When Milwaukee Was A Snapshot Into A Socialist America | America's Experiment

What can these 20th-century socialists tell us about how socialism works in practice? This film looks at both the victories and the failures of America's socialist experiment. The leaders established the nation's first municipal public housing project, and first workers' compensation law. They chased the KKK out of town, and welcomed African American immigrants. The socialists provided for the whole life of their citizens - adding "recreation" to municipal Parks departments. But the experiment was not without its failures. Some programs were too optimistic; others created unintended consequences. And ultimately both the Democrats and Republicans claim their legacy.
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[@historyjunkie3144]

It's sad people are against good policy and real progression. I'm from Madison wi , the capital city in wisconsin and I love milwaukee ❤

[@JanisFever]

The two worst cities in the state! Madison is okay ngl, but the people there are delusional. Streets aren't even big enough for my f350 daily driver smh

[@SSowilo]

😂​@@JanisFever

[@TedApelt]

Socialism is not about redistributing wealth, it is about giving people control over how it is produced and distributed in the first place. Socialism is about giving as many people as possible control over how goods and services are produced and distributed, how society is organized, and what the rules are for behavior. The key is whether you have a few people at the top in control which is NOT socialist (It makes absolutely no difference whether these people are government officials or the CEO's of large corporations.) or you have control by as many people as possible, which IS socialist). "Democratic control is therefore also essential to the meaning of socialism. Socialism will be a society in which everybody will have the right to participate in the social decisions that affect them. These decisions could be on a wide range of issues - one of the most important kinds of decision, for example, would be how to organize the production of goods and services." "Socialism means the full democratization of all areas of our lives. Whether in the workplace, school, family, politics, neighborhood, or anywhere else, all people should have a voice in decisions that affect their lives." "If so many people misunderstand socialism, why continue to use the word? First, we call ourselves socialists because we are proud of what we are. Second, no matter what we call ourselves, conservatives will use it against us. Anti-socialism has been repeatedly used to attack reforms that shift power to working class people and away from corporate capital. In 1993, national health insurance was attacked as "socialized medicine" and defeated. Liberals are routinely denounced as socialists in order to discredit reform. Until we face, and beat, the stigma attached to the S word, politics in America will continue to be stifled and our options limited. We also call ourselves socialists because we are proud of the traditions upon which we are based, of the heritage of the Socialist Party of Eugene Debs and Norman Thomas, and of other struggles for change that have made America more democratic and just. Finally, we call ourselves socialists to remind everyone that we have a vision of a better world." Democratic Socialists of America

[@forcelightningcable9639]

It really wasn’t socialist at all. It was reform capitalist with socialist characteristics, staffed by people who called themselves socialists, but who nevertheless felt themselves content to compete in the capitalist market with the capitalists. They failed only because they did not act radically enough.

[@dodie3412]

they didn’t fail, milwaukee had more socialist mayors than any other major city to this day. the system doesnt allow for revolutionary action therefor to get your foot in the door you can’t have radical policy. you can’t run for mayor with the promise of completely changing the entire system from capitalism to socialism.

[@forcelightningcable9639]

@@dodie3412 Reformism is bunk dude. Am the socialists in all the parliaments in the world did not bring about lasting change. It never works.

[@Tunnelramlife]

What made Milwaukee famous has made a loser out of me

[@adamberndt4190]

The Kia Boyz...

[@noahfischer3088]

Interesting. This is more evidence that Wisconsin and Illinois are very different places.

[@HotTakeAndy]

As if we needed that 😂

[@bookofrevelation4924]

My grandfather came to Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1927 from Germany, and my grandmother came to Milwaukee from Germany a year or two later to marry him. They had three children there by 1939, and then moved to Detroit Michigan where my dad was born on the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. I always wondered, why they both planned back in Germany to marry in Milwaukee?

[@bookofrevelation4924]

Both of my dad's parents had family members working closely with Albert Einstein in Germany until 1938 when they all fled to USA when things broke as Otto Hahn split the uranium atom that year. There's records of Albert Einstein visiting Detroit Michigan and speaking publicly about social and religious subjects at the time my dad was conceived.

[@Waverunner21]

Probably the massive German immigrant population.

[@l00tur]

Thank you for this wonderful, and easily digestible program that highlighted some of the great achievements Milwaukee was commonly known for, before the ugliness of the 'freeway system' and gentrification that plagues the city now. Whilst Lenin may have dismissed such achievements as addressing a symptom of a much larger problem, I like to think those who understood Lenin and his various writings would agree that the achievements for the working class are always seen as a plus. That said, Socialism in America does not have to follow the follies of the Soviet Union to be successful, as evident of the materialistic improvements found within this program. I imagine our version would be far less romanticized, but I guess time will tell.

