At this moment, the political landscape is not looking very promising for President Barack Obama. As Senate Republicans sabotage more and more of his moderate agenda, such as the current employment package and a small percentage-point Social Security payroll tax that would benefit both the jobless and elderly, many Americans are unable to grasp the complexities and hindrances caused by party allegiances. But neither do Democrats stand wholly united behind President Obama and his moderate agenda. President Obama's chance for reelection looks even dimmer as polling data shows candidates like Representative Ron Paul and Governor Rick Perry of Texas, Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, and CEO Herman Cain either in a tie or more popular than him. 
With November 18th fast approaching-when the government again runs out of money, not to mention the Super Committees November 23 deadline-President Obama might want to consider redeeming himself and challenging the Washington Establishment and its continuous petty squabbles and destructive gridlock. He may even want to regard what Theodore Roosevelt was forced to do in 1912 when he left the Republican Party and joined the Progressive Party, thereby giving American citizens a viable third choice. Although Theodore Roosevelt had won the Republican primaries, big business and wealthy monopolists made sure he would never win the nomination. Some even privately wished a lion would had mauled and killed him before returning from his African Safari.
Due to political scandals detailing the corporate destruction of lands that then President Roosevelt had preserved, and because of reversals on progressive legislation and an upsurge in economic disparities between the very rich and the poor working classes, Theodore Roosevelt "tossed his hat into the ring" as a candidate for the presidency. When he started to proclaim that if a nation "holds that every profit is secondary to human rights then ruin will be inevitable," and when he stumped on the platform that "if a country only brings fortunes for only the few and not for everyone then that country is doomed to fail," he gained the attention of the Washington Establishment and industrial monopolists. They conspired to disrupt his bid for the presidency, including concepts of economic equality.
When Theodore Roosevelt was not nominated at the National Republic Convention after winning the primaries, thousands of delegates stormed out. He joined an alternative party known as the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party. The Progressive Party stood for pensions for the elderly, voting rights for women, child labor laws, unemployment insurance, minimum wage, workers compensation, and healthcare. At campaign rallies, some attended by 200,000 people, Theodore Roosevelt redirected the national debate from Republican and Democratic bickering to the purpose and role of government in society. He also attacked the obstructionist policies of wealthy politicians who had taken bribes and enacted legislation on behalf of the monopolists instead of on behalf of all Americans.
It was only a matter of time, though, before a bitter and deranged gunman attempted to assassinate another voice for economic equality and political power sharing. On October 14, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt emerged from a hotel in Milwaukee and walked towards a waiting car. He was scheduled to speak to an audience of 10,000 people. As a large crowd gathered and while Theodore Roosevelt was climbing into a car, he was shot. Immediately, the crowd wrestled the gunman to the ground yelling "Lynch him, kill him!" Theodore Roosevelt, now coughing up blood, ordered the crowd to stop and requested the man not be hurt. As blood continued to run down his shirt and trousers and into his shoes, he insisted on going to the campaign rally and speaking.
Defiantly walking to the podium, people were shocked and horrified to learn and see Theodore Roosevelt had been shot. He announced: "It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose," a name given to the Progressive Party for its vitality and strength. Amid cheers and applause, Theodore Roosevelt spoke for over an hour. He spoke how he had little concern for his own life and personal safety, and how he believed in the Progressive Movement and its causes, since it was a "movement to try to take the burdens off the working man and especially the women and children..." Theodore Roosevelt then said that "this incident...this effort to assassinate me-emphasizes to a peculiar degree the need of the Progressive Movement."
Warning of "the coming of the day when there would be two recognized creeds fighting one another," or "the creed of the 'Havenots' arraigned against the creed of the 'Haves,'" Theodore Roosevelt then made a chilling prediction. He believed that if there was not good government and political and economic equality, "such incidents as this to-night will be commonplace in our history. When you make poor men-when you permit the conditions to grow such that the poor man as such will be swayed by his sense of injury against the men who try to hold what they improperly have won, when that day come, the most awful passions will be let loose and it will be an ill day for our country." He ended by saying that just as capitalists organize, the laboring man must organize for protection too.
Although Theodore Roosevelt lost the 2012 presidency, he paved the way for Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, one of the few times in American history that a more equitable redistribution of wealth and a more participatory government was maintained. Since both Republican and Democratic Parties appear interested in only their self-serving schemes, will President Barack Obama have the courage to join one of the many progressive political parties that have been censored by both Democrats and Republicans? Leaving the Democratic Party would send a clear message to the American electorate on how a two-totalitarian party system is a farce, including their unpopular elections, and incompatible with true democratic principles.
Such a move would also free President Obama to confront and challenge Republicans and a Washington Establishment with its military and wealthy elite. Instead of the audacity of hope, President Obama needs to pursue the audacity of action and call attention to how political machines and their political bosses and corporate backers have ruined representative government. This would surely revive the same grassroots and popular movement that elected him in 2008. At the end of his speech in Milwaukee, and after claiming the Progressive Party and its agenda had completely absorbed him, Theodore Roosevelt exclaimed: "This was my finest hour!" It remains to be seen if 2012 will be President Obama's finest hour too.
