Progressives
Progressive Ideology
New political thinkers with a starkly different vision for America than that of The Puritans, and The Founding Fathers, gained prominence in the 20th Century.
The Progressive Movement sought to deconstruct all claims to truth, as well as the customs and traditions of the American Way of life. The Progressives sought to bend American minds to relativism—that there is no such thing as objective truth.
These progressive ideas have caused a great division among the American People. Essentially—but not exclusively—Christians and others who believe in a Creator God (that man is created in God's Image) line up on the side of the Founding Founders and the founding documents of America.
On the other side of a deep chasm are those who believe the universe is a random accident, who are Atheists or Agnostics, and who believe people are simply higher evolved animals descended from apes. These tend to be Progressives.
Herbert Croly: The Master Thinker of Progressives
Herbert Croly (1869-1930) is not a mainstream name. But he is well known among American Progressives (at least among intellectuals) as the "master thinker" of their movement. In view of that, let us briefly investigate the belief system of Mr. Croly.
Herbert Croly believed that Utopia could be created here on earth, but only through ever more radical means and ends. Croly favored the creation of an administrative state based on social science as a means to his ultimate goal—a new Communist "republic" of America. He wanted to overthrow capitalism, classical liberalism, and the American Constitution—through peaceful means if possible, and through violent means if necessary.
Since science had revolutionized industry and medicine, Herbert Croly believed the social sciences could revolutionize society and politics. He argued that behavioral sciences had made the American political system of the Founding Fathers obsolete.
He declared that the claims of the Founding Fathers to have discovered eternal truths about human nature to be naïve and absurd. Croly wrote that the Founding Fathers were merely selfish, rich, powerful men whose stance on private property was only to defend their personal interests.
Herbert Croly espoused the view that social learning should replace individualism, and that individual liberty must be subordinated. Modern psychology would discover the truths about human nature, making perfectly planned communities possible. Croly favored the abolition of natural rights; the abolition of the separation of governmental powers; and the abolition of congressional representation.
He admired Vladimir Lenin and despised free political institutions. His dream was to overthrow the political system of America, and replace constitutional officeholders with a bureaucracy of social science experts—free from any legal constraints (to act as they see fit).
Herbert Croly demanded the radical repudiation of the U.S. Constitution and the Founding Fathers. He claimed he was dedicated to social righteousness. The Bill of Rights was a false deity, according to Croly, and he condemned individual rights as nothing more than selfishness.
Scientific administrators (governance by experts) must replace partisan politicians to fundamentally transform America, which would then lead to infinite progress and perfection. Popular elections—and traditional religious morality—must be abolished for the realization of Social Justice.
Croly asserted that Americans blindly and ignorantly accepted the Founding Fathers ideas, and that it was the duty of progressives to enlighten them. He advocated violence in the form of "social warfare" and wanted an America that was universally unionized. These unions would then violently take industries and businesses away from the present owners, and place them in hands of their rightful owners: laborers.
To Herbert Croly, Christianity, Capitalism, and Social Conservatism were the enemies of progress. He wrote that Karl Marx was the Columbus of Social Justice. He also believed that the USSR would have been a success if not for the selfish desires of Western Civilization to suppress them.
The Soviet Union embodied the true principles of progressive "democracy." Croly endlessly justified their murderous regime—Lenin was a peaceful man, America was a dictatorship of terror. The liquidation of twenty million Russians by Stalin was a necessary use of administrative discipline. Those killed, and those shipped to the Gulag, were obstructing the Soviet vision of Social Justice.
Croly wrote that the Russian Kulaks [farmers] deserved to be liquidated. They opposed, or were indifferent to, the progress of the Soviet state. Croly justified mass murder in the name of Social Justice. The Soviets and Chinese combined killed 100 million people in the name of progress, and Croly thought that an acceptable cost for the creation of a new church—the administrative state.
To correct the fatal errors of the American Founding Fathers, Croly wrote that his followers should pursue a line that the United States Constitution is a "living document" that could be slowly and secretly transformed to reflect progressive ideology.
