3 ms·
presumably, post US Civil War. the "Gilded Age" and all that. Also the age of actual snake-oil salesmen and literally blowing smoke up your ass. excesses of
by red-iron-pine 3y ago
presumably, post US Civil War. the "Gilded Age" and all that.
Also the age of actual snake-oil salesmen and literally blowing smoke up your ass. excesses of which are best exemplified by The Jungle, the Pullman Railcar Strike, or the fact that union leader Eugene Debs got ~3% of the US national vote -- the highest ever for a socialist candidate, even now -- while in federal prison (or leading labor riots).
Or how John Company managed to take over most of India, etc.
There is an attempt to create a narrative that this is a new thing, but it's been a thing forever.