Slow Bern: The Sanders Candidacy In Perspective

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/02/24/slow-bern-sanders-candidacy-perspective

The point is that we have to be rational about policy, and look at what works, and discard what doesn’t. And many of our policies are not working. Everybody in America should rush out and see Michael Moore’s new movie “Where To Invade Next” in order to learn about some very practical ideas that are extremely effective in other countries, including mandatory paid vacations in Italy, high quality school lunches in France, labor rights in Germany, rehabilitative justice in Norway, free colleges in Slovenia, and a high degree of political leadership by women in Iceland.

The whole movie is like a two-hour campaign commercial for the Sanders platform, although, to be fair, the example of Iceland is a great advertisement for the Clinton campaign. Still, I truly believe that if every American of voting age saw “Where To Invade Next”, along with “The Big Short” (which is about the financial crisis of 2007-2008), Bernie would win in a landslide.

Why don’t we have these sorts of sensible policies in the good ol’ USA? We must remember that Bernie’s candidacy, is part of a long struggle for civil rights and economic justice in America. There have been victories and losses, and sometimes we’ve taken a step backwards after having made real progress. This is a battle that we will be fighting for the rest of our lives.

Bernie himself has been working on these issues for decades. His candidacy is built on previous historical efforts, as well as his own hard work over the years. In calling for a political revolution, Bernie reminds us that we have to keep our eyes on the prize, and realize that electing one candidate won’t solve everything in one fell swoop. Whether he wins or loses the primary, his campaign can and must advance the progressive agenda in the US.