Bravo Bernie!!!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Economic issues, Election 2022, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

One of the people in Congress whose views most nearly align with my own is Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.  Like myself, Bernie is an Independent who believes that income should be more equitably distributed, that nobody should be homeless or go to bed hungry, especially in this, the land of plenty.  Yesterday, Senator Sanders wrote an OpEd for The Guardian that is spot on, that after reading it, I said to the kitties, “Bravo, Bernie!!!” 👏👏👏

Democrats shouldn’t focus only on abortion in the midterms. That’s a mistake

America has long faced structural economic crises. Democrats must win on the economy and present a pro-worker agenda

Bernie Sanders

Monday 10 October 2022

As someone who has a lifetime 100% pro-choice voting record, and is outraged by the Supreme Court’s horrific decision to overturn Roe v Wade, there is no question that Democrats must continue to focus on the right of women to control their own bodies. This is a fight that most Americans want us to wage and, given the Republicans’ extremist position on the issue, makes them genuinely vulnerable.

But, as we enter the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, I am alarmed to hear the advice that many Democratic candidates are getting from establishment consultants and directors of well-funded super PACs that the closing argument of Democrats should focus only on abortion. Cut the 30-second abortion ads and coast to victory.

I disagree. In my view, while the abortion issue must remain on the front burner, it would be political malpractice for Democrats to ignore the state of the economy and allow Republican lies and distortions to go unanswered.

This country has, for decades, faced structural economic crises that have caused the decline of the American middle class. Now is the time for Democrats to take the fight to the reactionary Republican Party and expose their anti-worker views on the most important issues facing ordinary Americans. That is both the right thing to do from a policy perspective and good politics.

We have more income and wealth inequality than at any time in the modern history of this country, with three people owning more wealth than the bottom half of our nation. Is there one Republican prepared to raise taxes on billionaires, or do they want to make a bad situation worse by extending Trump’s tax breaks for the rich and repealing the estate tax?

Today, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and millions work for starvation wages. Is there one Republican in Congress who is prepared to raise the federal minimum wage to at least $15 an hour?

The United States pays, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Is there one Republican prepared to allow Medicare to immediately begin negotiating prescription drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry and cut the cost of medicine by half?

We have a dysfunctional healthcare system which, despite being the most expensive in the world, allows 85 million Americans to be uninsured or underinsured. Is there one Republican who believes that healthcare is a human right and supports universal coverage?

We remain the only major country on earth not to guarantee time off for moms who have babies or need to take care of sick children.

Is there one Republican who supports at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave?

The list goes on: childcare, housing, home health care, college affordability. On every one of these enormously important issues the Republican Party has virtually nothing to say to address the desperate needs of low and moderate income Americans. And what they do propose will most often make a bad situation worse.

Nevertheless, in poll after poll Republicans are more trusted than Democrats to handle the economy – the issue of most importance to people. I believe that if Democrats do not fight back on economic issues and present a strong pro-worker agenda, they could well be in the minority in both the House and the Senate next year.

And it’s not only the long-term structural crises that Democrats must address. It is the outrageous level of corporate greed that we now see every day that is fueling the inflation hurting so many people.

While the price of gas has soared over the last year, the five big oil companies made $59 billion in profits during the 2nd quarter of this year alone, and are spending $88 billion on stock buybacks and dividends to benefit their wealthy shareholders.

While global food prices soared by over 33% last year and are expected to go up another 23% this year, billionaires in the global food and agri-business industry became $382 billion richer during the pandemic.

While we continue to pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, 3 of the largest pharmaceutical companies in America – Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie – increased their profits by 90% last year to $54 billion.

While 46% of Americans either skipped or delayed the healthcare they need because they could not afford it, the six largest health insurance companies in America last year made over $60 billion in profits.

What do Republicans have to say about corporations that are charging Americans outrageously high prices, while enjoying record breaking profits? They talk a lot about inflation. But what are they going to do about it? Does one of them have the courage to consider a windfall, profits tax? Absolutely not.

You can’t win elections unless you have the support of the working class of this country. But you’re not going to have that support unless you make it clear that you’re prepared to take on powerful special interests – and fight for the millions of Americans who are struggling economically. Whether it is extending the $300 a month child tax credit that expired in December that slashed the child poverty rate by over 40%, or increasing Social Security benefits, or expanding Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision or making childcare affordable, the Democrats must stand with the working class of this country and expose the Republicans for the phonies that they are.

None of what I am suggesting here is “radical”. It is, in fact, extremely popular. It is what the American people want. If we close this critical midterm campaign with a clear, unified vision to meet the needs of working families, to take on corporate greed, and protect a woman’s right to choose, we will begin to rebuild the trust between Democrats in Washington and the working families of this country.

