Bernic Sanders and Democratic Socialism

We can take heart that a recent poll showed that 47% of Americans said they could vote for a socialist. But a lot higher percentage might be willing to do just that if they had a better idea of what democratic socialists like Bernie Sanders actually stood for.

An article I just read by the historian Eric Foner (http://www.thenation.com/article/how-bernie-sanders-should-talk-about-democratic-socialism/) points out that democratic socialism has a long and proud tradition in the US politics. Foner argues that Sanders should be drawing on that history rather than using Denmark as an example. I agree.

The premises of democratic socialism are that government should be the agency that protects society from the excesses of rapacious capitalism and that guarantees every individual basic human rights.

Democratic socialists argue that, left to itself, capitalism does not necessarily promote the common good. Examples abound. As Piketty documents in Capitalism in the Twentieth Century, left to it itself, capitalism produces gross inequality, which is both morally and economically indefensible and a threat to democracy. Left to itself, capitalism results in "bubble" economies (in the stock market, housing, commodities, etc.) which inevitably lead to systemic crises. Left to itself, capitalism fails to account for environmental costs of production, leaving us with levels of pollution and global warming that are a threat to our very existence. In essence, democratic socialists want government to regulate capitalism to protect it from its own excesses.

Democratic socialists also argue that every human being has inalienable rights, among those being the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". These rights must be guaranteed to all Americans and include: the right to participate in American democracy on an equal basis with every other American; the right to be secure in their person, protected not only from other individuals, but from arbitrary and capricious actions of government; the right to a job with a living wage and financial security when they are no longer able to work; the right to the best health care available; and the right to a quality education so that they have the opportunity to reach their potential. Government exists to guarantee these rights and provide the resources to make them a reality.

The basis for these rights and government's obligation to provide for and protect them can be found throughout US history, from political programs like those of the Populists and the New Deal, to the Four Freedoms of FDR, to the heroic battles of the abolitionist, labor, civil rights, LGBT and women's movements. It's a proud history of struggle, one that is unfortunately not always taught in schools. It is time to draw on that history and support its current manifestation. Whether he wins the nomination (and the presidency) Bernie Sanders has an opportunity to clarify and promote this vision. This is, as educators say, "a teachable moment".