Friday, July 23, 2010

Brilliant Essay

America's Ruling Class --
And the Perils of Revolution


Boned Jello

Thus began the Progressive Era. When Woodrow Wilson in 1914 was asked "can't you let anything alone?" he answered with, "I let everything alone that you can show me is not itself moving in the wrong direction, but I am not going to let those things alone that I see are going down-hill." Wilson spoke for the thousands of well-off Americans who patronized the spas at places like Chautauqua and Lake Mohonk. By such upper-middle-class waters, progressives who imagined themselves the world's examples and the world's reformers dreamt big dreams of establishing order, justice, and peace at home and abroad. Neither were they shy about their desire for power. Wilson was the first American statesman to argue that the Founders had done badly by depriving the U.S. government of the power to reshape American society. Nor was Wilson the last to invade a foreign country (Mexico) to "teach [them] to elect good men."


If you do nothing else this week, read this epiphanal essay by Angelo M. Codevilla.  Don't forget to pick up your PolySci degree on the  way out. - Thank you Rick B for the tip.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the conventional wisdom today, but it's just dead wrong. Socialism/progressiveism came to the US en mass in the form of the 48ers. Europe had a failed socialist coup within 9 countries in 1849. They all fled to the US and found a nice warm place within the German/Austrian community and in the Lincoln administration. They were the true founders of the Republican party. Lincoln had three cabinet appointees that were actual drinking buddies of Karl Marx. They were a huge part of creating the federal monster we have now, that did not exist prior to then. No one loves a big centralized government like a socialist. The American progressives held sway over reconstruction of the South.

The best look at this, is "Red Republicans".

Plowboy

BruHa said...

http://thebruha.blogspot.com/2010/03/progressivismliberalismsocialismfascism.html

Progressivism/liberalism/socialism/fascism/monarchy/oligarchy/dictatorship and other forms of statism are based on the idea that normal people are incapable of handling their own affairs.



They all assume that

(1) there is an elite group of enlightened people who can manage things,

(2) these enlightened despots will not be the same ones who screw up the private organizations that they deem to be the problem in need of fixing,

(3) these will be the people actually put into the positions of authority, and

(4) bureaucrats will be hired to administer the enlightened elite’s dictates.

Unfortunately, that theory quits thinking just before the point where it is clear that

(5) the positions of authority cannot always be filled by the necessary enlightened elite, and

(6) the bureaucrats hired to handle other people’s affairs will be normal people who are incapable of handling their own affairs.

Bureaucrats do not serve the people — they serve the bureaucracy.

Rodger the Real King of France said...

Plowboy, while I don't disagree, I get the feeling you didn't read the article.

DougM said...

BruHa,
Thought that sounded familiar, even though it was four months ago.
(good man, providing the link on your site)
Thanks for passing it along ... and reminding me of those optimistic days.

BruHa said...

DougM,

Phew! Got nervous that I did not credit SondraK on my site for the original. I sometimes do that unintentionally when I'm drinking/posting. And damn it The real King and SondraK always have the best stuff. (I sometimes wonder why i bother at all.)
:-)

DougM said...

Nah, it's cool, man.
(I don't actually talk like that)
I was just tickled to get quoted. Well, out of court, anyway.

Post a Comment

Just type your name and post as anonymous if you don't have a Blogger profile.