If you have not read Follow the Yellow Brick Road - The Wizard of Oz and 1890's Monetary Policy, I would suggest you do so, so that you will fully understand the context of the article below. I want to sincerely thank you for reading The Hickory Hound.
This allegorical relationship between the movie "The Wizard of Oz" and our country's economics and culture is something that I have heard before, but never really delved into to the point of being able to fully grasp the conceptual relationship. After reading much of the information, reading the book in the past, and remembering the movie, I believe I truly understand what Baum was getting at. He is telling you that family and relationships are more important than money.
The World is more complex than it was 110 years ago, but people are still the same. Read the characterizations of the main players in the story. Dorothy still defines that innocent young wide eyed person that doesn't understand the cruelty and crassness of the environment surrounding her. Toto represents the people who are good, but many times find trouble by sticking their nose in other people's business, even though many times they do good by exposing the man behind the curtain. Read about the Tin Man and see if it doesn't remind you of the people who are lost because of deindustrialization. Look at the Scarecrow, who now equates to the small businessman being squeezed by a financial structure and taxation system instituted by the government, through funding and support of moral hazards associated with the bad behavior of corporations deemed "Too Big to Fail" and a sense of entitlement and least common denominator expectations associated with a burgeoning underclass created by the imploding structure of the macro-economy.
The Lion represents the modern day leaders of the cultural and political world who complain, but are unwilling to take any real, aggressive action that might put their reputation at risk. The witches are the people in politics and economics at the top of the food chain, who are willing to do anything, and I mean anything, to support their personal interests and goals.
The Presidents still represent witches who are persuaded and controlled by the Wizards who personify the money interests of Wall Street, whether that be the revolving door that Goldman Sachs utilizes to control the regulation of the bureaucracy through conflicts of interest or the insider trading that JP Morgan-Chase utilizes in association with Goldman Sachs in rigging the markets through insider trading sanctioned by The President's Working Group on Financial Markets (the Plunge Protection Team).
Look at what happened two years ago when the banks began imploding, because of the moral hazard associated with their bad lending habits and the derivative investments associated with those loans. Many of the supposed leaders of our country, including President Bush, blindly came to their defense and agreed in conjunction with the Federal Reserve and the Treasury to take the money supply to astronomical levels under the guise that they were helping the American people. The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) money was supposed to help individual homeowners who had become underwater on their mortgages and help shore up a Housing system that was imploding due to the Economic bubble associated with the cheap money policies facilitated by the Federal Reserve. Two days after the bill was passed Bush's Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson redirected the scheme to give billions of dollars directly to the "Too Big to Fail" Banks.
We look at the campaign of 2008 and how Barack Obama and John McCain essentially ran in the same direction with Progressive platforms. Both of the men supported the TARP and other Banking bailout policies. Obama won because he sold the Average "Dorothy" type Citizens on an idea that he was the candidate who represented Change. In his term to date, he has not represented change. He is carrying out a furtherance of the policies of the George W. Bush administration. He has thrown his lot directly behind the Fat Cats on Wall Street at the expense of the Small Businessman (Scarecrow) and the Average Laborer (Tin Man).
The reason why the Tea Party began forming is because of the disillusionment of an American public that feels that the Legitimate American System has been stolen from us. Think back to August 2009 and those Town hall meetings that took place. Those Town Halls were not organized to function the way that they did. "Toto" showed up to expose the men behind the curtain. People were angry that their health care preferences weren't being represented. It is agreed that something needs to be done, but what has been done does not implement a system of healthcare liberation and choices, instead it institutes a system of top-down bureaucratic control.
I believe that many of the Dorothys are going to be awakened by what the Totos have led them into. People buy into the notion of Conservative-Liberal, Democrat-Republican, Left-Right... These paradigms are meant to divide and conquer. Look at what the parties have done. Do their actions match their rhetoric? Just like in 1890, when both the Democrat and succeeding Republican Presidents made sure to enforce a strict monetary policy tied to Gold, today we have seen a Republican President and his Democrat successor both support a monetary policy based upon Fiat currency, expansion of Federal Reserve Powers, protecting a world banking cartel, Laissez-Faire world trade policies, and I can go on and on with the similarities.
