2020: The Year That Wasn't

 

2020: The Year That Wasn't

Most news programs/podcasts/web sites do a "news roundup" at this point in the year, and this year seems to really lend itself to this tried and true format. We started the year thinking 2020 would be one of "Perfect Vision" (https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2019/12/perfect-vision-2020.html ) and perhaps even the beginnings of a people's revolution, but within three months we found ourselves entangled in the beginnings of a worldwide pandemic instead.

Disease and certain death certainly wasn't on the menu originally for 2020. In spite of the challenges of mask wearing and social distancing, progressives soldiered on and accomplished more than one might think in a year that kept families and lovers apart and shut down whole economies. They even managed to demonstrate how racism still exists in the US, why Black Lives Matter (https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-long-flight-of-jim-crow.html ) and why we must #DefundThePolice (https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/09/why-cities-burn.html ) .

So, without any further ado, welcome to the year that wasn't as observed and documented by the writers of The Revolution Continues. (Click on the links to read the articles mentioned.)

January 2020: This will be the year we finally acknowledge and do something constructive about the climate crisis to prevent major wildfires and other ecological disasters worldwide. https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-whole-world-is-burning.html

February 2020: This will be the year the Democratic Party is completely reformed and recognizes the progressive wisdom and brave leadership of Senator Bernie Sanders, allowing him to win the presidential nomination and lead America into a golden age of Medicare For All and no more student loan debt. https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/02/2020-year-that-will-shape-future-of.html

March 2020: This will be the year we get our act together as a people and our elected leaders will respect medical experts and pass generous legislation to help every American suffering without access to health care or a job because of the Covid-19 pandemic. https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/03/life-down-rabbit-hole.html

April 2020: This will be the year we will free non-violent prisoners suffering under unhealthy conditions in for-profit prisons and overcrowded public ones, as well as openly acknowledge the multitude of sins of the "chosen" DNC nominee. https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/04/why-i-adore-joe-biden.html

May 2020: This will be the year we will acknowledge at last that capitalism kills and that those who have billions of dollars in the bank couldn't care less about those whose work they obtain obscene profits from.  https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/05/cannon-fodder-for-capitalism.html

This will also be the year we sit down and seriously contemplate why the rich are so afraid of the word "socialism."  https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/01/why-are-rich-so-scared-of-socialism.html

June 2020: This will be the year that Americans of all social classes will learn to live together in peace and racial harmony--and our policing agencies will demonstrate fair and restorative justice techniques. https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/06/this-is-revolution.html

July 2020: This will be the year that a person in uniform will earn the respect of the public by his/her actions. "Protect and serve" won't just always apply to the rich or the oligarchs and their sycophants: https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-only-difference-is-uniform.html

August 2020: This will be the year that "lesser evil" voting becomes a thing of the past, allowing for a more diverse and responsive political system. Also, Americans will come to see who their true adversaries are (and how they make more money in less than one second than the average worker makes in one year). https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/08/winners-and-losers.html

September 2020: This is the year that Americans recognize the signs of fascism in time so we won't be doomed to repeat history endlessly--especially the scary bits modeled by Hitler's Germany. https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-history-of-fascism-in-america.html

October 2020: This will be the year that true democracy will be supported and a diversity of opinion and approaches (vocalized primarily by smaller political parties) will be praised and respected by the American electorate. Everyone will be able to vote and feel proud of their vote--not pressured! https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-only-wasted-vote.html

November 2020: This will be the year Americans realize that we must fundamentally change of systems of governance and economics in order to provide a safe and healthy life for all people--and this will be reflected in our voting preferences, not our base fears. https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/11/we-have-to-fundamentally-change.html

December 2020: This will be the year that the destructive path of neoliberalism will at last be outed and shunned for the horror that it is, allowing Medicare For All to finally pass among other programs so desperately needed. The "brunch crowd" will be no more in this new America free from classism, racism, sexism and "bubble bias." https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2020/12/brunch-has-been-suspended-indefinitely.html

There you go--here's the "2020 perfect vision" we all hoped for a bare twelve months ago. At least we know for certain now what we all need to be working toward building in 2021, right?

Until we meet again, we wish a healthy and happy New Year to you and yours from all of us here at The Revolution Continues. Keep your masks on and keep fighting!

***

From Friends of the Earth:

The Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population is dwindling. Less than 900 bears remain. Now, their habitat is at risk from the oil and gas industries. Take action to protect polar bears from Big Oil.

