A NEW JACKSONIAN ERA? (PART TWO)

Monday, February 13, 2017
By Paul Martin

James Quinn
TheBurningPlatform.com
February 13, 2017

In Part One of this article I documented the populist administration of Andrew Jackson and similarities to Donald Trump’s populist victory in the recent election. I’ll now try to assess the chances of a Trump presidency accomplishing its populist agenda.

The Trumpian Era

“But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes.” – Andrew Jackson

“For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.”Donald J. Trump – Inaugural Speech

It is not a coincidence the painting in the oval office behind President Trump’s desk is of Andrew Jackson. He has promoted his presidency as a Jacksonian quest to return government to the people. His chief strategist Steve Bannon, a student of history, helped mold Trump’s speech with echoes of Jacksonian populism:

“It was an unvarnished declaration of the basic principles of his populist and kind of nationalist movement. It was given, I think, in a very powerful way. I don’t think we’ve had a speech like that since Andrew Jackson came to the White House. But you could see it was very Jacksonian. It’s got a deep, deep root of patriotism there.”

Jon Meacham, the author of the 2008 biography of Jackson “American Lion,” said the moment in which the 45th president was taking office was “unquestionably Jacksonian.” Meacham notes the similarities between Jackson and Trump as outsiders who shook up the establishment status quo. Their pugilistic natures struck fear into the hearts of Washington insiders, upending their insular corrupt scheme of rewarding themselves at the expense of the common man.

“Jackson was the first president who was not a Virginia planter or an Adams from Massachusetts. The establishment at the time saw his election as a potentially destabilizing democratic moment in what was largely a republican culture.”

Jackson had pledged to sweep corruption out of Washington, comparing it to the herculean task of mucking out a “giant Augean stable.” Trump’s pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington DC parallels Jackson’s rhetoric. The establishment of the 1820s was still focused on Britain, the king and their own aristocratic schemes until Jackson was elected by the “mob of peasants”, shattering their comfortable insular existence. The arrogant privileged establishment has treated Trump with contempt and scorn during his entire run for the presidency.

Their fear and loathing has reached epic proportions as their ill-gotten favored status is in danger of being obliterated by Trump’s ascension to power through an overwhelming victory propelled by “the deplorables”. The establishment never goes down without a fight. The establishment has survived for two centuries like cockroaches who can’t be exterminated, as the commoners have proven to be easily manipulated and always open to bribes. Our descent into democracy has made each election is an advance sale on stolen goods.

Most new presidents, including Barack Obama, receive a honeymoon period where they are allowed to pick their cabinet and set an agenda with only token opposition from their political opponents. The people have spoken and the country usually comes together to support the new president. Both Trump and Jackson did not receive that courtesy. Jackson was confronted by a hostile Congress during his entire eight year presidency. His agenda of fighting against the powerful entrenched interests in Washington DC, while expanding presidential powers and the radical agenda of giving more power to the people, immediately provoked a hostile response from the vested interests.

The Rest…HERE

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