Quote:The natural progression is something people often forget about.  The rise of liberal principals and progressive ideals, whether you agree with them or not, are certainly embedded in social and economic transitions.  Unfortunately, the mere mention of Granger Laws, Populism as a political movement, the establishment of its principals through Progressivism in the late 19th and early 20th century and of course the exciting nature of Hoover's response to the Great Depression are enough to make some peoples' eyes glaze over.  It is complicated, and at times boring to understand, but its all there if you really dig into it.  It, like most social change (the Rise of Conservatism, Imperialism, the abolition movement etc.) grew from a complicated past.

 

America is opening itself up to progressive ideals and liberal principals for a number of reasons.  I imagine McCarthyism in the 50's didn't help the conservative cause against socialism.  


I think Rand Paul put it interestingly about the conservative party:


"We need a more diverse party. People with tattoos, and without tattoos. With earrings, and without earrings.”

The Republican Party has alienated some groups of people (and the Democratic Party can be just as guilty of this, though the people they have alienated have been on the decline, which explains the leftward shift).  I mean both groups can be really offensive and downright ornery.  For every Jerry Falwell you have an Al Sharpton.  Though it seems that the left consider Sharpton more like the distant cousin they don't like to talk about, while the right considers Falwell as their well-meaning Uncle.  


The idea that those who attended public school have been indoctrinated is a bit insulting, as is the idea that those who are sending their kids to public school are letting their children be indoctrinated, and that those who are teachers are indoctrinating kids.  Especially since it's based on notions that people have beliefs that don't align with their own.  As if to say "If you don't agree with me, you're either dumb or you've been brainwashed."


Of course there's other causes behind it, and there's natural progression through the years (often learning from our past mistakes -- which is certainly a good thing.  Or at least I think it is.)



 

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