The Arctic Refuge is one of the most important onshore denning habitats for polar bears in the United States. Mother polar bears with their cubs have become increasingly reliant on denning in this area as sea ice melts due to climate change.

Now, oil and gas seismic testing in the coast plan could irreversibly damage this essential habitat. But the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has downplayed the impacts of seismic exploration and is moving forward with the permitting process. We need your help to stop it.

Take action to protect polar bears from the fossil fuel industry.

Sign Now

Polar bears are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Arctic Refuge is vital to their survival.

Seismic exploration in their habitat could crush bears in their dens or force mother bears to abandon their cubs, leaving the little ones to perish.

Oil drilling in the last remnants of undeveloped coastal habitats in an increasingly warming Arctic could eradicate polar bears from the United States. We need your help to demand the BLM puts the lives of polar bears ahead of Big Oil profits.

Demand the Bureau of Land Management stop seismic testing in the Arctic.

Sign Now

Seismic testing utilizes acoustic waves that search for formations of oil deposits below the surface.

The delicate Arctic ecosystem still carries scars from testing conducted in the area thirty years ago. Modern seismic testing will only be worse. The testing will fill a space the size of South Carolina with a dense grid of crisscrossing tracks -- the equivalent of almost a full trip around the Earth. Thumper trucks, convoys, bulldozers, and tractors will roll over this fragile ecosystem 24 hours a day, 7 days a week -- for months on end!

The only reason for the BLM to go forward with this plan is to benefit the fossil fuel industry. It would harm polar bears, disrupt sensitive ecosystems, and impact local communities. We need your help to stop this plan before the December 30th deadline to comment.

Use your voice. Demand the BLM protect the Arctic’s vulnerable ecosystem.

Sign Now

Standing with you,

Nicole Ghio,
Senior fossil fuels program manager,
Friends of the Earth

  ***

This coming year will be a big one and you can help The Revolution Continues.

Five and a half years on, and we're still fighting, but it's tough. You as a fellow revolutionary can make it easier for the faithful editors/writers to stay on the job by simply sharing some of your pocket change now and then. Use the Paypal link below to donate.

 http://paypal.me/camatthews

Thanks for all you do in making the world a better place. Power to the people!

 

A Berniecrat in Ohio's 5th District

The Revolution Continues is proud to feature an exclusive interview with an up-and-coming progressive candidate for the House of Representatives...

A Berniecrat in Ohio's 5th District:
An Interview with M. Xavier Carrigan


https://www.mxc2020.com/

TRC:  Your web page proudly states “Progressive, positive, and proactive” and “making the American Dream an opportunity for everyone.” How exactly do you define “the American Dream”? In what ways will you be proactive in bringing about these opportunities?

MXC: I think the “American Dream” has different meanings for different people, but it generally encompasses having a job that pays fair wages and has upward mobility, owning a home, and raising a family in a peaceful, safe, and secure environment. Certainly, the reality of life in the US has changed considerably from the white-picket fence and 2.5 children ideal of the mid-20th century. However, the underlying spirit remains, and it remains for both those who were born here and those who have immigrated.

I myself am a product of the American Dream. My father emigrated here from Iran, and I am a first generation American. I watched my father work relentlessly to make his own businesses successful and to make sure that his family benefited from his efforts. I will never forget that, and that is what fuels my bid for the 5th District seat in the US House of Representatives. He overcame all the obstacles that immigrants face when setting up homes in a new country, and he worked tirelessly.

I will be proactive in bringing about these opportunities to all of my constituents by supporting an increase in legal immigration, an area in which the Trump administration has failed miserably. I will work to normalize the status of Dreamers as well as resolve the immigration status of countless other undocumented immigrants who are otherwise law-abiding residents. I will also fight to embrace refugees fleeing violence in Central America and not send them back to where their lives are in danger. I will also support citizenship for the translators and other locals who worked with American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other places in the Middle East, who were critical to our operations despite the fact that helping us put their lives and the lives of their families at risk.

But the American Dream is not just the domain of immigrants. We must fight to support the ability of the US working class to participate in all of the benefits this country can offer. I will fight to prioritize the rights of the individual over the rights of corporations and to implement a minimum wage that supports a decent standard of living – one that is emblematic of our shared perception of the American Dream – to reduce the horrendous disparity between CEO and worker pay and to guarantee that our education works for everyone, not just the privileged.

