Democratic Party bosses may be as dangerous for our country as is the Trump/Republican Party.
What they did to Henry Wallace in 1948 is what they did to Bernie Sanders in 2016 and again in 2020. They were instrumental in a corporate democrat being nominated in both years.
I am proud to say that Cast my first presidential ballot when I was 21 for the Henry Wallace/Paul Robeson ticket and campaigned for them on the U of Wisconsin campus and in Madison. Remember also that as Secretary of Agriculture he promoted farm cooperatives so that farmers could better get through the depression, most of which are still functioning today. Do you use Land O Lakes dairy products?
Thank you, Robert, as always. And thank you for sharing Wallace's speech. His opening remarks are one of the best definitions of fascism yet. And his observations on fascism in America are even more applicable today - with one exception, "The American fascist would prefer not to use violence." That part does seem to have changed.
The Henry Wallace piece was great and very accurate with his predictions and analysis of the times he lived in. I have been saying much the same thing for 4 decades. Deregulation is the father of today's fascism. We would not be here today had Reagan not done away with the fairness doctrine when he deregulated the media in 1982. Now 6 companies control just about everything we see, hear and watch. The media deregs also allowed for foreign ownership of broadcast entities, enter evil incarnate, Rupert Murdoch from Australia, who former Australian PM Turnbull said is responsible for the tremendous expansion of lies and propaganda proliferating all media channels in the world today. Unfortunately, Bill Clinton, continued the deregulatory momentum with the Financial Services Modernization Act, and 8 years later, the global financial system collapsed. In 1980, there were about 9,000 companies listed on the NYSE, today there are about 3,000. Over consolidation anyone? Fascist have deeply infiltrated both major political parties, (i.e., Sinema, Manchin, et al) we need a new and strong 3rd party to exorcise ourselves from this madness. Help! Thank you Robert.
The silencing of Wallace from the seats of power both slowed and tilted the conversations in politics away from people's needs and holistic long-term thinking and planning. The frames of so many issues narrowed and moved "right" and sowed the seeds of the DEM party abandoning family farmers and supporting the damaging agribusiness models instead--that made the rural electorate GOP and giving us Nixon, Reagan, the Bushes and then Trump that all narrowed the frames so much they sowed the seeds of Occupy and other movements to give us the hope of salvaging our country. Thank you for this reminder of how history provides an essential context for mapping routes to the future we want.
What a wonderful personal story, perhaps his words stuck more than originally thought as a child? Reading the words of Henry Wallace I couldn't help but think they are just, if not more, as relevant today as they were in 1944. This is why history is so critically important, we won't stop repeating the mistakes of the past if we don't understand the previous ramifications. I shared the Wallace article, more people need to read it. Great post!
He was a very interesting guy, whom I know from the history of economic thought. Thanks for the reminder that US politics once had space for him, if only for a short time.
Being from Iowa, I am well aware of Henry Wallace. He was underrated. Our State Office Building is named after him. Other than that, he doesn't get much publicity. Too bad, he was a great man, humanitarian and very helpful to FDR.
Yours, FDR/Wallaces's, Eleanor's, and other sincere progressives' values are inspirational and universal, and your informed wisdom regarding all things human are precious and rare. Yours is the only political / economic newsletter of which I read every single posting that I receive from beginning to end. Thank you for all that you do, say, and contribute. I live on a fixed income thanks to the legacy of FDR and the social security program/ medicare that he bestowed upon us and I contribute to Inequality Media at least once per month. It is more than worth it.
You may find the article "Who Goes Nazi" by Dorothy Thompson from a 1941 Harper's Magazine interesting. I suspect that Wallace may have been informed by some of the ideas presented by Thompson in her article, which is not to say that Wallace's speech is not important.
Democratic Party bosses may be as dangerous for our country as is the Trump/Republican Party.
What they did to Henry Wallace in 1948 is what they did to Bernie Sanders in 2016 and again in 2020. They were instrumental in a corporate democrat being nominated in both years.
