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haele

(15,465 posts)
21. The failure of Reconstruction and rise of the Gilded Age.. Taft splitting from Roosevelt
Tue Apr 7, 2026, 01:03 PM
Apr 7

Which sidetracked Roosevelt's initiatives for Environmental, Public Health, and Labor rights, Trust-Busting - and incremental Civil Rights.
Yes, Roosevelt was a bigot, but he was also a realist who had actual experience dealing with the causes of poverty and crime - and showed political willingness to incrementally introduce racial and gender equality measures even if he didn't personally agree with them.
This allowed Wilson to trash the "inconvenient" and expensive progressive policies to benefit Populist Capitalism and technological "progress" policies benefitting investors. Which led to Harding, and the rise of the Millionaire/Mob cabal dedicated to returning to the Gilded Age and Nativist policies to create a class system where only the owners would have "Democracy", and everything and everyone else was "owned".
They funded a lot of Anti-Communist and "Traditional" or Populist business groups to infiltrate and isolate small communities or community support organizations similar the KKK model without using that name - because the KKK had already lost widespread favor for their violent small-town isolation enforcement practices against white non-KKK members or visitors and their Anti-Catholic policies by the late 1920's. The rise. The goal was to polarize, isolate and capture a sufficient number of "in groups" while demonizing - and stealing community property and resources from - the out groups.

FDR, and to some degree presidents Truman through Johnson neutered them, but the Southern Strategy brought them roaring back

Recommendations

4 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Murdoch,Limbaugh and the great redneck brainwashing of the last 25 years Blues Heron Apr 7 #1
Lee and Hitler must be looking up right now ck4829 Apr 7 #4
Hitler DID have a media propaganda machine. A pretty comprehensive one, for the times. Aristus Apr 7 #34
Oh no, he had one for his own country for sure ck4829 Apr 7 #35
YES! GaYellowDawg Apr 7 #27
And I think in this case, psychology and socialization are factors here too ck4829 Apr 7 #42
100% this Cosmocat Apr 7 #28
All of this and more 31st Street Bridge Apr 7 #36
That was so much another part of the decline, along with the electoral clown college ck4829 Apr 7 #48
Yup. I'd even argue it goes back further. bearsfootball516 Apr 7 #53
Talk radio was being fed pro-fascist propaganda planted by Washington Times. blm Apr 7 #56
Consolidation of media,... magicarpet Apr 7 #62
It was a continuous process. Trump is the end result dalton99a Apr 7 #2
If Republicans have taught us one thing: They only go one direction... downhill! ck4829 Apr 7 #5
Ask student Gaza protestors leftstreet Apr 7 #3
Yep, I can see that. All factors for sure. ck4829 Apr 7 #6
We had two very good opportunities to avoid that. MineralMan Apr 7 #7
You're describing, perfectly, the manifestation of the decline. I'm curious, though, about what caused it ck4829 Apr 7 #9
This is only one factor, but it is a big one LR3 Apr 7 #11
For sure. Remove wealth inequality, remove right-wing politics and the decline for sure ck4829 Apr 7 #12
I'm citing two specific elections where it made all the difference. MineralMan Apr 7 #13
Agreed 👍 MustLoveBeagles Apr 7 #14
I see what you are saying ck4829 Apr 7 #15
Like going broke it started slowly, then fast -misanthroptimist Apr 7 #8
Dang! Excellent points. Can certainly look at it like death by a thousand cuts ck4829 Apr 7 #10
I am taking a history class on understanding Tree Lady Apr 7 #16
Oh yes, a key part of the beginning of this ck4829 Apr 7 #19
Social Media question everything Apr 7 #17
Oh that is very important, media correcting itself ck4829 Apr 7 #23
Citizens United. nt intrepidity Apr 7 #18
Indeed, the ball rolling down sped up after that for sure ck4829 Apr 7 #24
It was built broken, on a framework of white supremacy. If we don't dismantle white supremacy, we'll keep struggling. WhiskeyGrinder Apr 7 #20
THIS Just_Vote_Dem Apr 7 #22
For sure ck4829 Apr 7 #25
The failure of Reconstruction and rise of the Gilded Age.. Taft splitting from Roosevelt haele Apr 7 #21
Oh yes, others have pointed this out. We couldn't have this decline without the failures of reconstruction ck4829 Apr 7 #26
Temporarily overcome by the country and people of muriel_volestrangler Apr 7 #29
There is a cause and a reaction, definitely ck4829 Apr 7 #31
Great lessons, all who posted. Really. All factors for sure. Read on them people reading this thread. I need to add this ck4829 Apr 7 #30
So the circle really has nothing to post now, huh? ck4829 Apr 7 #54
1770s Cirsium Apr 7 #32
I see that, I want to believe in something more hopeful ck4829 Apr 7 #37
of course Cirsium Apr 7 #40
I would say it all started with Reagan. Lonestarblue Apr 7 #33
Things definitely sped up downhill at that time during his term ck4829 Apr 7 #38
Borowitz in his book "Confederacy of Dunces" Shipwack Apr 7 #49
The Civil War and Reconstruction Johnny2X2X Apr 7 #39
We really are. ck4829 Apr 7 #47
I saw it coming with Reagan gay texan Apr 7 #41
They really are gonna have to learn that way ck4829 Apr 7 #45
James Earl Carter was the last of the greats. CoopersDad Apr 7 #43
Before my time ck4829 Apr 7 #44
Solar on the white house, Habitat for Humanity, his Malaise speech... CoopersDad Apr 7 #46
"What was to come" - That is the truth right there ck4829 Apr 7 #50
november 22 1963 to be precise. rampartd Apr 7 #51
Would be interesting to see what happened had that day took a different course ck4829 Apr 7 #52
WashTimes feeding pro-fascist propaganda to talkradio in 80s, begetting FOX 'news' in 90s. blm Apr 7 #55
Hey, the Unification Church was also involved with the Washington Times, right? Sun Myung Moon made it happen I think ck4829 Apr 7 #57
Sun Myung Moon had a longtime association with Poppy Bush blm Apr 7 #58
Same here ck4829 Apr 7 #61
We just got tired of progress in the 1970s meadowlander Apr 7 #59
And that is so unfortunate ck4829 Apr 7 #60
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