Sanders: I Will Do a Better Job ‘Explaining What We Mean by Socialism – Democratic Socialism’
Sure, the problem with Socialism is that no one has properly explained it before.
2020 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders said in an interview that he will do a better job explaining what people mean when they talk about socialism…democratic socialism.
Because adding “democratic” somehow makes socialism better? From New Hampshire Public Radio:
“I think what we have to do, and I will be doing it, is to do a better job maybe in explaining what we mean by socialism — democratic socialism. Obviously, my right-wing colleagues here want to paint that as authoritarianism and communism and Venezuela, and that’s nonsense.
“What I mean by democratic socialism is that I want a vibrant democracy. I find it interesting that people who criticize me are busy actively involved in voter suppression trying to keep people of color or low-income people from voting, because they don’t want a vibrant democracy. I do.
“Second of all, what it means, Rachel, is that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world we can provide a decent standard of living for all about people. That’s just the reality. That’s not Utopian dreaming; that is a reality. Health care for all can be done and we can save money in doing it. We can have a minimum wage which is a living wage, and I’m delighted to see that you know, right now, five states already passed fifteen dollars an hour minimum wage. The House of Representatives is gonna do it. We have got to do that.”
Republicans appear to be ramping up to make the term “socialism” one of their key weapons in the 2020 race. President Trump has repeatedly criticized socialism in his tweets and in speeches this year, and the term was repeatedly invoked at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC.
The term “socialism” is polarizing in U.S. politics — a slight majority of Democrats, 57 percent, said they had a positive view of socialism (however they define it) as of August 2018, according to Gallup. In that poll, Democrats were slightly more likely to view socialism positively than capitalism (47 percent). Meanwhile, Republicans were far more likely to view capitalism positively (71 percent to socialism’s 16 percent). Polls have also shown that socialism is particularly popular among younger voters.
While Sanders’ “socialist” brand may play well among primary voters, it could be tougher to sell among more moderate Democrats and centrist or right-leaning independent voters. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll provides some evidence of this: only 25 percent of Americans said they’d be enthusiastic or comfortable voting for a socialist, while 72 percent said they had reservations or were uncomfortable with the idea.
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Comments
This time we’ll do Socialism right.
Second of all, what it means, Rachel, is that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world
Wealthiest country in the world? Well, how did it get that way? I don’t think it was all due to careful planning by the Central Committee.
As my old boss used to say, “if you think health care is expensive now, just wait until it is free.”
Socialism has always been the antithesis of liberty and freedom. Consider the history of socialist leaders:
Lenin and Stalin in Russia
Hitler in Germany
Chairman Mao in China
Castro in Cuba
Ho-Chi Minh in Vietnam
Pol Pot in Cambodia
The Kim dynasty in North Korea
Ortega in Nicaragua
Chavez in Venezuela
Socialism provides government control of the economy that promotes an oppressive government. Our Constitution was written to prevent an oppressive government. That is why the Socialists want the Constitution to be “a living, breathing document” that they can re-write at their whim.
I can’t believe that any American who knows the history of Socialism would ever vote for someone who admits to being a Socialist.
While America was winning the Cold War and defeating Communism, the National Teachers Unions were indoctrinating our kids to end up being stupid like Alexandria Ocassional Cortex and open to living “The Socialist/Communist Utopia.”
Khrushchev told us that he would destroy us from withing and but for the election of Donald Trump, we would have been gone by the end of Hillary’s first term if she had been elected.
Still, we must take steps to clean out the Socialist trash; it’s not the first time Socialism has made an attempt in America. Socialist Upton Sinclair ran for Governor of California back in the 1930s and another Socialist who was jealous of political competitors, destroyed him by backing his Republican opponent, i.e., Franklin Roosevelt.
The message is actually simple.
Socialism = control.
Control of the economy, control of society, control of you.
Bernie thinks this is for your benefit. (Benito thought so too.) He means for it to be good control. And he may even be sincere about it.
But can he deliver? Nobody ever has. Not even Benito.
No need to waste our time reading anything Crazy Breadline Bernie may write; the History of mankind and his experience with Socialism, whether the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia to the Hugo Chavez/Nick Maduro kind seen in Venezuela, the universal experience is loss of freedom, loss of a decent lifestyle, and there are still select few at the top living good. At least under Capitalism, you have a chance for upward mobility to be something other than your grandpa, father, or brother; you don’t have to clean latrines because that’s what your family members always did.
The thing about people like George Soreazz, Bernie Sanders, and others who tout Socialism is that they have already benefited from Capitalism and apparently they don’t want anybody else to get richer than them. So take your Socialism and stuff it, Bernie !!!