The Most Important Moments From Bernie Sanders' Speech Defending Democratic Socialism - MoJo

[WillyT]

The Most Important Moments From Bernie Sanders' Speech Defending Democratic Socialism
It was a first for a major candidate for the Democratic nomination.
By Tim Murphy - MoJo
Thu Nov. 19, 2015 4:37 PM EST


Marc Nozell/Flickr

<snip>

In a speech at Georgetown University on Thursday afternoon, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont who's seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, did something unprecedented for a major candidate: He made the case for democratic socialism.

The address, which Sanders wrote himself, had been in the works for weeks, and in it Sanders embraced a label that has most often been used to attack him. (At the first Democratic presidential debate last month, front-runner Hillary Clinton distanced herself from Sanders' "democratic socialist" views.) At times, this address sounded much like Sanders' stump speech: He railed against Wall Street, the "ruling class," and the billionaire Koch brothers. But he tied those stances to an ideology that he contended was an essential part of the United States' heritage.

Sanders began his speech—the text of the prepared remarks is here—with a throwback to Franklin Roosevelt. Throughout the decades, he argued, "socialist" has been a term conservatives deployed when Democrats do something popular: https://berniesanders.com/democratic-socialism-in-the-united-states/

Almost everything <Roosevelt> proposed was called "socialist." I thought I would mention that just in passing. Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country, was defined by his opponents as "socialist." The concept of the "minimum wage"—that workers had to be paid at least a certain amount of money for their labor—was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as "socialist." Unemployment insurance (the idea that if you lose your job at least you have something to fall back), abolishing child labor, the 40-hour work week, collective bargaining (the rights of workers to engage in negotiations with a union), strong banking regulations, deposit insurance, and job programs that put millions of people to work were all described, in one way or another, as "socialist." Yet as you all know, all of these programs and many more have become the fabric of our nation and in fact the foundation of our middle class.

Thirty years later after Roosevelt's speech, in the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson fought for Medicare and Medicaid to provide health care to millions of senior citizens and families with children, persons with disabilities and some of the most vulnerable people in this country. Today Medicare does not seem to be such a terribly radical idea, to say that once they get old they should have medical insurance, but when it was proposed once again we heard right-wing forces describe these programs as socialistic and a threat to our American way of life.

This was not the first time Sanders has defended the "socialist" label, which he has embraced with varying degrees of enthusiasm throughout his long political career. But it was the first time he has done it so aggressively. He was attempting to take the term back from its critics and turn it into a positive. The message was clear: Yes, he is a democratic socialist, and you should be, too. He explained:

Let me define for you, simply and straightforwardly, what democratic socialism means to me. 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." It builds on the success of many other countries around the world that have done a far better job than we have in protecting the needs of their working families, the elderly, the children, the sick, and the poor.

The speech was something of a preemptive strike against those who would use the s-word to brand Sanders an out-of-the-mainstream, capitalism-hating Bolshevik:

The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist—like tomorrow—remember this: I don’t believe government should take over the grocery store down the street or own the means of production, but I do believe that the middle class and the working families of this country who produce the wealth of this country deserve a decent standard of living and that their incomes should go up, not down.

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 should.

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 of which we have been hearing a lot in recent months, and I do believe in immigration reform that gives Hispanics and others a pathway to citizenship and a better life.

At this point in his speech, Sanders added a few choice words about Donald Trump, essentially calling him a racist:

<snip>

More: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/11/bernie-sanders-socialism-speech-georgetown

[nashville_brook]

1. thanks for posting -- the FDR theme in his speech was exactly what i wanted to hear.

...that the decline in the middle class has been accompanied by the loss in faith in government and the political process -- this is the mechanism by which the powerful maintain their power.

[ChiciB1]

17. That Was A GREAT Opener. Didn't See All Yet... But Will! n/t

[bjobotts]

43. Democratic socialism ensures both our freedom and survival.

Protecting us from the manipulation of greedy selfish people who would destroy our environment for a buck more.

[jwirr]

44. And even if the rich do not know it will also ensure their

freedom and survival. For as sure as morning will come some day they will no longer be safe in their rich paradise. Bernie calls for a political voters revolution. If he loses and change does not come it will eventually be a more violent revolution. Look at what is happening in Syria right now. Poverty brings chaos with it and once it starts it is not that easily controlled.

There have already been several billionaires who have warned about this. Anyone who has read history knows this.

[monicaangela]

25. Spot On nashville_brook

I often wonder when those that continue to vote for republicans or DINO's will wake up. We need a new FDR, we need Bernie Sanders.

