But Roger, the person who sent you that message was Sylvie. Perhaps you're
unaware even of who Sylvie is, but although she has been a list member since
its inception, and although she has, in the past, contributed a great deal
of material to the list, she is not usually an active participant. She
doesn't always read all of our posts. She probably doesn't know you very
well and she may not have read all of the things you wrote in the past.
Because most people aren't as exacting as you are in their definitions or
thinking, she made some incorrect assumptions about why you responded the
way that you did. And, although it is true that using words incorrectly can
cause misunderstanding and can get people into difficulty, unfortunately, it
is an aspect of human behavior that probably isn't going to change. The fact
that you explain a word or a concept very carefully, is not going to ensure
that everyone else on the list will change their behavior to conform to
your requirements. This is not because we disrespect you. It is just that
regardless of how logical your explanations are, not everyone is going to
accept them.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roger Loran
Bailey (Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 11:47 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: vBernie Sanders' 12 Best Reasons for Being a
Democratic Socialist
I have a problem with people using their personal definitions for words that
are commonly understood to mean something else myself. The problem with that
is that everyone thinks you mean something other than what you mean whenever
you use it. Then you have to explain what you meant every time you are
misunderstood. I know someone who came up with a personal definition for
that infamous N word and she got a lot of people mad at her. Then she would
say that's not what it means and explain her personal definition. She still
got herself in trouble. The real problem is that she was using a plain and
simple wrong definition for it.
Whether it is Chris Hedges or Rush Limbaugh using a word they still are
using the word wrong if they use their own personal definitions. When I use
the word socialism and when I call someone out for misusing that word,
though, I am not using a personal definition. Just take the time to read
some basic history of the movement and check multiple dictionaries.
Furthermore, when you use a personal definition for a word that is not
commonly understood you just confuse people. How many times has Barack Obama
or Hillary Clinton been called socialists? They are not socialists in any
way! But on one hand you have right-wingers claiming that they are and then
you have other people who think they are somehow progressive using the word
in the very same way and this completely degrades the word. What really got
to me in that message that I replied to, though, is that I have repeatedly
explained what the minimum requirements for being a socialist are and those
requirements are extremely broad including so many tendencies that I am very
sharply in disagreement with and then I am told that you do not have to be
in agreement with "my" party to be a socialist. Honestly, do I really fail
that much in communicating my position? I have said that I even count Hugo
Chavez as a socialist, even if barely. I have said that I am willing to
count left-wing social democrats as socialists. I have said that I count
utopian socialists as socialists. Then I am replied to as if the only people
who I count as socialists are those who are in agreement with one particular
party. Honestly, what is the point of my saying anything if I am not going
to b paid the slightest bit of attention? This is like telling me that I am
a chauvinist for my home state of Alaska even though I have said over and
over that I live in West Virginia.
On 11/20/2015 10:41 PM, Miriam Vieni wrote:
Roger,used the word "socialist"
Bernie Sandeers says he's a Social Democrat. He uses the Scandanavian
countries as examples of the kind of economic system he advocates. He
calls them social democracies. He has not once advocated in any speech
that I've heard or read about, that America become a socialist
country. He would be insane to advocate such a thing if he is
attempting to organize a large following in the US. He has, upon occasion,
loosely, to describe himself, but it has always been very obvious toHedges.
everyone that he didn't mean it literally. Now, there are a number of
people who are angry at him for not being a socialist, including Chris
There is one piece in which Hedges rants about why Sanders doesn't fitAmericans, they want to use an inaccurate name. So, we just understand and
his, that is, Hedges', definition of what a socialist is. But like
many people, Hedges has his own unique definition of what a good
socialist is. I noticed that among the requirements is that one must
be opposed to the legalization of prostitution. Now, having read the
book written bhy his interviewee, I know why he has taken that
position. However, it is hardly a prerequisite to be called a
socialist. It's his prerequisite. Having said all this, there are a
lot of people who want a welfare state or who want all businesses run
as cooperatives, or mixtures of these models, who do not trust the
state as being any better at owning and controlling all business, than
the big corporations. And, many of these people call themselves
socialists, even though, according to the dictionary definition,
they're not. This is like all those American Indians who insist on
calling themselves American Indians even though the name was first
given to them through error. In spite of the geographicallly erroneous
error, in spite of the fact that there is a more accurate name, Native
in a dictionary! Words have to mean something or there is no reason to have
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roger Loran
Bailey (Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 9:27 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: vBernie Sanders' 12 Best Reasons for
Being a Democratic Socialist
I would think that at least once in the first dozen times I say
something I would be paid attention to. However, it looks like it is
time for me to repeat myself again. Again! Again! Again! I do not
require that anyone be in any kind of agreement with "my" party to be
a socialist. I do not require that someone be in any party to be a
socialist! The definition of socialism
- if you insist, "my" definition of socialism - is very broad. It
includes political tendencies that I am in extreme disagreement with.
