The Progressives--A Long Range Plan--Part 1

One of my major concerns and gripes about America and Americans was our inability to look into the future and make a plan for it. Other nations, most notably China, have been able to develop policies that seem to take into account what the world might be like decades out and maybe even longer. But I must admit that I have erred about this for the Progressives did develop a plan and it is being put into place.

The term Progressive Era conjures up in the mind of many people progress. Indeed progress was made. There are, however, two questions that must be asked. What type of progress was made and at what cost, if any, to the populace and our system of government as described in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

The Progressives came into being because of the turmoil in this country during the time period spanning 1890-1920. Unions were attempting to make headway on matters such as wages and benefits. Radical political elements were in place ranging from populists, to socialists and anarchists. Striking workers engaged in battles not only with management, they also rioted in the streets and fought the local and state police. The political elements wanted to overthrow the government and replace it with their own brand. Enter the Progressives.

To put it bluntly, the Progressives believed that the best way to solve the nation's problems was through centralization and government regulation. Regulate the big companies referred to as Trusts and if necessary force them to break into smaller entities. Keep in mind that the Constitution would have to be ignored and Teddy Roosevelt was willing to do just that.

Teddy was a piker when compared to Woodrow Wilson. At first glance Wilson looks like a meek, mild manner college president and indeed he was. He served as President of Princeton from 1902-1910. Wilson believed that since Congress was so cantankerous and all they did was write legislation nothing was really being accomplished. Wilson, therefore, recommended that we change our government to the parliamentary system with a concentration of power in the hands of the prime minister. That, we know, did not happen.

What did happen was World War I. It gave Wilson his opportunity to do what he believed was necessary, putting power into the hands of the government. War allows this to happen.

Wilson formed the War Industries B0ard or WIB. It was chaired by Bernard Baruch who was then charged with getting the business men to love and embrace the state. Jonah Goldberg in his book "Liberal Fascism" cites Grosvenor Clarkson the historian of the WIB,"'It was an industrial dictatorship without parallel---a dictatorship by force of necessity and common consent which step by step at last encompassed the Nation and united it into a coordinated and mobile whole.'" Now your initial reaction to that might be sure, the nation comes together to fight a the war and we cannot abide a lot of nonsense. You would be correct but what this did was teach the Progressives that war could be a good thing for their goals.