[@marial3231]

Lastly Milwaukee has a large fusion center and one of the suburban HS is a hot zone

[@John.Flower.Productions]

Baltimore, Memphis, Detroit, Oakland, Milwaukee, Et cetera are still snapshots into a socialist America. *Paradise.*

[@bookofrevelation4924]

These are places that German intellectuals went to in mass? Earlier, German farmers went to settle new land in Texas with the Austin family, and to Frankenmuth Michigan called Little Bavaria, then later German intellectuals came to Milwaukee after it was settled? Did Albert Einstein promote Socialism of Milwaukee when visiting Detroit and Chicago?

[@BillzPlays]

In other words, vote republican! Milwaukee ik hasnt had a Republican mayor in ages. - An independent

[@bookofrevelation4924]

@@BillzPlays didn't the video show it didn't matter who's in the Mayors' seats anymore after WW2 as President Eisenhower (Republican) said in his Farewell address, that government got too big for citizens to have any influence because corporations took over fully? Also wasn't the successful Mayors Socialists, and Republicans oppose Socialists, so how could there be Republicans to be as good as Socialists were before CIA propaganda against Socialists? Isn't CIA Republican run by Bush family, and UN Ambassador George HW Bush (Republican) soon after President Kennedy's death, under President Ford (Republican) since US Senator Prescott Bush? Nixon (Republican) pushed out of way by Bush, so Rumsfeld and Cheney could take over Oval Office to pave Reagan's (Republican) road to White House from Hollywood?

[@riverlady982]

Exactly this has now spread to the Democratic Party in America's main government in Washington DC and were already seeing exactly what it can do to America and it's not pretty. Just like all these cities turned to crap. I also think it's very telling that there's a bunch of Boomers making this video. The Boomers inherited a great and growing America and have continued to dismantle and destroy it. The generation that is sold struggles to hold onto a pencil is still so desperate to hold on to their power that their trying to convince us that this is a great idea still 🤪. I don't see them bragging how there's barely a factory left for anyone to work at to support their family because they left for other countries with cheaper labor and less taxes.

[@Tunnelramlife]

​@@BillzPlaysbut I want Bernie

[@katnip6289]

Great video!

[@marial3231]

Milwaukee has one of the highest black infant mortality rates in the USA. How’s that for the progressive city? I’m forced with my coworkers to do DEI training where half the course is on microagressions. It’s utter madness to me after living abroad for 10 years I thought the US was more efficient and smarter. It’s like living in a communist state (I’m from those countries former soviet, spying and have to watch what you say atmosphere).

[@marial3231]

@teledine yes exactly

[@V555Vendetta]

Milwaukee hasn’t been socialist since the 1960s It’s been fairly liberal and capitalist since then

[@dust195]

Maria you are full of it. The way you describe being from one of "those countries former Soviet". And most importantly your channel's comment history, I can't help but see you are lying for internet clout.

[@dvepps6780]

Socialism is dead in Milwaukee & the banks & FBI killed it… same for the the Greater Milwaukee Committee & the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce.

[@dvepps6780]

And the killing of social democracy also makes working people vulnerable -- that includes black working people. The documentary is all about social democracy & its influence on public health.

[@jasonromage6129]

Bernie Sanders is from Milwaukee?!?

[@jesusgonzales1045]

bernie is from brooklyn,NY

[@andrewforce6516]

​@@jesusgonzales1045 I think he was trying to make a joke. He just lacks talent.

[@marial3231]

Part of my family lives in Milwaukee, near the incredibly beautiful shoreline mansions but a couple blocks in the more affordable inland. Lots of Jews and their kid who can talk gives thanks in Hebrew. Just a mile further in is the dangerous part of town… it’s so weird. We went to a restaurant and most of the couples there were gay. Jews, gays, rich, high middle class, the poor/gang all next to each other. And they attend a lgbtq church where the priests are all gay. They want their kids to grow up amongst Jews sto maximize their chances for success which is very smart. I wouldn’t support (AND NO JUST BECAUSE I MENTON JEWS DOES NOT MAKE ME ANTISEMIITIC SO BEFORE I TICK ANY KEYBOARD READY FINGERPADS THINK FIRST).

[@dust195]

Shame on you Maria. I thought you came from a "former Soviet" country. And yet you spew the same rhetoric my american forefathers fought and died to put an end to? The same rhetoric your Soviet forefathers died to put an end to? Shame shame shame.

[@l00tur]

What does this incoherent rambling have to do with this video? Jews, gays, etc, these are people at the end of the day, most of which are working class. I find it odd that for someone who claimed they were not antisemitic, you sought it a point to clarify, several times in your comment that Jews were in various areas within Milwaukee....why?

[@NoShowShattuck]

This is propaganda.

[@Midwestern_Catholic_Republic]

All outputs of info are bias so all info sources are propaganda for the people who own them

[@friedzombie4]

This is history.

[@l00tur]

I'm sure you cried the same concern sitting in history class when you were in HS, any attempt to avoid learning something was your goal.