Posted by
Dennis Pemberton on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 12:41:47 PM
In preparation for a Presidential run against FDR, whom he deemed insufficiently socialist, Senator Huey Long created
"Share Our Wealth." Its motto was "
Every Man a King," proposing
wealth redistribution measures in the form of a
net asset tax on large corporations and individuals of great wealth. For example, income tax rates would be at 100% for all incomes over $1 million, and personal assets exceeding 9 million dollars would have been confiscated.
Here is the song Long wrote for his program. Obama should play it at his inauguration, if he is so blessed and we are so cursed:
Why weep or slumber America
Land of brave and true
With castles and clothing and food for all
All belongs to you
Ev'ry man a king, ev'ry man a king
For you can be a millionaire
But there's something belonging to others
There's enough for all people to share
When its sunny June and December too
Or in the Winter time or Spring
There'll be peace without end
Ev'ry neighbor a friend
With ev'ry man a king
Of course, Long never got the chance to unseat Roosevelt, as he was shot to death in 1935- either on purpose by Dr. Carl Weiss, or by mistake by his own bodyguards.