Many "progressive" regressives view history through the lenses of their college courses, as interpreted by "progressive" professors. They mistakenly believe they are "intellectuals" whose ideology must be imposed on a society whose Constitution precludes such unrestrained government power as they seek.
Their view of "history," as informed by their academic instructors and political leaders may be limited to that of late 19th and 20th Century ideologues whose views they embrace.
As a result of that limited view of what they call "history," they cannot perceive that centuries from now, when future generations are attempting to declare themselves, as did the people of 1776 in America, to be "endowed by their Creator" with natural and unalienable rights to individual liberty, they will discover that in the Year 2014, the people of America failed to rediscover and defend the ideas of liberty from an attack from within.
Right on the money.