John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY KEITH BOAG IN CBC NEWS
“Did a 'socialist' win New Hampshire? Can anyone but an 'oligarch' catch him?
“As billionaire Michael Bloomberg picks up steam, the Sanders team has taken to calling him an oligarch”
I am fairly fond of Bernie, America having so few interesting or individualistic politicians and so many manufactured types, clones almost but with different hairstyles and wardrobe, but I am tired of his being called a 'socialist.'
I know, he has used the term himself, but it is entirely inaccurate.
Bernie is an old-fashioned progressive, especially concerning domestic social legislation.
He has never advocated the government's taking over ownership of the major parts of the economy, which is what socialism is.
In foreign and imperial affairs, he has never been a strong or across-the-board opponent of the massive American military-security-imperial apparatus, one of his disappointing weak spots.
He's kicked a tire or two in the past on this or that pointless conflict, but that's no more than some past Canadian Liberals have done.
Some socialist.
Bernie has a tendency to flamboyance and drama, and that's all his use of the term "socialist" has ever represented. The press should know better.
By the way, Bernie’s new use of the term “oligarch” to describe Bloomberg is a brilliant stroke of campaign rhetoric.
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Response to a comment:
He does indeed have authenticity. And he runs in a field of opponents with none.
AN ADDED NOTE
Sanders is the man who can get rid of Trump in the election. His candidacy would motivate the young and enthusiastic.
Most presidents achieve relatively little. Being the trashman for Trump would not be a bad historical achievement, even if he got nothing else done.
As far as most of Bernie’s domestic proposals being enacted, I just don’t think that can happen in the United States.
