Asking if Democrats Are Stuck in the Century Ending in the Year 1899 Is a More Than Fair Question
Whether one discusses Marxism or railroad travel, one thing is sure — both were popular 19th century ideas whose time has come and perhaps passed.
Marxism, the idea de jure of today's graduate students and social media influencers (not the masses), has its origins as far back as the early Greeks, with Aristotle being the classic Greek proponent.
It gained popularity in the 18th Century through the works of philosophers Hegel and Kant, whose ideas were further developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their Communist Manifesto, published in the 19th Century.
According to Jennifer Betts (2020), "Marxism, in simple terms, is a political and economic theory where a society has no classes. Every person within the society works for a common good, and class struggle is theoretically gone."
She goes on to say, "In an attempt to make the world a fairer and more perfect place, they drafted a manifesto called 'The Communist Manifesto'.
"It was an attempt to explore the problems with Capitalism and find a social and political theory to move beyond a capitalist society to one that benefits every member.
"The main points of Marxism include the following: Capitalism is divided into two classes: workers (proletarians) and capitalists (bourgeoisie). Those who control corporations exploit workers and influence society.
"Eventually, workers will rise up to make everyone even and get rid of classes." ("What is Marxism: Explanation In Simple Terms," Jennifer Betts, June 9, 2020)
But how popular is this idea of Marxism among Americans today? Jeffrey M. Jones (2021) in his article "Socialism, Capitalism Ratings in U.S. Unchanged" finds that Capitalism is viewed positively by 60%, while socialism is viewed positively by 38%, with a six-point decline in the positive image of big business to 46%."
Democrats continue to view socialism more positively than Capitalism but are underwater with how most Americans feel about Marxism.
Another dated idea that Democrats can never get enough of is the concept of railroad travel and its new clarion call for a high-speed alternative transportation mode.
With its origins in 19th-century transportation theory, railroads were the primary method for uniting a disparate nation into a single country; however, this was not necessarily the most intelligent choice for practical travel in a 21st-century world.
"Beginning in the early 1870s, railroad construction in the United States experienced a dramatic increase.
"Before 1871, approximately 45,000 miles of track had been laid. Between 1871 and 1900, another 170,000 miles were added to the nation's growing railroad system.
"Much of the growth can be attributed to the building of the transcontinental railroads. In 1862, Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act, which authorized the construction of a transcontinental railroad. The first such Railroad was completed on May 10, 1869."
Adam Burns (2024) in his article, "The 1950s Railroads In The Postwar (1950s): Facts, Statistics, Photos," states the following: "The post-World War II railroad industry, through the 1950s, was a fascinating dichotomy of initial prosperity followed by increasing struggle and frustration.
"The new decade dawned with great hope for not only continued strong freight tonnage but also a belief that rail travel would continue to prosper.
"From a macro view, the 1950s were a struggle; aside from declining passenger business, a recession and improved highways (including signage of the Interstate Highway Act) heavily eroded the industry's traffic base."
It should be noted that Americans are schizophrenic when it comes to rail travel and whether they use it. Many polls by self-interested sponsors indicate that over 80% of respondents support a high-speed rail alternative.
However, the behavioral data tell a different story. Tom Bailey (2015) in his article, "Why Americans aren't travelling by train anymore?"
He observes: The U.S. and railways once went hand in hand, but since the mid-20th century, rail passenger use across the country has sharply declined. The reasons stem from the country's unique history.
Three unique reasons for the unpopular use of rail today are, first, its expense, both in terms of construction, maintenance and service costs; second, Americans love of driving and finally the culture of American individualism, which focuses on one's schedule rather than being a slave to a pre-prescribed schedule set up by a third party, namely railroad authorities.
So, what should the Democrats do to remain relevant and attract today's Americans?
First, they should adopt the marketing concept to meet the needs and wants of most voters. This means not forcing Americans or preaching to voters what Democrats think voters should do, but what voters prefer to do.
Second, identify what issues most Americans prefer without being judgmental regarding the responses given by their voters.
And finally, realize that it is not about them — the Democrats.
Instead, it's all about their customers — the voters.
Dr. John Tantillo is a Marketing professor at Lander College for Men. He also teaches Social Media Marketing and Branding at Touro University's Graduate School of Business. He is the author of the popular book: "People Buy Brands, Not Companies." Read More of his Reports — Here.