Late in the 19th Century America, two movements -- Populism and Progressivism , challenged a political system in the Gilded Age, when tycoons had a great deal of influence on politics. Farm rights, labor rights, child labor, the plight of immigrants and racial equality were among some of the issues both movements addressed to various degrees. Many figures, such as W.E.B. DuBois, Jane Addams and even Theodore Roosevelt were looked at in alarm by many of the conservative politicians and pundits of the day.

There were flamboyant millionaires like Diamond Jim Brady and others whose attention to their public image rivaled that of Donald Trump. Such millionaires spent time attacking unions, portraying labor leaders as socialists, communists and anarchists while either claiming their money came from God as in the case of John Rockefeller or pursuing Social Darwinism, often with open racism. To my mind, that era resembles our own, with wide income inequality. To someone who is familiar with American history, Rush Limbaugh echoes a lot of the rhetoric of those criticism the “do gooders” of that era. Also, this popular cartoon by Joseph Kepler from 1889 that portrayed various business interests as the bosses of the Senate could be redone in our own time.


Although, Progressivism and Populism differed in many respects, both movements addressed several issues. Each influenced different political parties, and some could argue that the Progressive Movement ultimately saw much of its policies bear fruit in the New Deal.

In our own time, we see many people focusing on various issues. Women’s rights, labor rights, the environment, LGBT rights, and income equality are all issues that many on the Left or in the Democratic Party support. However, it seems that unlike the Republicans and the Right Wing, there is not yet a single unified movement called Progressivism. Too often, it seems people focus on just a single issue. It is relatively easy, or has been, to say what Republicans support – little or no economic regulation, a conservative view of families, women and the LGBT community, unfettered access to firearms, and the like. It is harder to say what Democrats, progressives and the Left support.

I define myself as a progressive who views support of a wide variety of issues that are related to each other. Without a stable global environment, many people will die, economies will suffer and the world will be a grimmer place. Without more economic equality, democracy risks being replaced by a new form of corporate feudalism -- where elections truly do not matter as the wealthy run the world. Also, if I do not safeguard the rights of others -- women, the LGBT community, religious minorities, and people in general -- who will stand with me. In this, I draw on my own traditions and one of the teachings of Hillel the Sage:




I believe that we are seeing more people on the Left seeing a need to come together on issues. We saw labor groups working with Occupy Wall Street. We have seen organizations like Democracy for America and Progressive Democrats of America that address many issues. We see supporters of women’s rights address the rights of the LGBT community. Nor does this seem to be purely an American phenomenon A recent article in the Guardian UK addresses some developments in Britain on a fourth wave of feminism that looks at a variety of issues, including racism, classism and sexism. Men and women are involved in various protests.

The fourth wave of feminism: meet the rebel women

Based on my own observations, I suspect that we are seeing Democrats and allies coming together on issues, from women’s rights to the environment into a broader movement. Perhaps, we are seeing – at long last – a progressive response to a well-organized Right Wing. While Occupy Wall Street arguably addressed too many issues, it may have pointed the way to having an organized movement that can address a variety of issues. We also are seeing the rise of progressive leaders, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, who are addressing serious and complex issues in ways that reach out to a wide audience. So, although the Democratic Party and its allies seem to be playing a game of catch up, I suspect that there is a lot of progress to come.

One important aspect of this will be to get people to become politically active on a local and national level. The Tea Party took over Republican precinct committees and slated their allies to run for office. We are seeing more people becoming involved in Democratic party precinct committees and running for local office. Obviously, there will be some resistance – the “Third Way” Democrats are already criticizing Elizabeth Warren and others as dangerous populists. What is eerie is how much of the rhetoric of the present echoes the past. However, I think that we will see a new Progressive Movement rise soon, and perhaps bring an end to what I have sometimes called Gilded Age 2.0.