Accomplishment Quote by Thomas Frank
![“[The right] may never bring prayer back to schools, but it has rescued all manner of rightwing economic nostrums from history's dustbins. Having rolled back the landmark economic reforms of the sixties (the war on poverty) and those of the thirties (labor law, agricultural price supports, banking…” quote by Thomas Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/63d/thomas-frank-4078_accomplishment_the-right-may-never-bring-prayer-back-to_3061293.jpg)
“[The right] may never bring prayer back to schools, but it has rescued all manner of rightwing economic nostrums from history's dustbins. Having rolled back the landmark economic reforms of the sixties (the war on poverty) and those of the thirties (labor law, agricultural price supports, banking regulation), its leaders now turn their guns on the accomplishments of the earliest years of progressivism (Woodrow Wilson's estate tax; Theodore Roosevelt's anti-trust measures). With a little more effort, the backlash may well repeal the entire twentieth century.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Road to Serfdom? No, The Wretched of the Earth, 2020
Right‑wing backlash may erase progressive reforms, undoing decades of social and economic advances.
In simple terms: Political shifts can reverse historic progress.
Key Takeaway
Guard and and defend progressive policies.
Themes
politics
history
social justice
Mood
cautious
determined
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- legislative debates
- education reform
- media analysis
- activist strategy
Key Concepts
policy reversal
ideological cycles
public memory
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms protect reforms from reversal?
- How can citizens sustain support for progressive policies?
A Different Perspective
Historical progress is not guaranteed; vigilance is required.
![“The [Ronald] Reagan administration told the business world that they were not going to enforce the labor laws.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/127/noam-chomsky-42_administration_the-ronald-reagan-administration-told-th_803637.jpg)