[daleanime]

2. K&R.....

[merrily]

3. I am Spartacus.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1280&pid=35186

[RiverLover]

4. Outstanding!

Thank you so much for posting!!! And Thank you Bernie!!

God, I love that. This is MAINSTREAM, common sense stuff. The stuff that made the USA a great nation. A prosperous, benevolent country. Today, we allow the media & the greedy try to paint it as radical left, and they are so wrong. On so many levels....

Every thinking citizen should line up behind this speech & say HELL YEAH!!

[taught_me_patience]

5. This is the line that stands out to me:

"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 should."

Delusional. Bernie Sanders isn't a democratic socialist. Democratic socialist countries have much higher taxes, across the board at all levels of income than we do. It is insane to believe that the rich can and should pay for all the policies that he's proposing. It simply reinforces my belief that he's a panderer without serious ideas. He's the kid running for class president promising pizza every day...

[femmedem]

13. But other countries aren't starting with the same level of income and wealth inequality that we are.

Other countries don't have such a concentration of wealth in the hands of so few. From his speech: '... in the last two years the wealthiest 15 Americans saw their wealth increase by $170 billion, more wealth than is owned by the bottom 130 million Americans..."

[erronis]

14. I think I see what you are doing here - I hope!

Sometimes multiple levels of irony don't compute well, even for the supposedly rational readers @DU.

You're right, the hedge-fund managers should be able to hold onto their ill-gotten gains and be able to continue to rape the markets and the world.

You're right again. The rich have needs too! They have needy kids, needy wives (sometimes multiple), needy friends and clubs which need rich members (none of you trash.)

And again, if Sanders does supply pizza, it probably won't have a lot of WallStreet meat, unlike the designer pizza others offer.

[Thespian2]

39. I live in a socialist country...

the difference between our taxes and the US taxes are not that great when you consider what this country does with our taxes and the short end of the stick you get for the taxes you pay...

[fasttense]

42. You do know FDR proposed a 100% top marginal rate

But then congress changed it to 95%. So, after their first 20k+ the uber rich got to keep only 5 cents for every dollar they made. It stayed in the high 70s/80s/90s during the most prosperous years of this nation.

[Bernin4U]

47. 91/92% after $200K

Which was more like $2M now.

Unearned was higher than today, but not outrageous (too late to look it up just now).

[WillyT]

54. Exactly !!!

[Fairgo]

46. How sad for you

how hard you have to spin to keep your balance.

[WillyT]

53. You Forgot The "sarcasm" Thingy...

[sabrina 1]

6. Awesome speech! What a great president Bernie will be!

[Thespian2]

40. +10000000000000000000000000000000000000

[Cheese Sandwich]

7. That's not how socialists usually talk.

There were other points he could have hit. He has a plank in his program about worker ownership. He should have touched on that a little bit. Most socialists like that.

I like that he hinted at anti-imperialism, when he talked about the US history of overthrowing foreign governments, and how that's a bad idea.

I do like how he approached socialism through this lens of FDR's 2nd Bill of Rights. That's decent starting point.

But speaking as a socialist, this speech wasn't enough for me. It was pretty good but socialism means democratic control of production, resources and communities.

I would have liked to hear him talk more about democratic control of police forces and demilitarizing the police. It was a real missed opportunity in some ways.

He could have spent a lot more time talking about Martin Luther King's ideas about how capitalism is connected to racism and war.

Again, it was a huge missed opportunity to explain himself and connect his ideas to a historical tradition.

He could have talked about the grass roots movement trying to build a new cooperative economy. That's everywhere from Jackson, Mississippi to Cleveland Ohio. There are think tanks with policy papers and real life experiments that he could have named.

In a nutshell Bernie's "socialism" seems to be very disconnected and out of touch from the grassroots socialist movements in the US.

Overall I do like the guy but as a socialist he's not the best messenger. But he does have a very positive progressive agenda, and I love that he is bringing up FDRs' economic bill of rights. Bernie is right that we can use that a starting point to build on.

[erronis]

15. So, who's your candidate? This election or any other recent ones?

No candidate will represent every voter's preferences. Yours may be even more fringe than most. What do you think about the current Green candidate?

[Cheese Sandwich]

23. Bernie

[monicaangela]

27. This is one speech in a line

of what I feel will be many that will discuss this topic. Remember we are still a year away from the primary election. This speech will peek the interest of many that haven't had an opportunity to hear his ideas regarding democratic socialism. You know what fishermen say, give them time to take the bait before you snatch up your fishing rod. Bernie is just beginning.

[99th_Monkey]

56. I agree Worker-Ownership would have been a good addition to mention

It's definitely one of my favorite Socialist hobby-horses. I'm cutting Sanders some
slack though, because over-all I think this speech was absolutely brilliant, especially
his pivoting adroitly to FDR, New Deal & the 2nd Bill of Rights, instead of merely
invoking Scandinavian socialism.