The progressives should operate clandestinely to subvert the Constitution while denying their intentions. Croly wrote extensively of how the progressives could present themselves as on the high moral ground—true patriots who would appear to be defending the American Way and the Constitution, while in fact destroying both while gradually recreating society in their own image. Croly declared that proclaiming oneself to be a patriot and a democrat enabled one to be as radical and authoritarian as one wished.
President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) was the only president of the United States who was a professional political scientist. He was steeped in German philosophy and state theory—which sharply contrasts with the fundamental principles of American constitutionalism.
Wilson was critical of the limited government established by the Founding Fathers, and he objected to their declarations of permanent principles. Wilson echoed Croly with his call for a completely independent class of bureaucratic experts to administer "progress."
He was a Darwinist—he believed that men descended from apes. His political ideas were heavily influenced by Hegel, the forerunner of Marxism.
Wilson did not believe that the ideas of the Founding Fathers were good for anything except back in their own period of time. He did not believe that political ideas transcended time, but that all were part of a progression.
Therefore, he rejected the notion that America was founded on timeless principles. The American people had an undue attachment to the outdated, mistaken principles of their Founders. Wilson felt individualism selfish, misguided, and revolting.
Woodrow Wilson was unquestionably a racist. He did not believe that different races of people, with diverse habits and instincts, and unequal acquirements in thought and action, could ever be harmoniously united in a democracy. Homogeneity of race, thought, and purpose was a necessary condition for a lasting democracy. Unity of national will was the only way for the nation to survive.
President Wilson believed the state should wield vast powers, without any limits to its authority. The old constitutional order of limited government stood in the way of progress. Wilson urged that the Constitution must not be interpreted as a rigid set of rules. The Founding Fathers had made a mistake in permanently limiting state power.
Wilson sought to circumvent the Constitution by implementing government power through regulations, rather than the cumbersome process of enacting laws. A huge bureaucracy of experts could operate the government scientifically—and free from "values"—through regulations. Wilson urged Congress to cede authority to unelected, professional administrators.
He thought Congress an obstacle to progress and believed what was needed in the future was a charismatic, popular president who could fundamentally transform American political institutions, by overcoming the tedious separation of powers system in favor of an efficient vehicle for the exercise of state power.
President Wilson had the novel notion that state powers extended beyond those granted by the Constitution. As he said, "Administration cannot wait upon legislation."
Bureaucracy should be given the power of the state, so as to not have to contend with "the clumsy nuisance of public opinion."
Wilson was quite clear that his political thought was not derived from the American tradition, but from the German tradition (yes, I may as well say it—the same tradition that produced the National Socialism of Adolph Hitler). The Germans believed in unlimited state powers, the American Constitution did not. Still, Wilson was a great politician. To the public, he touted Jefferson and Hamilton. It is in his academic and private writings that his true thought comes out. Just like a good progressive should.
John Dewey: The Father of Modern American Education
John Dewey (1859-1952) had no appreciation for the Declaration of Independence. According to him, no truth is self-evident. Science is the only the means to truth, and its truths are subject to change, so therefore there is no such thing as objective truth—all truth is relative and changeable.
Dewey was an Atheist. He sneered at religious people as misguided simpletons. Dewey sought to spread his ideas through the American Public School System, but also through all forms of education—which Dewey recognized as all forms of communication. His goal was to use the schools and the media to undermine faith in God and faith in the American Way.
John Dewey believed that with his help, the little people could be trained to let go of their beliefs, habits, thoughts, desires, customs, and social institutions. He wrote that modern science has destroyed the ancient view that the universe has a purpose.
Dewey was no fan of democracy. He wrote: "There is no sanctity in universal suffrage, frequent elections, majority rule, congressional and cabinet government. They are to be modified to suit the needs of the state."
John Dewey was a Socialist who disdained personal power and private profit. He thought the New Deal was way too conservative for him. He believed all wealth should be redistributed equally to everyone. He believed that the government should own all utilities, natural resources, banking, transportation, and communications—at the very least. He set the curriculum for American Public Schools for generations—even now.
President Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) was the only American president who broke the unwritten rule of stepping down after eight years. His ideas departed from the ideas of the Founding Fathers of America, particularly when he declared "freedom from want" as a basic right of all Americans. This opened the floodgates to today's notions of "rights" to almost anything imaginable.