What the story of The Wizard of Oz teaches us is that "There's no place like home." Home is where we find comfort through family and the people that we love. That cannot be derived through the unquenchable, covetous desires programmed upon us through the ideas of the modern materialistic, bastardized "American Dream."
Look at what has happened over the generations to the American Family. It used to be that the family could live comfortably off of one income, usually derived from the father, while the mother stayed home taking care of the household and raising the children. That was a real job, that should have truly been appreciated. Over time, the mother was economically forced to go to work to help support family income needed to pay for rising costs. The system endorsed this transformation in the family structure as Women's Liberation. Has it really liberated anyone?
As time has gone on in this new family structure paradigm, and with the conception and implementation of Social Welfare, we have seen the cohesion of the Institution of the American Family decimated. Under this new structure, it is much more easy for the husband and wife to lose their commonality and grow apart, because their career becomes their identity and more important than their family. Many times this leads to divorce.
Much of the economic devastation we have seen correlates with the coming into middle age of the initial Latchkey Kids and the products of the Age of Divorce. As the Latchkey pioneer generation comes to the age of taking leadership roles, most are lost and ill-prepared because they do not have a principled foundation to fall back on. They are not prepared for leadership, because they have basically had to mentally raise themselves in a chaotic trial and error experience caused by this transformation in Family Values. What has been instituted is a mentality of isolation, survival, and taking care of ones self.
There is no place like home and the security and love that comes with it. I believe that is what we are missing today. Money cannot fulfill that need and as a society we have to get back to Family and Togetherness being the norm and not the exception. Ones relationship with the government should not take precedent over ones relationship with their family. I really don't know if we are too far down this road to get back to the soundness built upon a solid foundation of principles, but in my heart of hearts I know that it is what is right.
I refuse to espouse the ideas of the typically trite politician, who drones on about their belief that America's best days lie ahead. We cannot take that for granted! What we have seen is part of the evolution of our country; but just like that unbridled teen who is out of control, we have to begin to find our way through the personal practice of the principles of honesty, integrity, honor, and loyalty; and we need to get back to being productive. What we have gone through is not a lost cause if we learn from the errors of our ways; but if we don't, then we could surely witness the demise of this great nation in our lifetime. And like Dorothy, the power to solve our problems is within our own hands and it has been the whole time.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Follow the Yellow Brick Road - The Wizard of Oz and 1890's Monetary Policy
There are many people who interpret L. Frank Baum's fairy tale "The Wizard of Oz" as a Political Allegory based upon the politics of the 1890s. The most popular of these interpretations comes from a high school history teacher in upstate New York named Henry Littlefield, he surmised that Mr. Baum was very active in politics and the book was published, in 1900 not more than four years after Democratic Presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan delivered his "Cross of gold" speech at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which supported the Democratic party's push to take the U.S. dollar off of the "gold standard" and place it on a "silver standard".
The United States had a bimetallic standard (Gold and Silver) until the Congress instituted the "Fourth Coinage Act of 1873." The Act embraced the gold standard and demonetized silver. Western mining interests and others who wanted silver in circulation years later labeled this measure the "Crime of '73". Gold became the only metallic standard in the United States, hence putting the United States 'de facto' onto the gold standard. The U.S. did not actually adopt the gold standard 'de jure' until the year 1900.
In the early half of the 20th century, Bryan's speech was considered to be one of the greatest political speeches in U.S. history. It was believed that inflation would result from from a change to the silver standard (because silver was a more abundant metal allowing more dollars to be printed) and thus make it easier for farmers and other debtors to pay off their debts by increasing their income. It would also reverse the deflation which the U.S. experienced from 1873-1896.
The Yellow Brick Road represents the "Gold Standard." As is the case today, the banking interests centered around New York City, who believed it was in the United States' best interest to remain on the Gold standard, and in the book (not the movie) Dorothy wears silver slippers and they represent the silver standard advocated by William Jennings Bryan.
Dorothy is a simple country girl who lives on an impoverished farm. She represents the American people and their values -- honest and kindhearted. It is also suggested that she may represent Mary Elizabeth Lease, known as the Kansas Tornado. Lease became involved in the Populist Party, drumming up support for their cause. She believed that big business had made the people of America into "wage slaves", declaring, "Wall Street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, by Wall Street, and for Wall Street. The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master." Although she is widely believed to have exhorted Kansas farmers to "raise less corn and more hell", she later said that the admonition had been invented by reporters. Lease decided to let the quote stand because she thought "it was a right good bit of advice."
