March 11, 2019

Milwaukee and socialism.


From the Wikipedia article on Milwaukee:
During the first sixty years of the 20th century, Milwaukee was the major city in which the Socialist Party of America earned the highest votes. Milwaukee elected three mayors who ran on the ticket of the Socialist Party: Emil Seidel (1910–1912), Daniel Hoan (1916–1940), and Frank Zeidler (1948–1960). Often referred to as "Sewer Socialists", the Milwaukee Socialists were characterized by their practical approach to government and labor.
From the Wikipedia article, "Sewer Socialism":
With the creation of the Socialist Party of America, this group formed the core of an element that favored democratic socialism over orthodox Marxism, de-emphasizing social theory and revolutionary rhetoric in favor of honest government and efforts to improve public health. The sewer socialists fought to clean up what they saw as "the dirty and polluted legacy of the Industrial Revolution", cleaning up neighborhoods and factories with new sanitation systems, city-owned water and power systems and improved education. This approach is sometimes called "constructive socialism"....

Although the Socialists had many ideas and policies similar to those of the Wisconsin Progressives, tensions still existed between the two groups because of their differing ideologies. Socialist Assemblyman George L. Tews during a 1932 debate on unemployment compensation and how to fund it argued for the socialist bill and against the Progressive substitute, stating that a Progressive was "a Socialist with the brains knocked out"....

In 1961, Progressive editor William Evjue wrote of the Wisconsin Socialist legislators he had known by saying: "They never were approached by the lobbyists, because the lobbyists knew it was not possible to influence these men. They were incorruptible".

42 comments:

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Yay lets go backwards!

Lucid-Ideas said...

The rumpification and self-segregation of the American far-left cohort continues with bated breath.

They return to those places that birthed them, like salmon returning to ancestral streams to inbreed and have their carcasses devoured by hungry bears.

Mattman26 said...

"No city in America has stronger ties to socialism than Milwaukee."

I think that's true of Nazism too.

Nonapod said...

"They never were approached by the lobbyists, because the lobbyists knew it was not possible to influence these men. They were incorruptible".

True believers are the most useful of idiots. They will die for their righteous certainty without hesitation. They will abet their own obliteration with a smile on their face as any zealot will.

traditionalguy said...

Scandinavia on the Lake.

Scott M said...

"Actually it's pronounced 'mill-e-wah-que,' which is Algonquin for, 'the good land'."

Scott M said...

"I think one of the most interesting aspects of Milwaukee is the fact that it's the only major American city to have ever elected three socialist mayors." - Alice Cooper

Fen said...

"They never were approached by the lobbyists, because the lobbyists knew it was not possible to influence these men. They were incorruptible"

I'll take "why Socialism always fails" for 200, Bob.

"People who believe themselves to be free, and indeed are free, from snobbery, and who read satires on snobbery with tranquil superiority, may be devoured by the desire in another form. It may be the very intensity of their desire to enter some quite different Ring which renders them immune from all the allurements of high life. An invitation from a duchess would be very cold comfort to a man smarting under the sense of exclusion from some artistic or communistic cĂ´terie. Poor man—it is not large, lighted rooms, or champagne, or even scandals about peers and Cabinet Ministers that he wants: it is the sacred little attic or studio, the heads bent together, the fog of tobacco smoke, and the delicious knowledge that we—we four or five all huddled beside this stove—are the people who know." - C.S. Lewis, The Inner Ring

tcrosse said...

If you pronounce the 'L' in Milwaukee it shows that you're from someplace else.'

Fen said...

Thou shall not suffer a Marxist to live.

"Punch a Nazi, sure. But kill the Marxists" - Jonah Goldberg

AllenS said...

"They never were approached by the lobbyists, because the lobbyists knew it was not possible to influence these men. They were incorruptible".

Tags: laugh of the day

Bilwick said...

"No city in America has stronger ties to socialism than Milwaukee."

In honor of that fact, they should change Milwaukee's nickname to "The Stupid City."

Mike Sylwester said...

Molly is a nickname for Mary.

gspencer said...

And who could forget about Milwaukee's red Father Groppi.*

Wiki, "On September 29, 1969, Groppi organized and led the "Welfare Mothers' March on Madison," during which over 1,000 welfare mothers marched into Wisconsin's State Assembly chamber [employing the then new Cloward–Piven strategy], seizing it in protest against planned welfare cuts. Groppi and his supporters held the State Assembly chamber in a sitdown strike for 11 hours before police recovered the chamber. Cited in a bill of attainder for "contempt of the State Assembly" and sentenced to six months in jail, Groppi appealed to the federal courts, which quickly reversed his conviction. His last appeal was to U.S. Supreme Court, which in Groppi v. Leslie invalidated the contempt citation on notice and due process grounds."

*As far as I know no sexual charges were lodged against him. That name however is so appropriate for so many other priests.

Wince said...

The socialism that made Milwaukee infamous.

tcrosse said...

Blogger traditionalguy said...
Scandinavia on the Lake.


More like Plattdeutschers and assorted Slavs.

Lurker21 said...

This is the first time a major party nominating convention will be held in Milwaukee. But the Socialist Party USA has had its convention in Milwaukee seven times and the Greens have had it there once.

The other cities with socialist mayors were Bridgeport CT, Reading PA, Rockford IL, and more recently, Burlington VT (Hi, Bernie). Many of the early mayors were "gas and water socialists" who took over the utilities and provided an alternative to the usual machine politics, but didn't go far in imposing a new order on society.

Lurker21 said...

And if you're in Madison, you probably have tales of Paul Soglin. Socialist in all but official party registration?

Unknown said...