Under President Roosevelt, the federal government expanded its powers to incredible levels, and in the process greatly diminished what were the traditional roles of private charity, civil society, and local community in American life. Roosevelt accomplished a fundamental transformation in the character of American government.
Roosevelt asserted that the American Founders did not go far enough in describing the rights all people should have. He claimed that all people had a "right" to make a comfortable living, the opportunity to work for decent wages. It was the job of the government—not individual initiative (gumption) or business (entrepreneurs)—to assure this was the reality. It is notable that he never referenced the right to own private property.
He was at least smart enough to recognize that to live on the government dole could be morally corrupting by encouraging sloth—an idea his political descendant LBJ forgot. FDR wrote: "The lessons of history, confirmed by the evidence immediately before me, show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit. The federal government must and shall quit this business of relief."
78 years later we are still waiting.
FDR elaborated his political 'rights.' "All Americans have a right to a useful job; to adequate food, clothing, and recreation; farmers have a right to a decent living; businessmen have a right to fair trade; every family has a right to a decent home; people have a right to adequate medical care; the right to a decent education; and the right to protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment."
Of course, all of these new rights would require a massive central government to protect them.
Big government was born in America. An enormous federal bureaucracy was put into place. Regulatory powers were given to it to supervise banking, the stock market, transportation, and utilities. America was now a bureaucratized regulatory state. The selfish individual was replaced by the leviathan state. Many of his plans were against the law. No problem, Roosevelt would simply stack the Supreme Court with his friends. After all, the Founding Fathers had made it difficult to amend the Constitution, as they did not assume change automatically meant improvement.
Roosevelt—and all progressives—do not like competition. Governmental control over industry required a humungous bureaucracy, which would eventually put millions of people in the employ of the government—as adversaries to very businesses and industries upon which America depends for economic growth.
Under Roosevelt's National Recovery Act—later ruled unconstitutional—union membership exploded, and strikes by unions became pandemic. This eventually led to the flight of industry from American shores.
FDR liked Comrade Stalin. He said: "I get along fine with Marshall Stalin. He is a man who combines a tremendous, relentless determination with stalwart good humor. I believe he is truly representative of the heart and soul of the Russian people."
Roosevelt believed that Communism promoted forms of economic redistribution that benefited the common man. "We Americans only think of ourselves, but the Russians want to do good for their society."
John Rawls: The Most Influential Progressive Thinker
John Rawls (1921-2002) was the most influential progressive thinker of the 20th Century. He crystallized progressive thought.
It was Rawls who promulgated the view that the United States was gravely wrong to drop the atomic bombs on Japan.
He believed that America was tarnished by prohibiting certain sexual practices it found abhorrent. Justice—defined as fairness by Rawls—requires that we move as speedily as possible toward protecting the right of individuals to engage in whatever practices they wish.
Rawls believed that the family was an obstacle to fair equality of opportunity, since it sometimes gives people an advantage by having parents who are wealthier, better educated, or more loving.
John Rawls pushed the idea that not only should the government not favor one Christian denomination over another (the understanding of the Founding Fathers); and not only should the government not favor Christianity over other religions no matter how small a sect they were (decidedly at odds with American history); but the government also should not favor any religiosity at all over say, Atheism.
Rawls was a believer in total personal liberty, even if it included licentiousness and libertinism. He rejected claims of those who believed that not all liberties are for the good of society or even the good of individuals. He denied that the government should in any way promote virtue or morality. He denied that the government should be able to ban what most people consider degrading and shameful, such drug use, prostitution, incest, polygamy, or even bestiality. Oddly enough, in spite of these ideas, he seems not to think liberty extends to parents having the right to rear their own children as they wish, and implies private schools should be outlawed.
John Rawls believed in equal distribution of wealth, and was opposed to those who are talented or industrious earning any advantage to those who are not. He was also opposed to publicly valuing achievement, since every person should be publicly valued equally. To Rawls, no person deserved their talents, so why should they deserve the fruits of their talents or labors? The natural assets of different individuals should be regarded as commonly owned, in his view. This is Social Justice.
