2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumHow Bernie Sanders Should Talk About Democratic Socialism
How Bernie Sanders Should Talk About Democratic SocialismEric Foner
The Nation
You should mention the Peoples Party, or Populists, and their Omaha platform of 1892, which describes a nation not unlike our own, with inequality rife and a political system in need of change, where corruption dominates the ballot-box, the Legislatures, the Congress, and touches even the ermine of the bench . [and] the fruits of the toil of millions are boldly stolen to build up colossal fortunes for a few. Or what about the Progressive platform of 1912, for a party that nominated Theodore Roosevelt for president, which called, among other things, for strict limits on campaign contributions, universal health insurance, vigorous federal oversight of giant corporations and other measures that, over a century later, have yet to be realized.
Of course, every politician gives lip service to the idea of enhancing economic opportunity, but you have, rightly, emphasized that to secure this requires the active involvement of the federal government, not simply letting the free market work its supposed magic. Your antecedents include not just FDRs New Deal but also his Second Bill of Rights of 1944, inspired by the eras labor movement, which called for the government to guarantee to all Americans the rights to employment, education, medical care, a decent home, and other entitlements that are out of reach for too many today. You could point to A. Philip Randolphs Freedom Budget of 1967, which asked the federal government to address the deep economic inequalities the civil-rights revolution had left untouched. But beyond these and other examples, the point is that the rights we enjoy todaycivil, political, economic, socialare the result of struggles of the past, not gifts from on high. Thats what you mean when you say we need a citizens revolution.
FDR's Second Bill of Rights:
Among these are:
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by
monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)Bookmarked ... I'm off to a meeting but am looking forward to reading this carefully,
later tonight.
Thanks for the OP
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)all Democratic presidents and candidates as socialists, their claim, not true.
portlander23
(2,078 posts)It has the text of the speech.
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)portlander23
(2,078 posts)You're being ridiculous. I liked to that page because it has the entire text of FDR's speech. Does the speech not count if it's on that site?
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)I need a link where it trashes FDR?
portlander23
(2,078 posts)I don't have any fear that someone from DU will read commentary on a conservative site and not know what they're looking at. The link is for the text. I'm sorry if you have a problem with that. Done with this topic.
JudyM
(29,233 posts)Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)Agreed with Foner. Denmark is an ok example but let's hear some American history too.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)I've thought he wanted to start off his Campaign by pointing out what he saw was going wrong with the country and make firm statements to differentiate himself from Hillary and Bill.
This next phase will be the transition. Hillary has recently co-opted much of his proposals as her own, now giving him the opportunity to make more direct connections with a Populist Movement by showing how the programs FDR had begun have been attacked, vilified and undermined for too long by the Republicans and many of our Democrats with their move towards Third Way/NeoLiberalism. This has enabled large Corporations, Wall Street Bankers, Special Interests and the RW Republicans to work even harder to have the New Deal programs and Kennedy/Johnson's additions to the New Deal cut to the bone or completely abolished.
Hopefully, Biden's dropping out of the race clears the way for Bernie's Campaign to focus on Populism and reminders of the FDR New Deal Connections rather than the overthink his Campaign staff had to deal with when faced with a possible three-way race with TWO well-known, highly financed powerhouse candidates competing against him.