Empire Of Heaven: Ezra Taft Benson- 'Socialized Healthcare, Evil, Freedom Destroying'

Source:Empire Of Heaven- Ezra T. Benson, talking about socialized health care, in 1977 or 78.

"Ezra Taft Benson was Dwight D. Eisenhower's Secretary of Agriculture.  He was predicted by the press to be the first casualty of the Eisenhower cabinet, unable to stay in because of his severe, intense anti-New Deal, anti-Socialist policies.  The New American Magazine, writing of this, stated that Benson being asked into the cabinet is one of the greatest political mysteries of the 20th century.  Indeed it is.  And the press was somehow wrong, for it was Ezra Taft Benson, that for some reason was kept in the cabinet the full 8 years." 

From Empire Of Heaven 

Nationalism has been around at least since the US Constitution was being written by its Founding Fathers. But I believe the rise of the modern nationalist movement came about as a reactionary movement to the FDR New Deal in the 1930s and the LBJ Great Society in the 1960s. And perhaps even as far back as the Teddy Roosevelt's progressive movement of the early 1900s and 1920s. 

The New-Right in America (Nationalists and Christian-Fundamentalists)  saw the Federal Government as overstepping its constitutional authority under the 11th Amendment. And this led to more Conservatives being elected to Congress in the 1940s and early 50s. And one reason how Dwight Eisenhower was elected President in 1952 and reelected in 1956. And then elected again in the late 60s, late 70s, 80s and 90s. 

The reason why Libertarian Party was formed in the early 1970s, was because of the New Deal and Great Society agenda, because Libertarians saw the rise of progressivism  in America as a threat to the U.S. Constitution and individual freedom. They see progressivism, as socialism and as a threat to the U.S. Constitution and their way of life. 

That they saw government and the Federal Government wanting to take Individual Liberty away from the people. To make their own decisions in life and they wanted to make those decisions for themselves. Like in education, Healthcare, retirement and other areas. And they did not want to see an establishment of a Welfare State in America like with the New Deal and Great Society.

The New-Right and to a certain extent Libertarians as well fought back against't  what they saw as socialism in America: the New Deal and Great Society. This is what the modern libertarian movement is fighting against today with Ron Paul, and, the Tea Party Nationalists and others. And to a certain extent are having some success and are growing as a movement. 

A reason why so many young people are now self-identified as libertarian and why they are starting to have some success on issues as well like decriminalizing marijuana, gay marriage, lower tax rates, tax reform, anti-Federal Reserve, more individual liberty in retirement, keeping America out of civil wars, and there are more issues, because they are tired of paying for all of that big government, especially as they're deep in debt and seeing their incomes go down. 

Libertarians have Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson and other believers in progressivism to thank for their movement today. Without them, we may not have anything resembling a welfare sate in America and this country still looks like the 1920s when it comes to economic policy, foreign policy, and other policies.