"Today the New Order [i.e., American Nazi Party] operates quietly far from the public spotlight, eschewing the confrontational public rallies that were once a hallmark of its previous incarnations. It maintains a web page and a Milwaukee, Wisconsin post office box providing information and template material promoting National Socialism."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Nazi_Party

Gospace said...

When I was in school in Great Mistakes, we were advised if we wanted to go to a city- go to Chicago, not Milwaukee. There was a strong anti-military undercurrent in Milwaukee. Ten years later, stationed there as an instructor, we advised students to travel to Chicago, not Milwaukee, for the same reasons. As long as you stay in the right areas of Chicago, you're safe. There are no right areas of Milwaukee for military personnel.

Limited blogger said...

So Bernie could be mayor of Milwaukee?

tcrosse said...

Milwaukee was a very well-run city under the Sewer Socialists, and most of what they advocated has come to pass, for good or ill. What finally did in Milwaukee Socialism was Diversity and post-war Prosperity.

JohnAnnArbor said...

As is often the case, there is a relevant Wayne's World quote. (Relevant part starts at 1:08.)

JohnAnnArbor said...

Ah, Scott McGlasson's quotes are from my clip.

Sebastian said...

Milwaukee is the right place for the Socialist Party to meet.

After the honest conversation about race, can we have an honest conversation about socialism?

Right, didn't think so.

James Pawlak said...

The House of Representatives refused to seat Milwaukee Socialists out of an unfounded fear that they would bring "free love" and other horrors to our, most moral, community.
At this time, The House has allowed followers of the criminal-terrorist ideology of Islam four seats on the more orthodox of those Muslims a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee as gives her (Omar) direct access to many of Republic's most important secretes.

Ambrose said...

Democrats pick Milwaukee to establish their rust belt blue collar bona fides. Instead, end up reinforcing the idea that they are too socialist. That is great - almost Karl Rovian.

Shouting Thomas said...

Pray to God that President Trump wins re-election.

Michael K said...

“The typical Socialist is not, as tremulous old ladies imagine, a ferocious-looking working man with greasy overalls and a raucous voice. He is either a youthful snob-Bolshevik who in five years’ time will quite probably have made a wealthy marriage and been converted to Roman Catholicism; or, still more typically, a prim little man with a white-collar job, usually a secret teetotaller and often with vegetarian leanings, with a history of Nonconformity behind him, and, above all, with a social position which he has no intention of forfeiting.”

George Orwell

Kevin said...

Time for another Althouse poll!

The site of the 2020 Democrat National Convention was put in the most Socialist city in America because:

A. The Dems are all in on Socialism
B. The Dems knew, but picked it for other reasons
C. The Dems didn't realize it
D. The Dems are luring Trump into a trap

Kevin said...

Any thread with Alice Cooper quotes is off to a good start.

Dad29 said...

Pawlak and tcrosse are correct.

What's missing from the Wiki (et al) summations is RELIGION. The Socialists in Milwaukee were, by and large, believing Lutherans. It wasn't just 'show-up-at-church' Lutheranism, either; they were very serious about the morality, honor, and ethics.

That's not the same today; Lutheran, Catholic, or "other" tend to compartmentalize religion.

Henry Maier was a Democrat, not a socialist; it was during his (lengthy) reign that Milwaukee began to deteriorate--but that was not entirely Maier's fault, as the State and Fed governments (and the jackass black-robed lefties) were legislating and regulating the intact family out of existence. That increased the welfare-dollars burden, resulting in loss of tax-base industry and population.

Oh, well. Perhaps the (D) Party will re-run Chicago/'68. Makes for good TeeVee anyway.

MeatPopscicle1234 said...

Some people really would rather be ruled over by a charismatic dictator than to live free... It boggles the mind...

rhhardin said...

In Heaven everybody speaks Russian.

rcocean said...

Milwaukee was a well-run city for a long time. It wasn't because it was "Socialist" It was well-run because it was full of Germans, with some Poles and Irish.

If you could replace the current population of Detroit with some German Socialists from Frankfurt and Hamburg - it'd be quite the showplace.

Quaestor said...

Whoops, that's an error 25 times.

Apparently, the wonderful AOC socialists who run Google can't be bothered to fix a product which yields a rather thin revenue stream.

Milwaukie guy said...

Milwaukie, Oregon, is named for Milwaukee but its founders thought their spelling was more Algonquin-like. For a while it was a competitive Willamette river port with Portland.

tcrosse said...

Frank Zeidler was nice enough to show up at my Grandmother's funeral in 1975. At the time, he could have passed for a Moderate Republican. My Dad knew him from when they were kids, pulled me aside and advised me to steer clear of him. He had learned how to hide his horns and pointy tail.

wwww said...

"The site of the 2020 Democrat National Convention was put in the most Socialist city in America because:"

because if Ds win Wisconsin they win the White House. Does Madison have enough hotels for the convention? If not, there's 1 city left with enough hotel rooms.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Thou shall not suffer a Marxist to live.

"Punch a Nazi, sure. But kill the Marxists" - Jonah Goldberg
——————————————

“Most presidents try to expand their coalition while holding onto their base. Trump has shrunk his coalition and laid the foundation for future shrinkage by forcing his party to endorse this behavior. Trump will be gone soon enough, but at this rate the party of Trump will be a rump party.”

Jonah Goldberg

Inga...Allie Oop said...

Blogger traditionalguy said...
“Scandinavia on the Lake.”

“More like Plattdeutschers and assorted Slavs.”-tcrosse

Milwaukee was full of these folks at one time...

The Donauschwaben, my people. How dare they/we celebrate their/our heritage! Some might say they’re not real Americans.


Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Does Madison have enough hotels for the convention? If not, there's 1 city left with enough hotel rooms.”

The convention will be in Milwaukee.