progressivism, individualism, and the public ... - Telmarc Group

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM, INDIVIDUALISM, AND THE PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL attack and conquer as he did in Cuba. The most significant of targets were the Trusts and he now had a big stick in the Sherman Act. TR was the truly first President to set the role of the Federal Government as that of regulator of daily economic life. As he moved through his presidency he became more attuned to the Progressive ways. He tried to get the Republican Party to follow with little luck. When he left the office of President in 1908 all thought that it would be the end of TR. In 1910 however he gave his famous speech on The New Nationalism. This was his platform for Progressives in the upcoming 1912 election. He was to run against Wilson, yet known to him at the time of the speech. Yet Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson would come together in the 1912 election, the high water mark for the Progressive movement., and this coming together as foes for the Presidency, would in effect define Progressives and set the path and establish a framework for the neo-progressives of the current day. Roosevelt had been migrating from his initial Republican roots into the actual Progressive candidate in that election. In contrast Wilson was coming to the race as the southern Democrat, albeit the machine's Governor in New Jersey, but as one who was on record condemning the structure of the US Government and wishing for an English Parliamentary form. Wilson in many ways would be formed by Roosevelt's new awakening. 4.4.1 The 1912 Election Teddy Roosevelt was in many ways a very strange person. He has been lionized by many but when looked upon in the cold light of day he becomes a unique character. Clearly an Anglo Saxon racist, one need look at some of his writings to see this, he looked upon non Anglo Saxons as the less competent of humanity, this emboldened his attempts to gain world dominance for the United States. It also defined his political actions on the international front, one case being the manipulation of the Japanese at the resolution of the Sino-Russian War for which he ironically was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The fact was that his actions in many ways set the framework for the events leading to World War II. The recent book by Milkis on Teddy Roosevelt focuses specifically on the 1912 election. This election is in many ways a tale of the present and a demonstration of Teddy Roosevelt as both President and, more importantly, as a Public Intellectual of the Progressive movement in that time. The 1912 election was a turning point for American politics. It brought in Wilson and sent Teddy packing, but in many ways left the baggage that Teddy brought with him around for what seems a permanent stay. Milkis tells a wonderful tale based on extensive research about this election. It is a historically well written piece albeit filled with consecutive facts but lacking in the interpretation and historical glue to make it a superb work, it is masterful notwithstanding. The path of the book works back and forth on the New Freedoms of Wilson and the New Nationalism of TR. Milkis discusses these in Chapter 1 and the discussion is a somewhat back and forth discussion of the principles and the time which evoked them. The New Page 82
The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM, INDIVIDUALISM, AND THE PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL Nationalism is best described in the TR speech of the same name in 1910. The New Freedoms is best described by the Milkis in a memo from Brandeis to Wilson 93 . There is the ever presence of Brandeis in this book which is a powerful description of the great mind evolving his thoughts through the somewhat academic mind of Wilson. Brandeis states: "The two parties (Wilson and the Democrats versus TR and the Progressives) differ fundamentally regarding economic policy....The Democratic Party insists that competition can and should be maintained in every branch of private industry...if at any future time if monopoly should appear to be desirable in any branch of industry, the monopoly should be a public one.....the New Party (Progressives) ...insists that private monopoly may be desirable..." This is a powerful statement which reflected the beginning in many ways of the power of the executive and the dominance of the central Government over the entire economy. Wilson agreed with this statement and what is most telling in the Milkis book is that the 1912 election was truly and election on principles, principle articulated directly by the players in that election. They were direct and forthright and presented their views of how the Government and the country should be run. Lacking was as reflected by Milkis any discussion of what the Constitution and Founders had ever intended. There appeared to be a unanimous agreement that change, as articulated by either Wilson/Brandeis or TR and the Progressives, was well within their purview and powers, independent of the Constitution. The Socialists agenda under Debs is t articulated by Milkis and he states that Debs viewed the Progressives as "a reactionary protest of the middle classes, built largely upon the personality of one man and not destined for permanence." 94 Ironically it would be Wilson who imprisoned Debs for his ideas, as well as my grandmother who headed the Socialist Party in New York. Wilson would leave Debs to rot for years until the Republican Harding pardoned him. TR is quoted in his New Nationalism speech as saying 95: "The New Nationalism puts national need before sectional or personal advantage ... Nationalism regards the executive as the steward of the public welfare. It demands of the judiciary that it shall be interested primarily in human welfare rather than property...." It was this denial of the Lockeian property construct which was at the heart of the Constitution. Milkis on the same page reinforces the TR stance of "human rights" 93 Milkis, Roosevelt, p 205. 94 Milkis, Roosevelt, p 23. 95 Miklis, Roosevelt, p. 40. Page 83
Page 1 and 2:
+++ The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM
Page 3 and 4:
The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM, IN
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
The Telmarc Group Preface PROGRESSI
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32: The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM, IN
Page 63 and 64: The Telmarc Group 4.1.3 Hobbes and
Page 81: The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM, IN
Page 93 and 94: The Telmarc Group 4.5.2 The New Fre
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
The Telmarc Group Hofstadter contin
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223:
The Telmarc Group and the Progressi
show all

progressivism, individualism, and the public ... - Telmarc Group

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?