Democratic Socialism?
For the 2016 election POTUS candidate Senator Bernie Sanders advocated free college education funded by Wall Street speculators, $15 per hour national minimum wage funded by employers, and universal health care funded by the federal government. For obvious reasons Senator Sanders received strong support from college students, low income wage earners and those with marginal or no employer paid health insurance. For the 2020 election numerous candidates are openly declaring themselves “Democratic Socialists” within the Democratic Party.
According to their website: “The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States. We believe that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few. We are a political and activist organization, not a party; through campus and community-based chapters, DSA members use a variety of tactics, from legislative to direct action, to fight for reforms that empower working people.” The DSA advocates “Medicare for All”, strong unions and electoral power.
According to its website: “The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist organization. We see socialism as a new social and economic order in which workers and consumers control production and community residents control their neighborhoods, homes and school and the production of society is used for the benefit of all humanity, not the private profit of a few. We see the working class in a key and central position to fight back against the ruling class and its power. The working class is the major force worldwide that can lead the way to a socialist future — to a real radical democracy from below. We stand in opposition to all forms of oppression including but not limited to racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia.” The Socialist Party National Committee (SPNC) is the embodiment of the Socialist Party legal status as a national political party. It is estimated that the Socialist Party nationally has approximately 1,800 members. In 2018 the party did not meet the requirements for any state to be recognized as a political party.
Senator Sanders was elected in Vermont as an independent candidate but ran as a Democrat in 2016. Virtually all 2020 viable candidates for office will file as Democrats thus easily gaining ballot access in every state. If democratic socialism is such a popular ideology, why aren’t there many more members?
Americans are typically caring and generous people who donate their time, talents, possessions and funds to help the needy. Those who donate feel a well deserved gratification for their sacrifices for others. However, when an individual is forced by the inefficient, bureaucratic federal government to forfeit a significant portion of earnings there is minimal gratification. Many of us are sympathetic to improving the well being of the unfortunate but disapprove of the socialist implementation to achieve the objective.
The United States is a fusion of nationalities, cultures and ethnicities. Individuals vary in language, education, experience, talent, motivation and opportunity. DSA advocates strong unions. Union officials negotiate with employers for the pay and benefits of their members. Compensation is primarily based on position status and seniority instead of demonstrated performance. Unions have powerful leaders that can coerce members to comply with directives. This conflicts with the DSA goal “that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs”. A union shop may stifle talented and highly motivated individuals from achieving their capabilities to better their standard of living. America’s form of government is not a democracy but a constitutional republic. The U.S. Constitution delineates the liberties of the individual and the powers of the state and federal government. It protects the minority from the tyranny of the majority.
Who will fund the numerous proposed democratic socialist programs? According to the Mercatus Center Medicare for All is estimated to cost $32.6 trillion over 10 years. Federal tax revenue in 2015 was $3.2 trillion. Half of the revenue was from personal income tax, a third was from payroll tax, and 10% was from corporation income tax. The bottom 50% of taxpayers only pay 3% of total income tax and the top 1% pay 37%. If the democratic socialists have their way corporations and the wealthy will be driven out of the country. This will triple or quadruple the tax burden on remaining taxpayers. How many people will tolerate that even if they are able to pay?
Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, once prophesied “Your children’s children will live under communism. You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright; but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you will finally wake up and find that you already have Communism. We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy, until you fall like overripe fruit into our hands.” A recent poll of young Americans found that three-fourths think the government should provide universal health care, and two-thirds think the government should pay for college tuition. They represent the entitlement generation with an infantile mentality. They expect the government to care for them like their parents did. They have little regard or respect for others and lack self discipline and work initiative. They are not representative of past patriots who made America great.