The moral of the story, which is in the movie, the good witch tells Dorothy after the balloon leaves Oz, is that all along Dorothy had the power to go home, just as the solutions to America's problems lie in the ability of Americans to show faith in themselves and their abilities.
Toto, small and seemingly going unnoticed, reveals the Wizard for the fraud he is. He is thought to be another representation of average American people. Toto is probably a reference to the Prohibition Party, Toto being short for teetotaler. The Prohibition Party generally supported the free silver movement.
Uncle Henry: In the late 1800's, there was a famous farmer who was the editor of a leading farm magazine. His name was Henry Cantwell Wallace, and everyone called him Uncle Henry.
Cyclone: The tornado is thought to represent political upheaval, or the free silver movement. During the time period in which this story was written, farmers were suffering from federal deflation; they were receiving less money for their goods, and their debt was getting larger. They wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both silver and gold. Some politicians were behind this movement while others were not.
Munchkins: The munchkins were little people who represented the common folk. They were ordinary citizens of the United States. And in the same breath, the Lollipop Guild is said to represent child labor.
Silver Slippers: In the book, the slippers that appear on Dorothy's feet are silver, rather than ruby. Silver relates to the monetary political issues. Farmers wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both gold and silver.
The Wicked Witch of the East, President Grover Cleveland, represents Eastern Big Business interests. Cleveland led the fight for the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which had provided for the limited coinage of silver. Dorothy's house falls on the Wicked Witch of the East, leaving only the witch's silver shoes. The Depression of 1893 was believed to be caused by the tight money supply resulting from a lack of available gold supplies. This depression lingered through Cleveland's second term. As the 1896 election approached, eastern pro-gold-standard Democrats wished Cleveland to run for a third term, but he declined.
The Wicked Witch of the West represents William McKinley from Ohio (the west), who defeated Bryan to become President succeeding Cleveland. McKinley was against silver because he viewed it as a debased currency and overseas markets used gold, so he believed that it would harm foreign trade. The Gold Standard Act of the United States was passed in 1900 (ratified on March 14) and established gold as the only standard for redeeming paper money, stopping bimetallism (which had allowed silver in exchange for gold). It was signed by President William McKinley.
Good Witches of the North and South: The Good Witch of the North is thought to represent the workers of the north, whereas the Good Witch of the South is thought to represent the farmers of the south. This contrasts the wicked industrialists of the east and the railroad moguls of the west. The South was sympathetic to free-silver (the entire South voted for Bryan in 1896) so it's fitting that the south has a good witch.
The Scarecrow represents the plight of the American farmer at the turn of the 20th century. From 1879 to the end of the century a constant agitation for the expansion of the money stock (inflation) raged in the USA. Political parties were founded whose sole purpose was to make, by one means or another, the total money supply rise. Some favored the issue of paper money (Fiat currency)and some the return to the Bimetallic Standard. Farmers were the most cruelly struck of all by the deflation. In rural areas, wholesale prices of agricultural commodities fell at a rate of about 3% a year. This deflation meant that farmers who were deeply indebted saw the real value of their debts increase every year. Farmers were thus powerful backers of Bryan and the inflationist cause. While the Scarecrow complained that he didn't have a brain, he ended up being the most clever problem solver (resourceful) of the four travelers.
The Tin Man represents the plight of industrial labor, mechanized and dehumanized by a heartless industrial revolution. In the book we learn that he was once flesh and blood but was cursed. As he worked, his ax would take flight and cut off part of his body. A tinsmith would replace the missing part, and the Tin Woodman could work as well as before. Eventually there was nothing left but tin. For all his increased power to work, the Tin Woodman is unhappy for he had lost his heart. For Hugh Rockoff he represents the Populist and Marxist idea of the alienation of the industrial worker. He once was an independent artisan but is now just a cog in a giant machine. He joined the unemployed of the 1890’s, victim of the eastern goldbugs who didn’t want to increase the money supply by adding silver. He was rusted and immobile, which is a feeling that many factory workers had when businesses began shutting down because of a nation-wide depression. After losing their jobs, they felt helpless.
