IS NICOLAS MADURO THE NEW HUEY LONG?

A mythical figure in the Great State of Louisiana, the image of Huey Long has endured as a prominent politician, powerful representative of the poor and weak, a commanding force of nature, but certainly a genuine demagogue, a legitimate tyrant, a secular prophet, and now a tragic hero. Huey was able to do it all in the realm of making himself visible and important in the eyes of his enemies and supporters. Here Platon, who has “admired” the multi-disciplinary image of the “Redneck” going “Kingfish,” gives us a hint of a few new layers in the persona of the most famous Louisiana son to better understand the lyrics of Huey’s brand and charisma. From T. Harry Williams “good mass leader” passing by Allan Brinkley’s “product of the Great Depression” to Robert Penn Warren “fictionalized idealist man of the people corrupted by success,” Huey completed the revelation of himself as the main character in a fabulous and heartbreaking Greek tragedy. A thought-provoking, instructive mini-book, highly recommended for high school and college students interested in local politics and mythology applied to real life challenges.