My readings on Huey Long seemed to indicate he would take us down the road to socialism if it was in his power. Additionally his classic Louisiana politics disqualified him as an honorable man. He was corrupt, a liar and a cheat. His campaign financing was heavy handed. He built a political machine that road rough shod over Louisiana for decades after his death. (Not that it was any worse than the machines before his)
In fact the more you make me think about this, maybe it is not a fair comparison for Chavez. I withdraw that insult to Chavez until I learn more about him.
Long fought fire with fire, fighting dirty political tactics (like his trumped-up impeachment) with dirty tactics of his own, all in the name of getting his social programs implemented.
He made a lot of the same enemies as Chavez, namely the wealthy and the oil companies.
Would you have wanted a man like Long as President? It would have been a scary time. Maybe he is what Louisianna needed, but I do not think he is what the country needed.
Jim {Of course if you asked me if I would want men like Nixon or Bush as President I would also say no}
That was very funny, but of course I described the bad parts also. He was corrupt by even politician standards. That is saying something.
I would take a few things from the socialist playbook like UHS but not most of it. I believe in free enterprise with controls, not government run monopolies.
You called Long “corrupt, a liar and a cheat” without elaboration. I was merely pointing out that some of his perceived dirty tactics were in response to dirtier tactics from his opponents. Politics can be a dirty business.
Well if you want details on Long, I would have to do a little research first, but just the minimal information in Wiki or the Britannica should be enough to support what I said. I wouldn’t want to derail the thread too much, it is not about Huey Long. You point is very valid however, Long was no Stalin, Hitler or even Benito Mussolini. You are also correct about his enemies being similar to Chavez.
I dunno . . . He might have taken the New Deal a bit further than even FDR dared, and that might have been a Very Good Thing for America. Doubt he would have established “socialism” in the form of state-run monopolies, though. I doubt Long even understood socialist theories or ideology. He just wanted to represent the interests of the common man against the social elite that had always dominated the South (and, to a slightly lesser extent, the whole country). Pretty much what Chavez is trying to do in Venezuela. Note that Chavez hasn’t really nationalized any major industries, he’s just changed what is done with the revenues of those that were nationalized already – particularly, the oil industry. See this article.
Don’t underestimate Long’s mind just because of his down-home demeanor. Chief Justice (and former President) Taft called Long one of the best legal minds he had encountered.
Boy is this true, from what I have read on Long he was very smart and probably played the Populist card more as a political stratagem then for actual belief.
Jim {Hmm, I guess this thread might be officially derailed and I should start doing some fresh research on Huey}
Now Chavez is visiting Iran! And Ahmadinejad just gave him a medal!
I can see no ideological common ground at all between the Islamic Republic and the Bolivarian Revolution. Looks like Chavez is just trying to make a friend of every enemy of his enemy.
NK next?
Bush’s preposterous-at-the-time “Axis of Evil” crap might turn out to have been a self-fulfilling prophecy!
That was very funny, but of course I described the bad parts also. He was corrupt by even politician standards. That is saying something.