The Decline and Fall of an American Icon: Teddy Roosevelt Saw This Coming

[Donnachaidh]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/ted-rall/36567/the-decline-and-fall-of-an-american-icon-teddy-roosevelt-saw-this-coming

Why did our political system become so corrupt and unresponsive? How did we end up with such a rigid, Old European-style class system--in which you can't get ahead unless you were born that way? America: What Went Wrong?, a 1992 paperback by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele, went a long way toward answering those questions.

It may be, however, that America was doomed long before then.

The historian Edmund Morris recently published the final entry of a magisterial trilogy about the life of Theodore Roosevelt. Though frequently listed among the greatest American politicians today, TR was an "accidental president" who ascended to power thanks to the murder of William McKinley. His blustery and impolitic style--his supporters called it speaking truth to power--would never have allowed him to win a presidential election.

Roosevelt sussed out the perils of unregulated capitalism early on. "The great corporations which we have grown to speak of rather loosely as trusts are the creatures of the State, and the State not only has the right to control them wherever need of such control is shown but it is in duty bound to control them," he said in 1901.

More at the link --

[Taverner]

1. And he came to power shortly after Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad

Which, for me, is worse than Citizen's United. Without this ruling, the latter would have never existed.

[Wilber_Stool]

4. Thanks a Lot.

Just one more damn thing to google.

I'm sure I'm not the only one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Clara_County_v._Southern_Pacific_Railroad

[Kablooie]

2. When he was elected corporate corruption was astronomical.

Similar to where we are heading right now.

One of his primary achievements was to reign in corruption and regulate industries.
He believed in law and worked to see that it was not flaunted.

He also loved nature and established the national parks system.

On a different note he thought war was glorious, even after participating in one.

[Octafish]

3. The Great American U-Turn

FTR: ...by Harrison and Bluestone got into the Who, How, What and Why in '88.

For those who've never seen one: Barlett and Steele are real journalists.

K&R

[Cid_B]

5. Didn't realize the third one was out...

Sweet...