Source
My source for this Hub is History of American Political Thought by Bryan-Paul Frost and Jeffrey Sikkenga.
Comments
I believe this Hub to be an important resource in order to know the beliefs of key progressive leaders. It seems when these progressive ideas are espoused, the source and inspiration of the ideas are not well known. Cherry picking the beliefs and actions of these key leaders has decieved many into believing these progressive lies.
What's disturbing about the political left, is that their distain for the Constitution and true Christianity is not widely known and they've kept it quiet for good reason.
Hi James, I’m just now getting around to this hub of yours. Wow! This hub is such a great reminder of how history can clearly show us our mistakes. You pointed out several prominent leaders that have led us astray from what our forefathers set up for us. How God is continually being pushed aside, and demonized. Yet, certain leaders are being hailed as astounding contributors to our current social structure and have faith in the direction that this progressive movement is taking us. All while disregarding the obvious significance that our forefathers relied on the role of God and the Holy Bible. One would think that even those who have chosen not to believe in God, can still see the undeniable facts that most our forefathers clearly did believe, and utilized the Word of God as the cornerstone to building this nation. You can even look at Europe and other nations who have went down the path of “progressiveness” and see the results. Yet, many still pursue that path.
Anyway, not to get on a rant, but I really liked this hub, and I think it carries a very strong message that all of us should hear.
James A Watkins
YOU'RE MOST WELCOMED
Another not spoken of too much is that speaker of the house Pelosi was a member before she became speaker.My guess was to hide her true agenda.Pelosi has pushed President Barak Obama's agenda like a true progressive.
Extremely informative, well written piece. Thanks for sharing this.
HUBBERS
To understand who, what and why regarding the modern day progressives in our Government go to Google and check Congressional Progressive Caucus. There are many articles exposing members of congress who are in the progressive caucus. One may be surprised as to what is occurring in our government today under President Barak Obama and the leadership of Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi. The question remains for the citizens of the United States, do we want a Socialist or Marist type of government.
With the recent signing of legislation, Healthcare Reform, Financial Reform, taking over of the student loan program, ownership in the auto industry and Fannie and Freddie, the government controls 60% of the economy. America needs to wake up and speak out if we the people reject the transformation of our government as we know it today.
"in a republican nation, whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of the first importance." - Thomas Jefferson
There are many fallacies (errors in reasoning) above. Just to mention two:
(1) Argument ad Hominem Abusive disparages "the character of the opponents, to deny their intelligence or reasonableness, to question their integrity, and so on. But the personal character of an individual is logically irrelevant to the truth or falsehood of what that person says, or the correctness or incorrectness of that person's argument."
(2) Argument ad Populum, "the appeal to emotion, is the device of every propagandist and every demagogue. It is fallacious because it replaces the laborious task of presenting evidence and rational argument with expressive language and other devices calculated to excite enthusiasm, excitement, anger or hate."
Reference:
Introduction to Logic by Irving M. Copi & Carl Cohen
Just occurred to me James! - You missed out those most 'progressive of Progressives' - the Sci Fi creation of Star Trek: 'The Borg'.
No member of the Collective is capable of independent thought, all outsiders are either to be assimilated or eradicated, and 'Resistance is Futile'.
I hope people would be aware of political issues.
Very informative article. I wish that people would be more aware of political thought, instead of being concerned with political Party so much.
Wow!
Great Hub!
It never ceases to amaze me how such supposedly bright guys can be so dense and short sighted.
So according to Rawls, the wino on the corner has the same social value as Jonas Salk and each should be entitled to the same income.
Is it just me or are these "brilliant" people really idiots? Can anybody really believe that somebody who has the where-with-all to cure horrible diseases or create something of infinite value to society should not be rewarded for their efforts?
Why would anybody bother?
Yet another excellent article.
As a Scot and somewhat well-informed on Scottish and British history, I learned a lot here about men I had never heard of.
I was interested too to hear about Woodrow Wilson's less publicised political leanings as it is slightly more generally known that not only was he reluctant to drag the US into WWI in 1917, but actually considered bringing America in in 1914...on the German side.
gatorgrad2001 seems peeved that 'Being passionate about your beliefs and principles is hardly synonymous with being anywhere close to defensible or even accurate positions on issues.'
