Being from Baton Rouge myself, I've been told Huey was really good to the little man. Even inviting the grounds keeper into his office at the State Capitol to eat lunch with him and his office staff. I was told he often asked them what he could do to improve living and working conditions. His brother Earl had major issues, I saw where the Earl K Long Hospital was torn down. Louisiana needs someone in office now to help the low income people. Really taking away the only charity hospitals for miles around! Great video Jerry.
If he had lived, he would have been president.....my grandfather's cousin....he fought the oil companies, and was for the little people....he helped many....did he have issues? Certainly.....don't all politicians? Louisiana has always been know for corrupt politicians.....hasn't changed to this very day!
I absolutely agree. Huey Long actually DID something about the problems and that is why he was murdered. I would rather have someone stand up and take control away from the rich HAVES . Take care of the homeless and share the wealth. Hooray for Huey Long!!!!!! @@attygarland6909
In 1969 T. Harry Williams published a biography of Huey P. Long. Williams was a history professor at Louisiana State University, and the book was over 800 pages long, barely enough to scratch the surface of Long’s complicated life and career. Williams is probably deceased by now, but he was a respected historian who also wrote biographies of other political and military leaders of the South. I have the Long biography, have read it at least twice, and can say it was difficult for me to put down, even after I read it. I learned a lot about politics from this book, including my belief that Long’s shadow is still cast over the American political landscape to this very day, especially in the South. Huey was many things, but became and remains a hero to the common citizens of Louisiana, and, indeed, to many who lived and still live across the United States Was Huey a buffoon and a fool? No. Was he smart? Yes, a genius in some ways, having changed governance in Louisiana and was well on his way to doing the same in the national government. Therefore, he was a major threat to powerful national politicians and business leaders. Was he killed by them? That is unknown, but in light of other political assassinations, that thought has a modicum of merit. In the end, Long became an important national figure, and learning about him would be imperative to serious students of political history in this country.
Absolutely he was a threat, as was JFK, Bobby, and JFK, Jr. JFK intended to do away with the CIA and establish one under the government, to 86 the Federal Reserve Bank Corporation and put the duties back under our Treasury, and to establish a guideline for ensuring a Free Press (private 9wn Press is solely for the 9wners agenda, to control the Public opinion, and select the candidates to be voted for. *"a Democracy requires a Free Press"* They each were killed by the CIA. CIA was established by Prescott Bush, and he was an alli with the owner ,of the "Federal Reserve Bank Corporation", his son George Sr was Agent in Charge in Dallas, 2963, and later promoted to Director, CIA. Just a few points that would prove clear with your understanding gathered through reading HP Long's biography/details. Amazing what transpires, but now there's Awakened Minds and those realized in the "Universal Law of Attraction" being absolute.
Some call Huey Long "dictator", they overlook the fact that Long's enemies were powerful and wanted to destroy him. He simply beat them at their own game and proceeded to do what was needed for the common people of Louisiana.
His philosophy was Marxist, I believe he did a lot of good, but I Do Not Follow the Herd mentality that "The Ends Justifies The Means" That IS Prevalent in today's political climate. And Thinking For Myself, come to the Common Sense conclusion that the National Democrat party Has been shanghaied by communist who couldn't give two cents for what the people Need, just whatever will get them in office.The evidence is Overwhelming.
People say that Hitler was also one of the greatest men in history too. Long was an actor and his death was faked just like Hitler's death. www.pinterest.com/pin/485122191096137145/All of politics is fake and they are all actors reading from a script. It's called the matrix and everything is a lie & controlled. I surely wish that all the people would wake up from this fake world we live in. The criminals have controlled this world too long all all they represent is wars, death, poverty & slavery!
They figured out decades ago that "appropriating funds" (printing the currency into existence) and attaching a name to sell it to the unwashed masses (such as covid relief funds) is easier. $4 Trillion dollars printed and added to the national debt in the past 5 months. And they are currently crafting a new bill for $12 Trillion more.
The original plan of Federal Income Tax was Federal Gains Tax and was meant only for Corporations. It make no sense to tax a man/woman for having a job and making a living. It was part of "the plan" that was organized in a meeting 9f the elite, on Jeckle Island, that resulted in: the "Federal Reserve Bank Corporation" (not part of the US Treasury, but a Privately Owned Corporation, by a family that is neither US Citizen nor Resident), Central Banks (they own all these too) the Birth Certificate and Death Certificate system (all US Birth Certificates are typed on Bond Paper, have an identifying number and *"are traded on the NYSE, M-F every week, they own the individual in a sense and trade on us like we are a commodity".)* This is merely the cornerstone of the greater facts. They own or their allies do, all News Media, so that means we don't really have a Free System, or Democracy, they tell the public who is available to vote for and the create the drama that folks drink down like it comes from the Good Book... But, focus on the desire, and it will be realized.