Again, it requires only that one be in favor of an end to the private
ownership of the means of production and its replacement with public
ownership and control of the means of production. AT the very least it
requires that. If you do not favor that then you are not a socialist
and if you claim to be a socialist you are making a false claim.
Again, even with such a broad definition as that it still means
something. If you allow a word to mean everything it means nothing.
Remember when I was expressing a distaste for using the word awesome
for every piddling thing that came along? I said that the problem with
that is that when something comes along that really is awesome then
you have nothing to call it. If you call it awesome then you will only
be communicating mild approval instead of what you really want to
express. The same thing applies to the word socialism. When you call
those who advocate capitalism socialists then what do you call it when
you want to discuss a real socialist? Now, I suppose that by tomorrow
what I have just said will be completely ignored again and I will be
told again that socialism means the same thing as awesome or the same
thing as what Ted Cruz advocates. When Sanders said that he was not as
much of a socialist as Dwight Eisenhower that shows no understanding
of the word either. I am sorry, though, ?Eisenhower was not a
socialist and Bernard Sanders is not a socialist. Read some history! Look
On 11/20/2015 5:05 PM, S. Kashdan wrote:rewarded.
Roger,the Left.
I am sure you know that there are and have been several different
socialist parties. Eugene Debbs was not a socialist in the same sense
as your party would define it, and his party was not your party.
Different groups and parties also define democracy differently.
For justice and peace,
Sylvie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Miriam Vieni" <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 12:54 PM
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: vBernie Sanders' 12 Best Reasons for
Being a Democratic Socialist
Roger, I knew you were going to have a reaction to this. He is not
being dishonest. He is defining "social democracy" as he understands
it. His definition is different from your's. Language is very fluid.
The word, "liberal", has very bad connotations both for the Right and
for
He's talking about reinstating a social welfare state, but a moresystem!
inclusive one than we had under FDR.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roger
Loran Bailey (Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 2:54 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: vBernie Sanders' 12 Best Reasons for
Being a Democratic Socialist
He would be a lot more honest if he just called himself a liberal.
On 11/20/2015 11:52 AM, Miriam Vieni wrote:
I heard the first part of his speech last night and it was rivetingnot in the video I heard.
enough so that I didn't go to sleep when I should have. I think
that what kept me listening was my sense that he really means what
he says and that the things he says about today's economic
situation, are not being said by any other public figure. The part
about foreign policy was
Miriam60, 70 hours a week.
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org) Home > Bernie Sanders'
12 Best Reasons for Being a Democratic Socialist
________________________________________
Bernie Sanders' 12 Best Reasons for Being a Democratic Socialist By
Steven Rosenfeld [1] / AlterNet [2] November 19, 2015 In a highly
anticipated speech, Sen. Bernie Sanders passionately detailed what
being a democratic socialist means to him and would mean for
Americans if elected president.
After listing many metrics showing Americans today are working
harder than ever yet facing undue pressures to pay for necessities
like housing, healthcare, higher education and retirement, Sanders
said democratic socialism means reviving the wisdom and policies
behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, Lyndon Johnson's
Great Society and Rev. Martin Luther King's call for economic justice.
"Real freedom must include economic security," Sanders said, quoting
FDR's
1944 speech calling for a second Bill of Rights for economic justice.
"That was Roosevelt's vision 70 years ago. It is my vision today. It
is a vision that we have not yet achieved. And it is time that we did."
"People are not free," he continued. "They are not truly free when
they are unable to feed their family. They are not truly free when
they are unable to retire with dignity. They are not truly free when
they are unemployed, underemployed or when they are exhausted by
working
People are not truly free when they don't know how they are going totheir children, their sick and their poor."
get medical help, when they or a family member are sick."
