Bernie Sander’s return produces one of the most serious spokesman to two issues of this presidential race: the removal of Donald Trump from office and solving the vast financial chasm between the super rich American oligarchs and the 30 million poor of the country.
One issue concerns me about Bernie. I do not think we should throw out the Capitalistic Baby with Capitalism’s Dirty Bathwater, which deserves dumping. The problem with current capitalism is its sole obsession with profit, it’s too frequent inclination to con people, and its abdication of responsiblity for the country as a whole.
Otherwise, why complicate this presidential race? Polls repeatedly indicate that sixty-five percent of the population thinks Donald Trump is an anomaly. As a knowledgeable, well-read, forward thinking person among the world’s leaders, he sits firmly on the back row.
His ability to envision the slightest concept of what matters, ideologically or financially, to most Americans is virtually non-existent. He lives in a fantasy world of his own making. Rational thinking is not a part of his mental make up.
Whatever misrepresentations he cooks up during his campaign, intelligent people are going to see through his smoke. The thirty-five percent who love him are going to addictively inhale his smoke and remain stoned high as kites.
Kamala Harris, the most sparkling new star in the Democratic presidential stable, although quite articulate, has already been shown on TV in a bad light produced by her own inexperience.
She was videotaped recently trying on fancy, expensive new clothes to help her bolster her image. One coat looked like a coat of many colors – certainly not what any American with income less than $100,000 a year would consider.
And certainly not what the 30 million poor Americans would ever consider. This may seem like a small issue. It is not. If Ms. Harris considers running “for the people” a real issue, clothes do not play any part in the race.
Bernie Sanders will not be trying on fancy new clothes, I am sure. Bernie Sanders will be doing what he does best – sticking tightly and seriously on topic: berating the singularly self-obsessed culture of today’s corporate world.
The world where 1% own more than the bottom 50% – 60% -70%, or more. And where everyone else’s middle-class income is precariously dependent upon the erratic corporate profit obsession of their top executives and their key investors.
Imagine the eventual TV debates with Bernie Sanders directly facing up to Donald Trump. There is no doubt in my mind that Bernie is a far more formidable intelligence than The Don. I cannot imagine any of the others actually backing Trump down.
It takes a fox to catch a weasel like Trump. Harris is smart and attractive, but she is not a fox. Bernie is a fox who has long been running around the political scene as an independent truly serious thinker about the problems of America.
With about the lowest reported financial net worth of his contenders, about $2 million, peanuts in today’s political climate, Bernie cannot be accused of being in this game for personal financial enrichment, let alone pure ego. Bernie’s objective is quite clear.
He wants to profoundly level the playing field for all Americans. At his age, having never accumulated serious wealth, he is not now about to change his ways. He is going to scrap hard for Americans against the wealthy oligarchy that now controls the country.
Harris and all the others are going to see a master at work in this campaign. He has a young group of new politicians to lead, if they will all see that what is needed now is not the sizzle of eager young inexperienced well-meaning activists.
Rather, what they all need, including Harris, is a wizened, tough, well-read, experienced street fighter like Bernie to take on the status quo. I suspect he knows that you can’t throw out Americans’ basic entrepreneurial nature as you reject rampant corporate greed.
Compromises will be necessary. However, Bernie’s compromises with capitalism will force capitalism to get on board with most Americans, who I firmly believe possess far more admirable character traits than most Wall Street members – and at least somewhat actually care about all of us.
For my money he’s the one who will be able to force the corporate moguls into taking responsibility for the consequences to all Americans of their unbridled avarice. All the others in the race ought to eventually support him.
What about Biden? I suspect he doesn’t possess the metal Bernie does to require the corporate world assume serious responsibilty for the entire citizenry of the United States. My prediction is: put Bernie in the White (corporate hen) House and you’ll see some corporate feathers fly.