It is disheartening that today we must fight to keep the American Dream alive, but that is the situation that an unfettered corporate culture of greed and a complacent, compliant government have foisted upon us.

TRC:  As a supporter of the Democratic Party’s Green New Deal, you realize that our current system of government isn’t always on the side of the climate, the environment, or the health and welfare of its citizens, and there are many in the status quo who will fight for the rights of polluters such as CAFOs (factory farms) to continue polluting. What kinds of tactics do you envision using to press forward to make positive inroads on this important issue? What kinds of legislation will you introduce to Congress to help fight climate change and better the lives of not only your constituents but for all humankind?

MXC:  The issue of climate change must be defined as, “How are we going to protect our planet and its people?” and not, “How are we going to protect corporate profits?” So, the first order of business must be to reinstate the vast majority of environmental regulations that the Trump Administration has rescinded, and I don’t mean just the ones for which Trump sat in the Oval Office like a kid at show-and-tell holding up a document with his scribbled signature on it. Because, as foolish as those actions and his behaviour have been, there are countless other regulations that have been decimated by cabinet secretaries appointed to positions that they have essentially been charged with destroying. The behavior of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Commerce has been shockingly duplicitous and aimed solely at propping up corporate profits, the people of the US be damned.

I will follow the leads of other countries around the world that have reduced their carbon footprints by developing high-speed rail systems which also produce new jobs. I will fight for California’s fuel efficiency standards to go national. And I will fight for increased research and implementation of alternative renewable energy sources that will not foul the air that we all must breathe. Trump has done untold damage to our ecological development and that must be reversed ASAP.

TRC:  Have you heard of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) citizens’ initiative that was passed this past year in Toledo? What is your take on citizens taking the initiative to save their—and about 11 million others’—drinking water from animal effluence-caused toxic algae blooms? Since you would represent constituents in western Lucas and Wood Counties who receive their water from the lake via Toledo’s water treatment facilities, as well as representing agribusiness and farmers in the Maumee River Watershed, how do you see yourself balancing these two opposing factions for the good of the many?
 
MXC:  Drinking toxic water is unacceptable whether it is in Flint, Michigan, or any municipality that gets its water from Lake Erie. Keeping Lake Erie and all of our waterways clean is not negotiable. Corporations do not have a right to destroy our water supply for their profits.

The only way we can resolve the matter of a water crisis as large as the algae blooms in Lake Erie is by making decisions that will not appease everyone. More importantly, it will hurt the pockets of those who profit the most, and I have no problem telling Big Ag that they must reel in their poor environmental practices and must lead the industry in means of mitigating contamination of one of the world’s largest bodies of fresh water.

Recently, a federal judge decided that LEBOR was unconstitutional. I have met many of those who have worked tirelessly for years to get this Bill of Rights made into law, and now have nothing to show for it. When we live in a time where a non-tangible entity like a corporation has more rights than most human beings, this is appalling. I will make sure that this fight does not end on the whims of this court decision and will bring a national media spotlight to LEBOR.

TRC:  You’re not taking any corporate PAC donations, relying instead on individual donations from the grassroots. Yet the Republican incumbent for Ohio’s 5th District, Bob Latta, will more than likely receive numerous large contributions from Super PACs and lobbyist organizations. How do you see yourself competing against such a moneyed opponent in the general election? What ways will you as the financial underdog take on the status quo? Does having less money mean becoming more inventive in your campaign strategy? What does that look like?

MXC:  Our average donation is $10. Why? Because we truly represent those who want to see change in our political system, not those who are looking to influence legislation aimed solely at filling their own pockets. We seek the support of those who are not just focused on money but on formulating policies that make a difference to all Americans.

I have watched multiple candidates on the national stage not just raise a fraction of the incumbent’s take, but also spend a fraction of what the incumbent spends, and still win. Because it’s not just about how much money you raise, it is about the platform and the policies that you have that ring true across this entire district. Unless you have those policies, forget the rest. That has been proven in this election, as well. No matter what you think of Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, it became crystal clear that the untold millions they spent on their candidacies did not win them much of anything in terms of the nomination for president.

We don’t need $1 million to beat Bob Latta. I would estimate anywhere between $250,000 and $500,000 is more than enough to make that happen. What it's going to take is boots on the ground -- volunteers who are willing to talk to the people. And that is what our campaign has: people who don't need to be fed tons of money to help a candidate get elected that they truly believe will help them.

