32 Comments
Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

Brilliantly written and researched. Unfortunately, modern progressives find it unnecessary to study history and learn from it. We are now seeing the beginning of their feeding on each other, whenever inadequate virtue signaling is observed.

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

This article cleared my perspective of where we are and how we got here, thank you!

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Great article. Covid in a sense was a good excuse for an escalation of government intrusion into our inalienable? civil rights. The next travesty by the government (the Fed) will be the de facto default on US bondholders by continuing the unprecedented growth of the money supply through money printing that makes the ruling elite richer (and more powerful) with the offset being the erosion of purchasing power by the common man. We are quickly headed towards Argentina and Ancient Rome's plight and worse yet, Hitler's end to the Weimar republic in 1929...The ugly word is hyperinflation. When the "money goes bad" every politician will follow along or lead the charge. "Climate change" will be the new war to make the world safe for democracy. Our Great "Empire" is crumbling. Civil rights will be a thing of the past and social unrest will be the new normal...heavy sigh.

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the 'Fourth Turning' captured much of this history and predicted the next civil war .. or??

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Dear Joel thank you for having the courage, lucidity and exceptional intelligence that best represents what America once stood 'for and against'. Thousands of us have migrated to other parts of the world as we saw the slow pernicious demise and perversion of what terms like 'individual, freedom, liberty,' were being twisted into a manifesto for control over individual

rights as a means of 'forced' control thus replacing the individual quest for self responsibility and self determination now mandated by the state/law rather than relying on any 'self evident'

thoughts words and deeds of each individual. So now we have 'heard mentality', rather than individual inalienable rights, to dictate what, when, how and to whom we may speak or even direct our gaze. Thank you again for your 'ray of hope 'Second Coming Progressivism article.

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great response Ralph...problem is, there isn't any solution.

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the solution is sadly traumatic given the polarization of have/wants/neocons .. if only Ron Paul had been able to get more traction with less threats to the establishment beltway/consults and power mongers then maybe but perhaps someone else will rise out of the masses and inspire the youth to demand change .. lets hope so!

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

I find it ironic the people who are illiterate about the Federal Reserve will never recognize that Mr. Wilson initiated the fertilizer for the "Deep State" (currency control). Additionally, Mr. Wilsons fascination about a "One World Order" with no individual rights.

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right on the money...so to speak...

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

A great Xmas read .thank you for your well written and timely narrative.

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

Moved to the Bay Area in 1969 and stayed throughout the early 70s. As such I can attest to the fact that we believed and acted on the principles enumerated in the excellent piece above. It was only later, once I became a Libertarian in 1976 that began to research how we got into this mess. I came to the conclusion that Woodrow Wilson was the worst President ever. (the Federal Reserve and the Income Tax)

This article connects our present circle back to Wilsonian progressives and all that that entails.

Very well done and thanking you.

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yep kids from the 'Valley' thought they had it all living under the runway of Burbank airport until the Watts riots and RFK assassination etc we just gave up and left but others came and started their era of money making .. only the money is worthless .. so it goes

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

WOW well written article (yes insightful and eloquent) which covered a lot on views of our public discourse recently and historically. While I will reflect on the content, I will continue listening to people of all persuasions that I encounter. After which I prefer not criticizing but just complimenting on whatever I find positive. No, that will not likely change anyone much. Heck, I was only minimally successful in a life career trying to reduce pollution of our environment but I am at peace and view some smiles and happier people whether right or left or purple or . . . .

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

From Yeat's great poem, a poem I've many times the last several years, to its outstanding summary of Wilsonian progressivism an outstanding essay. Few are the articles, I read in totality, this one warranted several rereads. Thank you.

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

O-so-true! Perceptive, accessible and informative. THANK YOU!

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Eloquent article. Touched on many trends, intolerance foremost. One take-away: Labels change every roughly every fifty years.

What were once demands for unfettered freedom; to get the government off our backs are now widespread demands to restrict freedom; to blame rather than to better.

What's constant, however, is change. It's a-churning. Case in point: Lincoln's Republican Party is now the Democratic Party and the reactionary Democratic Party of his era is today's Republican Party.

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

Joel, Great article as someone who grew up in the 60's and was socially and politically active you did a great job of articulating what I have believed for a long time.

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

Awesome article

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author

Thanks, mate. Merry Christmas!

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Dec 25, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

Excellently presented narrative. You have accurately portrayed one of our most evil Presidents and one of our most evil, though revered (wonder why? this essay hints well), Supreme Court associate justices. -- Two souls steeped in and wallowing in the Progressive mentality of their day. -- Overlooked Wilson's philosophical "mentor" at Princeton, though, a Charles? Goodnow, himself wallowing in mob-style "democracy", at the time disguised as the social application of biological Darwinism to our Constitutional Jurisprudence, e.g. as a "modern" society requiring a "living Constitution", i.e. one adaptable to support the momentary good feelings of all plebes, on the one hand, and on the other the right and requirement of the State to keep them in check. Three very evil anti-liberties types whose current heirs are running amuk. -- Thank you for a well-done essay! Merry Christmas !

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Dec 26, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

A voice of clarity in a delusional society which has lost all anchors. Thank you Joel

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Dec 26, 2021Liked by Joel Bowman

WOW! Thank you

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