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Bernie is a Social Democrat, not a socialist.
by JMTQp8lwXL 7y ago
Bernie is a Social Democrat, not a socialist.
- atlantacrackers 7y ago*think you mean Communist.
- gwright 7y agoDoesn't matter to me. It seems clear to me that his policies are socialist regardless of what he calls himself.
- JMTQp8lwXL 7y agoWe have Medicare and Social security, which are socialist policies. If you've ever voted for any serving member of Congress, you've voted for someone who socialist policies. Instead of fearing or causing a panic over a label, consider concretely articulating your concerns with Sanders' (or any candidates) policies.
- gwright 7y agoI don't really care what you call it, but Bernie's plans amount to nationalizing as much economic activity as possible, utilizing a command economy approach to provide goods and services, shifting responsibilities from states to the federal government, removing individual responsibility in favor of an endless number of "rights" that are to be provided by a federal bureaucracy, redesigning the thrust of our public policy to guarantee outcomes vs opportunities, and more. Almost all of this is completely antithetical to our federal system, not supported by any generally accepted interpretation of the Constitution. Anybody on HN who requires that someone "articulate .. concerns" about these things is terribly uninformed about the historic nature of these types of initiatives. I doubt that anything I could write will affect their thinking. As for Medicare and Social Security and all the other federal nonsense, yes those existing programs are problematic. Almost every federal program would be better off as a state or private program.
- vkou 7y ago> I don't really care what you call it, but Bernie's plans amount to nationalizing as much economic activity as possible, If Sanders' proposals amount to nationalizing as much economic activity as possible, you have a lack of appreciation for what is possible.
- gwright 7y agoSure it could be even worse, but is that supposed to be a rationale for accepting his approach? Just don't understand what point you are trying to make.
- vkou 7y agoThat you are being incredibly hyperbolic and alarmist when you are equivocating what are minor tweaks to what is, and what will remain a mixed public/private market economy... to full-blown-complete nationalization.
- gwright 7y agoI think you are misinterpreting the scope of what Sanders is proposing.
- JMTQp8lwXL 7y agoCould you please point to any evidence of Sanders plans to replace a market economy with an entirely centrally planned economy? That's essentially been your assertion, and I'm not familiar of any sources making this claim.
- gwright 7y agoHere is a discussion re: energy sector https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/02/bernie-sanders-climate-federal-electricity-production-110117 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/02/bernie-sanders-clim... And here is a report about his statements over the years to nationalize various industries: https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/14/politics/kfile-bernie-nationalization/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/14/politics/kfile-bernie-nationa... There doesn't seem to be any limiting principle to way that Sanders approaches public policy.