And we’ll win the election.

34 thoughts on “Bravo Bernie!!!”

  1. IMO, the biggest problem that exists in the current political realm is the MEDIA focuses far too much on what the REPUBLICANS do and talk about and want. (Of course it doesn’t help that the number of Democrats who attempt to rebuke the false and misleading claims are few and far between.)

    The other problem is, as I’ve mentioned before on other blogs, the “working class” people (the ones that NEED the help related to healthcare, childcare, prescriptions, decent wages, etc.) are so busy trying to survive that they don’t have the time (or energy) to get out and fight for their causes.

    What we need are MORE like Bernie who will SPEAK OUT and MAKE NOISE because without people like him, I greatly fear the “other side” is going to rule the roost.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I agree on all counts! I would add that the Democratic Party is often at odds with itself, and tend to be quieter, allowing the loudmouthed Republicans to suck the air out of the room. Bernie has the right ideology, but he is reviled for his democratic socialist ideology that the average Joe doesn’t understand, and the politicos will fight against to preserve their wealthy donors’ interests.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Jill, as we have talked before, America does want to face up to its main problems of income inequity, hunger and poverty. America is no longer the land of making a change to your economic strata. To whom you were both matters more than merit in getting ahead. Bernie is dead on accurate.

    As for Dems, they need to bolder with their success and approaches. Reps tout they are the party of jobs and economic growth, but the data says the opposite and it is not even close. Reps about ended the ACA which would have been a disaster for Americans. Right now, the GOP has no platform and no ideas – the question to ask these folks who say what is wrong is to ask what are you going to do about it?

    Immigration is cited as a problem, so why did you not take a vote on the gang of eight Senate bill? Inflation is a problem, so why didn’t you vote on the Inflation Reduction bill that passed. I am long past tired of do nothing, complaining politicians who are scared to make a move.

    Keith

    Liked by 1 person

    • Well said, my friend. Like you, I am so tired of the entire mess. Yes, Democrats MUST be bolder with their message, for right now people seem not to understand that when they support the Republican Party, they are voting against their own best interests. I like Bernie, but I guess he is ahead of his time … it seems that people aren’t ready to give up their illusions that there is something worthy and almost magical about the wealthy. And, people are easily distracted by the shiny things, hence they worry more about things that will right themselves in the normal course of events than they do the bigger issues of climate change, guns, income inequality, healthcare, etc. This has gone on too long … it’s time to force the GOP to rethink their strategy, such as it is, to demand accountability and results that actually help people and the planet!

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    • Finally! We agree on something! I love Bernie too, but have given up any hope that he will ever be president. The people of this nation worship wealth far too much, even to their own detriment.

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  5. Hello. I feel that most people feel left behind economically in the US today. Most of the country is not doing well economically while the wealthy brag about their excesses and the member of congress are all most all wealthy multiple millionaires. The people see their incomes shrink year after year and the wealthy corporation make more and more profit, and the question we all ask is when will the government work for us for a change? When will the Democrats we turn out to vote for care about us more than the large donors? When will the republicans care more about feeding kids and fair wages than culture wars about who is marrying who or who is using what bathroom? So I agree with Bernie. This year for the first time in our lives my spouse and I had to stop taking medications the doctors prescribed because they cost more than we could afford. In the land of plenty, we don’t have much anymore. Kids that only got one good meal at school being told there wont be anymore school lunches because of ideologies and politics. I look at the other advanced countries around the world with much higher standards of living and much higher satisfaction ratings and wonder why the US can’t have that also. Why can’t people in the US have such services, because the US religion of profit. The wealthy need a desperate work force of poor people willing to do any job under any conditions. So the the wealthy shareholders, hedge fund owners, and large corporations have the idea that the government must serve the needs / desires of the wealthy, but must never work for or provide anything to the public. It is a government of the wealthy for the wealthy. Hugs

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  6. Pingback: Bravo Bernie!!! |jilldennison.com | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal

  7. Bernie is great, i would’ve voted for him both times back in 2016 + 2020…. but the DNC did everything to sabotage his chances.
    Remember in 2016 Bernie had overwhelming support from the masses but Hillary fixed the primaries by calling upon so-called “super-delegates” mostly made up of Democratic Party insiders to vote for her despite the ppl’s choice!
    https://www.vox.com/2016/2/11/10969120/superdelegates-clinton-sanders-democrats

    Then in 2020, Bernie was again the front runner with massive popular support. The DNC thought otherwise, and with Obama’s help swung the primaries over to Joe Biden!
    How is this a democracy if party candidates are chosen by the establishment rather than by the ppl? That’s why elections are a sham and this potential voter will boycott any and all future elections unless they get rid of the bid money donor/ influence peddling & revert back to the way our founding fathers intend it to be: for the ppl, by the ppl. Sigh

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ah well … not far off the mark. I am a non-believer and a democratic socialist, if labels must be assigned. It’s a sad state of affairs, though, that rather than think about Bernie’s policies, people prefer to assign labels.