"So let me define for you, simply and straightforwardly, what
democratic socialism means to me," Sanders said. "It builds on what
Franklin Delano Roosevelt said when he fought for guaranteed
economic rights for all Americans. And it builds on what Martin
Luther King, Jr. said in 1968 when he stated that, 'This country has
socialism for the rich, and rugged individualism for the poor.' My
view of democratic socialism builds on the success of many other
countries around the world, who have done a far better job than we
have in protecting the needs of their working families, their
elderly citizens,
Sanders repeatedly reminded the Georgetown University audience thathis 100-minute speech.
there was an epidemic of childhood poverty and other unmet needs
across America, while the richest Americans are accumulating
unprecedented wealth. He said the solutions could be funded by
wealthly individuals and corporations paying a fair share of taxes.
What follows are a dozen excerpts from Sanders' speech of what
democratic socialism means to him and could mean for the country. It
is a vision of a better world that starts with improving the
economics and the dignity of Americans at home, which in turn
Sanders said would better position America to face challenges from
abroad, such as the terrorist threat posed by ISIS, which he
addressed in the final quarter of
1. Major political and economic reforms. "Democratic socialism meansdo..
that we must reform a political system which is corrupt, that we
must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy.
Democratic socialism, to my mind, speaks to a system, which for
example during the 1990s-and I want you to hear this-allowed Wall
Street to spend $5 billion, over a 10-year period, in lobbying and
campaign contributions in order to get deregulated. They wanted the
government off of their backs. They wanted to do whatever they
wanted to
"Then, 10 years later, after the greed, recklessness, and illegal
behavior led to their collapse, what our system enabled them to get
bailed out by the United States government, which through Congress
and the Fed, provided trillions of dollars in aid to Wall Street. In
other words, Wall Street used their wealth and power to get Congress
to do their bidding for deregulation, and then when Wall Street
collapsed, they used their wealth and power to get bailed out. Quite
a
else.""And then, to add insult to injury, we were told that not only werejail.
the banks too big to fail, we were told that the bankers were too
big to
And this is the system. Young people who get caught possessing
marijuana, they get police records-and many many hundreds of
thousands have police records that have impacted their lives in
serious ways. On the other hand, Wall Street CEOs who help destroy
the economy, they don't get police records, they get raises in their
salaries. And this is what Martin Luther King, Jr. meant when he
talked about socialism for the rich and rugged individualism for
everyone
world.2. An end to corporate welfare. "It is time that we had democraticidea. It is a conservative idea.
socialism for working families, not just for Wall Street billionaires.
It means that we should not be providing welfare for corporations.
It means that we should not be providing huge tax breaks for the
wealthiest people in this country or trade policies, which boost
corporate profits while they result in workers losing their jobs. It
means that we create a government which works for all of the
American people, not just powerful special interests. It means that
economic rights must be an essential part of what America stands for."
3. A national public healthcare system. "It means that health care
should be a right of all people, not a privilege. I know that there
are some people out there who think this is just an incredibly
radical idea-imagine, in the United States of America, all of us,
having health care as a right. But I hope all of you know this is
not a radical
It is an idea and a practice that exists in every other majorprescription drugs."
country on earth.
"Not just in Scandanavia-in Denmark, in Sweden, in Finland or Norway.
It exists in Canada-I live 50 miles away from Canada; not a radical
idea. It exists in France, Germany, Taiwan. All over the world,
countries have made the determination that all of their people are
entitled to health care, and I believe the time is long overdue for
the United States to join the rest of the world. And by the way,
what a Medicare-for-all system will bring about is ending the
absurdity of the American people paying, by far, the highest prices
in the world for
4. Tuition-free public colleges and universities. "Now, when I talk
about democratic socialism, what that means to me, is that in the
year 2015, a college degree today is equivalent to what a high
school degree was 50 years ago. And what that means is that public
education must today allow every person in this country, who has the
ability, the qualifications and the desire, the right to go to a
public college or university tuition-free. Is this a radical
socialistic idea? I don't think so. It exists today in many
countries all over the
grandchildren."You know what, it used to exist in the United States of America.New York, were virtually tuition-free."
