the moar things change...

[Van Cruncheon]

the moar they stay the same. :-(

here's that racist fuckface hp lovecraft, on republicans circa 1933:

"As for the Republicans — how can one regard seriously a frightened, greedy, nostalgic huddle of tradesmen and lucky idlers who shut their eyes to history and science, steel their emotions against decent human sympathy, cling to sordid and... provincial ideals exalting sheer acquisitiveness and condoning artificial hardship for the non-materially-shrewd, dwell smugly and sentimentally in a distorted dream-cosmos of outmoded phrases and principles and attitudes based on the bygone agricultural-handicraft world, and revel in (consciously or unconsciously) mendacious assumptions (such as the notion that real liberty is synonymous with the single detail of unrestricted economic license or that a rational planning of resource-distribution would contravene some vague and mystical 'American heritage'…) utterly contrary to fact and without the slightest foundation in human experience? Intellectually, the Republican idea deserves the tolerance and respect one gives to the dead. "

[Bocsius]

Bah, libruls want to take our guns from us and then nothing will stop them from instituting communism.

At least, that's what the right wing radio media would have us believe.

[Phoenix Dark]

Sounds like Lovecraft is just mad the republicans freed the slaves

[Oblivion]

But...but I liked Pickman's Model, and Cool Air.

[Joe Molotov]

Sounds like Lovecraft is just mad the religious right is holding back the unspeakable cosmic horrors that lurk at the borderlands of our reality.

[Yoritomo]

Racist?  He was just genetically superior.

[Oblivion]

If Lovecraft were racist, why did he name his cat Nigger-man? Did he hate his cat? Hmm?

[Phoenix Dark]

 

[Diunx]

He obviously didn't, Prole annihilated.

[Joe Molotov]

He didn't hate black people, he merely recognized them as the inferior lifeforms that they were. Black people are great, as long as they stay in their place and don't get uppity.

[Mandark]

Damn.

American political history is interesting (no, shut up, it is!) because the sheer size of the country and the diversity of the population made the national parties into these weird, contradictory coalitions of local and regional interests.  Until about the 20's/30's, the big issues seem completely alien and disconnected from what goes on today.

Then you get the New Deal coalition against Coolidge/Hoover laissez faire types, and we get cursed to have the same arguments over economic policy for the last 80 or 90 years (and the same arguments about social policy for about 50 years).

[Van Cruncheon]

i simply cannot fathom the deep-seated american fear of socialism. i really can't.

[Smooth Groove]

i simply cannot fathom the deep-seated american fear of socialism. i really can't.

Reported to Homeland Security. 

[Phoenix Dark]

Damn.

American political history is interesting (no, shut up, it is!) because the sheer size of the country and the diversity of the population made the national parties into these weird, contradictory coalitions of local and regional interests.  Until about the 20's/30's, the big issues seem completely alien and disconnected from what goes on today.

Then you get the New Deal coalition against Coolidge/Hoover laissez faire types, and we get cursed to have the same arguments over economic policy for the last 80 or 90 years (and the same arguments about social policy for about 50 years).

I can't help but chuckle when a republican wrings his hands over our his grandparent's America being dismantled by the socialist menace when in reality there was more "socialism" going on back then - and they loved it

[Mandark]

i simply cannot fathom the deep-seated american fear of socialism. i really can't.

I'm halfway through a book that addresses that very question!  It turns out the answer is...  some complicated stuff about immigration, foreign capital investment, and interstate migration.

I'll finish it and make a post.  We can all drink coffee and have a salon!

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'll probably just wait for Beardo to say something horribly ignorant, then respond sarcastically. 

[close]

[tiesto]

Heh and I just bought the Lovecraft complete collection from B&N the other day...

[Beardo]

i simply cannot fathom the deep-seated american fear of socialism. i really can't.

I have no idea why anyone would ever think differently than me.    derp derp.

[Yoritomo]

i simply cannot fathom the deep-seated american fear of socialism. i really can't.

It comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of socialism.  What people point to as examples within modern culture are usually not examples of actual socialism.  Those that they choose to critique generally exist within more totalitarian regimes or have been vilified with years and years of propaganda.  You're being disingenuous in order to bait beardo.  I get that.  But it makes as much sense as our deep seated fear of narcotics, sex, gays, brown people, and sexual relationships with people under 15.

[Mupepe]

Damn.

American political history is interesting (no, shut up, it is!) because the sheer size of the country and the diversity of the population made the national parties into these weird, contradictory coalitions of local and regional interests.  Until about the 20's/30's, the big issues seem completely alien and disconnected from what goes on today.

Then you get the New Deal coalition against Coolidge/Hoover laissez faire types, and we get cursed to have the same arguments over economic policy for the last 80 or 90 years (and the same arguments about social policy for about 50 years).

can you point me somewhere to read up on political issues before the 20's/30's?

[Brehvolution]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Oblivion]

i simply cannot fathom the deep-seated american fear of socialism. i really can't.

I'm most amazed at the fact that in a time when raising ANY taxes on the rich, no matter how modestly, is considered a slippery slope to communism, when in fact taxes were at their highest during the height of the fricken Cold War.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I assume it is because of decades of anti-socialist propaganda becoming embedded in the culture.  Now it is in too deep and it will take a long time to uproot it.  It will be even more challenging to change since things have moved considerably further anti-union, anti-education, anti-intellectualism, and other things that would lead to progressivism.  Especially if it is making a small portion of the country obscenely rich.  With the bailouts a couple of years ago, failure by the ultra rich essentially gets you rewarded.  At least in the Great Depression, people like Charles Schwab died alone and penniless if they fucked up.  These days, he would have been given enough bailout cash to give himself a 20% bonus for the year.

[Mandark]

can you point me somewhere to read up on political issues before the 20's/30's?

It's gonna sound dumb, but Wikipedia really is a good place to start.  It's matured to the point where you can get as much out of it as you would from an introductory college textbook, and the hyper-linked format makes it easy to digest on your own pace.  Plus you can see what sounds interesting and look for books for an in-depth followup.

Plus, I confess to not reading a ton about the pre-Depression US.  The few books I've read have been super-dry and academic, but I figure there have to be some fun reads about stuff like Tammany Hall.

i simply cannot fathom the deep-seated american fear of socialism. i really can't.

I have no idea why anyone would ever think differently than me.    derp derp.

Yeah, you should all listen to Beardo, who always does his utmost to extend empathy and understanding to those with whom he disagrees!

spoiler (click to show/hide)

See?  I told you!

[close]