11. Even before Civil War, leading Southern thinkers worried about Presidency becoming home for egalitarian & imperialist policies.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
12. It's not an accident that John Wilkes Booth shouted "sic semper tyrannis" after shooting Lincoln. Booth saw himself as Brutus reborn
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13. In the context of modern right, language of Caesarism-as-menace revived by James Burnham & Willmoore Kendall in 1950s.
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14. Although there were aspects of this language already in 1930s in opposition to FDR (and Huey Long).
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15. A key text here is James Burnham's "Congress and the American Tradition" (1959).
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16. In reading Burnham's warnings of Caesarism, important to realize he was no believer in democracy. Supported many right-wing dictators.
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17. In earlier works, Burnham made case democracy is impossible, best we can hope for is responsible elite (open to new members).
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18. For Burnham, danger of Caesarism is that of a popular president who gives people what they want: pre-eminently FDR.
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20. Burnham's anti-Caesarism also grew out of struggles between Truman/Eisenhower with McCarthy.
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21. Burnham wanted to roll back communism, & thought Congress and Senate (especially McCarthy) were best advocates for his position.
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22. Because Truman/Eisenhower opposed McCarthy, Burnham started worrying about Caesarism.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
23. Willmoore Kendall's review of Harry Jaffa's Crisis of the House Divided is also a key text: http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2005/12/harry_jaffa_wil.html …
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24. Sorry folks, I have to do some childcare now. Will return to this later in the afternoon.
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