Dallas Darling
(Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John's Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace.
With November 18th fast approaching-when the government again runs out of money, not to mention the Super Committees November 23 deadline-President Obama might want to consider redeeming himself and challenging the Washington Establishment and its continuous petty squabbles and destructive gridlock. He may even want to regard what Theodore Roosevelt was forced to do in 1912 when he left the Republican Party and joined the Progressive Party, thereby giving American citizens a viable third choice. Although Theodore Roosevelt had won the Republican primaries, big business and wealthy monopolists made sure he would never win the nomination. Some even privately wished a lion would had mauled and killed him before returning from his African Safari.
Due to political scandals detailing the corporate destruction of lands that then President Roosevelt had preserved, and because of reversals on progressive legislation and an upsurge in economic disparities between the very rich and the poor working classes, Theodore Roosevelt "tossed his hat into the ring" as a candidate for the presidency. When he started to proclaim that if a nation "holds that every profit is secondary to human rights then ruin will be inevitable," and when he stumped on the platform that "if a country only brings fortunes for only the few and not for everyone then that country is doomed to fail," he gained the attention of the Washington Establishment and industrial monopolists. They conspired to disrupt his bid for the presidency, including concepts of economic equality.
When Theodore Roosevelt was not nominated at the National Republic Convention after winning the primaries, thousands of delegates stormed out. He joined an alternative party known as the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party. The Progressive Party stood for pensions for the elderly, voting rights for women, child labor laws, unemployment insurance, minimum wage, workers compensation, and healthcare. At campaign rallies, some attended by 200,000 people, Theodore Roosevelt redirected the national debate from Republican and Democratic bickering to the purpose and role of government in society. He also attacked the obstructionist policies of wealthy politicians who had taken bribes and enacted legislation on behalf of the monopolists instead of on behalf of all Americans.
It was only a matter of time, though, before a bitter and deranged gunman attempted to assassinate another voice for economic equality and political power sharing. On October 14, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt emerged from a hotel in Milwaukee and walked towards a waiting car. He was scheduled to speak to an audience of 10,000 people. As a large crowd gathered and while Theodore Roosevelt was climbing into a car, he was shot. Immediately, the crowd wrestled the gunman to the ground yelling "Lynch him, kill him!" Theodore Roosevelt, now coughing up blood, ordered the crowd to stop and requested the man not be hurt. As blood continued to run down his shirt and trousers and into his shoes, he insisted on going to the campaign rally and speaking.
Defiantly walking to the podium, people were shocked and horrified to learn and see Theodore Roosevelt had been shot. He announced: "It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose," a name given to the Progressive Party for its vitality and strength. Amid cheers and applause, Theodore Roosevelt spoke for over an hour. He spoke how he had little concern for his own life and personal safety, and how he believed in the Progressive Movement and its causes, since it was a "movement to try to take the burdens off the working man and especially the women and children..." Theodore Roosevelt then said that "this incident...this effort to assassinate me-emphasizes to a peculiar degree the need of the Progressive Movement."
Warning of "the coming of the day when there would be two recognized creeds fighting one another," or "the creed of the 'Havenots' arraigned against the creed of the 'Haves,'" Theodore Roosevelt then made a chilling prediction. He believed that if there was not good government and political and economic equality, "such incidents as this to-night will be commonplace in our history. When you make poor men-when you permit the conditions to grow such that the poor man as such will be swayed by his sense of injury against the men who try to hold what they improperly have won, when that day come, the most awful passions will be let loose and it will be an ill day for our country." He ended by saying that just as capitalists organize, the laboring man must organize for protection too.
Although Theodore Roosevelt lost the 2012 presidency, he paved the way for Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, one of the few times in American history that a more equitable redistribution of wealth and a more participatory government was maintained. Since both Republican and Democratic Parties appear interested in only their self-serving schemes, will President Barack Obama have the courage to join one of the many progressive political parties that have been censored by both Democrats and Republicans? Leaving the Democratic Party would send a clear message to the American electorate on how a two-totalitarian party system is a farce, including their unpopular elections, and incompatible with true democratic principles.
Such a move would also free President Obama to confront and challenge Republicans and a Washington Establishment with its military and wealthy elite. Instead of the audacity of hope, President Obama needs to pursue the audacity of action and call attention to how political machines and their political bosses and corporate backers have ruined representative government. This would surely revive the same grassroots and popular movement that elected him in 2008. At the end of his speech in Milwaukee, and after claiming the Progressive Party and its agenda had completely absorbed him, Theodore Roosevelt exclaimed: "This was my finest hour!" It remains to be seen if 2012 will be President Obama's finest hour too.
Dallas Darling
(Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John's Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment