Comments on: Jacksonian Americans

By: Blake

Blake — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 02:17:36 +0000

Jacksonian in this context is well described and framed by Walter Russell Meade in his 2006 book, Special Providence. I recommend his analysis of the four approaches to foreign policy that characterizes American foreign policy, Jacksonian, Hamiltonian, Jeffersonian and Wilsonian.

By: MollyNH

MollyNH — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:46:59 +0000

I agree Carl,& Chuck it s about his attitude, pugnacity & self assurance. He was not perfect but a man of his times.
True the native Americans are offended by him & his role in displacing them but there is little we can do about that now. Most white Europeans had volatile relationships with Native Americans after all there was a French & Indian war. (a 2 fer I guess)
Sadly though the trail of tears was a big injustice.
I hate to make the suggestion but may be the native Americans need a *grievence group* like afro americans & hispanics.

By: carl in atlanta

carl in atlanta — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:56:15 +0000

G Joubert: Andrew Jackson was not a nice man, but the term "Jacksonian", when applied to attitudes about politics, democracy and war is not so much about him personally as it is about the traditional attitude toward such things in the Scots Irish culture in America. See James Webb's Born Fighting.

By: chuck

chuck — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 02:34:43 +0000

I think `Jacksonian` refers to Jackson’s courage and pugnacity as representative of the scotch-irish. Jackson had both traits in abundance. And of course, the indians themselves engaged in imperial adventures and cleansing. See, Iroquois and Comanche. Different times, different culture, different norms.

By: maddog

maddog — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 02:26:19 +0000

Geoffrey Britain,
Yes. Read Viroli, Republicanism if you cannot. At 144 pages, it is a slim well written analysis of Classical Republicanism and a strong argument for our returning to such and the current problems modern republics face.

It is one of the books you must read (like Eric Hoffers, The True Believer) to understand the world today.

Happy reading.

Mark Sherman

By: Jon Jewett

Jon Jewett — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 02:22:19 +0000

Ah, yes. Look up “The Trail of Tears”. Jackson would be called the equal of the genocidal tyrant Milosevek when he (Jackson) ethnically cleansed the south of the Cherokee. In defiance of a Supreme Court decision. It is a proud Democrat tradition followed by Roosevelt when he ethnically cleansed the United States of the Japanese. Trashing the Constitution, it’s a Democrat thing.

By: Geoffrey Britain

Geoffrey Britain — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 02:19:48 +0000

“I wouldn’t be signing onto any part of him.”

ALL bad, huh? No shades of grey? Do you apply the same calculus to Washington and Jefferson?

By: G Joubert

G Joubert — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 02:07:02 +0000

“The last sentence makes me a Jacksonian”

Jackson was a virulent racist, and racism drove many of his policies, with respect to indians, slaves, runaway slaves, and, basically, all nonwhites. I wouldn’t be signing onto any part of him.

By: Geoffrey Britain

Geoffrey Britain — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 00:48:20 +0000

Maddog,

Can you fully separate a republic from a democracy? There may not have been a completely pure democracy since ancient Athens.

By: carl in atlanta

carl in atlanta — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 23:47:58 +0000

Amen Molly. Another full-blown Scots-Irish Jacksonian here.

Kick their freakin’ asses all the way down the Tigris AND Euphrates Rivers, down to the the Gulf of Persia-co!