Thoughts on Bernie Sanders

An update on Leap Day:
Since writing this I've discovered Rand Paul's book against Socialism.
What I'm arguing for is to read this, get in in the hands of Bernie supporters, rather than lazy-rage-or-snark about how Bernie is a Communist, and assume that ends the discussion.  It doesn't with his many supporters, whatever you may think of them.  Thank you.



Since Bernie is trending in the polls and cauci...
Here are some thoughts:

1. Conservatives need to take Bernie Sanders seriously.  
He is garnering a huge percentage of Democratic votes.  It is self-defeating to merely ridicule or dismiss him, however radical his ideas.  His popularity, however unbelievable, is sufficient to hear his ideas on their own merits, and refute them seriously and respectfully.  Mocking them will only embolden his supporters.

2.  Communism is not Socialism.
The right really needs to lay off the wild charges that Bernie is a Communist.  Socialism is different from Communism.  Every European knows this.  Socialism and Communism are two different ways to get to the same end: governmental ownership of the means of production (the medical, financial, etc., industries).  Communism does so by revolution, democratic socialism by the popular vote.  Bernie is not garnering tanks, but votes.

3.  Communism IS similar to Socialism.
ObamaCare was just a big step toward socialism.  (The Republicans aren't willing to step back from it!)  Regulation is American law becomes so stringent, it is functionally ownership.  We are at this tilting point right now in our American society, which is why Bernie is feasible and popular.  Conservatives do not acknowledge as they ought, the extent to which our economy is governmentally controlled and thus functionally socialist already.  We don't like admitting defeat, but we should acknowledge reality, especially as it's perceived in the Millennial generation!  Many Millennials would be fine with Communism, as long as it solved (or seemed to) society's problems.

4.  Bernie is a democratic socialist, not a communist.
So it's a bad PR move to say Bernie is a Communist, even if it is functionally true.  He wants the same end as Communism, and uses its rhetoric of revolution: overthrowing the system.  But he isn't actually using tanks as the 1917 Communist revolution in Russia did.  He is following the European model of persuading voters.  Do not attack a straw man, just to score points with your allies, when the Bernie voter needs to hear a good-faith capitalist argument!

5.  Oppose Bernie on the merits against socialism and for capitalism.
Bernie is genuinely opposed to authoritarianism.  That's off the table.  Don't even address it!

Yes, he said some nice things about Castro - that doesn't mean he thinks Castro's jailing of dissidents is fine - he is on record that it is not.  Don't say Bernie advocates for it.  Sheesh.  Can we not think with subtlety anymore?  "He admitted something positive about Castro; he must be all for Castro."  Ridiculous.  Stop selling this pablum to conservative voters!  Conservatives must beware of absolutizing their enemies.  It alienates those on the fence.

Wild charges like this are a symptom of our politically polarized society.  Conservatives (and liberals!) would benefit from taking stock of this polarization, and speaking more moderately.  Instead, we all crave the popularity that comes with wild statements that lather up our base.  Fox and CNN both do this.

Yes, I realize, Castro had a literacy program.  Great!  But it had Cuban children reading mostly  Communist propaganda, so there's that...

The Last Word:
Bernie is winning because since Reagan, conservatives have lost the public debate over the role of government.  No Republican since Reagan has questioned the premise that government should be part of the solution, instead of stepping out of the way, and letting the people, our faith communities, and the private market handle our problems.