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NewSystemNeeded

(111 posts)
30. There was a concerted efforted by enemies of the New Deal to dismantle the coalition.
Mon Jun 15, 2015, 03:51 PM
Jun 2015
Organized labor's decline in the US over the past half century is well-known; what drove that decline, less so. The New Deal's enemies – big business, Republicans, conservatives – had developed a coordinated strategy by the late 1940s. They would break up the coalition of organized labor, socialist and communist parties: the mass base that had forced through the 1930s New Deal. Then each coalition member could be individually destroyed.

One line of attack used anti-communist witch-hunts (McCarthyism) to frighten socialists and labor unions into dissociating themselves from former communist allies. Another attack targeted socialists by equating them with communists and applying the same demonization. Still another attack, the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, directly weakened labor unions, their organizing capability and their alliance with the left.

Business and political leaders, mass media and academics cultivated a paranoid anxiety among Americans: suspect anything even vaguely leftist, see risks of "subversion" everywhere, and avoid organizations unless religious or loudly patriotic. Legal, ideological and police pressures rendered communist and socialist parties tiny and ineffective. Destroying unions took longer. The unionized portion of private sector workers fell from a third to less than 7% now. Since 2007, conservatives used crisis-driven drops in state and city tax revenues to intensify attacks on public employee benefits and unions. Both were denounced as "excessive and unaffordable for taxpayers". That plus public worker layoffs reduced public sector unionization.


Attributing it all to the Civil Rights movement is a myopic view of history.