Great universities, like the University of California, the City
University of
5. A government that creates jobs, not prisoners. "Democraticincarceration."
socialism means that our government does everything it can to create
a full employment economy. It makes far more sense to me to put
millions of people back to work rebuilding our crumbling
infrastructure, than to have a real unemployment rate of almost 10
percent. It is far smarter to invest in jobs and educational
opportunities for young people who are unemployed, than to lock them
up and invest in jails and
6. A living minimum wage and real family leave. "Democraticleast three months of paid family and medical leave."
socialism means that if someone works 40 hours a week, that person
should not be living in poverty; that we must raise the minimum wage
to a living
wage-$15 bucks an hour over the next several years. It means that we
join the rest of the world and pass the very strong Paid Family and
Medical Leave legislation now sitting in Congress.
"I want you to think about this, and I want you to really see what
goes on in our country today. It's not only that every other major
country-I'm not talking about Europe or Scandanavia-virtually every
country in the world, poor countries, small countries, reach the
conclusion that when a woman has a baby she should not be forced to
be separated from that newborn baby after a week or two and have to
go back to work. Making sure that moms and dads can stay home and
get to love their babies is a family value that we should support.
And that is why I want, and will fight, to end the absurdity of the
United States being one of the only countries on Earth that does not
guarantee at
7. Stopping climate change-causing industries. "Democratic socialism
to me means that we have government policy, strong government
policy, which does not allow the greed and profiteering of the
fossil fuel industry to destroy our environment and our planet. And
it means to me that we have a moral responsibility to combat climate
change and leave this planet healthy and inhabitable for our kids
and
8. The wealthy must pay a fair share of taxes. "Democratic socialism
means that in a democratic, civilized society the wealthiest people
and the largest corporations must pay their fair share of taxes.
Yes, innovation, entrepreneurship and business success should be
this:years.But greed for the sake of greed is not something that public policysupport.
should
"It is not acceptable to me that in the period of time, the last two
years,
15 of the wealthiest people in this country-15 people-saw their
wealth increase, in this rigged economy, by $170 billion. Got it?
Two
Fifteen people, $170 billion increase in their wealth. That is morequote.
wealth than is owned by the bottom 130 million Americans. Let us not
forget what Pope Francis has so elegantly stated and I quote: 'We
have created new idols. The worship of the golden calf of old has
found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the
dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly
humane goal.' End of
"In other words, we've got to do better than that. It's not aworking-class people have given up on the political process entirely.
political issue. It's not an economic issue. It's a cultural issue.
We have got to stop worshipping people who make billions and
billions and billions of dollars, while we have the highest rate of
childhood poverty of any major country."
9. America's political system must be a democracy. "Democratic
socialism, to me, does not just mean that we must create a nation of
economic and social justice and environmental sanity. Of course, it
does mean that. But it also means that we must create a vibrant
democracy based on the principle of one person, one vote. It is
extremely sad-and I hope all of you will pay a lot of attention to
this issue-it is extremely sad that the United States, one of the
oldest, most stable democracies in the world, has one of the lowest
voter turnouts of any major country, and that millions of young
people and
"In the last midterm election, just a year ago, 63 percent of theolder is registered to vote: end of discussion."
American people didn't vote, 80 percent of young people did not vote.
Clearly, despite the efforts of many Republican governors, who want
to suppress the vote, to make it harder for people of color and old
people to participate in the political system, our job together is
to make it easier for people to vote, not harder to vote. It is not
a radical idea-and I will fight for this as hard as I can as
president-to say that everyone in this country who is 18 years of
age or
10. Democratic socialism is not a government takeover. "The next
time that you hear me attacked as a socialist-like tomorrow-remember
should."I don't believe government should take over the grocery store downshould go up, not down.
the street, or own the means of production. But I do believe that
the middle class and the working families, who produce the wealth of
this country, deserve a decent standard of living, and that their
incomes
"I do believe in private companies that thrive and invest and grow
in America, companies that create jobs here, rather than companies
that are shutting down in America and increasing their profits by
exploiting low-wage labor abroad. I believe that most Americans can
pay lower taxes-if hedge fund managers who make billions
manipulating the marketplace finally start paying the taxes that they
rewarded.world.'"11. Equal treatment by government, not racism. "I don't believe in
special treatment for the top 1 percent, but I do believe in equal
treatment for African Americans who are right to proclaim the moral
principle that black lives matter. I despise appeals to nativism and
prejudice, a lot of which we have been hearing in recent months. And
I do proudly believe in immigration reform that gives Hispanics and
others a pathway to citizenship and a better life.
