Ken Burns - Huey Long
 
   

Director: Ken Burns
Year:  1985
Rating: 6.5



He was a populist, a demagogue, a conman, corrupt both personally and corrupted those around him, he made big promises, would abide no dissent, divided people into columns of love and hate, had contempt for the Constitution, had huge ambitions and inched constantly towards having dictatorial powers. That might sound familiar today. But unlike a certain man now in Washington, Huey Long was the real deal - truly believed in helping the poor and downtrodden - railed against income inequality and the power of the large corporations - and as Governor of Louisiana did something about it. He also never used race for political advantage. So he taxed the wealthy and the corporations and passed legislation that built enormous amounts of infrastructure - roads, bridges, schools and buildings - pumped up the standards of living - but also elicited large amounts of graft from these projects that he then used for patronage. He formed his own army with machine guns, kidnapped critics, intimidated other politicians, said he was the Constitution - and as a Senator he planned to run for the Democratic nomination against President Roosevelt - and might have won. His message of income equality - his motto was Every man a King, but no one with a crown - gained a large following in the dark years of the Depression. History might have been dramatically different but for one man stepping up to him and putting one bullet into him in 1935. Huey Long died a few hours later.