http://rdwolff.com/content/organized-labors-decline-us-well-known-what-drove-it

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Who has compared the Clintons to FDR? n/t 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2015 #1
Hillary Clinton OnlinePoker Jun 2015 #7
She was inspired by them, she says... joeybee12 Jun 2015 #12
So was Bill ...right? FFS L0oniX Jun 2015 #69
Haven't really seen a rash of people making the comparison. NCTraveler Jun 2015 #2
Hillary has a better record on human rights, equality, and civil rights. JaneyVee Jun 2015 #3
FACT wyldwolf Jun 2015 #56
Your misunderstanding is evident by your post. mmonk Jun 2015 #60
How so? wyldwolf Jun 2015 #63
Did the Clinton Campaign stage this to emulalate FDR on those issues? mmonk Jun 2015 #65
Does Hillary have a better record on human rights, equality, and civil rights than FDR did? wyldwolf Jun 2015 #66
Most likely as we have advanced a long way since then in certain terms. mmonk Jun 2015 #79
Not 'most likely.' Most definitely wyldwolf Jun 2015 #88
It is silly to compare leaders from different eras. DemocratSinceBirth Jun 2015 #4
ot really is. it's anachronistic. cali Jun 2015 #10
The Republicans were in disarray in 1932... DemocratSinceBirth Jun 2015 #18
Sure, just like comparing FDR to Lincoln or Jefferson would be crazy. geek tragedy Jun 2015 #5
Had not seen the comparison made. FDR had to deal with a Depression and World War. pampango Jun 2015 #6
Too much history to take into consideration for any MineralMan Jun 2015 #8
Am I missing something or you who have responded? mmonk Jun 2015 #9
I think it was just an opportunistic choice of venue bigtree Jun 2015 #13
Every Dem candidate pays homage to FDR...they can't escape his legacy... joeybee12 Jun 2015 #14
Did Obama pay homage to FDR? Art_from_Ark Jun 2015 #67
They all did...I don't think people realize just how influential FDR joeybee12 Jun 2015 #72
Quoting someone is not the same as comparing yourself to them. nt geek tragedy Jun 2015 #16
It's also insulting. NewSystemNeeded Jun 2015 #11
At which "pet causes" are you sneering, new user? geek tragedy Jun 2015 #17
No, but thanks for putting words in my mouth. NewSystemNeeded Jun 2015 #19
You do need to explain yourself. Because there's really no other way geek tragedy Jun 2015 #21
I didn't sneer at pet causes. NewSystemNeeded Jun 2015 #25
You still have yet to identify what issues you consider "pet causes" and which kinds of people you geek tragedy Jun 2015 #27
There was a concerted efforted by enemies of the New Deal to dismantle the coalition. NewSystemNeeded Jun 2015 #30
Something here is myopic. It was the Democratic party, not the socialists and communists, geek tragedy Jun 2015 #34
It did not. The voting rights did under LBJ did. mmonk Jun 2015 #20
The split up began in 1948 when Truman desegregated the armed forces. geek tragedy Jun 2015 #22
You're ignoring the 3-way split in '48 - the Cold War purge and withdrawal of the progressive Left leveymg Jun 2015 #36
That is exactly what FDR did wyldwolf Jun 2015 #58
Well, the Clintons never did this: NYC Liberal Jun 2015 #15
Extraordinary Rendition was not in the same vein? mmonk Jun 2015 #23
No, not even close. Not in the same ballpark, not even the same sport. nt geek tragedy Jun 2015 #24
So kidnapping and torture due to ethnicity is not close? mmonk Jun 2015 #26
Extraordinary rendition wasn't done on the basis of ethnicity. geek tragedy Jun 2015 #28
Sorry you do not see the connection between the unconstitutionallity mmonk Jun 2015 #32
I see things very clearly, you're playing a game of "squirrel!" in trying to debate FDR's geek tragedy Jun 2015 #38
This conversation started about Clinton referencing Roosevelt for her campaign. mmonk Jun 2015 #42
Just to be clear, your position is that Democratic candidates should drop any and all geek tragedy Jun 2015 #46
If they have been active in dismantling the New Deal concepts, yes. mmonk Jun 2015 #47
what do you think of the S-CHIP program? nt geek tragedy Jun 2015 #48
Interesting that concept "dismantling the New Deal concepts." wyldwolf Jun 2015 #71
Well, if you want to make that comparison. But then your thread subject would be moot... NYC Liberal Jun 2015 #29
It was the Clinton campaign that evoked the comparison, not me. mmonk Jun 2015 #33
Oh how quick we forget CTBlueboy Jun 2015 #37
Just like FDR was a "proud opponent" of anti-lynching legislation when he caved to Southern racists. NYC Liberal Jun 2015 #54
Just as Bill Clinton CTBlueboy Jun 2015 #73
If we had intervened (which I believe we should have), NYC Liberal Jun 2015 #74
She'd facilitate the MIC more than he ever did . orpupilofnature57 Jun 2015 #55
Blasphemer!!!! JoePhilly Jun 2015 #57
Why in the world would I want to convince you of anything? rock Jun 2015 #31
I will,guaranteed. mmonk Jun 2015 #35
Proceed, Governor rock Jun 2015 #41
OK. mmonk Jun 2015 #83
Crazy - no, shrewd - yes fadedrose Jun 2015 #39
Thank you. Informed posters are a treat. mmonk Jun 2015 #43
"Those who do this don't even come close to representing the Democratic Party of that time" geek tragedy Jun 2015 #50
"FDR wasn't FDR - until his hand was forced by civil disobedience" YoungDemCA Jun 2015 #40
Not my point but thanks for your input. mmonk Jun 2015 #44
Recommended. H2O Man Jun 2015 #45
Thank you. mmonk Jun 2015 #49
Walking around believing "Bernie" can win a presidential campaign is crazy in my book. LordGlenconner Jun 2015 #51
Glad you get enjoyment on that sort of sorted thing. mmonk Jun 2015 #62
So dramatic LordGlenconner Jun 2015 #86
there will be all manner of conspiracy theories and lame excuses.. wyldwolf Jun 2015 #64
It is my understanding that in her speech Hillary said the her husband tryed to emulate FDR in jwirr Jun 2015 #52
LOL. mmonk Jun 2015 #61
Yep. jwirr Jun 2015 #75
I said it before, that's like Dan Quayle comparing himself to JFK . orpupilofnature57 Jun 2015 #53
Bingo mmonk Jun 2015 #59
It's a bold faced crazy lie ...and history proves it. Now Hillary is stealing the "99%" from Occupy L0oniX Jun 2015 #68
FDR caged the bankers. hifiguy Jun 2015 #70
Exactly. She better get away from her husbands administration now or she is going to be in big jwirr Jun 2015 #76
Yes. What a terrible 8 years it was redstateblues Jun 2015 #78
As in all bad policy, there is lag time. mmonk Jun 2015 #81
You do not seem to understand that while the 8 years was not so bad he laid the groundwork jwirr Jun 2015 #87
LOL !!! - I Love The Need To Knock FDR Down To Prop Up Our Present Day Short-Comings... WillyT Jun 2015 #77
Yep. mmonk Jun 2015 #80
I think it would be very educational. Orsino Jun 2015 #82
That is certainly true. mmonk Jun 2015 #84
Would FDR work with UBS? Octafish Jun 2015 #85
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