Speaking of things Bernie could have mentioned but didn't, check out this list of New
Deal programs FDR enacted, 10 of which still exist and are widely used and loved
by American voters -- including the FDIC, Food Stamps, National Labor Relations Act,
Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), and of course Social Security.

National Youth Administration (NYA)

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) a Hoover agency expanded under Jesse Holman Jones to make large loans to big business. Ended in 1954.

The WPA hired unemployed teachers to provide free adult education programs.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) a Hoover program to create unskilled jobs for relief; expanded by FDR and Harry Hopkins; replaced by WPA in 1935.

United States bank holiday, 1933: closed all banks until they became certified by federal reviewers

Abandonment of gold standard, 1933: gold reserves no longer backed currency; still exists

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), 1933–1942: employed young men to perform unskilled work in rural areas; under United States Army supervision; separate program for Native Americans

Homeowners Loan Corporation (HOLC) helped people keep their homes, the government bought properties from the bank allowing people to pay the government instead of the banks in installments they could afford, keeping people in their homes and banks afloat.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), 1933: effort to modernize very poor region (most of Tennessee), centered on dams that generated electricity on the Tennessee River; still exists

Public Works Administration (PWA), 1933: built large public works projects; used private contractors (did not directly hire unemployed). Ended 1938.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures bank deposits and supervises state banks; still exists

Glass–Steagall Act regulates investment banking; repealed 1999 by President Bill Clinton

Securities Act of 1933, created the SEC, 1933: codified standards for sale and purchase of stock, required awareness of investments to be accurately disclosed; still exists

FERA camp for unemployed black women, Atlanta, 1934

Civil Works Administration (CWA), 1933–34: provided temporary jobs to millions of unemployed

Social Security Act (SSA), 1935: provided financial assistance to: elderly, handicapped, paid for by employee and employer payroll contributions; required 7 years contributions, so first payouts were in 1942; still exists

Works Progress Administration (WPA), 1935: a national labor program for more than 2 million unemployed; created useful construction work for unskilled men; also sewing projects for women and arts projects for unemployed artists, musicians and writers; ended 1943.

National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) / Wagner Act, 1935: set up National Labor Relations Board to supervise labor-management relations; In the 1930s, it strongly favored labor unions. Modified by the Taft-Hartley Act (1947); still exists

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), 1938: Insures crops and livestock against loss of production or revenue. Was restructured during the creation of the Risk Management Agency in 1996 but continues to exist.

Surplus Commodities Program (1936); gives away food to poor; still exists as Food Stamp Program

Fair Labor Standards Act 1938: established a maximum normal work week of 44 hours and a minimum wage of 40 cents/hour and outlawed most forms of child labor; still exists, hours have been lowered to 40 hours over the years.

Rural Electrification Administration (REA), one of the federal executive departments of the United States government charged with providing public utilities (electricity, telephone, water, sewer) to rural areas in the U.S. via public-private partnerships. still exists.

Resettlement Administration (RA), Resettled poor tenant farmers; replaced by Farm Security Administration in 1935.

Farm Security Administration (FSA), Helped poor farmers by a variety of economic and educational programs; some programs still exists as part of the Farmers Home Administration.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal#New_Deal_programs

[Cheese Sandwich]

57. I think we talked about that before one time

You were talking about Monragon and stuff like that, if I recall right.

I don't understand why Bernie seems to be operating in isolation, instead of connecting with the very vibrant democratic social movements that we have here in America. Why not go to Cleveland and tour the Evergreen co-ops? He could hold it up as a model for development.

Why not connect with the Next System project?

Yes the speech was good. But I can't get past the idea that something was missing. But he did do the most important thing, which was identify some governing principles that separate him from Hillary Clinton. Those being the rights to economic security.

[99th_Monkey]

59. Yes. That was me. And I completely agree with you re: touring demonstration projects that work

for the workers, because worker fucking own their jobs and their company.

Great idea. Why not 'send it up the line' somewhere through a campaign contact,
if you have one?

[roguevalley]

8. our family have been FDR dems since the day

her calling him that in a pejorative manner was pathetic.

[Enthusiast]

9. Of course the entrenched interests do not want this man to become president.

So they will send all sorts of rodents to DU to attack Bernie and attack his supporters. The TV media will use the most dirty underhanded words we can imagine to undermine the candidacy of Bernie. We can expect it. We can see it right before our eyes.

Electing Bernie is the best possible thing we can do for the nation and the world. Anything else we can do comes in a very distant second.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, WillyT.

