Mr Bouie -Nicley written gloss on the "Progressive Era" and the current anti-social safety net radicals in the current iteration of the Republicans.I'm very old now. but in my teens Richard Hofstadter  played a major part in shaping my thoughts on American history,and particularly on the social tensions in society that slowly eroded the antiquity of 18th C governance. Neither Teddy Roosevelt or FDR were anti-capitalists. However both had the sense to see that an impoverished and dis-enfranchised working class was a recipe for political turmoil and radicalism. LBJ for personal reasons also saw the need to extend "civil rights" to  American minorities. His "Great Society" was a mixed sucess/failure- but has been under a murderous attack by the GOP since  the 1980 election of Reagan .The bogus concept of "the government is our enemy" become the mantra of the GOP,worsening by the hours it seems.I have never understood how the relatively free and fair elections in the US, the politicians elected, and those they appoint -all of which is essentially the concept of governance in a free society- how did our government become the Enemy? Ego-driven theatrical 1 term Representatives, and an incredible "dumbing down of the electoric- where people say "I like him" and the press talks about " Who would you choose to sit down a beer with?Frankly at this juncture in American politics ...I'd rather just drink by myself.

Mr Bouie -Nicley written gloss on the "Progressive Era" and the current anti-social safety net radicals in the current iteration of the Republicans.I'm very old now. but in my teens Richard Hofstadter  played a major part in shaping my thoughts on American history,and particularly on the social tensions in society that slowly eroded the antiquity of 18th C governance. Neither Teddy Roosevelt or FDR were anti-capitalists. However both had the sense to see that an impoverished and dis-enfranchised working class was a recipe for political turmoil and radicalism. LBJ for personal reasons also saw the need to extend "civil rights" to  American minorities. His "Great Society" was a mixed sucess/failure- but has been under a murderous attack by the GOP since  the 1980 election of Reagan .The bogus concept of "the government is our enemy" become the mantra of the GOP,worsening by the hours it seems.I have never understood how the relatively free and fair elections in the US, the politicians elected, and those they appoint -all of which is essentially the concept of governance in a free society- how did our government become the Enemy? Ego-driven theatrical 1 term Representatives, and an incredible "dumbing down of the electoric- where people say "I like him" and the press talks about " Who would you choose to sit down a beer with?Frankly at this juncture in American politics ...I'd rather just drink by myself.

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