Progressivism

Theodore Roosevelt, first progressive president

Progressivism (or Progressive Ideology) is a narrow ideology born in America that puts a heavy emphasis on administrative state, separated from the political process, engages in centralized economic planning, promotes Social Control, and has the power and expertise to make quick decisions.^[1] Progressives are quick to point to their label and proclaim that they stand for "progress",^[2] but do everything they can to hide the fact that where they want to make progress to is a big government that is in control of every aspect of Americans' lives.

Henry George wrote the book that inspired the use of the word "progress" in the name of progressivism.

Since the 1960s and the New Left Movement, Progressivism has largely been synonymous with Communism/leftism and rejects multi-party democracy, free speech, free association, and other rights of man. Earlier Progressivism, while staunchly in favor of Big Government, was equally critical of communist and socialist viewpoints.

After the horrors of the Peoples Temple mass murder/suicide in late 1978, Progressivism fell into disrepute for 30 years in America until it was revived by Barack Obama during the War on Terror and domestic opponents of America's "cultural hegemony."

History[edit]

Pre-Progressive Era[edit]

The first progressive thinkers and the birth of progressive ideology owe its existence to Henry George's book Progress and Poverty.^[3][4][5] (See section Henry George: Ideological Influence) Early on, supporters of George (sometimes called "Georgists") contrasted themselves as "progressives" (a cue to the book title) with the "moderates" who supported land ownership.^[6]

Edward Bellamy

Another book that had far reaching implications for the coming growth of the progressive movement was the publication of Looking Backward,^[3][7] where author Edward Bellamy uses the label of Nationalism to create a movement aiming toward greater state power at the expense of the individual. As "progressive minded" individuals increased in numbers over the decade of 1890, their popularity turned into a movement and became the dominant ideology of an era.

Progressive Era[edit]

For a more detailed treatment, see Progressive Era.

The "Progressive Era" was a time period in American History in which Progressives made their way into segments of academia, media, and government, and were successful at implementing their policies and cultural changes based on their ideology. In addition to the aforementioned, other important thinkers of early Progressivism include Herbert Croly, John Dewey, and the writings of the segregationist Woodrow Wilson. These and other lesser known thinkers put considerable effort into formulating a way to build authoritarian mechanisms into the free society of America, typically disguised as beneficial efforts.

Since the beginnings of progressivism, their leaders have shown a consistent disdain for the American Founding. One author, Walter Weyl, who was a co-founder of The New Republic wrote: "We are profoundly disenchanted with the fruits of a century of independence".^[8] This is something key that marks the difference between the progressives of the 20th century and their reforming predecessors, republican or democrat. The philosophical opposition that progressives hold for the Founding of the country is central to everything that has happened since.

Philosophy[edit]

See also: Progressive deification of politics

Summary[edit]

There are no reds on Rushmore's face, but there is a progressive

See also: Idea of Progress

Progressive ideology is marked by a belief in the purity of Public Administration,^[9] particularly the concept of the disinterested^[10][11] and impartial administrator.^[12][13] While progressives generally do not agree on how administrative power should be used,^[14] that is less important than the fact that administration must exist.^[15] By its very nature, administration is necessarily centralized.^[16] What becomes de-centralized within the Administrative State are the specific functions, such as energy, environment, transportation, etc. The reason why progressives look past use and focus simply on existence, is because they want the flexibility to be able to move and change as circumstances change.^[15] This generally has a negative effect on citizens, who are not always kept apprised of what is happening and are not afforded the opportunity to voice their beliefs.

In this way, when Progressivism is looked upon as Bureaucratic Despotism,^[17] the notion is quite apt since despotic governments generally do not care what the citizens want or believe. Progressivism has been described as the victory of dogma over experience

Rejection of the Founding[edit]

Many of the complaints by progressives since the 1900s include the deficiency of states rights, the outmoded nature of the belief that rights come from God, the lack of centralization in the national government, and the republican nature of the country.

For 120 years, progressives have made clear that they are unhappy about how the country was founded and have sought to erase it at every opportunity.

Social Control[edit]

See also: War on Freedom

Progressives seemingly promote "the experts" in all aspects of life, relying upon expertise^[18] to partially promote their goals.^[19] What underlies this, however, is the concept of social control.

For progressives, social control means molding "the masses" to the progressives' desires and controlling them without them knowing they are being externally manipulated.^[20] Progressives seek to achieve social control early on in the lives of Americans and use the school system to achieve this goal.^[21]

The phrase "social control" was first used by sociologist Edward Alsworth Ross, however, the concept of controlling all aspects of society undergirds every action that progressives take. Social control is at its core about remaking individuals into a part of the collective whole. Ross wrote:

As the moulding of the individual's feelings and desires to suit the needs of the group is the profoundest alteration of associated life, we must regard it as the highest and most difficult work of society, the achievement which most signally shows its presence and power.