      Liked by 1 person

      • What little of Sanders I have listened to the comes across as a straightforward sort of bloke; a trait that also doesn’t seem to go down very well with much of the voting public.
        God and hype rule the day in the good ol’ US of A!

        Liked by 1 person

        • You’re exactly right. That, plus the fact that he puts people ahead of corporate greed makes him something of a political pariah. Yep, god, hype, and the wealthiest 1% rule the day here. The rest of us are pawns in the game.

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          • Politicians like Sanders are scarcer than hen’s teeth, and I have hen’s, so I know.

            Corrupt politicians seem to be de rigeur down here in South Africa as well.
            I’d say simply ignore ’em, but the buggers have a filthy habit of passing laws!

            Liked by 1 person

            • I don’t think there is a country on the planet that is exempt from corrupt politicians. The problem in most countries is the ignorance of the people who keep allowing them a place in government. I don’t think I realized you were from South Africa!

              Liked by 1 person

              • I live in Johannesburg. Been here since ’79.
                There seems to be a growing awareness of just how corrupt the ANC truly is.
                I doubt there will be a change of government at the next election but their winning margin has been getting smaller.
                We’ll have to wait and see.
                Meanwhile, we are roasting in the mid thirties!

                Liked by 1 person

                • So, you lived there during part of the years of apartheid, then. I cannot even begin to imagine what that must have been like … thankfully. I know very little about the ANC, so wasn’t aware it was rife with corruption, but I’m not surprised, since corruption in governments worldwide seems to be the ticket of the day. Oh yes … your summer is just beginning as ours is ending! Stay cool as best you can!

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                  • I came here as a very naive young man on a 12 month contact. Met someone,left, came back, got married been here ever since.
                    The eighties were rough in many ways but a zillion times worse for Black, Coloured and Indian folks.

                    The salad days were quite short lived, relatively speaking and the writing was on the wall. Case of reap what ye sow and all that.
                    Chickens coming home to roost.

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  10. While what Bernie says is true in a lot of ways, i see no reason to make abortion rights the number one battleground for this year. As long as women are out there voting to retain their right to choose, the odds will be greatly in their favour. The economy and wealth inequity are a major factor yes, but if women lose the right to choose it will be on them for not getting out and voting.
    To then end I reworked a little ditty to rally the voters with. I just sent this to Jill in am email, but here is a good spot too!

    Roe, Roe, Roe your boat
    Don’t Wade across the stream
    Everyone get out and vote
    Or democracy’s a dream!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Any time you focus exclusively on a single issue, you are turning off a good portion of people. Especially now, when there is so much at stake, so many things that truly need to be addressed, like income disparity, climate change, and more. Women’s rights is certainly one of the major issues, but not the only one.

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      • Oh, do I really sound like nothing else matters? All I am saying is present the issue that will get out the most voters as the most important issue. Half the voters in America are women, and the biggest majority of them are concerned about losing their reproductive rights. It is an issue worth fighting for. Other things are very important, particularly the economy, but that is the fight Republicabs want to have. They know, no matter how abssurd it is, they have the edge when fighting over the economy. Right now, with the new Opec decision, the cjances are the economy is going to tank in the next 30 days when gas prices rise by huge amounts.Biden will be blamed, and the Dems will suffer. If the main fight is over the economy, which is pretty emotionless, the Dems will likely lose seats in both houses.
        Roe v Wade is an emotion filled issue, nd if it isdownplayed a lot of potential Dem votrs will stay at home. This is must common sense. Keep the issue of choice front and center, mske it important, and the voters will respond. Make them feel needed.
        I may not like democracy, but it is way better than autocracy, or THEOCRACY!
        Elections are a gamble. But gambling on the economy as the top issue is a male gamble, and is at best a 50/50 split. Reproductive rights is a female thing, and most women do not like to gamble. They want to win this one st all costs.

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        • No, but you said we should focus only on that one issue, and that would be a disaster. There are many issues, and focusing on one will bring some people to the polls to vote, but will be a turn off for others. If we focus on the top 5-6 issues, everyone will find something that is near and dear to their heart. And for the record, the economy is NOT one of the top 5-6 issues in my book. The economy will right itself with time and proper management, but climate change, gun violence, income inequality, etc. will not. Poverty will not miraculously go away. Climate change is rearing its ugly head and people are burying theirs in the sand. Sigh. Yes, women’s rights and abortion are crucial, but not the only things that matter, and not the only things that will get voters to the polls.

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