The Cowardly Lion - William Jennings Bryan. During the 1896 Presidential campaign that followed the Cross of Gold speech at the Democrat convention, his supporters accused him of backing off and he was looked at as too cowardly to lead the charge for a Silver Standard. He was seen as having a loud roar, but no bite, and no power. It is the cowardly blustering lion Bryan who is looking for the courage to defend the poor dumb farmer and mechanized tin man without a heart, but they all are led down the Yellow Brick Road to the land of Oz where the American dream is offered by false prophets that hide behind curtains with pretense of magic and sorcery and yet, in the end all roads lead to Kansas, where one can find happiness with the comfort of home and family.
Flying Monkeys: Flying monkeys were used in political cartoons to poke fun at politicians. While this may be the case, another speculation is that the flying monkeys represent Native Americans. When Dorothy and the gang meet up with the monkeys she is told, "Once we were a free people, living happily in the forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit and doing just as we pleased without calling anybody master...This was many ears ago before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land." This seems to relate well with Native Americans who were pushed off of their land by migrating eastern Americans.
Emerald City and Emerald Palace: The Emerald City represents Washington D.C. and the Emerald Palace represents the White House.
Wizard: The Wizard of Oz is thought to be Mark Hanna, McKinley's campaign manager, and the chairman of the Republican party. McKinley didn't campaign in the sense that we know it. He ran a "front-porch" campaign, where he stayed at his home in Canton, Ohio and received visitors and the press. The campaign was well-orchestrated by Chairman of the Republican party, Mark Hanna. Hanna arranged for the visitors and prepared their questions and McKinley's responses. Hanna was likened in the pages of the New York Journal to a puppet-master and ventriloquist who pulled McKinley's strings and made the dummy talk. He's the money bags. He's the guy with the money that's really manipulating the political system and keeping the country on the gold standard. In the original story, each of the characters, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man saw the Wizard differently. This shows a cynicism in politics for the way politicians change face for different people.
Satirical cartoon of Mark Hanna during 1896:
The party follows the yellow brick road up to the Emerald City - They follow the gold standard up to Washington DC.
The Deadly Poppy Field, where the Cowardly Lion (Bryan) fell asleep and could not move forward, was the anti-imperialism that threatened to make Bryapoppyn forget the main issue of silver (note the Oriental connotation of poppies and opium). As noted before, the economy improved and silver ceased being the hot issue after the 1896 election. Populists were afraid that Bryan would abandon the silver issue and, in an effort to broaden his (and the party's) appeal, focus more on imperialism and the business trusts which dominated many industries. The Populists considered this an act of pure cowardice and wanted Bryan to fight for silver in 1900 as strongly as he had in 1896.
The enslavement of the yellow Winkies was "a not very well disguised reference to McKinley's decision to deny immediate independence to the Philippines" after the Spanish-American War.
In the Emerald Palace they enter 7 passages and climb 3 flights of stairs - In the White House they see 7 and 3 : 73. This represents the "Crime of '73." The Coinage act laid out above. It eliminated the coinage of silver and that proved to Populists the collusion between congress and bankers.
The Tin Woodsman is given "a new ax with a handle made of gold and a blade polished so that it glistens like burnished silver and a silver oilcan inlaid with gold and precious stones to oil himself " - The bimetallic standard will ensure the industrial worker that he won't be unemployed again
Really the portrait of the Great and Powerful OZ is not all that flattering - The Wizard is able to fool the people into thinking he is great and powerful, but is revealed to be an ordinary man. He solves the problems of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion by little more than psychology: bran (brain food) and pins for the brain (the pins being sharp wit); a fake heart for the Tin Man, and green liquid courage (Liquor) for the Lion. He can't really help Dorothy except by promising to take her with him in his hot air balloon. Apparently, Mark Hanna had transformed himself from a behind the scenes players into the sinister politician the populists hated. And the populists believed his transformation and promises were full of hot air.
Dorothy can go back to Kansas by "kicking the heels of her silver shoes together three times". - The power to solve her problems (by adding silver to the money stock) was there all the time.
When Dorothy returns to Kansas she finds that her silver shoes are missing: the silver issue was disappearing from the scene. In 1900, the US officially returned to the gold standard with the passing of The Gold Standard Act.
It is known that Baum voted Democrat and was sympathetic to the free-silver issue and had lived in South Dakota where he saw first hand the plight of the farmers.
