Town Hall

What are 3 examples of Progressivism today?

2010-09-03T23:34:29Z

1. the “politically correct” movement
2. rise of secularism (changing Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays, for example)
2. global warming/ climate change

Progressivism

2010-08-24T20:59:09Z

Progressivism is a political attitude favoring or advocating changes or reform. Progressivism is often viewed in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies. The Progressive Movement began in cities with settlement workers and reformers who were interested in helping those facing harsh conditions at home and at work. The reformers spoke out about the need for laws regulating tenement housing and child labor. They also called for better working conditions for women.
In the United States, the term progressivism emerged in the late 19th century into the 20th century in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternative to both the traditional conservative response to social and economic issues and to the various more radical streams of socialism and anarchism which opposed them. Political parties, such as the Progressive Party, organized at the start of the 20th century, and progressivism made great strides under American presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Lyndon Baines Johnson [1].
Despite being associated with left-wing politics in the United States, the term “progressive” has occasionally been used by groups not particularly left-wing. The Progressive Democrats in the Republic of Ireland took the name “progressivism” despite being considered centre-right or classical liberal. The European Progressive Democrats was a mainly heterogeneous political group in the European Union. For most of the period from 1942–2003, the largest conservative party in Canada was the Progressive Conservative Party.

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What problems did progressivism address?

2010-08-24T20:58:24Z

Progressivism has been on the forefront of the march of America to the greatness it enjoys today. In my view, it is a question of Progressive vs. Conservative policies. An examination of the differences between these two approaches during the Great Depression can perhaps help to properly frame the choice:

In FDR’s view, his predecessor, Herbert Hoover, a Conservative, had proven unwilling to take any steps to deal with the crisis of the Great Depression, and unable to even put any solutions forward. Hoover’s unwillingness to see that his conservative, hands-off approach to the economic crisis, when bold action was required, made his leadership appear weak and vacillating.

These failings of Hoover played to FDR’s strengths; Roosevelt’s embrace of new ideas and bold initiatives were just what the country was looking for after years of the inaction and complacency of the Hoover administration.

1. FDR immediately took decisive action by proclaiming a Bank Holiday, effectively putting the brakes on the continuing collapse of banks, big and small, that were wiping out the peoples savings and livelihood. Hoover thought that government did not have the Constitutional authority or even the ability to do this.

2. FDR recognized that the system had major flaws, flaws that allowed the Stock Market Crash and bank failures, and immediately proposed and passed regulations to control and stabilize these markets. The Conservatives consider such actions undue interference in an ideal system that should be left alone to make its own adjustments.

3. FDR initiated public works programs to help the millions Americans that were in dire straits and stimulate the economy. Again, Hoover was, as all conservatives were and still are, ideologically opposed to such action.

4. FDR backed the Safety Net, composed of not only government programs to give the unemployed jobs, but relief programs to feed starving Americans, programs to help them keep their housing, and eventually Social Security to assist retired and disabled Americans. This had the effect of improving the moral and confidence of Americans, and went far to save Capitalism from its penchant for survival-of-the-fittest policies that were unmindful of practical, humanitarian considerations. These are all steps that the Conservatives opposed as unconstitutional.

5. FDR’s view of history taught him that the Constitution is a living breathing instrument, capable of flexibility in times of changing circumstances. His Conservative opponents considered, and these folks still consider, the Constitution to be carved out in stone, believing that any adjustments or changes of any sort are contrary to the founder’s intent, and thus, by definition, unconstitutional.

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What is the difference between Socialism and Progressivism?

2010-08-24T20:57:44Z

Socialism is a system where the government runs businesses, provides services and even products. It is not a type of government, it is a type of economy. And it is never found in its pure state, always in some mixture with capitalism. For instance, we in the US are a capitalist country, but we have socialized police and fire protection, roads and bridges, water projects and other infrastructure, schools, public health (disease control), etc.

Progressivism is a political philosophy. The idea is that you judge the success of a system by how much it raises the standard of living of the average worker. You don’t have to be a socialist to be a progressive, or even a liberal. A good example is Teddy Roosevelt who was about as conservative as people got in those days, but was probably the most progressive president we’ve ever had.

Real progressives are not anti-capitalism, because we all agree that capitalism creates wealth the fastest. But under-regulated, captialism becomes unstable and crashes. When that happens, we move a little back towards socialism. It happened in 1933 and it’s happening again now. Socialism produces stability. Once the system is stable again, we move back towards capitalism.

But progressives will measure the success of capitalism not by the GNP or GDP, not by the compensation of Fortune 500 execs, but by how it raises the standard of living of regular working people.

(I just have to say I am appalled at how conservatives today throw around words like socialism, communism, marxism, fascism, etc. etc., using them all interchangeably to mean anything they don’t like or anyone they disagree with. What this really shows me is that right wing talk radio doesn’t really inform or educate people, it only serves to make them more ignorant than they were before!)

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If Capitalism is so bad, then why do the Chinese Communists use it in China?