@@tomjones2348 Just look at national debt as monopoly money... All is the result of the "Universal Law of Attraction", thus focus on the desire, believe it is, and it will be. Mustard Seed it ... Jesus knew what he spoke of 🗝️
I am a Canadian. It odd that in the United States the mice elect cats to run their government. It supposed to be the government by the people for the people. I am very impressed by Huey Long.
Like I said above, sad to read one who trolls for corporations eager to stamp down any hint of populism. No honest human could spew such drivel. Some will do anything to avoid honest work.
For all his flaws and excesses, Huey did a lot of good for Louisiana and it'd be nice if some politicians today were looking out a fraction as much for the lower and middle classes, particularly in places like Louisiana, Mississippi, etc. where the Human Development Index is lower than a lot of Third World countries and someone needs to do something about. We're in great political debate right now in this country, but such stats don't lie no matter what solutions are called on or who's to blame in the past; a lot of this country, the inequality and lack of opportunity/mobility are at history defying levels.
This was a great history lesson Jerry. I never knew much about Huey Long and found your narration to be most interesting. Again, your Southern delivery style (the way you pronounce words and say dates and such) is sort of mesmerizing. I guess you just have the kind of voice a person needs to be a good story teller. Great Job!!
a great man, killed by the big machine that has been trying to dismantle some of the policy that he championed during the depression that has created the middle class, he should have been our president, and we need a Huey Long today
+Mary Claire Mattiello That was the problem with Huey Long. Governor Long violated the separation of powers, critical to our freedom. Governor Long's ideas were wonderful, but good ideas do not suffice when vital constitutional protections are at stake.
just because he drew ideas from multiply ideologys doest shoe horn him into the strick political labelling we have today, look up who really created the new deal, look up who started the national labor review board, a little something called social security, thats huey long, and he would fight as dirty as the people who wanted the status quo to remain. he knocked a chunk out of the wall, and some of his creations still do good for this country. call him whatever you want
Mr Skinner, I am the descendant of a Southern family, German Jews who first came to Charleston in 1804 and who migrated west until they eventually stopped in east Texas in 1860. When I was a little girl, my great grandmother, who had run and hid from Yankees, was still alive. I listened to the old folks' stories of Southern life, like my friends watched cartoons or read fairy tales. So I learned from an early age to love Southern history and the parts of of Southern culture that I could accept. Now, I love as an American ex-pat in Australia, where I try to share the best parts of Southern heritage with my one daughter, and that isn't easy! But your short videos somehow now only have spoken to me, but she, my 13 year old "Australian" is beginning to understand the importance of the Old South. So I thank you mightily and profoundly, and raise a glass of iced tea to you in your honor! Thank you so very much.
Huey P. Long is such a unique character in American history, His almost folk hero status in the minds of some people has led to political groups all over the isle try to lay claim to his legacy, Honestly, he defies traditional categorization. Huey P. Long was just Huey P. Long.
My father was born in 1905 and listened to The Kingfish give his speeches on KDKA in Pittsburgh. He described Long as a very dangerous man, but nowhere as dangerous as FDR. I was born in 1955. Very few Bernie Sanders followers know they are inspired by a man who died 80 years ago. Thank you for pulling this story together.
+Jerry Skinner - I have a question if you happen to know. The "Share the Wealth" speech on NBC radio in February 1934 was very curious. General Sarnoff was very anti-Union and anti-Socialist and hated FDR. Why did Huey Long get this half hour of national exposure for free? In 1934, the FCC was about to be born. The NAB was really worried that FDR would just totally regulate the radio business. Did they do it to try to placate FDR or is there another angle?
Jerry have to share a funny moment with you. I was watching Cajun Pawn Stars this morning while I was getting ready for work and somebody brought in a chair that was supposed to be Huey P. Long's. I would have never known who he was except I watched your video. Pretty Cool huh.
To label Long a dictator is insulting, and shows a profound misunderstanding of Louisiana politics and what was needed to enforce change within the political circles of Baton Rouge.
Long was shot by his guards, Long was hit in the hall by Carl Weiss on the mouth and the guards pushed him away and opened fire on Carl, Carl's gun was taken from his car and placed at the scene. One of the bullets fired by the guards bounced off the wall and hit Huey. This is word of mouth from many who were there and saw what went on at the capital that day. My family had lived in Baton Rouge from just after the Civil War on one side and 1929 on the other. Baton Rouge was a small place in those days and everyone knew everyone no one believed Carl killed Long. Carl was well know and liked by all. My grandmother even knew the name of the person that took Carl's gun out of his car and bought it up to the scene.