Continue to:
Follow the Yellow Brick Road (part 2) - How it relates to today
References
The News Hour - Precious Metals
The Crime of 1873
The Rise and Fall of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a "Parable on Populism"
The University of New Orleans Project Oz
The Wizard of Oz as a Monetary Allegory - Hugh Rockoff
The United States had a bimetallic standard (Gold and Silver) until the Congress instituted the "Fourth Coinage Act of 1873." The Act embraced the gold standard and demonetized silver. Western mining interests and others who wanted silver in circulation years later labeled this measure the "Crime of '73". Gold became the only metallic standard in the United States, hence putting the United States 'de facto' onto the gold standard. The U.S. did not actually adopt the gold standard 'de jure' until the year 1900.
In the early half of the 20th century, Bryan's speech was considered to be one of the greatest political speeches in U.S. history. It was believed that inflation would result from from a change to the silver standard (because silver was a more abundant metal allowing more dollars to be printed) and thus make it easier for farmers and other debtors to pay off their debts by increasing their income. It would also reverse the deflation which the U.S. experienced from 1873-1896.
"Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."
The Yellow Brick Road represents the "Gold Standard." As is the case today, the banking interests centered around New York City, who believed it was in the United States' best interest to remain on the Gold standard, and in the book (not the movie) Dorothy wears silver slippers and they represent the silver standard advocated by William Jennings Bryan.
Dorothy is a simple country girl who lives on an impoverished farm. She represents the American people and their values -- honest and kindhearted. It is also suggested that she may represent Mary Elizabeth Lease, known as the Kansas Tornado. Lease became involved in the Populist Party, drumming up support for their cause. She believed that big business had made the people of America into "wage slaves", declaring, "Wall Street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, by Wall Street, and for Wall Street. The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master." Although she is widely believed to have exhorted Kansas farmers to "raise less corn and more hell", she later said that the admonition had been invented by reporters. Lease decided to let the quote stand because she thought "it was a right good bit of advice."
The moral of the story, which is in the movie, the good witch tells Dorothy after the balloon leaves Oz, is that all along Dorothy had the power to go home, just as the solutions to America's problems lie in the ability of Americans to show faith in themselves and their abilities.
Toto, small and seemingly going unnoticed, reveals the Wizard for the fraud he is. He is thought to be another representation of average American people. Toto is probably a reference to the Prohibition Party, Toto being short for teetotaler. The Prohibition Party generally supported the free silver movement.
Uncle Henry: In the late 1800's, there was a famous farmer who was the editor of a leading farm magazine. His name was Henry Cantwell Wallace, and everyone called him Uncle Henry.
Cyclone: The tornado is thought to represent political upheaval, or the free silver movement. During the time period in which this story was written, farmers were suffering from federal deflation; they were receiving less money for their goods, and their debt was getting larger. They wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both silver and gold. Some politicians were behind this movement while others were not.
Munchkins: The munchkins were little people who represented the common folk. They were ordinary citizens of the United States. And in the same breath, the Lollipop Guild is said to represent child labor.
Silver Slippers: In the book, the slippers that appear on Dorothy's feet are silver, rather than ruby. Silver relates to the monetary political issues. Farmers wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both gold and silver.
The Wicked Witch of the East, President Grover Cleveland, represents Eastern Big Business interests. Cleveland led the fight for the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which had provided for the limited coinage of silver. Dorothy's house falls on the Wicked Witch of the East, leaving only the witch's silver shoes. The Depression of 1893 was believed to be caused by the tight money supply resulting from a lack of available gold supplies. This depression lingered through Cleveland's second term. As the 1896 election approached, eastern pro-gold-standard Democrats wished Cleveland to run for a third term, but he declined.
The Wicked Witch of the West represents William McKinley from Ohio (the west), who defeated Bryan to become President succeeding Cleveland. McKinley was against silver because he viewed it as a debased currency and overseas markets used gold, so he believed that it would harm foreign trade. The Gold Standard Act of the United States was passed in 1900 (ratified on March 14) and established gold as the only standard for redeeming paper money, stopping bimetallism (which had allowed silver in exchange for gold). It was signed by President William McKinley.