[nenagh]

11. K&R... just home..so excited to read Bernie's speech..

thanks Willy T

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. That speech

was literally, a defining moment for Bernie and his campaign.

He scared the Democratic SOCIALIST boogeyman away! It's nothing to fear and should be embraced. He wants nothing but good things for WE THE PEOPLE.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[Cleita]

16. Thank you WillyT.

I'm catching up with his speech right now.

[EndElectoral]

18. Thanks for the post. Makes me remember "why" I became a Democrat.

[billhicks76]

19. Goodbye Hillary

Wasn't nice knowing ya.

[Dont call me Shirley]

20. "I do believe that the middle class and the working families of this country who produce the wealth

of this country deserve a decent standard of living and that their incomes should go up, not down."

THIS!

[Vattel]

21. awesome speech. I am glad he clarified the lable as it applies to him.

It is noteworthy that he rejected the idea that the state should own the means of production.

[cantbeserious]

22. Thank You - Go Bernie Go

eom

[w0nderer]

24. K & R N/T

[DCBob]

26. "I am not an animal!"

[Duval]

28. Thanks, WillyT. I didn't get

to see the entire speech.

[Babel_17]

29. "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist—like tomorrow", lol

I enjoyed that.

[valerief]

32. That was funny, except he should have said, "Like tonight." nt

[winter is coming]

35. That got a laugh from the crowd. n/t

[MineralMan]

30. Did you listen to it or watch, WillyT?

Just curious. I couldn't. I'm on deadline.

[Fawke Em]

37. I watched it.

The crowd ate it up with a spoon.

[valerief]

31. Social Security passed ONLY because FDR had a Democratic Congress.

https://www.ssa.gov/history/tally.html

[jeff47]

34. Dixiecrats != Democrats, despite the official party affiliation.

Last edited Thu Nov 19, 2015, 10:28 PM - Edit history (1)

The same Dixiecrats prevented FDR (and Truman) from passing universal healthcare.

The same Dixiecrats also stopped FDR's "second bill of rights" that Sanders referenced today.

[nyabingi]

33. And this man wrote his own speech

That says a lot to me. You don't have to worry about double/sweet talk Hillary-style, trying to fool people into thinking he's a "progressive" because he wrote what he believes and it's comforting to know that a potential president his a solid philosophy to stand on.

Great speech!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

36. He used to write it on paper

I don't know if he still does this. Fantastic.

[Fawke Em]

38. He was carrying his trademark lined paper.

It was white instead of yellow, but he had it. Looked like long-hand to me, given the paper style.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

62. Great

[deutsey]

41. I've identified as a Democratic Socialist for about a decade now

(and have been a fan of Bernie's for even longer).

It's refreshing to finally have a candidate I can vote for without reservation.

?1355355749

[pacalo]

45. Very good, Bernie!

[marym625]

48. K&R!

Thank you my friend! Great post about a great speech given by a great man.









#FeelTheBern #Bernie2016

[eridani]

49. Denmark is very nice and all, but I'm glad he's leading from our own traditions now n/t

[Scuba]

50. K&R

[raouldukelives]

51. K&R Tired of living under undemocratic socialism that's for sure.

With all of the gains going to the Wall St crowd and all the loses going to the least, to the commons and towards the bleakest world they can fabricate for tomorrow by mortgaging its future today.

Talk about inheriting a whirlwind.

[LWolf]

52. Wow.

I loved the speech, and it was well received by the audience.

I think this is the first positive thing MoJo has had to say about Sanders...at least that I've seen.

[floriduck]

55. The more I think about

Third Way Democrats, the more I realize that is an oxymoron. There are Republicans, there are Democrats and there are Third Way people. They are not Democrats. In fact, they think and act much more like moderate-to-conservative Republicans. Hill is definitely following the Third Way mantra. Those Hill fans complaining that a Democratic Socialist shouldn't be running as a Dem, should take an honest hard look at their own candidate.

Barack Obama promised much, delivered some but failed on more. Hill will be even further away from her promises. And it's already started. Her supporters seem mentally or emotionally incapable of admitting that.

[ibegurpard]

58. you are wrong IMO

Her vocal fans actually support that sort of policy.

[floriduck]

60. If I described a candidate

to you and didn't tell you what party they were from, what would your answer be to these two policies of theirs:

1. they support corporate America and the wealthiest citizens, and

2. they are hawkish relative to military action.

[4_TN_TITANS]

61. Never understood why Dems run from FDR's

record, unless it was the lack of spine to tackle this very stigma. Our party simply does not have to reinvent the wheel to get this economy moving, create jobs, AND improve infrastructure and consumer protection.