I also believe that to be the true account. Long did have a bruise on his face as if having been struck. I also heard that the bullet caliber did not match the gun owned by the Doctor. This "documentary" failed to mention the mandatory 10% "contribution" by all state and other workers given directly to Long's personal account- known as the "deduct box" . The doctor that messed up the surgery was a patronage replacement for the physician that would not "play ball" with Long and was fired. Karma can be a real bitch!
@@carolbrown5561 none of that is evidence... "i heard" ... his son is delusional. more J lies, just like the leo frank case and the founding of the ADL. his enemies were j bankers and financiers... you people are delusional as well, grasping at straws when it is all right there in front of you.
As usual, great use of photographs along with a rare and welcome combination of brevity and rich, vivid detail by the master of this unique genre. Also here an essential and lively history lesson about perhaps the greatest of American populist politicians, love him or not. Thanks, Jerry.
+Jerry Skinner I do understand that you work incredibly fast in being able to write, produce, direct and release as many of these as you do. I cannot therefore in good conscience rush you because I know you're doing as well as you can and far better than most mortals. But I confess that I am already beginning to experience some Jerry Skinner withdrawal symptoms that can be alleviated only when you upload your next program.
It was Lady of the Lake Doctor Vidrini who butchered Long on the operating table - declaring a "medical emergency" without cathering him for signs of blood in the urine. Long had already bled to death on the operating table when the two New Orleans doctors arrived and declared that Vidrini had murdered him. Both Vidrini and Weiss were ardent FDR supporters.
Adela Rogers St. John, the Hearst favorite, wrote in a autobiography, ('The Honeycomb'?), of her experiences interviewing Sen. Long. She discusses an occasion when Long arrived in her presence just after finding his safe had been cracked. Something Huey kept in the safe pertained to FDR and Long, in the presence of Ms. St. John, phoned the White House and demanded that the president be put on the line: St. John wrote she could hear FDR laughing uproariously as Long fumed over the theft from the high quality safe. The conjecture was that Long had information that was injurious to Roosevelt and it was stolen to preclude on going blackmail of the president. More conversation with Long, St. John wrote, resulted in the Senator showing her a list of names of individuals that long stated were probable assassins who would be active in trying to soon kill him: One of the names she saw was that of Dr.Weiss. Weiss was a strong advocate of the New Deal and FDR.
Many modern dictators enter into power on the good graces of the poor, then accumulated absolute power, then turn on them: Think Castro, Lenin, Mao. Absolute, concentrated power is dangerous no matter how apparently benevolent.
Which is not gonna happen in us because of senate etc to block them for doing something (fdr actualy trying to impose some authoritarian change but blocked by the senate) so if huey ever turn to from benevolence authoritarian to corrupt one he will be stopped
A very well said documentary about the Legendary Huey.P long and the entire Long family!!! May Huey.P long and the Long family's Legacy Live Forever in Both American and Universal History!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 On tha real!!!✌🏿✌🏿✌🏿✌🏿✌🏿
Thank you Yesterdays wine. I have often thought the best form of government is a dictatorship, provided the dictator is a wise and kind person with the wisdom of Solomon. However, most of the time it is someone that is selfish, cruel and stupid. Which is the worst form of government. Thank you again. Jerry
Well said Jerry. Very true that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and that is why even a good kind dictator today will be an evil dictator tomorrow.
Louisiana at the time needed him....still known as the greatest governor ever! A dictator? Well, it was his way or the highway! So, I guess in that sense, he was......but Louisiana has always been corrupt, still is.....he had to fight dirty, against the dirty corrupt po.iticiand, and oil companies....
I just stumbled upon this channel whilst looking for a documentary on Huey Long. I'm so glad I did. I'm from Alabama, so I can understand you through your accent just fine. Thanks for your hard work my friend.
