Understanding The Mystery Of Progressive Logic (Op-Ed By William Haupt III)

“The greatest moral claim of the political left is that they are for the masses in general and the poor in particular. That is also their greatest fraud. It even fools the left themselves.” – Thomas Sowell

Image Credit: Wally Gobetz / CC

By William Haupt III [Tennessee Watchdog Journalist, Columnist, Author, and Citizen Legislator via The Center Square] –

Karl Marx said, “Democracy is the road to socialism.” He was right. When democracy was replaced with communism in Russia, it quietly faded into socialism. And throughout Europe today, socialism has invaded every democracy. They claim to be capitalist nations, yet they have more government controlled social programs than the USSR ever had. The Soviet government owned everything and rationed wealth. Socialist democracies over-tax producers and redistribute it to finance socialism.

Classical liberalism was a product of the Enlightenment that supported the ability and responsibility for people to think for themselves and to follow their consciences and control their destinies. These principles freed people from traditional restraints and endowed the governed the power to govern.

The political arguments of America’s founders, particularly Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and James Madison were based on classical liberal freedoms. These included freedoms of the mind, of thought, of expression, of religion, and of self-invention without regard to customs, caste, or creed.

“A spirit of liberty and patriotism animates all degrees and denominations of men.” – James Madison

In early 1900, classical liberalism began its trend towards socialism when governments discovered ways to constrict individual freedom with onerous laws. During the Industrial Revolution and the Great Depression, big government appealed to labor because politicians sided with workers over industry, claiming to help them achieve the liberal virtues of freedom, opportunity and prosperity.

In 1930, we saw the radical remaking of America and the rise of U.S. socialism. Franklin Roosevelt blamed the Depression on out-of-control industries and channeled populist rhetoric to take over the labor movement and diminish corporate power. He created federal programs like Social Security and others through massive taxation until government controlled industry, labor and the masses.

“Our government has a duty to protect labor from runaway corporate greed.” – Franklin Roosevelt

In his 1941 State of the Union address, FDR proclaimed every American had a right to a good job, a good home, “free from want, free from need and free from fear,” and governments must assure that. FDR transformed classical liberalism as a protector from federal abuse, into the “provider and a great socioeconomic equalizer to insure wealth and protect people from each other in a society.”

By 1945, when FDR revealed his “Second Bill of Rights,” no trace of classical liberalism remained in America. They included the right to a high-paying job; the right to food and clothing; the right for farmers to make a profit, and the right for every business to operate free from unfair competition.

Popular socialist Norman Thomas was highly critical of FDR’s leftist agenda. He accused FDR of expanding the power of government far beyond the needs and desire of the people. He claimed FDR’s lust for power destroyed the Democratic Party and were more Communist than socialist.

Although FDR adopted many socialist policies in his New Deal, Norman chastised Roosevelt for exploiting socialism for the Democratic party gain. FDR failed to support southern anti-lynching or desegregation laws and ignored poor Blacks and whites in the south. He pandered only to his base, which did not deliver economic and social equality. And he also favored selected industries.

Vladimir Lenin wrote, “It is easier to weave concepts of Socialism into capitalism than to hang all capitalists at once.” After the Cold War, the American Communist Party reemerged as socialists. During the 60s they rode the wave of civil rights and LBJ’s Great Society. They fueled social and political radicalization. Like Norman Thomas, they joined anti-war protests and convinced liberals they were entitled to FDR’s second Bill of Rights. And this is the basis for today’s illogical liberal logic.

“Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement.” – Vladimir Lenin

The logic of today’s left is nothing more than an evolution of FDR’s political spectrum based on his phony second Bill of Rights. What separates pure socialists from today’s leftist is that their motives are purely for political gain, the same as FDR’s. Norman Thomas said FDR’s style of socialism was hybrid Communism, which is the basis for today’s progressive socialism. Lenin told us, “The goal of socialism is communism.” And the left knows socialism cannot exist without destroying capitalism.

Today’s liberal logic was developed by twisting and turning excerpts out of the preamble and the Constitution, to rationalize their theorems and axioms in order to forge a confederacy of dependent loyalists. And they have their own set of laws derived from the subjective values of the political left. Liberal law is a form of modern era Platonism adopted from Depression era idealism. Liberal logic is based on the premise that their pious and lofty goals are attainable simply by making them law.

Liberals emotionally pitch leftist causes using false scientific data about global warming and green energy to reward wealthy donors for their support. They confuse the under classes by spreading false hope about “unsocial justice,” yet they are simply exploiting the most gullible for their votes.

Thomas Sowell told us, “Facts are seldom allowed to contaminate the beautiful vision of the left.” During the 2016 election, the leftists justified another 8 years of FDR era progressive socialism so they voted for Hillary Clinton. They turned Obama’s failures into successes with the liberal logic of making everyone equal and treating everyone fair. Liberal logic does not allow the left to use facts.

When Donald Trump won the election, liberals were awestruck America did not think as illogical as them. They continued their group hit on Trump, trying to reverse the election and impeach him; but they failed. They used trickery and questionable voting tactics to bog up their counts to elect two Obama clones in 2020. To kick dirt in Trump’s face they tried to impeach Trump after he left office.

Thomas Sowell said, “There are no solutions; there are only trade-offs.” Liberals seek short term fixes that feel good. The far left has vilified GOP long term solutions for so long that voters forget America was founded on new classical liberalism. That’s why liberal logic remains such a mystery. People have been voting for big government liberalism for so long it is a very hard habit to break.

It takes integrity, character, and courage for voters to remain center right and follow our laws; like them or not. There is a right way and a wrong way to fix them. On the other hand, it is easy to be a liberal since contorted logic makes up the core of today’s liberalism. In essence, liberal logic is the ability to utilize childlike emotionalism to justify attacking real adult issues supported by adult laws.

“The left is not necessarily aiming at totalitarianism. But their know-it-all mindset leads repeatedly and pervasively in that direction, which might be called micro-totalitarianism.” –Thomas Sowell

About the Author: William Haupt III is a retired professional journalist, author, and citizen legislator in California for over 40 years. He got his start working to approve California Proposition 13. His work also appears in The Center Square, The Western Journal, Neighbor Newspapers, KPXJ 21 (Shreveport, LA), Killeen Daily Herald, Aberdeen American News, InsideNova, Kankakee Daily Journal, Monterey County Weekly, Olean Times Herald, The Greeneville Sun and more. Follow William on Twitter @iii_haupt.