Research

[rob_thompson]

So - I've been playing with a thesis level idea.....that the fight for a clean election in Athens, TN in August of 1946 was the setting for change from republican/representative government for the US to a more socialist form of government. I use socialist in the form of less representative and more in the nature of the state deciding what's

Comments

[oldcurlywolf]

interesting my friend. interesting. btw I've got trillian re installed and running so I'm back in barchat in the evenings again.

[unixronin]

I think it's an interesting theory that deserves further study. I find myself wondering whether, in the aftermath of New Athens, influential people in the House and Senate, and in the Republican and Democratic parties, decided that a repeat of New Athens elsewhere could never be allowed to happen, lest The People get the idea that they actually had the power to forcibly recall bad government that chose not to voluntarily leave office.

[rob_thompson]

Apparently, at least according to the Wiki articles (so take that with a grain or three of salt) Arkansas just narrowly avoided a similar happening very shortly afterwards. Party politics always has some version of machination behind them..certainly it's true here in Canada with its parliamentary system. Probably true in England, Australia and NZ as well...it's just that the corruption is a little more formalized and regulated. By the same token - these are countries which are far more socialist in outlook and actions than the US has ever been...until recently. Given the rather unseemly history of the Democratic party in the US...I'm not exactly surprised by the way things are shaking themselves out...instead, I find myself feeling rather sorry for long term Democratic supporters. As I originally noted, I'm well aware there's enough corruption on both sides of the aisle to go around - but it appears to me that the Democrats have formalized and institutionalized corruption and self-service to a higher level than most people are willing