Good Witches of the North and South: The Good Witch of the North is thought to represent the workers of the north, whereas the Good Witch of the South is thought to represent the farmers of the south. This contrasts the wicked industrialists of the east and the railroad moguls of the west. The South was sympathetic to free-silver (the entire South voted for Bryan in 1896) so it's fitting that the south has a good witch.
The Scarecrow represents the plight of the American farmer at the turn of the 20th century. From 1879 to the end of the century a constant agitation for the expansion of the money stock (inflation) raged in the USA. Political parties were founded whose sole purpose was to make, by one means or another, the total money supply rise. Some favored the issue of paper money (Fiat currency)and some the return to the Bimetallic Standard. Farmers were the most cruelly struck of all by the deflation. In rural areas, wholesale prices of agricultural commodities fell at a rate of about 3% a year. This deflation meant that farmers who were deeply indebted saw the real value of their debts increase every year. Farmers were thus powerful backers of Bryan and the inflationist cause. While the Scarecrow complained that he didn't have a brain, he ended up being the most clever problem solver (resourceful) of the four travelers.
The Tin Man represents the plight of industrial labor, mechanized and dehumanized by a heartless industrial revolution. In the book we learn that he was once flesh and blood but was cursed. As he worked, his ax would take flight and cut off part of his body. A tinsmith would replace the missing part, and the Tin Woodman could work as well as before. Eventually there was nothing left but tin. For all his increased power to work, the Tin Woodman is unhappy for he had lost his heart. For Hugh Rockoff he represents the Populist and Marxist idea of the alienation of the industrial worker. He once was an independent artisan but is now just a cog in a giant machine. He joined the unemployed of the 1890’s, victim of the eastern goldbugs who didn’t want to increase the money supply by adding silver. He was rusted and immobile, which is a feeling that many factory workers had when businesses began shutting down because of a nation-wide depression. After losing their jobs, they felt helpless.
The Cowardly Lion - William Jennings Bryan. During the 1896 Presidential campaign that followed the Cross of Gold speech at the Democrat convention, his supporters accused him of backing off and he was looked at as too cowardly to lead the charge for a Silver Standard. He was seen as having a loud roar, but no bite, and no power. It is the cowardly blustering lion Bryan who is looking for the courage to defend the poor dumb farmer and mechanized tin man without a heart, but they all are led down the Yellow Brick Road to the land of Oz where the American dream is offered by false prophets that hide behind curtains with pretense of magic and sorcery and yet, in the end all roads lead to Kansas, where one can find happiness with the comfort of home and family.
Flying Monkeys: Flying monkeys were used in political cartoons to poke fun at politicians. While this may be the case, another speculation is that the flying monkeys represent Native Americans. When Dorothy and the gang meet up with the monkeys she is told, "Once we were a free people, living happily in the forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit and doing just as we pleased without calling anybody master...This was many ears ago before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land." This seems to relate well with Native Americans who were pushed off of their land by migrating eastern Americans.
Emerald City and Emerald Palace: The Emerald City represents Washington D.C. and the Emerald Palace represents the White House.
Wizard: The Wizard of Oz is thought to be Mark Hanna, McKinley's campaign manager, and the chairman of the Republican party. McKinley didn't campaign in the sense that we know it. He ran a "front-porch" campaign, where he stayed at his home in Canton, Ohio and received visitors and the press. The campaign was well-orchestrated by Chairman of the Republican party, Mark Hanna. Hanna arranged for the visitors and prepared their questions and McKinley's responses. Hanna was likened in the pages of the New York Journal to a puppet-master and ventriloquist who pulled McKinley's strings and made the dummy talk. He's the money bags. He's the guy with the money that's really manipulating the political system and keeping the country on the gold standard. In the original story, each of the characters, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man saw the Wizard differently. This shows a cynicism in politics for the way politicians change face for different people.
Satirical cartoon of Mark Hanna during 1896:
Proposed meanings
Oz: Gold is measured in ounces--oz for short--Oz.The party follows the yellow brick road up to the Emerald City - They follow the gold standard up to Washington DC.
The Deadly Poppy Field, where the Cowardly Lion (Bryan) fell asleep and could not move forward, was the anti-imperialism that threatened to make Bryapoppyn forget the main issue of silver (note the Oriental connotation of poppies and opium). As noted before, the economy improved and silver ceased being the hot issue after the 1896 election. Populists were afraid that Bryan would abandon the silver issue and, in an effort to broaden his (and the party's) appeal, focus more on imperialism and the business trusts which dominated many industries. The Populists considered this an act of pure cowardice and wanted Bryan to fight for silver in 1900 as strongly as he had in 1896.