"And while I am on that subject, let me say a real word of concern
to what I have been hearing from some of the Republican candidates
for president in recent months. People can have honest disagreements
about immigration or about anything else. That's called democracy.
But people should not be using the political process to inject
racism into the debate. And if Donald Trump and others refer to
Latinos, people from Mexico, as criminals and rapists, if they want
to open that door, our job is to shut that door and shut it tight."
12. Do not become cynical; work for change. "Do not, do not, do not
become cynical. I am running for president in order for all of us to
be able to live in a nation of hope and opportunity, not for some,
but for my seven grandchilden, and for all of you.
"Nobody understood better than Franklin Delano Roosevelt the
connection between American strength at home and our ability to
defend America around the world. And that is why he proposed a
second Bill of Rights in 1944, and said in that very same State of
the Union, and I quote again, 'America's own rightful place in the
world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights
have been carried into practice for all our citizens. For unless
there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace-lasting
peace-in the
in sight."Foreign Policy and the Use of Force
The final section of Sanders' speech concerned foreign policy and
whether the U.S. should use military force abroad. Sanders said, "I
am not running for president to pursue reckless adventures abroad,
but to rebuild America's strength at home. I will never hesitate to
defend this nation, but I will never send our sons and daughters to
war under false pretense, or pretenses about dubious battles with no
end
interests.Sanders said George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq and war of choice wasentire regions.
one of many examples where a foreign policy decision led to serious
unanticipated consequences that unfolded over many years and
destabilized
In that context, he said ISIS must be defeated by military and otherrole for America.
policies, but, "we cannot, and should not, do it alone." He said
that could only happen when other Muslim countries in the region,
especially wealthy nations like Saudi Arabia, became more involved
and see this as a fight for "the soul of Islam," which is not an
appropriate
"While the U.S. and other western nations have the strength of ourU.S.
militaries and political systems, the fight against ISIS is a
struggle for the soul of Islam, and countering violent extremism and
destroying ISIS must be done primarily by Muslim nations-with the
strong support of their global partners," Sanders said.
Unlike any of the other 2016 presidential candidates, Sanders said
the
must learn from past mistakes and not repeat them-such as usingin Iran in 1953: Mossadegh was the president.
military force or intelligence agency coups for short-term political
gains that backfire in the long run.
"Our response must begin with an understanding of past mistakes and
missteps in our previous approaches to foreign policy," he said. "It
begins with the acknowledgment that unilateral military action
should be a last resort, not a first resort, and that ill-conceived
military decisions, such as the invasion of Iraq, can wreak
far-reaching devastation and destabilization over regions for
decades. It begins with the reflection that the failed policy
decisions of the past-rushing to war, regime change in Iraq or
toppling Mohammed Mossadegh
The CIA and others got rid of him, to protect British petroleum
system!The Shah of Iran came in, a brutal dictator, and he was thrown outcontinued.
by the Islamic revolution, and that is where we are in Iran today.
"Decisions have consequences, often unintended consequences," he
"So whether it was Saddam Hussein, or Mossadegh, or Guatemalanlearn."
president Árbenz in 1954, Brazilian president Goulart in 1964,
Chilean president Allende in 1973-this type of regime change. This
type of overthrowing governments we may not like, often does not
work, often makes a bad and difficult decision even worse. These are
lessons we must
Steven Rosenfeld covers national political issues for AlterNet,Citizen's Guide to Voting"
including America's retirement crisis, democracy and voting rights,
and campaigns and elections. He is the author of "Count My Vote: A
(AlterNet Books, 2008).60, 70 hours a week.
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Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org) Home > Bernie Sanders'
12 Best Reasons for Being a Democratic Socialist
Bernie Sanders' 12 Best Reasons for Being a Democratic Socialist By
Steven Rosenfeld [1] / AlterNet [2] November 19, 2015 In a highly
anticipated speech, Sen. Bernie Sanders passionately detailed what
being a democratic socialist means to him and would mean for
Americans if elected president.
After listing many metrics showing Americans today are working
harder than ever yet facing undue pressures to pay for necessities
like housing, healthcare, higher education and retirement, Sanders
said democratic socialism means reviving the wisdom and policies
behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, Lyndon Johnson's
Great Society and Rev. Martin Luther King's call for economic justice.
