If you were to make a Venn-diagram of the early 1900s and today, it'd be pretty close to a circle.

We have the widening wealth gap, the concentration of wealth to a smaller and smaller percent of the population, and an widespread economic revival that isn't managing to lift up many of those in need. Combine that with increasing ire about how much corporate money is in politics, increasing apathy that government is hopelessly corrupt and is fundamentally incapable of reform, and a steady diet of media coverage that seems to throw out blatantly contradictory messages all the time.

Fun times.

If only the 1900s had an older, charismatic social democratic presidential candidate that did better than anyone expected him to in a primary election, then the picture would be complete. (Actually, they totally did: hey, Eugene V. Debs!)

While most of us might not be journalists, a lot of Teddy Roosevelt's advice, hamfisted though it may be, is applicable to us.

We live in a time where corruption seems to be overwhelming, but we also live in a time where we have a tremendous capacity to effect positive change. We have a bunch of powerful tools at our disposal—tools even more powerful than Teddy Roosevelt had in his time.

Despairing that we'll be unable to fix what is wrong with society just guarantees that those problems won't be solved, and it'll most likely take a coalition of both individual citizens, government reformers, and forward-thinking businesses to effect lasting change.

If we don't crash and burn, we might be on the verge of a new Progressive Era ourselves. Fingers crossed.