Huey "The Kingfish" Long was NOT a dictator. All of the changes he made were made through the democratic process. The difference with The Kingfish" is that he took on the aristocracy and the corporations and fought them on their own terms, fire with fire. And since "The Kingfish" was a political genius, he outsmarted his competition time after time. BTW, patronage is a political concept that has been around sine the beginning of the republic. Huey did not invent it, he just made maximum usage of it as is necessary to do when one is fighting an entrenched political machine. Look at his legacy in Louisiana. Even this POS propaganda clip cannot refrain from listing them. When the narrator is talking about a one million dollar limit on annual income that was is in 1934 dollars. The figure would be more like 60 million today. Listen to this apologist for the plutocracy of Louisiana sound sympathetic to the assassin. When was the last time an MSM vid sounded this way towards Lee Harvey Oswald. When FDR stated he was the most dangerous man in America what he really meant was that The Kingfish was the most dangerous obstacle to his own reelection. His "Share Our Wealth" program was immensely popular with the citizenry. Even back then Huey referred to the 1%. His "Share Our Wealth" program is still the best package of legislation to overturn the great wealth disparity in this country. Huey did NOT advocate making sure every citizen received at least a $5000.00 income. What he did propose was a $5000.00 Homestead tax credit for the citizenry. His idea was to allow the poor and the middle-class to pay less in taxes and bring the fat cats down, in his own words, "to frying size". The Kingfish is still relevant today because his package of legislative reform would still go a long way to re-balance the inherent problems in the U.S. economy. Make no mistake, Huey was no socialist. He believed strongly in capitalism. It was his intention to provide all the populace with the necessary tools that would take them as far as their abilities and hard work would reward them. Too bad there is nobody, Senator Bernie Sanders is the closest modern politician to Huey's ideas, that has the cajones to take on the moneyed interests. The problem is, that when a serious politician emerges, he is assassinated. That is how this banana republic, err republic, works.
Another leisure walk into history, Thanks Mr Skinner. As a young man my first "road test" included the Huey P Long bridge in New Orleans, have you ever drove it ? Like the governors life it had a few nasty surprises. Thanks again sir.
18% of the oil comes into and through Louisiana and Louisiana is a extremely POOR state. Louisiana gets totally ripped off and gets hardly nothing from the oil, unless there is a spill messing up the whole beach and near coastal water. BP comes to mind on that one.
Huey P Long was the greatest Governor Louisiana has had- bar none. He was not a "dictator" but successfully fought America's TRUE Dictators (Standard Oil/Exxon and the like). In true dictator fashion, they hated "The Champion of the Peole" and his legacy, which they are STILL trying to strip away nearly 100 years after Huey's assassination.
Long's charity hospital near Alexandria, LA was recently taken over by the nearest major for-profit hospital, costing the tax payers millions. I was born in Huey P. Long.
+Burning Aether Huey Long is the consummate, illustrative example of absolute power corrupting absolutely. To be sure, Louisiana was one of the poorest states in the Union in his day and still is by most standards of measurement, which makes one wonder at the efficacy of his policies and just how much good they did the state and electorate in the long run. Consequently, one can understand, and even to an extent sympathize with and justify, his using the power of the governorship against the age-old, faceless bogey-man "Big Business" (in this case, the oil companies) as the most expedient (and popular) means to extort the concessions he needed to fund his state policies. But make no mistake about it, he was a modern Julius Caesar. He started out truly trying to help his people and ended up ruthlessly using the power of the state apparatus to crush anyone who opposed him. Apparently Huey forgot, in his zest and zeal, the age-old Latin warning "Sic Semper Tyrannis".
you mention the movie Blaze that starred Paul Newman, but they also made a movie about Huey Long called Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long played by John Goodman
There is no "separation of church and state" clause or statement in the Constitution. It is a term only used in deciding court cases. Huey Long using state funds to pay for parochial school books is *not* establishing a religion.
Wouldn't surprise me if FDR had him done in. He new about the Japanese attacking pearl harbor weeks before it happened. But FDR wanted us in ww11 so bad . He didn't try and stop it
Huey P. Long may have been out there in political nature. However in my option he was way ahead of his time . A true progressive in every sense of the word ! Finally, I always said do you want so one that work for the few or some that work for the people because this post showed which side he was on? M
One of my fav biographies. Russell Long was supportive of the author but Mr Williams stated explicitly that that Long avoided even the appearance of influencing the book's content. Russell was a fine man, the best of the bunch I'd say. I've always believed he felt a responsibility to atone for anything his father had done that was perceived as unethical. Brother Earl was a train wreck and son Palmer finished up as a pathetic drunk...used to see him at the high-end hotel bars back in the day. edit: Read on, mamma-jamma. I have some truth to reveal about your allegation that the Long family commissioned the biography.
@@swingrfd OK dood. T Harry Williams won a Pulitzer for the bio and received just about every honor there is for historians before he wrote it. Just cough up your top secret evidence. I've been wrong before.
Thank you, Jerry. Btw (I suppose you know this), there's a great film; All the King's Men (1949), which is based on the story of Huey P. Long. I highly recommend it. Cheers!