"Real freedom must include economic security," Sanders said, quoting
FDR's
1944 speech calling for a second Bill of Rights for economic justice.
"That was Roosevelt's vision 70 years ago. It is my vision today. It
is a vision that we have not yet achieved. And it is time that we did."
"People are not free," he continued. "They are not truly free when
they are unable to feed their family. They are not truly free when
they are unable to retire with dignity. They are not truly free when
they are unemployed, underemployed or when they are exhausted by
working
People are not truly free when they don't know how they are going totheir children, their sick and their poor."
get medical help, when they or a family member are sick."
"So let me define for you, simply and straightforwardly, what
democratic socialism means to me," Sanders said. "It builds on what
Franklin Delano Roosevelt said when he fought for guaranteed
economic rights for all Americans. And it builds on what Martin
Luther King, Jr. said in 1968 when he stated that, 'This country has
socialism for the rich, and rugged individualism for the poor.' My
view of democratic socialism builds on the success of many other
countries around the world, who have done a far better job than we
have in protecting the needs of their working families, their
elderly citizens,
Sanders repeatedly reminded the Georgetown University audience thathis 100-minute speech.
there was an epidemic of childhood poverty and other unmet needs
across America, while the richest Americans are accumulating
unprecedented wealth. He said the solutions could be funded by
wealthly individuals and corporations paying a fair share of taxes.
What follows are a dozen excerpts from Sanders' speech of what
democratic socialism means to him and could mean for the country. It
is a vision of a better world that starts with improving the
economics and the dignity of Americans at home, which in turn
Sanders said would better position America to face challenges from
abroad, such as the terrorist threat posed by ISIS, which he
addressed in the final quarter of
1. Major political and economic reforms. "Democratic socialism meansdo..
that we must reform a political system which is corrupt, that we
must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy.
Democratic socialism, to my mind, speaks to a system, which for
example during the 1990s-and I want you to hear this-allowed Wall
Street to spend $5 billion, over a 10-year period, in lobbying and
campaign contributions in order to get deregulated. They wanted the
government off of their backs. They wanted to do whatever they
wanted to
"Then, 10 years later, after the greed, recklessness, and illegal
behavior led to their collapse, what our system enabled them to get
bailed out by the United States government, which through Congress
and the Fed, provided trillions of dollars in aid to Wall Street. In
other words, Wall Street used their wealth and power to get Congress
to do their bidding for deregulation, and then when Wall Street
collapsed, they used their wealth and power to get bailed out. Quite
a
else.""And then, to add insult to injury, we were told that not only werejail.
the banks too big to fail, we were told that the bankers were too
big to
And this is the system. Young people who get caught possessing
marijuana, they get police records-and many many hundreds of
thousands have police records that have impacted their lives in
serious ways. On the other hand, Wall Street CEOs who help destroy
the economy, they don't get police records, they get raises in their
salaries. And this is what Martin Luther King, Jr. meant when he
talked about socialism for the rich and rugged individualism for
everyone
world.2. An end to corporate welfare. "It is time that we had democraticidea. It is a conservative idea.
socialism for working families, not just for Wall Street billionaires.
It means that we should not be providing welfare for corporations.
It means that we should not be providing huge tax breaks for the
wealthiest people in this country or trade policies, which boost
corporate profits while they result in workers losing their jobs. It
means that we create a government which works for all of the
American people, not just powerful special interests. It means that
economic rights must be an essential part of what America stands for."
3. A national public healthcare system. "It means that health care
should be a right of all people, not a privilege. I know that there
are some people out there who think this is just an incredibly
radical idea-imagine, in the United States of America, all of us,
having health care as a right. But I hope all of you know this is
not a radical
It is an idea and a practice that exists in every other majorprescription drugs."
country on earth.
"Not just in Scandanavia-in Denmark, in Sweden, in Finland or Norway.
It exists in Canada-I live 50 miles away from Canada; not a radical
idea. It exists in France, Germany, Taiwan. All over the world,
countries have made the determination that all of their people are
entitled to health care, and I believe the time is long overdue for
the United States to join the rest of the world. And by the way,
what a Medicare-for-all system will bring about is ending the
absurdity of the American people paying, by far, the highest prices
in the world for
4. Tuition-free public colleges and universities. "Now, when I talk
about democratic socialism, what that means to me, is that in the
year 2015, a college degree today is equivalent to what a high
school degree was 50 years ago. And what that means is that public
education must today allow every person in this country, who has the
ability, the qualifications and the desire, the right to go to a
public college or university tuition-free. Is this a radical
socialistic idea? I don't think so. It exists today in many
countries all over the
grandchildren."You know what, it used to exist in the United States of America.New York, were virtually tuition-free."
