Huey Long: Share the Wealth

December 1934. Huey Long speaks passionately about income inequality and the wealthy in the United States.

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[OperationRobinson]

I'd make the argument that Huey Long's ideas weren't necessarily socialist (He made it clear he didn't think they were).

Wealth redistribution is a different animal than governmental control over businesses. Long actually held a debate with Norman Thomas, leader of the Socialist Party of America, on the merits of the "Share Our Wealth" vs Socialism.

Although his ideas were certainly quite radical, he did believe in retaining the essential features of capitalism (Namely free enterprise).

[Andrew Haverkamp]

Wrong. If everyone can afford to live and spend a little money on the side, it creates more demand, and businesses grow. When money funnels to the top, they don't spend all the 700,000,000 dollars they make a year (for example) - they save it for themselves and it sits at the top. It doesn't trickle down. Every single person on minimum wage spends every dollar they earn back into the economy.

[Amanda Graves]

That man right there is my great-uncle. Isn't what everything comes back to is those who have too much and those who have too little. The fact that we have people who are working their butts off for a wage that does not support them and their families while others who do not contribute to our work force make more than is fathomable is what is questionable.

[Steven Bunbury]

Thank for the refreshingly kind response. People are so vicious on Utube.

Just to clarify, by property they're not talking about cars & houses. They talk specifically about income property & consolidated private property (esp. like Walmart, but also Exxon Mobile, other corporations). Different ways of making these accountable to their employees and/or to the public, communities they affect (employees or residents on the board, wholly cooperative, internal elections on pay, public vetoes etc)

[9Iamthewalrus]

Jee next to this kid FDR looks like Warren Harding

[Eric Peters]

Thug.

[OperationRobinson]

I have to agree. There's certainly more distinction between the "Leftist" groups than people recognize. Nevertheless there definitely is a middle ground and compromise is an essential way for humanity to make progress on issues like Property.

Appreciate the response, you've given me something to think (and possibly read) about. :)

[Steven Bunbury]

Just to be clear, I'm saying that social democrats believe in compensating for market inequalities after the fact through tax & transfer, whereas socialists want to put property relations in the foreground of debate. There are many, many possible permutations of property relations, say the socialists, and we should find the best according to whatever normative justification we establish. I think there's room for compromise between the two. People focus on 'systems' too much (capitalism vs ...)

[Steven Bunbury]

I actually don't feel passionately about defending this or that political tradition (Are you or are you not a socialist or a social democrat etc?) But it is important to me to get the historical trajectory of each movement right. And I personally believe we need to move beyond the straight jacket of taxonomic debates about who belongs to what tradition, & just talk about what is fair & just & democratic & environmentally sustainable & banking as servant not master of the economy. Love your post.

[Steven Bunbury]

I agree with you that wealth redistribution is social democratic aim. Strictly speaking, though, socialists strive to dissolve the capital-labour distinction through economic democratic mechanisms. Not government control, at least since the early 20 century. For modern socialist views, read Harvard prof. Roberto Unger's books or Utube video on 'Ukraine' or Yale's John Roemer's book A Future for Socialism, Richard Wilkinson's famous Spirit Level or Utube video 'Compass No Turning Back esp. part 2

[Darrell Williams]

Policy makers are 6 figure range, do u honestly think they want shit to change. Fuk wrong with these 99% you make them rich. CONSUMER BASE ECONOMY

[Danny Ruiz]

Corrupt scumbag