Well, yes it does, because since Leftist dogma insists there is no objective truth, then what you consider one man's 'nonsense' is as good as any other. But then, it is characteristic of the Left that freedom of expression never extends to the right to disagree with them, in much the same way that the notion of abolition of private property usually accompanies that of prohibition of personal opinion.
But this control of language is typical of what you rightly identify as the hallmark of German philosophical influence.
In the 19th Century it was German theologians who began to question the veracity of Scripture and erode confidence in the Bible. And although Communism took off in Russia, Karl Marx was a German.
More recently, we have seen the successful deployment of Orwellian newspeak under the guise of 'Political Correctness' which first arose in 1923 and derives from the concept of 'Communicative Rationality' expounded by the radically Marxist 'Frankfurt School'.
Basically, you change the language to control the way people think and denounce those who disagree with your new concensus as bigots, racists, homophobes, etc. thus silencing their voice and rendering any opposition effectively impotent.
Great Hub James. Thanks.
Also, Mr. Watson,
Keep you arrogant and erroneous opinions of what I think to yourself.
You do not know what I think until I post it, so you totally discredit yourself by claiming to know what I think.
James A. Watkins,
Whatever, your fictional rant is only fact in the minds of those that do not like facts! If you take the time to read the writings of the founding fathers, you will see that they were in fact in favor of a separation of the church and state.
I fail to see how reading any of that drivel posted on that hub page is proof of that the founding fathers only wanted "the state to leave the church alone".
The founding fathers experienced in the country that they came from a government that told them what religion they had to follow. That is why they were in fact supporters of a separation of church and state.
"separation of church and state lie"?
What the hell are you talking about? Just because you don't like the founding fathers' ideas, that does not make that a lie.
"breakdown of the family"?
So you want to blame on progressives the breakdown of the families of wrong wingers Ted Haggard, Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich? Those progressives must have some awesome mind control to pull off that feat.
"encouragement of deviant behavior"?
Please provide some evidence that progressives encouraged republican congressman Marc Foley to chase after underage male House pages.
@ Russ there also would not be the seperation of church and state lie , the breakdown of the family and the encouragement of deviant behavior.
If it was not for progressives, there would be no such things as the 40 hour work week, overtime pay, safe working conditions, safe food supplies, safe drugs and many other things that the fascist wrong wingers love the benefit from but ignorantly hate those that brought these things into existence.
Nice going James!
I love the old atom bomb debate. Either way from the left point of view the US would be wrong.
But it could have been the other way around. Our fathers could have fought on Japanese soil against ill equipped but armed seniors, women and children. After all that's all Japan had left.
It would have been quite a blood bath before Japan would surrender. Considering it took 2 nukes for them to quit, I imagine half the country would have been killed.
While I agree war is wrong, it is a reality. I think the next time there is a situation, we should send out the leftist with olive branches so they can prove their argument.
But they won't defend squat. I just can't help myself but it is pretty darn cowardly to badmouth a history that has given the left the greatest gift of all. The liberty to be wrong.
I want to see the left get away with their nonsense in Iran or China! But then again they can change religions faster than a lightning strike.
Your Hub certainly did manage to stir up controversy! I feel as if I have been reading a William Buckley-Gore Vidal debate...with a great many side comments as well. Whew!
James just to let you know George F Will wrote a brilliant Op Ed today June 3rd called " Limits of a welfare state". He basically echoes many of the ideas you have written down here. I would make it suggested reading for anyone who has thoughts on this matter !
Well, I tell you what all these progressives have in common. None of them can drive a nail with a hammer . Most of them have a funded job . Not like they plant pea's or something .
And the unions on the other hand . Want to work for somebody for 20 years and then be paid a full income and health Ins. for the next 40 years after . Entitlements are way out of hand . And they don't move an inch .
Progressives are out for a free ride . They have to . Cause they are spoiled brats .