Just goes to show that the RICH Elite control all things ,behind the scenes and only come out from the shadows to remove anything that stands in their way..............A great film Mr Jerry! Thank you Sir- Your friend-Herb :)
You've really got to hand it to Long: He didn't take any shit from Standard Oil, nor was he bought and paid for by corporate interests. Today, they all are.
A benevolent dictator. Few and far apart. Better than a crony democrat or the totalitarian rulers that follow them. But then again there are things better than benevolent dictators too, if the people can handle the responsibilities that they demand. Capitalism could be good if people truly voted with their dollar but without organization and public pressure this seems to be very hard. Even socialism could be good if people didn't grow complacent. But mostly people end up being tired of politics once things are improving and then slowly they descend into something worse again.
I think this is the best documentary you've done so far, Jerry. It is scary to think that someone of the medical community (like Dr. Weiss) could be so unstable as to shoot a political figure. I think Dr. Weiss was probably being used as a "patsy" for someone else - much the way Lee Harvey Oswald has always impressed me. So many similarities amongst the high profile political assassinations. I recently saw a documentary on PBS about President Garfield entitled "The Murder of a President". The profile of Garfield's assassin - Charles Guiteau - was so much like Jack Ruby it was scary. But anyway, thanks again, Jerry, and keep up the good work - Diane..
When I was a young mom & newly married we moved to Bridge City, La. We were right next to the Huey P Long Bridge !!!! being from Michigan, that bridge would scare the SHIT OUT OF ME when crossing it, I would drive down the middle of the 2 lanes !!!!! When you would get stuck in traffic on that bridge and the TRAINS above you, the bridge would " Sway back & forth. Scary Scary Scary !!!!! Now to visit that bridge is so DIFFERENT, but have so many good & funny memories of that time !!!!!!!
The way I heard it, the doctor did get a chance to speak to Huey and an argument began whereupon the doctor hit Huey in the mouth, causing blood to run. Then, seeing the bodyguards going for their guns, the doctor pulled his pistol and shot Huey just as the bodyguards opened up with gunfire. At the hospital, Huey was asked why his lip was bleeding and he said, "That's where the SOB hit me."
I'm pretty sure Bill Clinton and Barry Obama patterned their respective political styles and brand identities on Long. Huey Long was the first populist politician to achieve national prominence, or notoriety, depending on your perspective. He was, in short, the Bernie Sanders/AOC of his day; however, unlike those two deranged Marxist/Leninists, Long backed up his socialist rhetoric with actual deeds. Unfortunately, many of those deeds entailed criminal conduct, though in most cases only in the abstract theory of state constitutional law. Nevertheless, it's one thing to break a state law or its constitution to bring food to hungry people's tables, its quite another thing to abuse power to consolidate one's political position and maintain one's personal ascendency. Huey was, in short, a modern Robin Hood who, like Bill Clinton some 50 years later, thought that doing a little good in the name of the little people indemnified him from repercussions when he did great misdeeds against the people as a whole, like gerrymandering districts, firing wholesale state employees and their families when they didn't vote for him, politically and economically persecuting dissenters, rigging election rolls or hiring thugs to beat and, in some cases, murder, his political opponents. His chief of the state police was a known murderer. The funny thing is....I can really identify with Huey Long and I think I would have voted for him had I been a Louisianan in the late 20s early 30s. Sometimes, desperate times do call for, and justify, desperate measures. But how one reigns in such a genie as Huey once released, well, there's the risk because someone like Huey would use prevailing circumstances to continue to amass further power. No dictator, and that's precisely what Huey Long was, regardless of how benevolent and well-intended his policies were, ever willing relinquished or ceded power back to the people. Nor would have Huey, I suspect.
Very interesting history stories, Jerry. I can't say I knew much about this Long fellow, so thanks for giving a quick synopsis. I saw this is part 1 of your dictator series, am looking forward to the rest. You have the perfect voice (calming, soothing) for doing these videos, thank you again. Kris
Heck wish we had ? run w Ideas like Huey did okay some were not very nice but it's politics & lil wonder 200k + ppl went to pay respects to the man he seemed to care for the lil ppl we need more who do. IMO esp the Vac time & few others would've been something to see what he could've done as Pres.
Sam Johnstone You know not what you are even saying!! He was a want to be Dictator!!! A Communist!!! Socialism is really just Communism with a Softer stick!!!! I prefer Freedom!!!
He did what he had to do to bring Louisiana out of the dark ages by providing free textbooks and paving roads.he had an uphill battle with the old boys clubs who ran the state before he became governor and senator.
"Some say that he tried to speak to long twice, and was brushed away by his police escort; infuriating wiess, leading to the shootout." Some real mental gymnastics there to justify killing a hero
