Obamunism...

1913 NYT editorial blasts Obama’s policies

Lefties are abuzz about President Obama’s speech in Kansas, saying he channeled Teddy Roosevelt. Clive Crook of the Atlantic headlined his reaction: “Obama Channels Teddy Roosevelt.” Aha! Gotcha! Liberals seize the T.R. connection as somehow giving credibility to President Obama in that T.R. was a Republican and all. But there is just one problem with T.R.’s political philosophy: It was too socialistic for the New York Times. In channeling them, Barack Obama also channels the wrath of the New York Times editorial board from 98 years ago.

From a New York Times editorial,“Roosevelt’s Super-Socialism,” published on September 30, 1913: “Theodore Roosevelt has now brought out and matured his doctrine of Socialism. It is not Marxian Socialism. Much that Karl Marx taught is rejected by present-day Socialists. Mr. Roosevelt achieves the redistribution of wealth in a simpler and easier way. He leaves the land, the mines, the factories, the railroads, the banks — all instruments of production and exchange — in the hands of their owners, but of the profits of their operation he takes whatever share the people at any given time may choose to appropriate for their common use. The people are going to say, We care not who owns and milks the cow, so long as we get our fill of the milk and cream. Marx left Socialism in its infancy, a doctrine that stumbled and sprawled under the weight of its own inconsistencies. Mr. Roosevelt’s doctrine is of no such complexity. It has all the simplicity of theft and much of its impudence. That means that employed are admirably adapted to the end sought, and if the system can be made to work at all, it will go on forever.”

It is a remarkable little editorial that goes on too long for my meager typing skills to keep pace, but I have attached a photocopy of the document at the bottom of this post.

What is delightful essay it is, one that was written by a clear thinker who leaves Nobel laureate Paul Krugman in the dust when it comes to economics. Sadly, the editorial ended with more confidence in the American people than history has proven warranted: “The fatal defect is the American people are far too intelligent, they have too much common sense to be deluded by the shallow sophistries of the Roosevelt Socialism. But the Colonel had to do something, his party was going to pieces.”

We live today in Teddy Roosevelt’s Vision Of Utopia, where capitalists are demonized and the government hailed as the champion of the people. Enter Barack Obama.

I am indebted to Jonah Goldberg for uncovering this gem, and to James Taranto for uncovering Jonah Goldberg’s tweet that made his discovery public. We blog on the shoulders of tall bloggers. Better view of the world from up there.