The bizarre inversion of the political landscape in the USA in the 20th c.

[benburch]

One of the things that most stands out when I consider the political history of the United States is the complete inversion of the political landscape in the 20th century.

The core values that characterized the GOP and the Democratic Party transferred from one to the other almost as if they had been subjected to one of those cartoon brain transfer machines.

Three things seem to have precipitated this; The great Depression, WW-II, and Nixon's Southern Strategy.

At the beginning of the century, A Klansman was a Democrat. Period.

At the end of the century, he was a loyal Republican. Period.

At the beginning of the century, the GOP was such a populist party that it spawned Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party.

At the end of the century, the GOP is firmly aligned with corporatist looters, and busily removing the estate tax for billionaires.

At the beginning of the century, the GOP was the party that argued against out of balance federal budgets.

At the end of the century they couldn't wait to destroy the balanced budget they inherited from William Jefferson Clinton, a Democrat.

Am I the only one who notices this? I think that it couldn't be more plain; A complete political and moral inversion.

[endarkenment]

1. TR was an aberration.

The history of the post civil war Republican Party was generally that of its role as the party of Big Business. The reform movement that was lead by Roosevelt was an accident and ultimately resulted in TR leaving the party to run as an independent (Bull Moose.)

[Finder]

2. It is happening again...

with neocons and theocrats joining the Dem party in the past decade. These groups join whatever party is in power or will be in power. Another historical example--outside the US--would be the way the socialists were infiltrated in Germany. Blind loyalty to any group is dangerous.

[RUZIK1]

3. Inversion sources

Those are 3 good reasons for the inversion(isn't conversion a better concept?). I have several of my own. The most important is the failure of the labor movement in the early part of this century. Labor has consistently shunned the class nature of this society and had a dream of becoming a part of the rich and powerful. Thus the tendency of the leadership to assume the trappings of big bosses and to betray membership.The capitalists have always known that they were the ruling class. Thus , they have promoted the dichotomy of leadership and ranks in the labor movement. They have convinced the majority of Americans that they are not workers but rather professional or even owners(through puny stock offerings). None of that is true of course but it has destroyed a counter balancing labot movement and allows for an ever rightwing drift in American Society. You now have a proto-fascist movement dictating the political spectrum by placing themselves at the center which is not at all reality. The hope for them is that by occupying the former center of liberal dems and republicans and making New Dealers and great Societers a far left "radical" group they a occupy a phony but powerful .By actually cowering that former coalition along with their supporters as in The New York Times or CBS, they are solidifying the Great Lie.

[Sammy Pepys]

4. I think you can throw in....

the Great Society and the Civil Rights Movement.

[EVDebs]

6. The decline of Freemasonry due to Catholic infiltration ideologically

The Catholic Origins of Futurism and Preterism
http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/antichrist.htm

shows that the Jesuit's goal of ameliorating the revolutionary Freemasons, heirs to the Knights Templars, via the Catholic Knights of Malta (the old Hospitallers), has been accomplished. You used to be excommunicated for being a Freemason/Catholic, but now it's o.k.

The end-times eschatology of the Left Behind novels is now mainstream Protestant btw. This was unheard of prior to 1948. Since then, the authoritarian impulse of the Catholic Church has grown immensely, with new organizations, Opus Dei for example, taking lead roles.

Their Will Be Done
www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1983/07/willbedone.html

and George Monbiot's article on Bush's fundumentalist base (which erroneously says dispensationalism/futurism began in the 1800s)


Their beliefs are bonkers, but they are at the heart of power--
US Christian fundamentalists are driving Bush's Middle East policy
www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1195568,00.html

back up my argument.

[Sammy Pepys]

7. sure....n/t

.....

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. Actually...

way back at the beginning of the century, and before the turn of the century, the laissez-faire economic policies of both Republicans AND Democrats (the only one of whom, in this era, was Grover Cleveland) led to the excesses of the Gilded Age, and the brutal crushing of strikes (like the 1894 Pullman strike) and repression of labour movements (like the Knights of Labour...especially after the Haymarket Riot)...and William Jennings Bryan was a Democratic populist.

It's mistaken to assume that there's been THAT much of a shift; the GOP was always the party of corporate intersts, post-Civil War. And the Democratic Party was always the party of small farmers and rural interests (and, starting in the 1930's, labour interests). The Civil War was caused, in part, by the divide between the industrial North and agrarian South, remember.

The only one of your points I'd really agree with is about the Republican exploitation of rural Southern racism. (Which LBJ knew would happen; when he signed the Civil Rights act he said 'we've just lost the South for a generation.')

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. No

I've noticed it, especially in the '60s, when the GOP courted racists. But I would say the rest of what you suggested is a little more complex than that. After the Civil War, the GOP courted the railroads and the trusts; TR was considered a maverick when he did things like introduce the Pure Food and Drug Act. Unfortunately, the progressive arm of the GOP faded to nothingness. But what you said about spending did hold true for the GOP-if you don't count the croney corruption of the Harding Administration. Hmmm...corruption...that seems to be a 20th century GOP trait that has hung on....

[EVDebs]

9. TR was a Freemason and at that time a religious 'reawakening' was taking

place in the US. The entire concept of 'noblesse oblige' was taking hold...GOP freemarketeer social Darwinists believe in the law of the jungle. Oddly.

[RUZIK1]

10. Freemasonry?

When I hear suggestions of mystical secret societies and Codes I feel a disconnect. It makes me feel like even liberals have lost their way . Religions and their fraternal supporters are BELIEVERS and as such can prove nothing. Nor can an unbeliever stoop to engage the idea as worthy of more than a wink. Freemasonry is in the same league as The Protocols of The Elders of Zion!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. My grandfather was a Freemason

as was my great great grandfather, my uncle, my great uncles, and various cousins. Yet I don't recall seeing any great religious reawakening amongst them, though my grandfather did rail against fundamentalists. Sorry, I don't see the connection.

[EVDebs]

12. Try Bowling Alone by Robt. Putnam. The connection is obvious

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743203046/103-6854412-1532660?v=glance&n=283155

""What's more, writes Putnam, "Americans are right that the bonds of our communities have withered, and we are right to fear that this transformation has very real costs." ""

Freemasons founded the United States and we forget this to our detriment. The principles of Freemasonry, 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity' and tolerance, are what made this country great, forgetting that is what is making this country weak. The Democratic party right now stands closest to those values yet is ignoring publicizing this connection.

Strange.