And:

By Social Control, on the other hand, I mean that ascendency over the aims and acts of the individual which is exercised on behalf of the group. It is a sway that is not casual or incidental, but is purposive and at its inception conscious. It is kept up partly by definite organs, formally constituted and supported by the will of society, and partly by informal spontaneous agencies that, consciously or unconsciously, serve the social interest and function under constant supervision from above.^[22]

Progressivism or Liberalism?[edit]

Woodrow Wilson, second progressive president

Most of the time, when we think of Liberals what we are actually thinking about are Progressives.^[23] During the era leading up to World War I, progressives had been so successful at implementing their ideas and had so frightened the American People, that after the war progressives had to change their title and take over the word liberal. FDR would be the first major progressive who would become known as a liberal.^[23]

Reagan's Warning[edit]

Without expressly using the name of "progressivism", Reagan did illustrate the progressives' abuse of regulation and regulatory authority in order to dictate to society, in his speech A Time for Choosing.

Now it doesn't require expropriation or confiscation of private property or business to impose socialism on a people. What does it mean whether you hold the deed to the - or the title to your business or property if the government holds the power of life and death over that business or property? And such machinery already exists. The government can find some charge to bring against any concern it chooses to prosecute. Every businessman has his own tale of harassment. Somewhere a perversion has taken place. Our natural, unalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation of government, and freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp as it is at this moment.

Name Change[edit]

Between the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, the success of conservatism during the Roaring Twenties and the Presidency of Calvin Coolidge, and the failure of an actual progressive party in the 1912 Bull Moose party, progressivism as an ideology was nearly lost. Then, along came Franklin Delano Roosevelt. At his acceptance speech for the Nomination for President on the Democrat ticket, FDR himself is the one who led the way toward renaming the ideology.^[24]

Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the name from Progressivism to Liberalism

During the speech, FDR proclaimed that the party was the party of "real progress, of real justice, of real equality" and that the party should "feel that in everything we do there still lives with us, if not the body, the great indomitable, unquenchable, progressive soul of our Commander-in-Chief, Woodrow Wilson."^[25] In addition, FDR made it a point to link progress and liberalism, saying that the Democrat Party "is the bearer of liberalism and of progress", and finally he set the new title in motion:

Yes, the people of this country want a genuine choice this year, not a choice between two names for the same reactionary doctrine. Ours must be a party of liberal thought, of planned action, of enlightened international outlook, and of the greatest good to the greatest number of our citizens.^[25]

Progressivism had actively been renamed. From this moment on, it would be known as liberalism.^[26] Reagan spoke of a perversion taking place, and that perversion took place on July 2, 1932. Previously, the word "liberalism" stood for limited government and liberty, but now the word stood for authoritarian control.

This title shift lasted for nearly a century until Howard Dean revived the term progressive as head of the DNC.^[23] Since the time of FDR bringing the ideology under the cloak of "liberalism", progressives have done significant damage to the word "liberal", and have seen a need for yet another name change to a word that isn't as damaged. Having left the word "progressive" dormant for all these years, most Americans have forgotten how terrifying progressivism really is, leaving progressives to freely re-use their original label.

Hillary Clinton would further bring the label of progressive back to the forefront on the national stage at a debate during the 2008 election, when answering a question as to if she would describe herself as a liberal.^[27] The title of Progressive is now back in vogue with everybody on the left describing themselves that way, including President Obama.^[28]

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Hillary Clinton has openly run her campaign as a progressive, using that specific label.^[29]

Understanding Progressive Ideology[edit]

The key to understanding progressive ideology is in understanding both sides of the beneficiary equation. The following table, based on the 1912 Progressive Party Platform^[30] and the proposal by Franklin Delano Roosevelt for a Second Bill of Rights,^[31] illustrates:

Progressives removed the statue of Frederick Douglas during the 2020 Marxist uprising.

Whatever "the issue" of the day is, is not really the issue. "The issue" is a cloak to camouflage both the real means as well as the goal. Growing government is always the issue. Control over the citizens is always the foundational issue underlying everything that motivates progressives.

Modern progressivism[edit]

Ridicule over reasonable debate[edit]

For more detailed treatments, see Atheism and mockery and Saul Alinsky.

In a BloombergView article, Stephen L. Carter wrote about the left:

Historically, atheists have skewed towards the left side of the political aisle (see: Atheism and politics and Secular left and Atheism and communism).^{[35][36][37][38][39]}

Although the secular left is known for ridiculing religion since at least the time of French Revolution (see: Atheism and mockery), the secular left is known for its humorlessness when it comes to others mocking of its ideology (See also: Atheism and humor and Atheism and intolerance and Atheist hypocrisy).

See also[edit]

• Atheism, social justice and hypocrisy
• Liberalism
• Administrative State
• Central planning
• Constitution 201
• Initiatives and referendums in the United States
• Philip Dru

Bibliography[edit]

• Pestritto, Ronald J. Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism. (2005)
• Pestritto, Ronald J. American Progressivism: A Reader. (2008)
• Napolitano, Andrew P. Theodore and Woodrow: How Two American Presidents Destroyed Constitutional Freedom. (2012)
• Rotunda, Ronald D. The Politics of Language: Liberalism as Word and Symbol (1986)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• What is progressivism?, at GotQuestions
• Progressivism on Discover the Networks
• The bad roots of Progressivism make for a poisonous tree, by Steven Kessler, LifeSiteNews (from the American Thinker).
• You want a more 'progressive' America? Careful what you wish for.
• The Rise Of Progressivism And Administrative Agency In American History
• Alexander Solzhenitsyn Takes On The Progressives, Louis Markos, The Federalist, January 29, 2021
• Jim Jones on gay marriage, women's rights, white privilege and other Progressive causes