Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Quotes About Huey Long's Politics

I think he came to the conclusion, uniquely among our politicians, that you could not do the good that he wanted to do, with the services that he wanted to deliver, and to free people from the exploitation as he wanted to: you cannot do that in a Democracy...so that, Long, in my judgment ultimately despaired of Democracy and turned to the rather dictatorial methods that he used in the later years of his life
—interviewee on the PBS special about Huey Long.

I represent the good citizens of Louisiana.  We are tired of the rule in our state of a dictator.  We feel that it is time for this dictatorial business to end.  We feel that Huey P. Long has controlled our state long enough, and he does not have the interest of our people at heart.  He is a selfish dictator, and we will fight and fight, and we want him dead politically but not dead physically.
—interviewee on the PBS special about Huey Long.  Long was eventually assassinated.  

You look around and you see what is happening, you can see the sudden social goods being done—being delivered—but this is true of all authoritarian states.  Mussolini or Hitler, or anybody else...they all do that.  You cannot have a tyranny without a paying-off for it.
—interviewee on the PBS special about Huey Long.

He became as close to a dictator as anyone in the United States.  He stole.  He used force against his opponents.  He destroyed local government in the state of Louisiana.  He motto was “everyman a king,” but only one man wore a crown.
—interviewee on the PBS special about Huey Long.

...you could say Mussolini made the trains run on time, Mussolini made the trains clean: are you for Mussolini?
—interviewee on the PBS special about Huey Long.