The enslavement of the yellow Winkies was "a not very well disguised reference to McKinley's decision to deny immediate independence to the Philippines" after the Spanish-American War.
In the Emerald Palace they enter 7 passages and climb 3 flights of stairs - In the White House they see 7 and 3 : 73. This represents the "Crime of '73." The Coinage act laid out above. It eliminated the coinage of silver and that proved to Populists the collusion between congress and bankers.
The Tin Woodsman is given "a new ax with a handle made of gold and a blade polished so that it glistens like burnished silver and a silver oilcan inlaid with gold and precious stones to oil himself " - The bimetallic standard will ensure the industrial worker that he won't be unemployed again
Really the portrait of the Great and Powerful OZ is not all that flattering - The Wizard is able to fool the people into thinking he is great and powerful, but is revealed to be an ordinary man. He solves the problems of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion by little more than psychology: bran (brain food) and pins for the brain (the pins being sharp wit); a fake heart for the Tin Man, and green liquid courage (Liquor) for the Lion. He can't really help Dorothy except by promising to take her with him in his hot air balloon. Apparently, Mark Hanna had transformed himself from a behind the scenes players into the sinister politician the populists hated. And the populists believed his transformation and promises were full of hot air.
Dorothy can go back to Kansas by "kicking the heels of her silver shoes together three times". - The power to solve her problems (by adding silver to the money stock) was there all the time.
When Dorothy returns to Kansas she finds that her silver shoes are missing: the silver issue was disappearing from the scene. In 1900, the US officially returned to the gold standard with the passing of The Gold Standard Act.
It is known that Baum voted Democrat and was sympathetic to the free-silver issue and had lived in South Dakota where he saw first hand the plight of the farmers.
Continue to:
Follow the Yellow Brick Road (part 2) - How it relates to today
References
The News Hour - Precious Metals
The Crime of 1873
The Rise and Fall of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a "Parable on Populism"
The University of New Orleans Project Oz
The Wizard of Oz as a Monetary Allegory - Hugh Rockoff
Monday, May 24, 2010
A Little Ambition + Home ownership = UrbanFarmOnline
Back in January, I received a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble and went there to see if there was anything that I wanted. Looking through the magazine section, I started looking at Gardening magazines, because I have been into Gardening, Sustainability, and enhancing the value of my property, since I moved into this house five years ago.
I ended up buying Urban Farm. This magazine is truly awesome and that issue delved in subjects like square-foot gardening, locally produced food, dealing with city ordinances, raising chickens in the city, and many other subjects. The magazine has been published quarterly since last Summer. The newest issue is out. I haven't purchased it yet, but I have already joined the Urban Farm Facebook page and I constantly check out what is going on with it and I have encouraged my friends to join..
Now Urban Farm has developed an Urban Farm Website that is very interesting. I really have to endorse what I have seen from the developers of this Urban Farm entity. You can register on the site and receive updates. They are having a grand opening contest that is offering a lot of prizes that will help you with your gardening and other hobby farming.
I truly believe that due to the economic times we are in that raising a garden and living a more sustainable lifestyle will become an essential part of successful personal finance. A few dollars and time can bring a value of hundreds of dollars. Instead of paying to go to a local gym, how about getting a workout with a shovel, a rake, and a tiller. Instead of paying to work out, you will be getting paid to work out.
Over the last few years, I have been able to Can and Freeze enough vegetables to get me through the winter, when it comes to cooked vegetables. I also have enjoyed the freshness of vegetables during the summer months. The best part is that the efforts are cumulative. As you turn the soil from year to year it becomes more fertile and easier to manage. Each year I have maintained the plots from the previous year and added new plots and projects to the current years activities.
I hope that you will check Urban Farming out. If it is something that you can't get into, I understand. But, I certainly hope that you will give this consideration, because in my opinion it is good for you and will be helpful to all of the people that touch your life. That is the reason why I am presenting this information to you.
