Looking to the Past
To Light the Way Forward
Hello, Friend,
The image above is from Puck Magazine, a political satire magazine that was hugely popular from 1876 until 1916 when publisher (and then Senate candidate) William Randolph Hearst bought it, retooled it into a culture rag, and shuttered it two years later. Kind of like when a certain billionaire with an insecurity complex bought a popular social media site to turn it into a dumpster fire. (There are other interesting parallels to note between these two men, including dalliances with Hitler and fascism.) The Gilded Age emerged from the Industrial Revolution when the bulk of wealth and power was concentrated in the hands of the ‘captains of industry’, many of whom ran monopolies that drove out competition, abused workers, poisoned the air and water, and captured elected officials through graft. John D. Rockefeller was the owner of Standard Oil which controlled 90% of the oil refining industry. He was the richest man in history until that title was handed off to our aforementioned chainsaw wielding Broligarch. Rockefeller’s unparalleled wealth afforded him singular power and influence. He sold Standard Oil, which had morphed into a trust, in 1897, remaining on as the company’s largest shareholder. In the image above Standard Oil (the trust) is depicted as an evil octopus reaching tentacles ‘around the steel, copper, and shipping industries, as well as a state house, the U.S. Capitol, and one tentacle reaching for the White House.’ Theodore Roosevelt and his successor William Taft broke up the monopolies (including Standard Oil) through the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. Don’t worry, the Gilded Age billionaires did just fine.
We’re in the middle of a Technological Revolution that has created a new Gilded Age. Our gold obsessed president waxes poetic on the topic. We have our own Rockefeller who pays zero taxes, takes 8 million dollars a day in tax payer funded subsidies, and uses his conflict riddled DOGE agency to favor himself further while disarming his competition. The contrast between the haves and have nots was striking then and is becoming so again. Our Robber Barons were prominently displayed behind our new president at his inauguration after kissing the ring with significant donations and favors. When the White House is selling sponsorships for the annual Easter Egg Hunt, something is indeed rotten (and it isn’t last year’s eggs.)
The difference between our modern Robber Barons and those from the Gilded Age is the latter spent their later years giving back through charitable efforts pioneering medical and scientific breakthroughs that changed the course of history. They built museums, libraries, schools, and parks. The Tech Bros feel no such call to make the world a better place beyond enriching themselves, regardless of the consequences, and preparing to hide in bunkers if the shit they keep stirring should hit the proverbial fan with enough velocity. That’s a difference with profound implications for all of us.
Here’s a cartoon from 1920. Note the topic, tariffs. Tariffs being sold to the common man by a fat cat congressman as the gold bar antidote to what ails him. There are scores of cartoons from this era with similar messaging. Despite the hype, the bottom line on tariffs is that those with less are paying more so those with more can pay less. Tariffs are a form of tax that is passed on to the consumer through increased prices of goods. Trump’s love of tariffs is directly related to his distaste for taxing the rich. Happy to court the vote of the common man, when he talks about Making America Great Again, he means to make America great for himself and his cronies. What happens to the rest of us is of no interest or concern.
Not so great, huh?
This is a postcard from The Progressive Party a.k.a. The Bullmoose Party. You can click on the image to read the print. Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt ran for a third term as president with this party under this platform in 1912 after losing the Republican nomination to his former VP (and chosen successor) William Howard Taft. That’s an interesting story which I’ll leave for another day. It seems letting go of the power of the presidency is challenging once you’ve had it, eh Joe? Roosevelt lost the election and the party disbanded. This postcard is fascinating to me. The Progressive Party, with this decidedly progressive platform, was an offshoot of the Republican party. Isn’t it interesting how party priorities have shifted over the years? With the exception of tariffs, which we will discuss below, there are some radical ideas here including worker’s and farmer’s rights, direct vote for senators, food safety regulations, and ‘social insurance’ which Teddy’s fifth cousin FDR finally realized in 1935 as Social Security. Here’s hoping it survives. The point I’m reaching for here is that well over a hundred years ago, during the Gilded Age, when the disparities between the wealthiest few and the destitute masses were significant, this was the platform of a third party led by a former president. Seems like the kind of platform that might resonate with a lot of people in this moment.
This one seems self-explanatory and, sadly, still relevant. I’ve oft contemplated what it might mean to break away from the suffocating grip of the two major parties who, let’s be honest, are mostly funded by the same special interests. This corruption has been exacerbated exponentially since Citizens United gave corporations more influence than people. We should have viable alternative parties. We should have ranked choice voting. Yes, manifesting these things would be fraught with the complexities of getting names on ballots, negative influence by foreign actors determined to divide us, the current challenges of campaign finance, the dangers of vote splitting, and our fractured information landscape. Still…is it impossible to imagine us emerging from this tenuous moment into a more robust and nuanced political future?
If they do burn it all down to the ground, perhaps we really can build it back better.
This is a unique moment, yet it is also a moment that echoes similar moments in our history. As we seek pathways forward, it seems logical to look to those moments for clues. I believe hope is a beacon that lights the way. By rejecting hopelessness, we open ourselves up to possibility. Things are overwhelming, toxic, terrifying…but we are only powerless if we give in to these feelings and give up on the fight. If you’re feeling heavy, look to the past for clues, find some hope to light the way, and keep marching boldly into the future.
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What’s happening today has been happening in one form or another for many many years. It’s time for humanity to evolve into new ways of seeing and being in the world. They exist and are still speaking truth to power. Enough of us just need to listen.
Thank you for this, Margot.
So maybe the past repeats itself? I think, that even if they burn it down, it could be rebuilt...but we will need better after 4 years of Orange hell!!!