<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/19/bernie-sanders-oligarchs-ok-angry-about-capitalism-interview>
"After the State of the Union address at the beginning of this month, the
Wall
Street Journal ran an opinion piece that argued: “Joe Biden
is Bernie
Sanders.” By this it meant that, somehow, by stealth, under the cover of
darkness, a “democratic socialist” – both words apparently terms of abuse in
the
WSJ commentator’s lexicon – had invaded the White House and was now
making policy for ordinary Americans, interfering in the unjust struggle of
their lives, trying to help them get decent jobs and provide them with
affordable healthcare. The implication was clear: offshore your assets and
offer unhinged prayers to Marjorie Taylor Greene!
Speaking to Sanders last week, I wondered if that was how it felt to him.
The 81-year-old senator for Vermont gave one of his brief, gravelly guffaws,
his concession to small talk. “Not quite,” he said. “I do go to the White House
every now and then and chat with the president but no, I’m not in the White
House. But that’s the
Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch’s paper – you know
Rupert Murdoch in the UK, right?”
I confirm a passing acquaintance.
“Well, the fact is the
Wall Street Journal is shocked – flabbergasted! – that
an American president would have the courage to mention in his speech, say,
that the oil industry made $200bn in profit, while jacking up prices for
everyone; they are shocked to hear that a president wants to take on the greed
of the pharmaceutical industry; shocked to hear a president talk about the need
to raise teacher salaries. Joe Biden is far more conservative than I am. But to
his credit, I think he has seen what the progressive movement is doing in this
country. And he feels comfortable with some of our ideas – and I appreciate
that.”
In some ways, the
Wall Street Journal was more on the money than Sanders
allows. Many of Biden’s proposals did appear to come verbatim from the
manifesto that saw Sanders twice beaten to second place in the race to become
the Democratic candidate for the presidency in 2016 and 2020 – policies that
Sanders has been pressing since he first ran for the office of Vermont senator
in 1972, on behalf of the Liberty Union party, and finished third with 2% of
the vote. For much of that time Sanders – the longest-serving independent
representative in congressional history – sounded a lot like a prophet railing
in a wilderness of Reaganite deregulation (he has been arguing for a $15
minimum wage for two decades; it still hasn’t come to pass). In the years since
the financial crash, however, and particularly since the start of the pandemic,
many more people have listened."
Cheres,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
