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The Old Kayfabe Democracy is Dead!
As Are Now the Hopes of MAGA "Prairie Populists" Like Me
Prairie populism was a late 19th and early 20th-century agrarian movement in the U.S. Great Plains and Western Canada, pitting farmers against urban, corporate elites, railroad monopolies, and bankers. Driven by economic hardship, it favored government regulation, cooperatives, and monetary reform to combat rising debt, low crop prices, and high shipping rates.
Key aspects of prairie populism include:It was a significant, albeit often short-lived, challenge to the established two-party system, driven by the belief that the economic system was rigged against rural workers.
- The Populist Party (People's Party): Particularly strong in Kansas and Nebraska, this movement mobilized rural communities to fight for farmers' interests and against the influence of Eastern finance.
- Agrarian Radicalism: Populists aimed to "raise less corn and more hell," advocating for policies such as the free coinage of silver, government ownership of railroads, and a graduated income tax.
- Widespread Mobilization: The movement included active participation from women, such as speaker and writer Mary Elizabeth Lease, who organized campaigns and challenged the political status quo.
- Regional Differences: While strong in the Plains states, this form of populism faced different receptions elsewhere, with Iowa, for example, remaining less receptive, as shown in studies by Jeffrey Ostler.
- Canadian Context: In Canada, agrarian populist sentiments similarly fostered the rise of cooperatives and social movements in the Western provinces, notes this Springer Nature Link article.
