A message from the Father of the Modern Democratic Party:

[bvar22]

*The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism -- ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power.

*The second truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe, if its business system does not provide employment and produce and distribute goods in such a way as to sustain an acceptable standard of living.

<snip>

No people, least of all a democratic people, will be content to go without work or to accept some standard of living which obviously and woefully falls short of their capacity to produce. No people, least of all a people with our traditions of personal liberty, will endure the slow erosion of opportunity for the common man, the oppressive sense of helplessness under the domination of a few, which are overshadowing our whole economic life.
---FDR

http://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/faculty-research/new-deal/roosevelt-speeches/fr042938.htm

Sounds a lot like Bernie.

[malthaussen]

1. Perhaps Mr Roosevelt underestimated our endurance.

As for being content, that is easy: the beatings will continue until morale improves.

-- Mal

[Cheese Sandwich]

2. I think maybe FDR was slightly wrong.

Or there's more than one way to look at it.

Fascism is what happens after the state and the liberal center become totally dominated by corporate power, but peaceful democratic social reforms are not allowed in enough of a way to relieve human suffering, and the revolutionary left too weak to organize. Then you end up with a nationalistic right wing populist force that reacts against the corrupt, liberal centers of power. That's like Trump's people. That's fascism.

[Gregorian]

3. Democratic Socialism is next

It sounded very much as though he was talking about it.