Bernie Sanders -- What IS Democratic Socialism?

"I believe in a democratic civilized society health care is a human right. 

Government should make that happen. I believe that every young person 

in this country regardless of his or her income has the right to get all 

the education they need."

– Bernie Sanders

With Senator Bernie Sanders' win in Nevada, he is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. In as few as 10 days, Sanders could amass a practically unbreakable delegate lead on Super Tuesday.

Sanders conjures both the hopes and the fears of the nation with one simple word. That word describes a political and economic theory which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. Even within the ranks of his own party, Sanders confronts those who distress at all of the connotations of the term. That suspicious word is “socialism.”

Of all the Democratic candidates, Sanders would likely bring the most drastic changes for businesses and wealthy Americans. Is America ready to understand what supporting Bernie Sanders really means? Do most Americans even understand his agenda? Does an old concept of social beliefs and agendas even apply? It's time to answer some pertinent questions. In this post, I will attempt to give a primer about Bernie's brand of politics.

Just what is Bernie Sanders' socialism? To be more exact, what is his self-professed version of “Democratic Socialism,” the political and economic theory Sanders hopes to ride to the White House? An examination of the term reveals how this political philosophy supports the belief that both the economy and society should be run democratically to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few.

Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent at Vox, says decades ago, Sanders used to be much more radical in his socialist views. For example, in 1976, Sanders gave an interview endorsing “the public ownership of utilities, banks, and major industries.” In the meantime, he has spent his life marinating in anti-capitalist political ideas and communities; his political vision and language reflect that.

Sanders cites Eugene Debs, the five-time presidential candidate of the Socialist Party of America, as his hero. But he hasn’t always embraced the label. “I myself don’t use the word socialism,” he said in 1976 in the Vermont Cynic, a student publication at the University of Vermont, “because people have been brainwashed into thinking socialism automatically means slave-labor camps, dictatorship and lack of freedom of speech.”

Then, in the summer 1986 issue of a now-defunct magazine called Vermont Affairs, Sanders wrote:

“All that socialism means to me, to be very frank with you, is democracy with a small ‘d.’ I believe in democracy, and by democracy I mean that, to as great an extent as possible, human beings have the right to control their own lives. And that means that you cannot separate the political structure from the economic structure. One has to be an idiot to believe that the average working person who’s making $10,000 or $12,000 a year is equal in political power to somebody who is the head of a large bank or corporation. So if you believe in political democracy, if you believe in equality, you have to believe in economic democracy as well.”

In 2020, Sanders wants to emphasize a division: the split between the one percent of “oligarchs” and the remaining 99 percent of Americans. He represents a kind of class politics unusual among Democratic 2020 candidates – with the exception of Elizabeth Warren, whose speeches often hit similar themes from a less avowedly anti-capitalist perspective.

In Sanders' view, democratic socialism is a “species” of social democratic populism that pits the American people against a corrupt elite class that must be defeated outright. This emphasis on class antagonism, on the treachery of the elite and their threat to American democracy, is what defines Sanders’ vision.

Sanders says …

The United States and the rest of the world face two very different political paths. On one hand, there is a growing movement towards oligarchy and authoritarianism in which a small number of incredibly wealthy and powerful billionaires own and control a significant part of the economy and exert enormous influence over the political life of our country. On the other hand, in opposition to oligarchy, there is a movement of working people and young people who, in ever-increasing numbers, are fighting for justice.

“Democratic socialism,” for Sanders, is about creating a “political revolution” that gives voice to the second group – by “sticking it” to the first.

For a model, Sanders usually points to Denmark, which has a regressive and high Value-added Tax (VAT) – a consumption tax levied on products at every point of sale where value has been added, starting from raw material and going all the way to the final retail purchase. (Imagine a 25% federal sales tax on everything, split in stages between manufacturers, retailers and consumers). But it also has generous benefits that raise quality of life for every Dane.

Sanders' critics see any form of socialism as a step to communism. But, others claim that belief is unfounded. Dr. Jean Louise Cohen, a professor of political thought and contemporary civilization at Columbia University, told Newsweek: "Communism does not respect or esteem formal or procedural liberal democracy.” Cohen noted that communism in practice, has "embraced the idea of the dictatorship of the proletariat" while claiming to "foster social justice rather than political democracy."

Right-wing critics have argued that the ideas espoused by Sanders and other democratic socialists in Congress would lead to the collapse of the U.S. economy, and transform the country into a struggling state similar to South America's Venezuela. However, experts like Cohen said this assessment was inaccurate, pointing out that Sanders' proposals align more closely with those already implemented by wealthy northern European countries.

One proposal offered by Sanders would raise the tax rate to 52% on earnings over $10 million. Sanders also proposed that the first $29,000 of a person’s income would be exempt from taxes, and a 4% income-based premium would be applied to earnings over $29,000.

Of course, many older Americans still hold onto individualism, and they’re still skeptical of big government. So when Sanders asks them to relinquish the independence of a free market system in the hopes that government-run programs will provide economic and social equality, very few are convinced.

Young Americans, however, are attracted to this exchange, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re facing unprecedented expenses, so it’s no wonder a candidate offering free healthcare, free college, and the elimination of outstanding student loan debt is so popular.

An irony is that older Americans currently enjoy benefits that resemble some of Sanders’s proposals – Medicaid, Social Security, and mortgage-interest deductions, otherwise known as “boomer socialism” – while young Americans foot the bill.

Make no mistake. Bernie Sanders supports a political revolution. Sanders “is not a candidate who is adopting these issues – he has always been running on these issues,” said Joshua Ulibarri, a partner with the Democratic polling firm Lake Research Partners.

Sanders says …

“We are gonna also launch what I think is unprecedented in modern American history, and that is a grassroots movement to lay the groundwork for transforming the economic and political life of this country.”

Sanders supports the following measures in his Democratic Socialist agenda:

Universal Medicare system – Medicare For All. Sanders wants bill that transitions the country to a universal Medicare system over four years, eventually sunsetting Medicaid and Medicare in their current forms while leaving the Veterans Affairs health system and the Indian Health Services in place.

Normalization of a $15 minimum wage. At one time this issue was a huge debate within the Democratic Party, but by the summer of 2016, Clinton had endorsed Sanders’s view and Democrats adopted it in their platform. Now the debate feels almost passé.

Capping the size of banks. Sanders has pointedly criticized Wall Street for years. In October, he introduced a bill to cap the size of financial institutions, which would break up banks including J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. He also unveiled a plan to restrict stock repurchases, which would put conditions on share buybacks.

Free college. Sanders says Americans are entitled to the “right of a complete education,” calling it a “national disgrace” that many are either unable to afford higher education or mired in unimaginable student loan debt for attaining it. He introduced a plan to make community college tuition-free and eliminate tuition at four-year universities for students from families with income of $125,000 or less. And, he wants to cancel all $1.6 trillion in student loan debt owed in the United States, and enact a debt- and tuition-free public college system.

Raising the top estate tax rate to 77 percent. He’s also proposed expanding the estate tax, as well as a Wall Street speculation tax on bonds, stocks, and derivatives bought and sold in the United States.

Campaign finance reform. By the end of the last presidential primary, the country was well aware that Sanders’ average campaign donation was $27. Running without corporate PAC donations is now something many politicians – especially 2020 contenders – now feel pressure to conform to, and that’s largely because of Sanders

Climate change. Sanders has endorsed a version of the Green New Deal, a plan to dramatically reshape the U.S. economy to cut carbon emissions and address climate change.