Great universities, like the University of California, the City
University of
5. A government that creates jobs, not prisoners. "Democraticincarceration."
socialism means that our government does everything it can to create
a full employment economy. It makes far more sense to me to put
millions of people back to work rebuilding our crumbling
infrastructure, than to have a real unemployment rate of almost 10
percent. It is far smarter to invest in jobs and educational
opportunities for young people who are unemployed, than to lock them
up and invest in jails and
6. A living minimum wage and real family leave. "Democraticleast three months of paid family and medical leave."
socialism means that if someone works 40 hours a week, that person
should not be living in poverty; that we must raise the minimum wage
to a living
wage-$15 bucks an hour over the next several years. It means that we
join the rest of the world and pass the very strong Paid Family and
Medical Leave legislation now sitting in Congress.
"I want you to think about this, and I want you to really see what
goes on in our country today. It's not only that every other major
country-I'm not talking about Europe or Scandanavia-virtually every
country in the world, poor countries, small countries, reach the
conclusion that when a woman has a baby she should not be forced to
be separated from that newborn baby after a week or two and have to
go back to work. Making sure that moms and dads can stay home and
get to love their babies is a family value that we should support.
And that is why I want, and will fight, to end the absurdity of the
United States being one of the only countries on Earth that does not
guarantee at
7. Stopping climate change-causing industries. "Democratic socialism
to me means that we have government policy, strong government
policy, which does not allow the greed and profiteering of the
fossil fuel industry to destroy our environment and our planet. And
it means to me that we have a moral responsibility to combat climate
change and leave this planet healthy and inhabitable for our kids
and
8. The wealthy must pay a fair share of taxes. "Democratic socialism
means that in a democratic, civilized society the wealthiest people
and the largest corporations must pay their fair share of taxes.
Yes, innovation, entrepreneurship and business success should be
this:years.But greed for the sake of greed is not something that public policysupport.
should
"It is not acceptable to me that in the period of time, the last two
years,
15 of the wealthiest people in this country-15 people-saw their
wealth increase, in this rigged economy, by $170 billion. Got it?
Two
Fifteen people, $170 billion increase in their wealth. That is morequote.
wealth than is owned by the bottom 130 million Americans. Let us not
forget what Pope Francis has so elegantly stated and I quote: 'We
have created new idols. The worship of the golden calf of old has
found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the
dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly
humane goal.' End of
"In other words, we've got to do better than that. It's not aworking-class people have given up on the political process entirely.
political issue. It's not an economic issue. It's a cultural issue.
We have got to stop worshipping people who make billions and
billions and billions of dollars, while we have the highest rate of
childhood poverty of any major country."
9. America's political system must be a democracy. "Democratic
socialism, to me, does not just mean that we must create a nation of
economic and social justice and environmental sanity. Of course, it
does mean that. But it also means that we must create a vibrant
democracy based on the principle of one person, one vote. It is
extremely sad-and I hope all of you will pay a lot of attention to
this issue-it is extremely sad that the United States, one of the
oldest, most stable democracies in the world, has one of the lowest
voter turnouts of any major country, and that millions of young
people and
"In the last midterm election, just a year ago, 63 percent of theolder is registered to vote: end of discussion."
American people didn't vote, 80 percent of young people did not vote.