I got to the 8th grade . I own everything I have . Including my 94 acre ranch . I have 0 debt . I pay tax , internet , TV and thats about it . Isn't that the real American way of life ? To work and make you a life of happiness . The only thing I want from my Government is to stay out of my life .
"I am not a friend of an energetic Government . It is always oppressive . " Thomas Jefferson
Thanks James, you have me thinking about it now also.
James,
Why is it when you present anything about what is going on in our country those who disagree fall back on we are upset that we lost the election and George Bush did it. One wrote that it is a right to a good job, who said? We have the opportunity to pursue a good job and a good life. Key word is pursue. Get off your lazy ass and go get it. How many stories of those who had nothing and now have what they need because they worked for it do they have to hear? When the bread lines form,let's see if they have the strength to stand in line to get fed or will they wait for that bread to delivered by the Progressive Bread Truck.
While poverty is a worldwide problem, a comparison between our poor and the poor of other nations reveals much about what poverty really is. Not living in an intercity slum, I can only guess. How many folks in America live with dirt floors? How many don't have emergency health services available? How many don't have phone sevice and some sort of transportation? How about television? Access to the internet either in home or close by or on a smartphone? Any people in the U.S. living without these things might be checked for substance abuse. If money for necessities is squandered on drugs or alcohol, perhaps there is truly no hope for that percentage of unfortuneates. Would increasing welfare for those improve their lot?
Immigrants pour into our society and always have. There are people on waiting lists and illegals entering in droves.
Does this sound like a country built on this evilness called capitalism? How many people are migrating to Europe these days or anywhere else other than here? Seems like the only way to prevent all these freedom seekers from desiring to be here would be to totally institute Socialism as our "primary" form of government. Oxi-moronish or just moronish?
Whoever wants it can have the last word?
Jon Ewall I am not sure what the future holds. I do know that you are right in that we need to fix our broken public education system. I do not think vouchers are the way to go however. I think all schools need equal funding at least on a state level. We do not need to federalize everything.
I find it hard to believe that 50% of us do not pay taxes. Makes me feel like the fool if it is true because half the country knows something I do not lol.
I do not know much about Europe's politics but I know their system does not work to well in times of recession; we will have to wait a few years to see how well it rebounds. I know we can not continue to let insurance companies and banks control our politicians and silently run our nation. That has to change.
John B Badd
YOU SAID
I had the fortune of attending a private grade/middle school but my mother paid for it with her social security (she is disabled, I think it was called SSI when I was a kid but now it is Social Security, I'm not sure what the difference is
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You learned a great lesson from your mother , she recognized the importance of an education. It is shameful that in public education that the dropout rate in some cities may approach 50+ %. The failure of the government and the educational system need to be revisited as to why our youth cannot succeed in attaining a decent ( free ) education.
It was reported that 50% of the population do not pay federal taxes. Let's wonder if that is fair in a democratic society. Federal entitlements are a way of life for many of our youth. The pride of working and enjoying the fruits of our labor cannot be a thing of the past.
What does the future hold for our country's youth and the poor in these troubled times.
President Obama, some 18 months ago , promised jobs and a better economy. The Obama administration and this Congress has failed the American people. Transforming our country into a european type of government is a failure.
What does the future hold for our nation ?
James A Watkins, Excellent commentary on the Progressives! As always you have showcased your astutely presented observations! I always find it quite interesting when one wants to denounce and undermine the credibility of Christianity and replace its principles with an alternative barometer from which they gauge what is right and wrong. It is the epitome of self grandiose pompous deception. In order to empower themselves they seek to unravel, undermine, cast doubt on and or totally disrespect God the Father as Creator and Maker and His principles for life and living!
Although cloaked acumen as supposedly superior intellect what really wants to take the helm is an unquenchable lust for domination and control over the lives of others! This is also an indication of the reprobate mind that Paul shares with us in Romans. One who lives to serve created things rather than the Creator himself! They seek to suppress the Truth and establish their own form of righteousness apart from God! Progressive ideology is what many unknowingly embrace as the rules and principles continuously change as we go along.... I TRUST GOD!
Thank you for another excellent informative article Professor! In His Love, Peace & Blessings!
