The New Republican GILDED AGE and A New LOCHNER ERA Supreme Court

[appalachiablue]

"The New Republican Gilded Age," The Week, Friday, July 20, 2018. The basic idea is to reconfigure the American state to serve only the interests of business.

The Republican Party has the run of the federal government. What sort of society do they wish to create? The Gilded Age — an often-overlooked period from the mid-1870s to 1900 — provides some important lessons.

The Gilded Age is part of the subject of an important new history by Richard White, 'The Republic For Which It Stands,' the most recent entry in the Oxford History of the United States series. It's both an excellent piece of historical scholarship and an insightful view of what happened the last time the current Republican ideological platform was put into practice.

1. Capitalist tyranny. The Gilded Age was a time of rapid industrialization, and the concomitant consolidation of gigantic fortunes. Andrew Carnegie in steel, Cornelius Vanderbilt in railroads, J.P. Morgan in finance, and above all John D. Rockefeller in oil — such men built up incomprehensible piles of wealth with monopoly businesses, and therefore enormous political power. (Surrounded by lickspittles and yes-men, and isolated on vast estates, these men also tended to become weird shut-ins — sound familiar?)

Capitalists used their money to bribe politicians en masse to great effect, but probably their most important colonization of state power was through the courts. The vicious, parasitical financier Jay Gould developed the trick of using the judiciary to smash the working class after losing a strike in 1885. He sued one of his railroads with the other, thus driving it into federal receivership and making its workers federal employees. Hey presto, he could get legal injunctions and National Guard troops to smash the next strike in 1886. > The rest of this article can be read HERE, http://theweek.com/articles/785717/new-republican-gilded-age

"The 'Lochner Era' is Set for A Comeback at the Supreme Court," Slate, June 29, 2018. In the early 20th century, the Supreme Court systematically gutted regulations to favor business and attack organized labor. Those dark days have returned. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/the-lochner-era-is-set-for-a-comeback-at-the-supreme-court.html



- 'Capitalists used their money to bribe politicians en masse to great effect, but probably their most important colonization of state power was through the courts.' - Robber Baron Age, Jay Gould, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Gould

[procon]

1. Excellent article, big thumbs up, and well worth the read.

Eons past, I wrote a big term paper for school on the Robber Barons of old. History repeats itself and I've been aware of the striking similarities for for years. Under Trump and his oligarchs it's like the brakes are off and the throttle is pushed to the max as the country returns to that era.

Not that anyone will stop them. There is no incentive to do anything to safeguard the rest of us and we're screwed as long as unchecked money is allowed to buy off our democracy and corrupt the government we elected under the pretext that they would serve us.

Anyway, go read this piece and you'll come away with a better understand of the sheer size, depth and scope of what we're up against in this David and Goliath battle for the future of America..

[appalachiablue]

2. There are clear, disturbing similarities and the path is now becoming

wider to return to that past era unless we force change, through voting and public awareness. If not, we're up the creek. As you well know, during the post- Civil War, late 19thc. period political corruption was wide spread and great fortunes were made in the railroad, transportation, mining, steel, banking and other industries. US presidents Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland and others held very little power in relation to the Robber Barons.

Based on this Slate SC article, we're indeed seeing echoes of the earlier Lochner Supreme Court which favored big business, no rights for workers or other protections. Since the 1980s, and more so now it's full on deregulation of business and roll back of unions and labor rights like the disastrous recent JANUS decision and steady advancement of 'right to work' in many states. Add in abolishing protections and important data regarding the environment, climate change, health, safety, and rights for women & minorities.

Appreciate your comments, people need to realize what's happening in this critical time, esp. the next 1-3 years.

Good piece on Canada which maintains 35% unionization & other important policies for a strong society and economy.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-kuttner-canada-trade_us_5b2fe8d7e4b0040e27443961



US President Rutherford B. Hayes, 1877-1881, Letters & Diaries:

“The real difficulty is with the vast wealth and power in the hands of the few and the unscrupulous who represent or control capital. Hundreds of laws of Congress and the state legislatures are in the interest of these men and against the interests of workingmen. These need to be exposed and repealed.

All laws on corporations, on taxation, on trusts, wills, descent, and the like, need examination and extensive change.

This is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people no longer.

It is a government of corporations, by corporations, and for corporations.” - Rutherford B. Hayes

[sandensea]

3. Great article. Thank you! It really is a new Gilded Age.

Oh, we may not have all the typhus, open sewers, and street urchins we did then - but we're starting to get there (God help us).

These characters - Trump and Macri - think they're Rockefellers just because they were born rich and found an interesting second career in politics as they both did.

(they were both considered idiots by their fathers, btw, which may explain the hunger for political power)

But they're managers, nothing more. Expendables, and for one-time use only.