Clearly, despite the efforts of many Republican governors, who want
to suppress the vote, to make it harder for people of color and old
people to participate in the political system, our job together is
to make it easier for people to vote, not harder to vote. It is not
a radical idea-and I will fight for this as hard as I can as
president-to say that everyone in this country who is 18 years of
age or
10. Democratic socialism is not a government takeover. "The next
time that you hear me attacked as a socialist-like tomorrow-remember
should."I don't believe government should take over the grocery store downshould go up, not down.
the street, or own the means of production. But I do believe that
the middle class and the working families, who produce the wealth of
this country, deserve a decent standard of living, and that their
incomes
"I do believe in private companies that thrive and invest and grow
in America, companies that create jobs here, rather than companies
that are shutting down in America and increasing their profits by
exploiting low-wage labor abroad. I believe that most Americans can
pay lower taxes-if hedge fund managers who make billions
manipulating the marketplace finally start paying the taxes that they
world.'"11. Equal treatment by government, not racism. "I don't believe in
special treatment for the top 1 percent, but I do believe in equal
treatment for African Americans who are right to proclaim the moral
principle that black lives matter. I despise appeals to nativism and
prejudice, a lot of which we have been hearing in recent months. And
I do proudly believe in immigration reform that gives Hispanics and
others a pathway to citizenship and a better life.
"And while I am on that subject, let me say a real word of concern
to what I have been hearing from some of the Republican candidates
for president in recent months. People can have honest disagreements
about immigration or about anything else. That's called democracy.
But people should not be using the political process to inject
racism into the debate. And if Donald Trump and others refer to
Latinos, people from Mexico, as criminals and rapists, if they want
to open that door, our job is to shut that door and shut it tight."
12. Do not become cynical; work for change. "Do not, do not, do not
become cynical. I am running for president in order for all of us to
be able to live in a nation of hope and opportunity, not for some,
but for my seven grandchilden, and for all of you.
"Nobody understood better than Franklin Delano Roosevelt the
connection between American strength at home and our ability to
defend America around the world. And that is why he proposed a
second Bill of Rights in 1944, and said in that very same State of
the Union, and I quote again, 'America's own rightful place in the
world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights
have been carried into practice for all our citizens. For unless
there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace-lasting
peace-in the
in sight."Foreign Policy and the Use of Force
The final section of Sanders' speech concerned foreign policy and
whether the U.S. should use military force abroad. Sanders said, "I
am not running for president to pursue reckless adventures abroad,
but to rebuild America's strength at home. I will never hesitate to
defend this nation, but I will never send our sons and daughters to
war under false pretense, or pretenses about dubious battles with no
end
interests.Sanders said George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq and war of choice wasentire regions.
one of many examples where a foreign policy decision led to serious
unanticipated consequences that unfolded over many years and
destabilized
In that context, he said ISIS must be defeated by military and otherrole for America.
policies, but, "we cannot, and should not, do it alone." He said
that could only happen when other Muslim countries in the region,
especially wealthy nations like Saudi Arabia, became more involved
and see this as a fight for "the soul of Islam," which is not an
appropriate
"While the U.S. and other western nations have the strength of ourU.S.
militaries and political systems, the fight against ISIS is a
struggle for the soul of Islam, and countering violent extremism and
destroying ISIS must be done primarily by Muslim nations-with the
strong support of their global partners," Sanders said.
Unlike any of the other 2016 presidential candidates, Sanders said
the
must learn from past mistakes and not repeat them-such as usingin Iran in 1953: Mossadegh was the president.
military force or intelligence agency coups for short-term political
gains that backfire in the long run.
"Our response must begin with an understanding of past mistakes and
missteps in our previous approaches to foreign policy," he said. "It
begins with the acknowledgment that unilateral military action
should be a last resort, not a first resort, and that ill-conceived
military decisions, such as the invasion of Iraq, can wreak
far-reaching devastation and destabilization over regions for
decades. It begins with the reflection that the failed policy
decisions of the past-rushing to war, regime change in Iraq or
toppling Mohammed Mossadegh
The CIA and others got rid of him, to protect British petroleum
The Shah of Iran came in, a brutal dictator, and he was thrown outcontinued.
by the Islamic revolution, and that is where we are in Iran today.
"Decisions have consequences, often unintended consequences," he
"So whether it was Saddam Hussein, or Mossadegh, or Guatemalanlearn."
president Árbenz in 1954, Brazilian president Goulart in 1964,
Chilean president Allende in 1973-this type of regime change. This
type of overthrowing governments we may not like, often does not
work, often makes a bad and difficult decision even worse. These are
lessons we must
Steven Rosenfeld covers national political issues for AlterNet,Citizen's Guide to Voting"
including America's retirement crisis, democracy and voting rights,
and campaigns and elections. He is the author of "Count My Vote: A
(AlterNet Books, 2008).
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-
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Links:
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Sanders' 12 Best Reasons for Being a Democratic Socialist [4]
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