Thanks for the feedback James. I guess it is hard for me to imagine a world where the small communities take care of their own. I grew up in the inner city and it was a pretty bad place to be most of the time. I also came from low income family and went to community college on a Pell grant after graduating from a public technical high school. I had the fortune of attending a private grade/middle school but my mother paid for it with her social security (she is disabled, I think it was called SSI when I was a kid but now it is Social Security, I'm not sure what the difference is either).
If it was not for government aid I do not know if I would be a better person or in prison - it is hard to tell what would have been. I do know because of the opportunities my country gave me I have a respect for it and a sense of debt to it I may not have otherwise felt. I also feel your frustration at the people who milk the system.
I did installation services for a few years and often went into section 8 (low income government subsidized) housing only to see they had nicer furniture, electronics, and vehicles outside their homes than I had. This made me angry and I questioned why I even bothered working on more than one occasion. But the truth is for every person taking advantage of the system there are others who truly need and appreciate the help.
I know many people think they are owed the handouts that are giving to them but I think of myself as half way intelligent and I can see I was fortunate to grow up in a country that did not throw me to the wolves.
How progressive the Antichrist will have to be! It is the way things in the world need to go to pave the way for him to step onto the stage. How else could one man rule the world and bring all things together against the very things of God? It sickens me to see it though and makes me long for Jesus to come back NOW!
James, I am not ignoring your excellent questions. My response is rather lengthy and still growing so it might become an accidental hub on its own. Did I mention how much enjoyment I get from your hubs even when we do not share the same viewpoint? :-) Back to the keyboard....
Hi! James
Thanks a lot. I quite agree with you- A commonwealth of English speaking nation may be a very good idea. You know I just wrote a hub about an English lord who was governor in South India and loved his province and did a lot of interesting development. One of the sentence in that hub is "the number of people who use English in India is more than that in USA and UK put together". English is now as much of an Indian language as of UK or USA.
Oh! I quite agree, even if one does not like, of course one has to deal with nations with unsavory regime. What I am worried, is has it gone too far or is it really needed or corruption or lethargy drives it? When you see a country like USA financing and fighting a war from both sides, it should worry every one.
James...A big thumbs up for a most informative and interesting Hub reflecting deep thought and research...
I'll simply comment that the world of Harrison Bergeron, where the idea of equality is " progressed " to its ultimate conclusion, is the proclaimed goal of the progressive agenda...It starts with the young, in academia, and seeps into American culture through political correctness and the subverted use of language...Progressives learn at the knee of Noam Chomsky how to subvert language to change perceptions and meaning, and from Saul Alinsky how to implement those changes to create progressive action...
The idea of allowing " expert administrators " unfettered powers, without congressional oversight and control, feeds into the basest instincts of man...the inevitable corruption of power...Larry
It is criminal how these so called leaders could introduce their unethical ideas to the public and get enough followers to back them up. Very interesting hub thank you James.
@Aguasilver - We know they had two (at least). But that's now. No-one knew how many they had back then.
It does seem that we are most interested in American Idol than America and that is really, really sad. Thanks for another powerful piece and your writing is just marvelous, as always.
I am an American who loves my country and supports the constitution 100%. Those men who created the constitution put a lot of thought into it and how it could last through the ages.
That being said, just because the constitution dose not say you can do something does not make it unconstitutional.
Nowhere in the constitution does it say we shall not educate everyone. No were does it say we shall not feed and cloth the hungry. Didn't Jesus say we should do these things? (and yes it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish - but you have to teach him to fish first, and it is better to give him a fish than let him go hungry!)
The founding fathers were very progressive for their time. I know the conservative crown did not like them.
Judge not . . .
Thanks a lot James!. I am enjoying your replies to comments. Though I am not so sure about the sentiment you sort of imply "all faults are due to Progressives only" is the right path. I feel you do not mean it just the style you adopt perhaps purposely as a reaction conveys that wrong feeling. Don't you feel after all a lot of capitalistic development has also come because of some of ideas initiated by these so called socialistic or progressive ideas (though these words are funny - as if others are not towards progress).
I like your sentence in reply to my comment
"I found it ironic that as the world is waking up from the marcotic of Socialism the United States is going the other way."
