An analysis of the Republican Party’s duality and the unwarranted idolization of Abraham Lincoln as the face of their cause.
Fame is earned, not inherited. However, when power is inherited in capitalist societies, the powerful justify that success with the triumphs of their predecessors. In the 2020 election, we heard many Republican politicians boast about their party’s most famous figure, Abraham Lincoln. One trait that unites all GOP leaders from John Kasich to Donald Trump is their outward respect for Lincoln. Lincoln’s political philosophy, however, was in direct conflict with the current neo-capitalist Republican ideologies based on the devaluation of labor. It is obviously ignorant to present oneself as a beacon of racial justice because of the actions of a great party leader. Without understanding the leftist philosophy that contributed to Lincoln’s ultimate decision to abolish slavery, Republicans cannot claim to be the voice of Black America. This knowledge gap results in American Conservatives simply knowing why they believe All Lives Matter. This leads to them making their reasons for adhering to a deplorable minimum wage clear. This leads to them explaining why maternity leave is not needed. Respect for Marxist influences in Lincoln’s approach is critical to keeping alive an educated Lincoln legacy in Republican politics. His views were shaped by a work-oriented thought that has simply disappeared in the GOP. Instead of using such revered numbers to gain political moral points, our admiration must go beyond the person and affect their methodology. Then we can use this informed public memory to build bridges and make multilateral compromises.
The propaganda against the socialist ideology is full of scare tactics by the Republican Party. It infiltrates discussions about employee benefits, welfare, health care, and many other topics. Lincoln’s extensive correspondence with Karl Marx, however, suggests that socialist values actually contributed to Lincoln’s ultimate decision to emancipate all slaves after the Civil War. In particular, in Marx’s own letter to Lincoln, he exclaimed that the Confederation “claims[ed] Slavery as a Charitable Institution “, justified by the capital of the south. Although they had many different opinions, there is extensive documentation of consensus between the two political figures on the simple fact that no capitalist had a right to free labor.
The Republican Party of the twenty-first century simply does not share this belief, as evidenced by its consistent refusal to raise the minimum wage. The economical rewiring is simply too laborious for them: Even if it allows the majority to live under increasingly humane conditions. The minimum wage refers to the innate value of work, a value recognized by Lincoln, Marx and the 21st century Democratic Party, but not recognized by any substantial part of the current Republican Party leadership. Indeed, the modern interpretation of the 13th Amendment has given Conservatives another option to devalue work, since involuntary servitude is permissible as a “punishment for crime”. This modern interpretation disproportionately affects black Americans and reinstates the practice of bondage in prison rather than using this facility to counsel the convicts. When a majority of America believed that slavery was unjustified, Lincoln pushed for an end to the practice regardless of the future impact on wealthy plantation owners. He followed the will of the republic. If two-thirds of Americans are in favor of raising the minimum wage today, the Republican Party is choosing to be anything but Republican. The voluntary omission of Lincoln’s left-wing beliefs has made it increasingly easier for lawmakers to care for the rich at the expense of the working class.
Once we accept Lincoln’s belief that all work has intrinsic value, we can expand the impact on workers’ rights as a whole. We can begin to respect the value of all work, including housework such as raising children. Although these aspects of the work, known as the theory of social reproduction, were relatively insignificant in Marx’s literature, it is conceivable that he would place an emphasis on social reproduction in this day and age, as many of his followers do now. It is not too far to believe that Lincoln would share these values about the importance of work outside of commodity production. Today’s Republicans don’t even support parental leave, however. Raising children is a necessary process in order to run production for the sanctity of an economy. However, faced with a simple proposal like humane paid leave, they are “concerned about the cost of creating a national program of family paid and medical leave”. It is absurd to revere the greatness of Abraham Lincoln while neglecting all of the left-wing philosophies that led him to abolish slavery. The chassis of its political legacy was emancipation, but the inner workings of its legacy are heavily embedded in ideas about the value of hard work.
Our informed awe can lead to compromises, understanding, and action that benefit all citizens, not just some. Modern Republicans, however, have conveniently chosen to forget about the leftist philosophy embedded in the social justice achieved by Lincoln. While many in America believed they were totally in opposition to left philosophy, our ancestors understood the promises such a system holds. It’s hard to respect Lincoln without respecting at least some socialist beliefs. After all, a purely capitalist system can devalue labor for maximum profit to a point of slavery. Lincoln and Marx had their differences, but more importantly, they refused to use propaganda to completely undo each other’s philosophies. It is time for American Republicans to follow suit and accept that ideological understanding and progressive politics are a package deal. A deeper understanding of all of the political ideologies that previously shaped our efforts to achieve social and economic justice can influence our current approaches to public order. With this updated public memory, we can focus on compromises that tie together a multitude of all of our ideologies for the benefit of the entire citizenry of the United States.
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