Bernie Sanders's New Hampshire victory speech: Terrifying

[mystery-ak]

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/02/bernie_sanderss_new_hampshire_victory_speech_terrifying.html

February 10, 2016
Bernie Sanders's New Hampshire victory speech: Terrifying
By Michael Filozof

I listened to the victory speeches of both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump last night.  Frankly, in terms of delivery, Bernie's was a lot better than The Donald's.  Trump's speech was mostly extemporaneous happy talk, and not particularly inspiring.

On the other hand, Bernie's speech was delivered with profound sincerity and conviction, and his supporters were wildly enthusiastic.  His delivery was excellent.

It was the content I found to be not just troubling, but frightening.

I've never in my life heard such unapologetic, full-throated socialism in American politics.  Sanders is the real deal.  He's so left-wing he practically makes Obama look like the chairman of the Republican National Committee.  At least Obama felt compelled to lie about the true extent of his leftism.  Sanders doesn't – and he isn't kidding around.  This is damn near Clement Attlee and Fabian socialist-type stuff.  True, he's not advocating nationalizing industries (yet), but he's cocksure that he can take as much of anyone else's money as he wants and spend it on just about anything.  Free single-payer health care, free college, green energy, no more fossil fuels, $15 minimum wage, end "institutional racism" – Sanders sees no limits on what government can, should, and will do.  And "Wall Street" will pay for it all.

Yes, Sanders is right that "The System" is rigged in favor of "special interests."  But he's not talking about "reform"; he's talking about transforming the federal government into Robin Hood.  If Sanders ever read the Fifth Amendment's guarantee that "property" shall not be taken without due process and just compensation, it sure wasn't evident in his victory speech.

Sanders is absolutely killing Hillary, especially among millennials.  She deserves the thumping she's getting, but Sanders supporters seem blithely ignorant of the fact he has never actually managed anything, and he has absolutely no track record to indicate that he could fulfill his promises – especially given the fact that the country will be $20 trillion in debt by inauguration day.

If Bernie's European-style socialism does come to America, it will be an utter disaster.  Euro-socialism works because Europe still has a socially stratified society.  A British girl who is born a princess or a baroness knows from the time she is a toddler that she is a princess or baroness – and the daughter of a working-class soccer yob knows from the time she is a toddler that she will never, ever be a princess or baroness.  The purpose of European socialism is to buy off the lower classes to maintain the existing social order, and the European elites do a reasonably good job of managing socialist programs because maintaining their superior status depends upon it.

But in the United States, everyone is born equal under the law.  The American attitude was always that any individual could enrich himself beyond his wildest dreams – but his ambition was tempered by the fact that he could just as well fall into complete destitution.  Socialism in America would eliminate the latter – but not the former.  American socialism would turn into the same kind of corruption, plunder, and special-interest favoritism that Sanders decries in the private sector.

But the kids are eating it up.  Prior to last night, I thought Hillary would be the Democratic nominee for sure.  Now I'm not so certain.

[Wingnut]

I said it last night and I'll say it again.  Bernie scares me.  But his mindless supporters scare me more.

[truth_seeker]

Republicans warned that the sky would fall, if Obamacare was passed. It passed, the sky did not fall.

Bernie says we can have more free stuff, voters say bring it on. Republicans say the sky will fall.

Bernie says look, tax rates were 91% under Eisenhower and we were fine. Republicans are dumbstruck and silent. Speaking about economics is simply not in their skill set.

To cap it Bernie says Denmark, ?Sweden and Norway have among the highest GDP levels per capita and they are fine.

Again, "contemporary conservatives" are stunned and silent.

Out of the present GOP slate, I predict Trump would be the guy best able to come up with meaningful comparisons and remarks.

Rubio will need to memorize something else. Cruz didn't memorize it when he memorized the Constitution. Maybe Kasich, the guy with tons of real world experience. Yeah, he might be the one.

 

[Scottftlc]

Here's the problem, Bernie is Robin Hood.  He has a prescription and a boogeyman: Tax the rich, Wall Street, take their money that they scammed from the working people and give it (once the government gets to handle it) to YOU.  And give you free health care with no insurance hassles to boot.  Sounds like Vladimir Lenin.  Lenin won.

Do the Republicans even talk about tax cuts any more?  Don't hear it much on the stump, do we?  The closest we get is Trump talking about the debt.  The others talk about our "values" (and code for we like minorities and Muslims).  Republican "values" lose elections.  With Republican "values" and $4.50 you can get a latte at Starbucks (unless they toss you out because they hate you and your "values").

They better come up with an answer to Bernie's economic and social prescription, one that appeals to the voters, or there will big surprise next January when we discover that we have reasons to wish Obama was still around.

[truth_seeker]

By the time the GOPers have staked out their positions to please Iowa and South Carolina evangelicals, they have placed themselves far from mainstream America.

--No exceptions on abortions. If your wife, daughter or sister gets raped, they want it to be against the law for her to elect having an abortion. A position held by just 22% of the population, but a must for a "conservative," so forget about personal freedom.

And forget about discussing economics intelligently and persuasively. If you can recite the Constitution in Canadian, that is good enough and you are Top Doggie.

I rather expect Bernie could take the lads from Cuba down several notches, of economic subjects. He has been talking about them, and they haven't.

OTOH I expect Trump (in part due to superior staff) can stand toe-to-toe with The Bern on economics, and likely prevail.

[jmyrlefuller]

Republicans warned that the sky would fall, if Obamacare was passed. It passed, the sky did not fall.

bleep you.

[HonestJohn]

If Bernie's European-style socialism does come to America, it will be an utter disaster.  Euro-socialism works because Europe still has a socially stratified society.  A British girl who is born a princess or a baroness knows from the time she is a toddler that she is a princess or baroness – and the daughter of a working-class soccer yob knows from the time she is a toddler that she will never, ever be a princess or baroness.  The purpose of European socialism is to buy off the lower classes to maintain the existing social order, and the European elites do a reasonably good job of managing socialist programs because maintaining their superior status depends upon it.


European countries, in general, now provide a better chance at social mobility than the US.

And the above is the main thesis of this article.  So if the thesis is junk, so is the rest of the supporting article.

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2008/2/economic%20mobility%20sawhill/02_economic_mobility_sawhill_ch3.pdf