Is it not true with almost all aspects. Democracy, Individual, freedom (USA seems to be interested in financing and arming mainly army top and feudal lords in many countries - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia etc. and trying to move away from democratic countries like India, Israel, Japan etc., and this is being enhanced at a time when it is engaged in fighting terrorist monsters created by these feudal lords and rulers, this is also resulting in curtailing freedom in USA itself ), free trade (USA seem to be bent on supporting faulty policies of China by allowing it to manipulate foreign exchange which has hurt quite a lot of USA Industry - actually China as you also rightly point out is strong enough without going through such manipulations but American administration seem to be encouraging it and ready to make their country weaker, I wrote some days back a short article about it.
https://hubpages.com/politics/is-USA-now-going-to-...
There are many other much more detailed analysis by American experts, One can go on with this list of movements by USA administration in directionless manner.
But the need is to wake up politicians, administrators and decision makers)
Addressing Paraglider, I would state that my father found that the Japanese were rather slow at surrendering, indeed when he walked across Burma he found the only thing they understood was an 'honourable death' taking as many with them as they could.
So he and the rest of the Brits took to killing all and any of them they found, even if they walked towards him with hands raised, because they normally had a grenade in their mouth and would pull the pin when they got close enough.
My father came back, most men who went to Burma did not.
So maybe giving the Japanese High Command a demo bomb would have not worked too well, and besides, at that stage, just how many bombs did America have to demonstrate with?
You present many different views here. All welcome because so many of us are trying to make some sense of all that is going on. Thank you so much. Always rich with information. Thanks again for another great Hub!
If we could get a hunger for what the word of God has to say about self rule we would get some real education. These figures you have highlighted is why we are in the situation we are, minds that have led us into lack of morals. When morals go in a nation then goes character and the foundation has crumbled. We got to get back to a firm foundation, IN GOD WE TRUST. There were plenty of our founding fathers who were Godly men and knew that a nation could not prosper without the foundation of Christ and the Holy Bible. Write about some of them, that was what real character was when the nation was being blessed. We have been tolerate of rights so much now that people don't even know what real character is, and the idolatry has taken over this nation. Don't wonder to far before you can figure out why all the natural disasters, God said, when you close my name out, you will be under a curse. Wake up America.
James, oh yes! I punched all your buttons up! It appears you punched the buttons of many and got them shivering like a dog shitting peach seeds. I salute you for a fine article on the progressives. The folks that would crush my ability to have worked hard and applied my talents to figure out how to rise above and retire 25 years early to enjoy my life. The folks that think My money should have been spread out to lay on their ass folks with "entitlement" thought patterns. Screw them! I gambled my earnings and I won. I came from poor roots, I first bought my father, God rest his soul a home to replace his shack, and a new truck. I was raised and taught by this man, I owed him. The rest of the folks here I owe nothing.
FDR, folks sticking up for the guy who loosed federal troops on WWI Veterans, burning what little belongings they had, for a peaceful demonstration to collect their bonus vouchers. I don't need to write the history lesson of FDR it's free here on the internet. Take note he kissed their asses to get favor from them for WWII, to again send them to do a job he wouldn't dream of doing himself. I have more to say but I'm toasted here on "Memorial Day" as progressives dishonor, we VETERANS, alive and dead. Progressives screw 'em. 50
Wow! It's no surprise you have such a large following! I am amazed at your intellect. I was watching Glen Beck when I decided to check my email and noticed you published this hub. After reading it I could only thank God for men like you who are gifted enough to inspire others to understand and oppose the shift from timeless principles to progressiveness thinking. So many people have their heads in the sand when it comes to our personal responsibility to protect the fundamental principals this great country was founded upon. I would buy a book written by you!
'I believe that military historians still take the stand that the atomic bombs were a "good" thing'
That doesn't surprise me, but I've never looked to military historians for ethical guidance. The bomb could have been dropped over a desert, to show its potential. A warning could have been issued - the next one is for real. It was not necessary to kill so many. Nor to condemn the next generation to mutation through parental radiation poisoning.
Unless, of course, your esteemed military historians disagree?
Thanks for a little more American history James.
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