What is a Progressive?

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We have certainly heard the term recently. From the Democratic primary and into the general election. We heard that we need to be progressive to combat the economic situation. Progressivism is what the country needs. Mrs. Clinton the current Secretary of State described herself as "progressive."

For most of us. Progress means to to move forward, or to be in the process of moving forward. What does it mean to the democratic party? Has America ever experienced progressivism before? Is progressivism a good thing? Is progressivism what the citizens of this country need?

We need to start this by going back to the "Progressive" movement of the early 20th Century in the United States. Most progressives at the turn of the century had decided that "individualism" was counterproductive to a "fair" society. Progressives at the turn of the century wanted to heavily regulate business, by leveling the "playing" field. They wanted to equalize every one's opportunity at life by having a minimum wage, and a graduated income tax. They wanted to help people by enacting a policy of eugenics, which would sterilize the undesirables of society, the criminals and the mentally ill. They wanted government to become the "big brother" of all its citizens helping them by taking away all of the hard decisions in life.

This movement in the United States was headed by Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt and countless others. It was a movement made up of both sides of the Congressional aisle. Its wasn't a sole movement of the democratic party nor the republican party.In other countries the progressive movement was known by several different labels, in Russia it was communism, Italy had Fascism, Germany had National Socialism. ALL of these movements wanted to completely do away with society with all of its have's and have not's and remold it into a society where everyone has everything they need courtesy of the all benevolent, all powerful state. They wanted to bind business and industry to government regulation and control so no one corporation could out perform another. In Russia it was outright government ownership of business. In Italy corporations were brought under serious and debilitating government regulation and control as was the case in Nazi Germany. If the corporation didn't follow the government program their leadership was quickly replaced by individuals more willing to follow the governments guidelines.

These same antics were practiced here in the United States during World War one under Woodrow Wilson's War Industries Board, as well as under the New Deal economics, under President Franklin Roosevelt. During Wilson's administration people were arrested for little to no reason. Industries were regulated and bent towards the government's will. During Franklin Roosevelt's administration, the National Recovery Administration destroyed businesses who didn't completely support the policies of the New Deal. The NRA promoted compliance with New Deal policies by arranging military parades and community get togethers. School children were forced to swear oaths to the "Blue Eagle," a symbol that was equated during those times with the German swastika or the Italians fasces.

During the 1960's and 1970's, American Progressives made their presence known in the streets. The Students for Democratic Society, Weather Underground, and the Black Panther's pushed for, using violent means, a revolution to force the equalization of all people. To eliminate "white" jobs and business and replace it with a communistic style of government. It was during this time that academics were slowly being converted to the ideas of progressivism, and due to the academics conversion America has seen a dramatic increase of progressive ideas and legislation.

Today progressivism has control of the country but that did not start with the election of Barack Obama. It started during the second term of George W. Bush with the collapse of the housing market. Bush reacted to the collapse as a progressive instead of on the platform upon which he was reelected. He was responsible for the first stimulus package, which was based on the politics of fear and crisis, which is another favorite tool of the progressive movement in America. Barack Obama is now accelerating the spending, nationalizing General Motors and Chrysler, forced a second stimulus package through a liberal congress, and is now discussing how to best implement a nationalized health care service.

The ground work has been laid for a totalitarian government. A government which will tell you what to do, how to do it, whether you deserve to be operated on, whether you child really needs to have that medicine. America will never be Nazi Germany, we will be slaves to an all powerful federal government through taxes and compulsory service to our "community," in which we live. Individualism will be destroyed along with initiative and be replaced by the masses and apathy.

Remember the election of Ronald Reagan? America was adrift without direction. He fixed all that. We as a people have squandered what that man built. He lowered taxes across the board, on all citizens. He reinstilled pride in our country. Industry, business and the general public prospered during his two terms. Since he left office, we, through our apathy have let the country fall back into progressive ways.

Progressives will take up any cause that some how resembles their own because it brings more people to follow them without those people actually realizing what they are getting themselves into. This is why the democratic party champions the rights of minorities, homosexuals and illegal immigrants, they want your votes, they don't care about you anymore then the next guy. They want to use your cause to strip rights from others to make everyone "equal." Yes, they may actually help you with your situation, but what do you give up? You give up your freedom, while your vote helps them get what they want, which is power and control over every one's lives.

All men are equal under God. The constitution guarantees this. Your personal freedoms are whats important. In a group mentality like the progressives espouse there is no room for individualism. Individualism and innovation are the backbone of this country. If they disappear then America will no longer be the country our founding fathers fought for. We will live in a society of the unremarkable masses, there will be no innovation, no free enterprise, no pulling oneself up by their own bootstraps, no more open market to determine what your work and speciality is worth. It will be a society of going to a job determined by the government with a "fair" wage paid to you. Your "fair" wage will then be taxed in exorbitant amount to pay for "fair" health care, which you may or may not receive based on a bureaucrats decision. Your wages will also be taxed via cap and trade, and by the demands of an out of control spending spree by the federal government.

This is what our current ELECTED administration in Washington wants. The question is: Is this what we voted for last November? Are you willing to take the chance on the government being benevolent? Are you willing to take the chance on government abridging your rights to own arms or speak your mind? Are you willing to allow the federal government to take 50% if not more of your money to pay for programs that do not help you or anyone else?

Think about these things as the 2010 congressional elections approach. If you want change you have to make it. Get involved, run for office, encourage someone else to run, donate money to a candidate you know. Do something or the America you know will cease to exist and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.