Throughout American history, the 1% and the politicians they own have been there. We did not always call them Republicans. In fact, when the Republican party was initially founded, they were the progressive party, and Democrats represented the 1%. Nevertheless, the attitudes expressed by these people has remained unchanged over the years, as this article by Mike Lux demonstrates.
…conservatives throughout our history have always echoed each other on these subjects no matter what the era. Here’s a sampling:
- Written in 1776 by a pro-British Anglican Bishop: “If I must be enslaved let it be by a King at least, and not by a parcel of upstart lawless Committeemen. If I must be devoured, let me be devoured by the jaws of a lion, and not gnawed to death by rats and vermin.”
- In the 1790s, friend of the big New York bankers of his day Alexander Hamilton was at a dinner party, and yelled at a pro-democracy advocate: “Your people, sir – your people is a great beast.” An ally of Hamilton’s wrote: “A democracy is scarcely tolerable at any period of natural history. Its omens are always sinister. … It is always on trial here, and the issue will be civil war, desolation, and anarchy. No wise man but discerns its imperfections, no good man but shudders at its miseries. No honest man but proclaims its frauds, and no brave man but draws his sword against its farce.”
- In the 1830s, conservative hero John C. Calhoun (who first forged the bond between the idea of states’ rights and conservative politics) wrote: “The will of the majority is the will of a rabble. Progressive democracy is incompatible with liberty.”
- In the post-Civil War era, where the right-wing philosophy of Social Darwinism reigned supreme, conservatives were distressed about the idea of poor and working people voting and then taking from the rich. Charles Adams wrote, “Universal suffrage can only mean in plain English, the government of ignorance and vice – it means a European, and especially Celtic, proletariat on the Atlantic Coast; an African proletariat on the shores of the Gulf, and a Chinese proletariat on the Pacific.” And his contemporary Francis Parkman added, “There is probably no sweeter experience in the world than that of a penniless laborer … when he learns that by casting his vote in the right way, he can strip the rich merchant … of a portion of his gains.”
- These anti-democratic sentiments certainly did not cease in the modern era — all you have to do is look at all the Republican efforts to deny the right to vote to so many citizens to understand that. And their fears of demonstrators are vivid. Look at this quote, which certainly reflected the views of people in power like Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover, from conservative author Samuel Huntington in a report he wrote in the 1970s: “Some of the problems of governance in the United States today stem from an excess of democracy. … A democratic political system usually requires some measure of apathy and non-involvement on the part of some individuals and groups.”
From the anti-American Revolution Tories of the 1770s to the Glenn Beck/Eric Cantor conservatives of today, conservatives always have been on the side of the wealthiest and most powerful in society, and always have been absolutely panic stricken when people get out in the streets to protest the abuses of the rest of us by the economic elites… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>
There have been two periods in the last hundred years where millionaires, billionaires and corporate criminals have run the show. The first was the Roaring Twenties. Unregulated excessive greed brought us the Great Depression. The second began in 1980, the Republican Revolution, and unregulated excessive greed brought us the Republican Recession. We stand at a crossroads in history. The first step in restoring America must be to remove the party that most fully represents the interests of the 1%, the Republicans. Every Republican in office is one Republican too many!
20 Responses to “A History Lesson on the 1%”
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This is really cool: A real-time running tally of the money LOST to the U.S. Treasury due to the Bush TAX CUTS for the wealthiest Americans, provided by the “Citizens for Tax Justice” …
http://costoftaxcuts.com/
That is cool, Nameless. It’s about $10,000 every four seconds.
There is no time in human history where there hasn’t been a ruling class afraid of the ruled class. At the same time there have been few times in human history where the ruled class gathered themselves to look for a solution. In some cases the revolt moved the needle and others the only thing that resulted was a few weeks (or years) of violence then the new rulers came in and the status quo was re-established. Money buys a lot but a vote is worth more than a few billion dollars. Of course they are afraid of a voting underclass.
What I want to ask you Tom is every time you say “one republican in office is one to many” are you advocating for a one party system or a parliamentary one where a small minority such as the tea party can control movement of the majority will?
Mark, I am advocating the demise of the Republican Party and the rise of at least one, but preferably more parties to take their place.
They are afraid of us, the rabble.
Indeed!
I come from a long line of Rabble rousing Irish , Union heritage : Us Rabble need to take more pride in our Rabble rousing ; We have an honorable heritage — much as the the “Elite” our “Betters” want to downgrade us– The people– We really need to remember we cannot be walked on if we don’t lay down!!
Damm tootin’ “They” are afraid of us– We have the vote!!! much as they want to take that away and/or control it– WE VOTE!!
Dang! Giving the vote to former slaves, women and more was fine, but we should have never given it to the Irish!! 😉
lord i was born a rabblin’ man
Good tune, Rob!
I’m not against Republicans as long as they come from within their own, the 1%. The working poor and the middle-class shouldn’t be voting for these money whores that don’t represent their best interests. And that is who I fault. 👿
I suppose I could tolerate them betting 1% of the vote. 😉
That’s what I mean! One percent of the vote! (for Republicans) That’s a more realistic playing field! 😈
I figured that! 🙂
It is amazing how wrong conservatives have consistently been all throughout the ages. They NEVER side with the correct side of history!
That’s because they always side with the 1%.
Two points:
1. First I would like to address #2 inre to Alexander Hamilton. History has proven that he cheated in his fateful duel with Aaron Burr with disastrous results.
2. The 1% need to keep in mind not so much what has happened in American or even French history, i.e. the French Revolution, but what happened in the mid 70’s in Cambodia. Not saying it was proper, PC or anything else, just that it is worth remembering.
1. I know.
2. What are you suggesting here?
lawless rabble
“A democracy is scarcely tolerable … It is always on trial here, and the issue will be civil war, desolation, and anarchy.
John C Calhoun ; “The will of the majority is the will of a rabble. Progressive democracy is incompatible with liberty.”
Charles Adams wrote, “Universal suffrage can only mean in plain English, the government of ignorance and vice – it means a European, and especially Celtic, proletariat on the Atlantic Coast; an African proletariat on the shores of the Gulf, and a Chinese proletariat on the Pacific.”
Samuel Huntington in a report he wrote in the 1970s: “Some of the problems of governance in the United States today stem from an excess of democracy.
I’m sure everybody took account of the oft used terms to describe “We the people” — lawless rabble, anarchists, rabble, proletariat. Looks like the 1% have always looked down their long, artstocratic, Roman noses at we rabble. Well I hope the 1% remember what happened to the Roman Empire — it collapsed under the weight of greed and debauchery. The 99% are not illiterate rabble as the 1% would have it. The 99% are passionate people of of intrinsic worth, people who believe in their right to have a say in how society is governed.
Here are some answers, or rewrites if you will, to the quotes at the beginning.
A democracy is scarcely tolerable when it is usurped by the 1%.
John C Calhoun and I surely do have a different definition of liberty. Liberty has within it the responsibility of looking out for others that they should equally enjoy liberty. Certainly don’t see that with the Republicans.
Universal suffrage is only a government of ignorance and vice when the majority do not actively participate in government (ie learning about the issues and then voting after careful consideration keeping in mind the whole and not just the self) and leave everything to the 1% (vice).
An excess of democracy? No, an excess of plutocracy and theocracy.
Very well said, Lynn.