To get back to my comment on Bryan inspiring the Brady Character in “Inherit The Wind”, I was referring to his being a religious holy roller. That would seem to a strange hero for progressives, but I suppose back then you did not have to be an atheist to be a good one.

The 16 th Amendment has sure filled it’s redistribution mission. According to Stossel 60% of our fellow citizens get more in benefits than they pay in taxes. You Socialists have won. Congratulations.

The 16th amendment cleared that up.

” Alan, are you disputing the facts I listed to back up the claim that populism has been a largely left-wing or progressive?”

No, I just was questioning the income tax. It probably was a populist goal, but I believe there was more to it. There were temporary income taxes before 1913 to pay for wars. There was an income tax passed to pay for the civil war.

In 1894 there was an income tax enacted and a year later declared unconstitutional because of being a direct tax. I admit to being unclear about direct and indirect income taxes. One is ok, the other is not.

” I still get chills reading the William Jennings Bryan speech. ”

I am not exactly sure of this anymore, but wasn’t Bryan the inspiration for the Brady character in the play and movie ” Inherit the Wind “. If I’m correct he would be a strange hero for a progressive like you.

” All one needs to do is look at the Populist Part from the late 1800’s which included farmers and workers and resulted in the income tax, ”

Why don’t you give me that history lesson and explain to us all why the income tax was enacted. I was under the impression that it was needed to pay for wars. I know it became permanent in 1913, but there were previous incarnations.

Seeing that it enabled the US to finance it’s imperialistic wars, I’d think you progressives would oppose it.

““It’s only marginal successes tend to be in small homogeneous communities.””

” You mean like Europe? ”

Specifically which Socialist nations in Europe are a success ?

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5354/

“There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it.”

Das Kapital is not a history book. It is a book on economic theory.

oh and yes, very strong social democracies are in effect in several countries in Europe, so why claim what is not true at all Alan? Other than you are a conservative and apparently they are all incapable of being honest.