Bernie Sanders on Socialism

A close friend of mine is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for president.  He thinks that Sanders could message better.  So, he wrote Sanders a speech that explains Sanders' notion of socialism.  Here it is.

Hello, everyone, and thank you for coming.

I am running to be the Democratic candidate for President of the United States in 2020. Yes, your Democratic candidate, even though the party I have been aligned with for all these years in the breathtakingly wonderful state of Vermont is called the Democratic Socialist party.

Does Big Money Always Win Elections?

Of course not, as incumbency typically trumps big money campaigning. Many voters prefer the devil they know! 

Nevertheless, one of the legs of the Democracy Movement is that money is not a form of speech that is protected by the First Amendment’s free speech clause (“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press”).

Boredom

Are you ever bored? Is boredom a recurrent problem for you? 

The mind is always running, and it wants stuff to think about. When all it can think about is “I have nothing to think about,” that is boredom. When all it can think about is “I have nothing to do,” that is boredom. Many of us cope with boredom by dulling the mind’s insistence on thinking by taking drugs, by drinking alcohol, by watching TV, by playing solitaire or by watching our smartphone waiting for the universe to talk to us.

From the Earth to the Moon

Exactly five decades ago, on July 20th, 1969 at 02:56 UTC, Commander Neil Armstrong, Jr. set foot on the Moon, the first human being ever to plant his feet solidly on another planet or planet-like object. This event was set in motion eight years before, on May 25th, 1961, when President John F Kennedy spoke these words: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” 

The Space Race (between the USSR and the USA) began the day that Americans heard the radio beeps of an unmanned space vehicle called Sputnik on October 4th, 1957. Less than a year later, July 29th, 1958, President Eisenhower established NASA to compete head to head with our Cold War adversary. Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made man’s first flight into space on April 12th, 1961, Kennedy spoke his stirring words a few weeks after Gagarin’s flight, and the second stage of the Space Race was on – the race to the Moon! NASA responded immediately with the Apollo program, dedicated to putting men on the Moon before the decade was out. Apollo’s brightest moment occurred on July 20th, 1969, fifty years ago today.

Mars or Bust

In an address to Congress on May 25th, 1961, President John F Kennedy spoke these words: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”  He meant it, we did it, and his words still resonate today.

On July 4th, 2019, President Donald J Trump asserted: “Someday soon, we will plant the American flag on Mars.  It’s happening.”  Whether anyone will remember his words fifty years from now, we cannot know.  But let’s assume he meant what he said, even if “someday soon” is not as definite a commitment as “in this decade.”  Let’s assume we intend to step foot on Mars someday.

Rent Control

I have a friend and sometimes editor of many of this blog's pieces who wrote the following.  It was written to be spoken at a City Council meeting.  I believe it speaks for itself.

Zenger/Trump

The proper title of this blogpost should be “A Brief History of Libel Laws in America – Zenger to Trump.”

In 1734, a 1st generation American and New York printer/journalist named John Peter Zenger was accused by the Crown of libel against New York’s royal governor. His lawyer, Andrew Hamilton (no relative of Alexander), argued that while Zenger had indeed criticized the governor – had indeed committed libel as it was defined back then – what he had written in his newspaper was the truth (truth was not a defense against libel in those days). Despite the law, despite the judge’s attempts to thwart the defense, the jury found Zenger not guilty and Americans began the slow march toward freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Roe v. Wade

Debate Moderator (DM): So, you are a Pro-Life Republican? 

Republican Candidate (RC): Yes, of course. 

DM: Do you support a jail sentence or the death penalty for a woman who has an abortion? 

RC: Of course not, that is insane.  Even Sarah Palin says as much in a much-viewed interview with Katie Couric on YouTube.

DM: Then you support the Roe v. Wade decision? 

RC: No, all Pro-Life people want to repeal Roe v. Wade. 

DM: But Roe v. Wade is the only protection from prison that a woman who wants an abortion has.  Repeal Roe and the woman will be at the mercy of her state.  Nationwide 71%-23% SUPPORT Roe v Wade, and even 52%-39% of Republicans support it.  Your states’ legislatures are not in touch with their own people.  You call yourself Pro-Life, but you believe what Pro-Choice folks believe.

Patriotism, Again

“Words are not enough, Joe, remembering to say "I love you" every ten days doesn’t cut it. If you really loved me, you would take out the trash without my pestering you, you’d clean up after dinner, you’d help me make the beds, you’d mow the lawns and occasionally do the shopping for our dinner table. You would DO things that showed you love me, that made my life more pleasant, easier. And you would buy me flowers for no reason at all other than you were thinking about me and how much I mean to you.” You know the drill, men, words are not enough, real love is demonstrated with actions.

What do I Stand for?

Many of my readers may think that I am a closet Democrat.  They would be wrong, as for decades national Democrats have been nearly as corrupt as national Republicans.  A pox on both their houses!  Well, then, a closet liberal.  Closer, as many of my political positions are liberal ones.  Nevertheless, I have worn the conservative badge in my life; but we have needed progress more than tradition these last 40 or more years, especially as regards to equal rights for previously marginalized members of our greater society.  But I am not a liberal by today’s standards, or yesterday’s, close as I may be.  I have held, and still do, positions that would shock most Americans, positions that are not liberal or conservative.  For example, I want EVERY wage earner paying some federal income taxes; I do not like the idea of exempting so much income (via the Trump tax cut) that low wage earners pay nothing into the system, they become what may have lost Mitt Romney the presidency in 2012, "dependent" "victims."  If given the choice of who or what to kill – an eagle, falcon, tiger, lion, etc., or a human who is about to shoot one of these endangered creatures – without hesitation, I say kill the human (and I don’t care what the extenuating circumstances are, I have no sympathy whatever for savage humans who kill members of an endangered species for sport or kicks [hunters don't kill endangered species]).  And I care more about people in need than anyone who is financially healthy.  These are not personal preferences, these are political choices (I may have a wealthy friend who I like more than a homeless man, but I want government helping out the homeless dude, before my buddy).