Tea Party, Glenn Beck Wrong on Woodrow Wilson's Progressivism

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Not really fair, considering that Progressives thought of government as being overtly aggressive and involved. By definintion, after all, that was what "Progressives" wanted: to "fix" society by changing man's environment. It may well be that more mainstream politicians (TR, Wilson, et al) watered down this message, so as not to seem socialistic; nonetheless, playing upon fear of the extreme left while also catering to the laboring classes who wanted government to intervene, progressivism became a force.
Beck, obviously ignorant of history's big, dynamic picture, sees a progressive conspirator behind every attempt at legislation. For someone who claims religion as important, he often comes across as a crude, 19th century social darwinist.

D.Davis of FL 12:56PM December 13, 2011

So I just read the quote from The New Freedom in one of the comments above, and now I might disagree with my own analysis from four seconds ago. That's not how I think of technocrats talking. I kind of liked it, actually, even though it's still quite materialist. You know what's fantastically interesting, though? In the quote above, the person Wilson sounds most like is Kropotkin. Also v influenced by Darwin, but also modified Darwin towards cooperation rather than competition, to try to get at a non-theological basis for society.

Susannah Black of NY 1:05AM November 14, 2011

Glenn Beck and TR: just a couple of liberals having a family squabble. Love it. I think you've nailed, by implication, the reason Wilson's technocratic tendencies were actually in total harmony with his laissez-faireness: they both stem from a belief in the essentially mechanistic rather than organic nature of society. If you're more of a technocrat, you think it's a good idea to tinker with the mechanism, make big plans to help it work better; if you're more of a libertarian, you think society works like a big Newtonian clock that runs on selfishness; but in neither case do you think of society as, oh, a family, say, or a beloved community, made up of actual persons.
This is the point when I start to think that a polity modeled on the Golden Age in Narnia might be a good idea, and that's when it's time to go to sleep.

Susannah Black of NY 12:37AM November 14, 2011

I am one quarter German Jewish. Wilson decision to enter World War I was a castrophic blunder. They should have done nothing!!!

Rober Feinberg of CA 7:47PM August 08, 2011

Look at Delano Roosevelt. I have read several biographies on him as well as Wilson and seeing what they did to our country then and even how some of their actions resulted in current money problems.
Glenn Beck has a legitimate point- we all have a right to look back at history and see what damage poor presidents have done. We also have to label ourselves correctly: Marxists, Progressives, Liberals, Conservatives, (Tea Party Members). Don't fake your -actual- label. Be proud of what you believe in!
Ditto what RobBob said-

Lady Katie 11:13AM May 02, 2011

The word conservative or progressive are relative terms. Liberalism has some basic core principles:
Attitude, philosophy, or movement that has as its core concern the development of personal freedom, popular sovereignty, right of rebellion against oppression, free markets, free trade, and the exercise of free will. One of its central theses has long been that a government's claim to authority is justified only if the government can show those who live under it, that it secures their freedom, concerned to protect their life, liberty and property. The government that governs least governs best. Freedom of conscience, limited government that does not try to re-distribute wealth or goods. Benefits and burdens are distributed justly when government allows every individual the freedom to do what he chooses to do for himself and others. Suitable for a freeman...tolerant of views differing from one's own...of republican forms of government...favoring reforms as in religion, education ect; specifically, favoring political reforms tending toward personal freedom for the individual...distinguished from progressive as connoting more conservatism. Individual freedom is the natural state of man, as men were created free. Implies emancipation from what binds the mind or will. The roots of liberalism is the individualism of John Loke and John Mill. The idea that the best society is one which individuals are free to pursue their own interests as each chooses without causing harm to others. Noble, generous, free from prejudice.

Lightfoot Letters of CA 7:14PM October 18, 2010

From a 4/14/10 posting on the Frum Forum. I think you would agree that David Frum is certainly not a liberal pundit and he still has a decidedly different view of the income tax amendment.
"Yes, the Sixteenth (income tax) Amendment was ratified under Woodrow Wilson. But the thing was set in motion long before Wilson entered national politics. If you feel very strongly that the income tax is wrong, you should direct your complaint to William Howard Taft: He was the president who proposed the amendment to Congress. And when the revenues from the tax arrived after 1913, President Wilson and the 63rd Congress used them – not to fund social programs – but to replace tariff revenues. That’s a good thing from a free-market point of view, right?"

Cooper of CO 3:43PM August 30, 2010

What an incredibly weak argument. You spout out a few quotes from Woodrow Wilson and that's your proof? By that standard, Richard Nixon was not a crook, and Barack Obama believes in the free market.
Woodrow Wilson was one of the most racist presidents we ever had. Probably the worst since Andrew Johnson (another Democrat). Aside from that, he gave the progressive income tax, the gift that keeps on taking.
Also, I would strongly disagree with your last 2 paragraphs in particular. John Stuart Mill had a utilitarian view of liberty. The Founders had a Lockean view of liberty. Those are two completely and radically different things. A utilitarian calculates (impossibly) what does the greatest good for the greatest number, while a Lockean libertarian believes we are all born with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and property. The purpose of the government is to protect those rights, not to redistribute wealth or play Robin Hood or God.
Libertarians are not progressives. They are classical liberals. Ironically, modern day liberals or progressives or whatever they want to call themselves, are not liberals at all. They are statists in general, and many of the people currently in the White House, are Marxists. And liars.

RobBob of MI 9:44PM July 31, 2010

Uses lots of big, pretty words but leaves out and high falutin ideas but makes up too much - Darwin was not influenced by the fairy tale concept of Smith's invisible hand, Darwin based his theory on observation and scientific analysis. Wilson's racism, which was based on made up and scientifically invalid conclusions, was omitted as was Wilson's hate for any disent or different ideas.

Bruce Ken of VA 12:48AM July 28, 2010