On October 27, 2015, I wrote these words on Facebook:
If I were younger I would be all over this movement Bernie Sanders is initiating. He is not really running for President, he is trying to do much more. It’s all about changing the way things are. If you are under 30, or perhaps even 40, that should appeal to you.
All the other politicians are doing nothing more than complaining about the “other side” or promising to do the same thing only better. Their goal is to get control of the current system.
Sanders comes along and tells us the whole system needs to be replaced – a revolution. If you are a young person and you’re not interested in something like that then something is wrong with you.
I’m not saying you must agree with Sanders on the basic issues, but surely you can see the need for serious change, not just new nameplates on existing desks.
I wrote these words three months before the first primary vote had been cast, before Sanders became a concern for Democratic Party leaders, and certainly before most people had even thought about their vote for the next President.
I’m not claiming to be clairvoyant or even a political expert. There was simply something about Sander’s message that dragged me back to the late 1960’s and early 70’s when my political identity was shaped by war protests, anti-government movements, civil rights demonstrations, and political assassinations.
The premise of Sander’s campaign is that the system is broken and needs to be replaced. All of the rhetoric about health care, tuition-free college, breaking up the banks, etc. simply provides examples of how the system should work. He has pointed out that most (and I mean nearly all) countries with advanced economies reflect these qualities that Americans think are unattainable. Within our current political climate they are unattainable. Continue reading
Intermission 