2010-08-14T19:23:34Z

I don’t know how many times I hear Socialists and Communists saying Capitalism sucks, the rich are greedy, yap yap yap, when such persons are super green with envy over the fact that persons who worked very hard for their money are rich as a result of their hard work and motivation.

Sure I am not a fan of monopolies, in fact I believe in competition as well, for instance I support Bill Gates right to make all the cash he made from Microsoft but I also support other computer companies having the right to compete to sell the product and make the money too as well.

I believe competition is good, cause it gives companies the incentive to create a good product to sell to the consumer and if the product does well, the consumer buys, if the product is bad, the consumer does not buy.

So in a Capitalist society, the companies have the duty to try to come up with a really good product whether it be the best computer in the nation, the best CD burner in the nation, the best TV in the nation, the best car in the nation and all that other stuff, consumers who like the product will buy and if the cheaper item works just as good as the more expensive one, people will buy the cheaper version of the product, and if the product is good quality the company makes a good amount of money.

What about Communist/Socialist societies, well let’s see here, with the government owning every single business, no incentive exists to come up with the best or better product and the product being made is likely to be crummy and not sellable.

When Mao took power in China, he required the farmers to hand 100% of the crops over to the government, now in a capitalist society, a massive surplus of food is likely to exist because the farmers can sell their crops and make a great deal of money from the crop sales as well.

However under Mao in China with all crops having to be handed over to the government for redistribution to the masses, did it help make sure everyone was fed? absolutely not, 1st of all loads of farmers grew very little crops because if they had to hand all crops over to the government, they were like we don’t care if too many people starve, if we can’t make our own cash, we are not gonna produce enough food, how do you explain the 1959 famine in China which starved loads of people to death.

When Deng Xiaoping became the de facto leader of China, although he intended his nation to remain Communist, he added some Capitalism into his country, because he knew Capitalism had it’s advantages.

So he decided instead of the farmers handing 100% of crops over to the government, only 80% would be handed to the government but 20% the farmers could sell in Free Market zones.

Now I think having to hand 80% of crops over to the government was awful itself but the farmers appreciated that they could sell at least 20% in Free Market zones, so the farmers decided to grow more crops, so crop production did increase as a result of adding Capitalism to the equation.

Also Deng decided Western based businesses could open in China, provided they sign a joint venture with a Chinese citizen and today the Communists of China actually encourage entrepreneurs like Billionaire tycoon Vincent Lo (the richest man in China) to build businesses, create jobs and some of the Communists of China chant that getting rich is good, one rice farmer who is a leading figure in his local Communist party sent out a message from the Beijing headquarters to his local village in poems the Villagers could understand, one poem was: growing crops increases our food, so we need a plan that’s good, you can relax at harvest’s end, a store of crops means cash to spend.

It’s like boom if Capitalism is so bad then how do the Socialists and Communists of USA explain that the Communists of China think that Capitalism is a good thing? especially when the original ideology of Communist called on getting rid of Capitalism, yet Communist China boomed when they decided to add Capitalism into their nation, whereas North Korea a Communist state that does not do Capitalism at all, is not a thriving economic power at all, and loads of North Koreans are starving as there is not enough food growing in North Korea and the North Koreans who get to fatten themselves are the dictator Kim Jong-Il and other government officials.

So yeah how do those anti-Capitalist people explain the Communist party of China choosing to bring Capitalism into their system.

Not to mention America functioned well under Capitalism but if America goes Socialist, then America will tear apart from within just like the Roman Empire did.

hix

2010-04-11T18:04:58Z

Phút biết anh là phút gặp mắt anh nhìn

杵築市　車検
 大分　自動車整備工場
 大分　自動車　故障　修理
Phút hiểu anh cũng là phút ấy
ひゅうが丼
 大分　観光　名物
 大分　津久見　観光
Vì giếng quá trong nên dễ nhìn thấy đáy
長野県　結婚相談
 長野県　結婚紹介
 長野県　結婚　低額
Vì mắt quá trong nên mắt nói rất nhiều.
佐賀　グループホーム
 佐賀　居宅介護
 佐賀　老人福祉
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Progressivism

2010-01-23T16:11:14Z

Progressivism is a political and social term for ideologies and movements favoring or advocating changes or reform, usually in an egalitarian direction for economic policies (public management) and liberal direction for social policies. Progressivism is often viewed in opposition to conservative ideologies.

In the United States, the term progressivism emerged in the late 19th century into the 20th century in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternative to both the traditional conservative response to social and economic issues and to the various more radical streams of socialism and anarchism which opposed them. Political parties, such as the Progressive Party, organized at the start of the 20th century, and progressivism made great strides under American presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson.[1]

Despite being associated with left-wing politics, the term “progressive” has also been used by groups not particularly left-wing. The Progressive Democrats in the Republic of Ireland took the name “progressivism” despite being considered centre-right, or classical liberal. The European Progressive Democrats was a mainly heterogeneous political group in the European Union. For most of the period from 1942-2003, the largest conservative party in Canada was the Progressive Conservative Party.