I ended up buying Urban Farm. This magazine is truly awesome and that issue delved in subjects like square-foot gardening, locally produced food, dealing with city ordinances, raising chickens in the city, and many other subjects. The magazine has been published quarterly since last Summer. The newest issue is out. I haven't purchased it yet, but I have already joined the Urban Farm Facebook page and I constantly check out what is going on with it and I have encouraged my friends to join..
Now Urban Farm has developed an Urban Farm Website that is very interesting. I really have to endorse what I have seen from the developers of this Urban Farm entity. You can register on the site and receive updates. They are having a grand opening contest that is offering a lot of prizes that will help you with your gardening and other hobby farming.
I truly believe that due to the economic times we are in that raising a garden and living a more sustainable lifestyle will become an essential part of successful personal finance. A few dollars and time can bring a value of hundreds of dollars. Instead of paying to go to a local gym, how about getting a workout with a shovel, a rake, and a tiller. Instead of paying to work out, you will be getting paid to work out.
Over the last few years, I have been able to Can and Freeze enough vegetables to get me through the winter, when it comes to cooked vegetables. I also have enjoyed the freshness of vegetables during the summer months. The best part is that the efforts are cumulative. As you turn the soil from year to year it becomes more fertile and easier to manage. Each year I have maintained the plots from the previous year and added new plots and projects to the current years activities.
I hope that you will check Urban Farming out. If it is something that you can't get into, I understand. But, I certainly hope that you will give this consideration, because in my opinion it is good for you and will be helpful to all of the people that touch your life. That is the reason why I am presenting this information to you.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
"Melt Up" - A great documentary about today's economic reality
This documentary goes into the true realities that we face in our current economic environment. I truly recommend this documentary as a great source of information about the subjects of inflation, quantitative easing, the federal debt, the annual federal deficit, the foreign trade deficit, the exploding costs of entitlement programs, and the effects they will inevitably render on our standard of living.
The documentary also provides proposed solutions to deal with these issues.
The documentary also provides proposed solutions to deal with these issues.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Houndvision: Garden Watering System
Please excuse the work in progress. These projects are the result from work that I am doing completely myself. What you will see are the four 275 gallon water containers at the corners of my house that are attached to my guttering.
The entire cost of this project, so far, has been less than $300. This includes the water containers that I purchased for $60 a piece and the gutter extensions. You will need a hacksaw to cut the gutters, but that is about it and some brute force to position the containers themselves.
I have the water containers centered on cinder blocks to allow gravitational flow through. I will eventually have the containers disguised by plants growing around them and I may eventually attach a pump to allow for a sprinkler type of irrigation system and/or drip hoses.
This has become a hobby and a way of life to attempt to create a more self-sustainable lifestyle. It will take time, but everything I am doing here creates value. I will get much more out of these projects than the initial cost requires, plus it is enjoyable and gives me achievable lasting goals that will bare fruit (or vegetables and herbs -- haha!!!)
If you decide that you want to attempt this, then shoot me an e-mail and I will give you some suggestions about how you can go about achieving this. And if you have any suggestions, I am all ears. I am learning a lot by reading Urban Farmer and Mother Earth News and fully endorse the principles of these resources.
Many of the plants that you see in the garden were the ones that I started in February and displayed on this site in the article -- My Scientific Garden 2010
The entire cost of this project, so far, has been less than $300. This includes the water containers that I purchased for $60 a piece and the gutter extensions. You will need a hacksaw to cut the gutters, but that is about it and some brute force to position the containers themselves.
I have the water containers centered on cinder blocks to allow gravitational flow through. I will eventually have the containers disguised by plants growing around them and I may eventually attach a pump to allow for a sprinkler type of irrigation system and/or drip hoses.
This has become a hobby and a way of life to attempt to create a more self-sustainable lifestyle. It will take time, but everything I am doing here creates value. I will get much more out of these projects than the initial cost requires, plus it is enjoyable and gives me achievable lasting goals that will bare fruit (or vegetables and herbs -- haha!!!)
If you decide that you want to attempt this, then shoot me an e-mail and I will give you some suggestions about how you can go about achieving this. And if you have any suggestions, I am all ears. I am learning a lot by reading Urban Farmer and Mother Earth News and fully endorse the principles of these resources.
Many of the plants that you see in the garden were the ones that I started in February and displayed on this site in the article -- My Scientific Garden 2010
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