Bernie and Socialism
September 3, 2020
Bernie Sanders (Gage Skidmore)
introduction by Steven Jonas, MD, MPH
The Trumpites are now clearly running on a very simple, actually simplistic, platform, what I call the “Four R’s and an F:” Racism, Red-Baiting, Repression (of the vote), Red China, and Fear.” Of course they have to do this because they certainly cannot run on their record of totally failing to deal with the Trumpidemic 2020© (actually adopting policies which make it worse every day), the Crashed Economy (resulting from the Trumpidemic2020[C]), and vigorously, now violently (see Trump’s support for an accused murderer at Kenosha), opposing the “Black Lives Matter” movement at every turn.
Dealing with the “Red-Baiting” element of the Trumpite Quintet, Bernie Sanders recently publishing a short essay on “socialism, what he means by the term and what the Trumpites actually do to turn the meaning totally upside down. We are reproducing it below. But first a few introductory comments.
“Socialism” is a term with many meanings. Common to most of them is the economic concept of the collective/”social” ownership of the means of production, exchange, finance, and transportation, intended to provide broad benefits for the population as a whole. It is a system of ownership that is intended to succeed the capitalist mode of ownership, which of course is private, with the primary benefit being the accumulation of profits for both the personal benefit of and the ability for continued private reinvestment of the capitalist owners of the means of production, etc. Broad social benefits may or may not arise from the capitalist system.
Historically, socialism has been meant to replace capitalism as the means for organizing a society. Since the concept of “socialism” was first invented in 19th century Europe there have been numerous attempts in various countries to replace capitalism with it. One form has been revolutionary socialism (see the Soviet Union). A few of these have succeeded, at least for a time (see again the Soviet Union). Another proposed pathway has been “democratic socialism,” intended to achieve a socialist society through peaceful, parliamentary, democratic means. This has never succeeded overall, although in certain countries in Europe collective ownership of certain elements of the economic system has been achieved, but often then eventually rolled back, as a result of the very strong opposition from the capitalists and their political parties in those countries.
Of course, when the Trumpites use the term none of the history or different forms of socialism come into the conversation. They are simply using it as an epithet, associating it with the color (red) that for one reason or another has been associated with most of its promoted variants since their beginnings in the 19th century. It is in this context that Bernie Sanders offered the following observations (in quotation marks), and also uses the term to describe what a totally inverted version of it Republican policy is most focused on. The Trumpites (and their predecessors, the Republicans) would never admit it publicly, of course. But as Bernie clearly demonstrates theirs is a perverted system designed to produce the exact opposite of what historical socialism has been designed to produce.
It is very important to note that when Bernie uses the term “democratic socialism” in his statement below, he has made it very clear elsewhere that he is not referring to a system with the collective ownership of the means of production, etc. He is rather referring to a capitalist system which, while being based on private ownership, through legislation, taxation, regulation, and government/”social” spending, spreads the benefits of production more evenly throughout the society than it does at present. I have often referred to what Bernie is proposing as “The New Deal on Steroids.” But now let us turn to his statement.
Bernie Sanders (I-VT): Recent Statement on "Socialism"
“If you watched the Republican National Convention, and I am sorry if you have, you have probably seen speaker after speaker accuse Joe Biden and the Democratic Party of being SOCIALISTS who, if elected, will carry out the agenda of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar.
If only that were true…
But while they scream ‘socialist’ as an epithet in their videos and from the stage, what everyone needs to know is that Trump and the Republican Party just LOVE socialism — a corporate socialism for the rich and the powerful [emphasis added].
And let's be clear. Their brand of socialism has resulted in more income and wealth inequality than at any time since the 1920s, with three multi-billionaires now owning more wealth than the bottom half of our nation. Their socialism has allowed, during this pandemic, the very, very rich to become much richer, while tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs, [and] their health care, and face eviction.
While Trump denounces socialism, let us never forget the $885 million in government subsidies and tax breaks the Trump family received for a real estate empire built on racial discrimination.
But Trump is not alone.
The high priest of unfettered capitalism, Trump’s National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, spoke in a video last night [8-25-20].
And who could ever forget when Larry was on television [in 2008] begging for the largest federal bailout in American history for his friends on Wall Street — some $700 billion from the Treasury and trillions in support from the Federal Reserve — after their greed, recklessness and illegal behavior created the worst financial disaster since the Great Depression.
But it is not just Trump and Larry Kudlow.
If you are a fossil fuel company, whose carbon emissions are destroying the planet, you get billions in government subsidies including special tax breaks, royalty relief, funding for research and development and numerous tax loopholes.
If you are a pharmaceutical company, you make huge profits on patent rights for medicines that were developed with taxpayer-funded research.
If you are a monopoly like Amazon, owned by the wealthiest person in America, you get hundreds of millions of dollars in economic incentives from taxpayers to build warehouses and you end up paying not one penny in federal income taxes.
If you are the Walton family, the wealthiest family in America, you get massive government subsidies because your low-wage workers are forced to rely on food stamps, Medicaid and public housing in order to survive — all paid for by taxpayers.
This is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. meant when he said that ‘This country has socialism for the rich, and rugged individualism for the poor [emphasis added].’
And that is the difference between Donald Trump and us.
Trump believes in corporate socialism for the rich and powerful.
We believe in a democratic socialism that works for the working families of this country. We believe that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, economic rights are human rights.
So yes, progressives and even moderate Democrats will face attacks from people who attempt to use the word ‘socialism’ as a slur.
There is nothing new of that.
Like President Harry Truman said, ‘Socialism is the epithet they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years … Socialism is what they called Social Security … Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.’
Our job in this moment is to stay focused.
First priority: defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history — and defeat him badly.
Then on Day 1 of the Biden administration, we will mobilize the working families of this country to demand a government that represents all of us and not just the few. We will fight to ensure that every American has a right to a decent job that pays a living wage, to health care, to a complete education, to affordable housing, to a clean environment, and to a secure retirement — and no more tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations.
The one percent in this country may have enormous wealth and power, and they will use it to try and stop our agenda. But they are just the one percent. And if the 99 percent in this country stand together, “defeat Trump, and go on to fight for the values we share, we can transform this country.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, MS is a Professor Emeritus of Preventive Medicine at StonyBrookMedicine (NY) and author/co-author/editor/co-editor of over 35 books. He is an occasional contributor to BuzzFlash (reborn) (after having been along-time contributor to the Original). In addition, he is a “Trusted Author” for Op-Ed News. a contributor to Reader Supported News/Writing for Godot; a contributor to From The G-Man; a Contributor for American Politics to The Planetary Movement; and a Deputy Editor, Politics, and a “Witness to History,” and an occasional contributor for The Greanville Post; He is also a triathlete (36 seasons, 256 multi-sport races).
Dr. Jonas’ latest book is Ending the ‘Drug War’; Solving the Drug Problem: The Public Health Approach, Brewster, NY: Punto Press Publishing, (Brewster, NY, 2016, available on Kindle from Amazon, and also in hardcover from Amazon). His most recent book on US politics is The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022: A Futuristic Novel (Trepper & Katz Impact Books, Punto Press Publishing, 2013, Brewster, NY), and available on Amazon.
He has a distribution list for his columns. If you would like to be added to it, please send him an email at sjtpj@aol.com.