumbag.
Nice read.
Yes, this is a fascinating bit of history, but the author’s attempt to compare it to the present day is a bit forced.
Another point should be made about Lincoln Steffens, upon whom the articles spends so much ink. While the muckraking of Steffens was at times truthful and accurate, it also should be kept in mind that he visited Stalin's USSR and returned famously stating: "I have seen the future and it works." Just a few points to keep in mind.
To be accurate, he visited in 1919 when the Soviet Union didn’t exist. It was a Civil War with Bolsheviks fighting the White Russians. What he saw that was positive in that brutal conflict is anyone’s guess.
“Progressives” ie. Control Freaks arose from BOTH political parties.
All the “Progressive” Amendments to the Constitution that arose from that era broke a Cardinal unspoken rule of the Constition.
Instead of telling the government HOW to do or what not to touch, they told the PEOPLE what they could or could not do and ALLOWED the government new powers to TAKE from the people....
“Progressive” should be replaced with a more apt term of “Control Freak” because that is EXACTLY what they are.
Bryan, who was known as the "Great Prairie Populist", was also a cultural populist and prosecuted biology teacher Scopes in the "Scopes Monkey Trial"
Bryan was the forerunner of the modern populist movement in the GOP.
He’s also the architect of modern left wing economic policy isn’t he?
How does direct election of Senators fit that mold? Unless you see it as taking powers away from state legislatures?
Yes, I had forgotten. My memory is that he was speaking of the Bolsheviks and believed that they were going to win. I don’t recall that he associated with Mensheviks, but perhaps I don’t recall accurately.
When a populist wave generates, the elitists start masquerading as populists. We look back and call T Roosevelt a populist but Bryan was much more populist than Roosevelt.
[ How does direct election of Senators fit that mold? Unless you see it as taking powers away from state legislatures? ]
It takes away the responsibility (ie. freedom) of the citizen to ensure that they pay attention to state races. Since the citizens pay less attention tot he state reps and senators the power of the state as an entity FADES in relation to the federal government...
Interesting that Wisconsin has a governor now who has no fear of taking on the “System”.
Different systems now, and different issues, but what Walker has done took a lot of courage..
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