Nickolai wrote:
Liberalism did not take root in the 1960's it began in the late 19th century with the founding of the peoples part. That party merged with the democratic party in 1896 and the nation entered the progressive era. The Progressive Era was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States, from the 1890s to the 1920s. The main objectives of the Progressive movement were eliminating problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and corruption in government. Initially the movement operated chiefly at local levels; later, it expanded to state and national levels. Progressives drew support from the middle class, and supporters included many lawyers, teachers, physicians, ministers, and business people. Some Progressives strongly supported scientific methods as applied to economics, government, industry, finance, medicine, schooling, theology, education, and even the family. They closely followed advances underway at the time in Western Europe and adopted numerous policies, such as a major transformation of the banking system by creating the Federal Reserve System in 1913. Reformers felt that old-fashioned ways meant waste and inefficiency, and eagerly sought out the "one best system" The movement primarily targeted political machines and their bosses. By taking down these corrupt representatives in office a further means of direct democracy would be established. They also sought regulation of monopolies (Trust Busting) and corporations through antitrust laws. These antitrust laws were seen as a way to promote equal competition for the advantage of legitimate competitors.
Progressive liberalism ended in 1972 when George McGovern was defeated in a land slide by Richard Nixon when Conservatives blamed the cultural shock and chaos of the 1960's on liberals and began demonizing liberals to such an extent they began referring to themselves as progressives in order to avoid the dreaded " L "word . One can say the progressive era began in the 1890's lasted until WW-l revived in the great depression built the greatest middle class the world had ever seen and died in the early 1970's when the economic elite's decided to reclaim the nation for business and began pouring money into our politics buying the favor of the politician's of booth parties
Liberalism did not take root in the 1960's it bega... (
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I bet you didn't since you are so wise as to know that getting all the people in the US together to vote on proposed laws would require a very large meeting place. Direct democracy may work in a small town but surely not anything larger. You lefties sure don't seem to realize this.