A poster for Victor L. Berger, on display at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Berger ran on the Socialist ticket.
Berger was a founder of the Socialist Party of America in 1901....Here's a closeup of the small poster at the corner of that display — replete with historical graffiti:
Berger ran for Congress and lost in 1904 before winning Wisconsin's 5th congressional district seat in 1910 as the first Socialist to serve in the United States Congress. In Congress, he focused on issues related to the District of Columbia and also more radical proposals, including eliminating the President's veto, abolishing the Senate, and the social takeover of major industries. Berger gained national publicity for his old-age pension bill, the first of its kind introduced into Congress.
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39 comments:
I wonder if he followed the thinking of Norman Thomas.
Consider his most famous quote:
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened."
Ah, 111 years old and nothing much has changed on the socialist front. Well, unless you count ritual human sacrifice. But the French arguably invented that entertainment in 1793.
He has a passing resemblance to Michael Radford's Big Brother
Althouse, your free speech meme reached diminishing returns some time ago ...
I was going to say that with that "tax the profiteers" motto, it could be an Obama poster.
But then I saw the line about "free speech.". What was this guy, some sort of reactionary Rethuglikkkan?
shiloh said...
Althouse, your free speech meme reached diminishing returns some time ago ...
Interesting for someone who was supposed to have taken an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.
You'd almost think he was a phony.
Almost?
Dammit, edutcher, you've tricked me into reading a comment by shilol.
I see that the concept of "diminishing returns" is yet another thing he/she refers to yet does not understand.
Actually, Althouse #1 trained seal, when one joins the military they no longer fall under the U.S. Constitution. Rather, they are now Uncle Sam's property beholden to the UCMJ and military regulations.
Also interesting much as the military tries to make it "mandatory" the majority of U.S. servicemen/women don't vote.
I believe that the majority of our servicemen and women do make every effort to vote.
I believe that Democrats do whatever they can to prevent those votes from being counted.
I believe that the picture of Victor Berger in that poster makes me want to hit him in the face with a cream pie. However he died 83 years ago so that is not possible. Alas!
I'm glad to see someone thought to add, "of a Russian kind."
fixednoise ~ Group warns of 'bleak' military voter participation despite Pentagon efforts
"They fight for our freedom on the front lines, but members of our military could have less of an impact at the ballot box this year.
Estimates say that the number of troops who will end up voting in the November could be down by more than a third.
"We could see an election where turnout is down 25 or 35 percent," predicts Eric Eversole, executive director of the Military Voter Protection Project, which brands this year’s predicted military voter participation levels as "bleak."
In the crucial swing state of Ohio, the group’s report found that only 3.3 percent of the eligible military voters have requested ballots as of Aug. 21.
North Carolina had even less, just 1.7 percent, Virginia a scant 1.4 percent. And the key state of Florida reported a rate of 15.7 percent."
>
I believe Big Mike is an idiot. ok, that's a lie as I'm certain Big Mike is an idiot!
A problem that plagued the true-Marxist left parties in the United States was that they were parties of first generation immigrants, and the native-born avoided them like the plague.
One of the primary reasons that Earl Browder got in and lasted as long as he did was because he, almost alone among top CPUSA officers of the time, spoke unaccented English.
Chip S. said...
Dammit, edutcher, you've tricked me into reading a comment by shilol.
"Shilol" Nice coinage...intentional? The chemical suffix "ol" connotes the alcoholic nature of the shill.
Speaking of free speech, Romney has been speaking a little too freely.
Who would have guessed he held so much of the country in such disdain.
chickelit said....intentional?
You betcha! lol :P
"Peace, Being Left Alone," never occurs to a socialist.
I mean, what fun is there in live and let live?
what fun is there in live and let live?
Plenty, if you know how to live.
That's what probably bothers them.
shiloh said...
Actually, Althouse #1 trained seal, when one joins the military they no longer fall under the U.S. Constitution. Rather, they are now Uncle Sam's property beholden to the UCMJ and military regulations.
I was talking about the oath, not what legal system.
He can't read, either.
Also interesting much as the military tries to make it "mandatory" the majority of U.S. servicemen/women don't vote.
Like to hear some of our real vets weigh in on this.
You will stay around to answer questions, won't you?
I believe Big Mike is an idiot. ok, that's a lie as I'm certain Big Mike is an idiot!
As they say, it takes one....
This is only distantly related so shoot me but it's Obama's famous socialist meme You didn't build that set to MC Hammer. Amusing if you have time for this sort of rot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQu2SVFF-cU&feature=share
Fool me once, edutcher, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
If in the future I repeat points you've already made, you'll know why. Apologies in advance.
Sorry about that.
I know reading the little animal corrodes the brain, but I was trying to spare you the trial.
Behold: The modern democrat party.
wait... minus the free speech part.
Let the record show Chip S. is a trained seal's sidekick. Congrats!
"when one joins the military they no longer fall under the U.S. Constitution. Rather, they are now Uncle Sam's property beholden to the UCMJ and military regulations."
And those of us who've actually served in the U.S. military take an oath to defend The Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Did you miss that part moron?
Is the reason for your lack of reading skills because you were given a Chicago public school education.
Shiloh is stoned again.
Isn't marxism cool. Still the same rhetoric, still the same iconoclasty. Man, it is one consistent ideology. Consistently evil.
shiloh said...
Althouse, your free speech meme reached diminishing returns some time ago ...
Sort of like your attempt at repartee`?
AprilApple said...
Shiloh is stoned again.
Shiloh leave no turn unstoned.
jdkchem's reading deficit notwithstanding ...
Yes I took the oath, but you lose some rights guaranteed by the constitution when you join the military which is what I stated. ie you're defending some rights you no longer have yourself.
Let the record show = shilol speak for, "I need to rearrange reality".
shiloh said...
jdkchem's reading deficit notwithstanding ...
Yes I took the oath, but you lose some rights guaranteed by the constitution when you join the military which is what I stated. ie you're defending some rights you no longer have yourself.
So?
Sounds like someone who stood outside the gate holding a sign.
But that's the deal going in. For the good of the service, one surrenders some privilege for the privilege of service.
Those rights that are defended are those of the service(wo)man's friends, family, and neighbors.
Generally when Socialists are written about, they are commended for their forward social attitudes. Their support of social security and disability insurance are always mentioned. Their more hare brained schemes are left on the cutting room floor.....I thank Althouse for her mention of Berger's vision of eliminating the Senate and the Presidential veto. I read Amity Shlaes book about the New Deal, The Forgotten Man. I wonder how many people know that the Agricultual Adjustment Administration sent a group of "farm experts" to the USSR to study the useful lessons that the USA could learn from the collective farm system there.
Althouse, your free speech meme..
Free speech is a meme now... today, Sept 17th.
When I was in the army they went out of their way to get us to vote. That included setting aside time and space and "encouraging" us almost to the point of harassment.
And he burns in hell---with the murderous traitor Ted Kennedy right next to him.
"That included setting aside time and space and "encouraging" us almost to the point of harassment."
Around '85/'86 the USN started their "mandatory" voting push, but when you're a sailor on a carrier in the Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean, voting isn't a high priority!
Funny thing. Once the socialists get in office, there goes the free press. There goes free speech.
Perhaps the difference between then and now is, we've seen actually-existing socialism, so we know (or should know) that it doesn't work.
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