I am proud to say that Cast my first presidential ballot when I was 21 for the Henry Wallace/Paul Robeson ticket and campaigned for them on the U of Wisconsin campus and in Madison. Remember also that as Secretary of Agriculture he promoted farm cooperatives so that farmers could better get through the depression, most of which are still functioning today. Do you use Land O Lakes dairy products?
The Wallace speech could have be given today with only a few updates to make its references more topical.
From this great man, the mantle was passed on to a little boy who became another great man!
Thank you for sharing your story. Very insightful. 😃👍🌻
Wallace was correct
Thank you, Robert, as always. And thank you for sharing Wallace's speech. His opening remarks are one of the best definitions of fascism yet. And his observations on fascism in America are even more applicable today - with one exception, "The American fascist would prefer not to use violence." That part does seem to have changed.
The Henry Wallace piece was great and very accurate with his predictions and analysis of the times he lived in. I have been saying much the same thing for 4 decades. Deregulation is the father of today's fascism. We would not be here today had Reagan not done away with the fairness doctrine when he deregulated the media in 1982. Now 6 companies control just about everything we see, hear and watch. The media deregs also allowed for foreign ownership of broadcast entities, enter evil incarnate, Rupert Murdoch from Australia, who former Australian PM Turnbull said is responsible for the tremendous expansion of lies and propaganda proliferating all media channels in the world today. Unfortunately, Bill Clinton, continued the deregulatory momentum with the Financial Services Modernization Act, and 8 years later, the global financial system collapsed. In 1980, there were about 9,000 companies listed on the NYSE, today there are about 3,000. Over consolidation anyone? Fascist have deeply infiltrated both major political parties, (i.e., Sinema, Manchin, et al) we need a new and strong 3rd party to exorcise ourselves from this madness. Help! Thank you Robert.
"those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it..."
The silencing of Wallace from the seats of power both slowed and tilted the conversations in politics away from people's needs and holistic long-term thinking and planning. The frames of so many issues narrowed and moved "right" and sowed the seeds of the DEM party abandoning family farmers and supporting the damaging agribusiness models instead--that made the rural electorate GOP and giving us Nixon, Reagan, the Bushes and then Trump that all narrowed the frames so much they sowed the seeds of Occupy and other movements to give us the hope of salvaging our country. Thank you for this reminder of how history provides an essential context for mapping routes to the future we want.
What a wonderful personal story, perhaps his words stuck more than originally thought as a child? Reading the words of Henry Wallace I couldn't help but think they are just, if not more, as relevant today as they were in 1944. This is why history is so critically important, we won't stop repeating the mistakes of the past if we don't understand the previous ramifications. I shared the Wallace article, more people need to read it. Great post!
I want to hear more about your mom! She was obviously tuned in, but was she active in politics? How did her views help shape yours?
He was a very interesting guy, whom I know from the history of economic thought. Thanks for the reminder that US politics once had space for him, if only for a short time.
Being from Iowa, I am well aware of Henry Wallace. He was underrated. Our State Office Building is named after him. Other than that, he doesn't get much publicity. Too bad, he was a great man, humanitarian and very helpful to FDR.
Yours, FDR/Wallaces's, Eleanor's, and other sincere progressives' values are inspirational and universal, and your informed wisdom regarding all things human are precious and rare. Yours is the only political / economic newsletter of which I read every single posting that I receive from beginning to end. Thank you for all that you do, say, and contribute. I live on a fixed income thanks to the legacy of FDR and the social security program/ medicare that he bestowed upon us and I contribute to Inequality Media at least once per month. It is more than worth it.
James, Citizen of the Cosmos
You may find the article "Who Goes Nazi" by Dorothy Thompson from a 1941 Harper's Magazine interesting. I suspect that Wallace may have been informed by some of the ideas presented by Thompson in her article, which is not to say that Wallace's speech is not important.
Robert, I want to send you a Wallace in "48" ashtray that I inherited from my parents. Where can I send it to? Thanks.