Democrats vs. Socialists

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Bernie Sanders is a proponent of Scandinavian-style democratic "socialism"

which is nothing like the classic soviet-style socialism you seem to think, very incorrectly, that he is promoting. The Scandinavian countries are parliamentary democracies (actually, they are constitutional monarchies, though their monarchs are essentially figureheads with mainly ceremonial functions) in which people own property and businesses are privately owned. Their governments do not own or control the means of production or distribution of much of anything; with a few exceptions such as some airlines the governments do not own or operate businesses. The "socialist" aspects of these countries refer to the fact that there is a very substantial social safety net by means of which people receive free or low-cost health care, college education, child care and pensions. These services are not regarded as handouts since they are available to everyone. People don't go hungry because they can't find jobs and they don't die because they can't afford medical care. Since these countries are democracies, it would seem that these are things that the people want and voted for through their representatives in their parliaments. They also regularly make the lists of the happiest countries in the world.

With respect to taxes: the top marginal tax rate during the Eisenhower administration was 90%, and there was no outflow of businesses to other countries. On the contrary, this was one of the most prosperous, high-growth periods in our history.

Bernie's "socialism" is exactly what FDR's New Deal exemplified. He is trying to reintroduce the principles of the New Deal that the Democratic Party used to believe in before it was taken over by the neoliberals and Third Wayers and Wall Street cronies like Tim Geithner. Bernie is the real Democrat.