Huey Long: Share the Wealth; Every man a King; Income Redistribution; Tax the Rich

Huey Long was a Progressive Senator during the Great Depression who believed in wealth redistribution. He organized upwards of seven million Americans to see this dream of wealth redistribution come true. He wanted the wealthy in America to "give back" to the country, or else. He not only called for an even playing field, but he called for an even result. The following is a speech he made on December 11, 1934:

"According to the tables which we have assembled, it is our estimate that 4 percent of the American people own 85 percent of the wealth of America, and that over 70 percent of the people of America don't own enough to pay for the debts that they owe.

Any man with a thimble-full of sense ought to know that if you take 85 percent off of that table and give it to one man that you are bound to have 2/3 the people starving because they haven't got enough to eat.

How many men ever went to a barbecue and would let one man take off the table what's intended for 9/10th of the people to eat? The only way to be able to feed the balance of the people is to make that man come back and bring back some of that grub that he ain't got no business with! [Laughter and applause]

Now we got a barbecue. We have been praying to the Almighty to send us to a feast. We have knelt on our knees morning and nighttime. The Lord has answered the prayer. He has called the barbecue. "Come to my feast," He said to 125 million American people. But Morgan and Rockefeller and Mellon and Baruch have walked up and took 85 percent of the victuals off the table!

Now, how are you going to feed the balance of the people? What's Morgan and Baruch and Rockefeller and Mellon going to do with all that grub? They can't eat it, they can't wear the clothes, they can't live in the houses.
Giv'em a yacht! Giv'em a Palace! Send 'em to Reno and give them a new wife when they want it, if that's what they want. [Laughter] But when they've got everything on God's loving earth that they can eat and they can wear and they can live in, and all that their children can live in and wear and eat, and all of their children's children can use, then we've got to call Mr. Morgan and Mr. Mellon an Mr. Rockefeller back and say, come back here, put that stuff back on this table here that you took away from here that you don't need. Leave something else for the American people to consume. And that's the program. [Applause]

We will call in Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Mellon....Dear Mr. Mellon, We're not going to destroy the capitalistic system, but we're going to put in a limit, you can have up to 4- to 5-million dollars and that's all. We're not going to destroy the Gulf Refining Company; we're not going to destroy the Standard Oil Company, but we're going to say that the limit of any one man's stock ownership in the Standard Oil company is from 3- to 5-million dollars for that individual and the balance to the people of America who own the balance of what the Standard Oil company is worth! [applause]

Then, we start from the bottom. That the 25 or more million American families shall have a homestead. Up to $5,000....a home and the comforts of a home, including an automobile and a radio, the things it takes in that house to live on...

We say to America, 125 million, none shall be too big, none shall be too poor, none shall work too much, none shall be idle. No luxurious mansions empty, none walking the streets, none impoverished, none in pestilence, none in want, but in the land blessed by the smile of the Creator with everything to be consumed, to be eaten, to be worn, that America will become a land, sharing the fruits of the land, not for the favored few, not to satisfy greed, but that all may live in the land in which the Lord has provided an abundance sufficient for the luxury and convenience of the people in general! I thank you.
-Senator Huey Long

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[KarenS55]

we learnin about Huey P. LoNg in La Histoy

[jbranstetter04]

@KarenS55 That he was a Socialist who thought that one man should work for the benefits of another man? That one man should work and give the money that he labored for to another man who did not work for it? Is that what you learned? 

[kobidobidog]

When the rich sell that they have giving to the ones that do not have they will have treasure in heaven that will last forever. That is the best exchange anyone could ever ask for. Then the rich will have God in them giving even as God gives. Then war will vanish into nothingness.

[jbranstetter04]

@kobidobidog The poor will inherit the earth.

[kobidobidog]

@jbranstetter04 The poor, and poor in spirit being the persecuted thinking they are less will be the first to be in Gods Holy presence being the greatest in Gods house. Huey Long has God in him speaking through him. Jesus said very much the same thing to the rich man that Huey Long said.

[jbranstetter04]

@kobidobidog Jesus was more along the line of individual responsibility. Meaning, people should not be forced to give. It should be something that you want to do, to help others. I think Huey wanted to take from some people and to give it to others.

[emeraldtiger777]

I WAS RELATED TO HIM!! GOOD TO KNOW was a cool guy

[bdawgy0]

Man, the critical ending is kind of a cheap shot. Long wasn't advocating just confiscating wealth from the wealthy, but giving the public a stock interest in these industries like Standard Oil. He said that very clearly---he wanted to keep these operations running, but for the public benefit. Maybe he wasn't the most clear-minded leftist, but his position was much more than just a one-time seizure and redistribution of wealth.

[1tonykirk]

@jbranstetter04 Christ threw the Moneychangers down the steps of the Temple.

What we have now is Usury, Avarice and Monopoly under the doublespeak of "Capitalism".

"Banksters 101 for Zombies", "The New American Century", "The Secret of Oz" ,"The Money Masters","1932, A True History of the United States" and the Trilogy: "America's Secret Beginnings" 1. "The New Atlantis", 2."Riddles in Stone" and 3."Eye of the Phoenix" should be Mandatory viewing in High Schools. Peace.

[superfish812]

@snowrocket those who have the gold make the rules.

[superfish812]

@snowrocket I said "I have never met one single millionaire who worked as hard or harder than the average worker does". Bill gates stole windows form a severely depressed man who later killed himself over the deal when good old Billy wouldn't even let him in on his own invention. Henry Ford...lol did you eve hear of "Battle of the Overpass" where he had security attack legal union men and tried to destroy evidence of the event. Once they make it they make sure no one else can, it the golden rule

[snowrocket]

@superfish812 Super, are you kidding? Henry Ford and Bill Gates "stole from the people"? No, they gave people easy-to-use, desirable things at an affordable price; inexpensive, reliable cars and useful, mostly reliable software. Oh yeah, and they started companies that now employ millions, allowing those workers to earn a living. Work smarter, not necessarily harder. Don't forever make the burgers, eventually create the next McDonald's. Greater risk CAN mean greater reward.

[snowrocket]

@cpklapper An interesting statement you make about his preferred priorities, and you may be correct. Either way, I don't see his ideas as constitutional, nor do I believe that we should amend the Constitution in that manner. We should work towards a flat tax at the retail level, not a progressive income tax. Additionally, we should move towards fair trade, not the sort of "free" trade that sucks the jobs out of America like Ross Perot warned us about in 1992. Ross was right.

[mouayad888]

that is the great Huey Long, that is part of his radio speech i believe it was in 1934