We have been out-raised nearly 10 to 1 by our top Democratic opponent, and yet we are still contenders, because every single person on our team is in it for the right reason. And when you’re in it for the right reason, you find ways to do things no one ever has before. You innovate. You re-invent. We need someone who can go on to the general election and not have to compromise their values just to be a contender. That is the only way forward for progressives. And my team and I have already shown we can do that.

This is not to say fundraising is not a part of our strategy at all. We regularly phone bank, e-mail, and text to seek donations from people across the country and here in Ohio’s 5th. I am not naïve, and, as with just about any major undertaking, funding is essential. In political races, however, it is essential to regulate how and from whom that funding comes. I am a huge proponent of doing away with the Citizens United decision that unleashed a torrent of corporate money into American politics and has taken power from the people through an absurd decision that made corporations “people” and money “speech.”

TRC:  You’re not the only Democrat in this March’s primary. How would you say you differ from your opponents, Mr. Redinger and Mr. Rubando? What makes you the strongest candidate to face off against Bob Latta in the fall? How will you inspire the base to show up for you both in the primary and the general?

MXC:  I am the only true working-class candidate and the only true progressive in this race. Before I started driving truck, I had two main careers and a plethora of jobs throughout my lifetime, in three different states and four different countries, and in a wide array of industries. This has provided me with unique insight into the needs of all workers and the concerns of all of my constituents.

Our campaign is truly grassroots, and we rely heavily on volunteers who are also working-class Americans. That’s what we’re made up of. And, more importantly, our entire campaign is made up of working-class individuals, not just here in Ohio. Our message is a national message. We want to take our local issues to the national stage, and that's going to take a national effort. That's what our team consists of. We have volunteers from New York City all the way to California, and it continues to grow. 

This is a right, red, MAGA kind of district. But the reality is, a lot of these people who are right-wingers, especially the ones who are MAGA, are just like us. And the only way we win this district is by engaging with those on the right. It isn’t enough for us to just engage with the people that we know that have the same views as us.

In order to beat Bob Latta, we have to reach across the aisle to those who see the writing on the wall: Latta is a do-nothing representative. He is a known name, but, for most people in the district, he is an unknown quantity. People go along because they know the name, but the more they know about him, the more disenchanted they become with his performance in the House. And I have been working hard to make sure the electorate knows that. Three quarters of the people in my profession (truck drivers) are Republicans. And I talk with these people every single day.

I have encountered these right-wingers and you know what they tell me? You win that primary you already have my vote. My campaign has that message to flip the fifth, to take it out of the hands of the people who don’t care about the constituents and who are solely concerned with putting more money in the boss’s pocket.  

Mine is a grassroots campaign within the Democratic Party and it is an outlier campaign. We are not part of the Democratic establishment in the district unlike, in particular, one of my opponents. But an outlier is the only candidate who can flip the district blue. Ohio’s 5th District has not been represented by a Democrat since 1939. I think that says it all as far as the efficacy of the out-of-touch Democratic organization in the district.

TRC:  Your web site states, “We need working class people on Capitol Hill to represent and fight for the working class of America.” Now this is a refreshing statement! Your goal to introduce legislation to create more workers co-operatives sounds fascinating but also controversial, at least to some CEOs who enjoy their mega-salaries at their workers’ expense. How do see yourself handling the probable intense opposition from Wall Street tycoons and Big Bankers? How do you see yourself inspiring working class people into believing in themselves and their dreams to own their own place of employment?

MXC:  Indeed, the opposition from Wall Street will likely be formidable. Wall Street and Big Banks inevitably do not want worker co-ops to proliferate in America, because they give more power to the people. But the record is pretty clear that corporations that have transformed themselves into employee-owned entities have done quite well both in terms of profits and employee satisfaction.
 
The key to success here is the people. And it has always been the people. One of the biggest tasks ahead of me is simply educating the public, the workers, on what worker co-ops are and how they can be of benefit to them. Your question about how I will inspire the working class to believe in themselves is precisely the right question to ask! And luckily, this, talking to the people face to face, having frank conversations with them, educating them, is exactly the thing I do best. 

My ability to meet that opposition from Wall Street will come on the heels of the progressive movement in this country that seeks to wrest control away from the elites and put it back in the hands of the workers. The energy and momentum that movement has, coupled with multiple voices that have been lifted up to the national level, is how we inspire the working class to demand their power back.

TRC:  Student loan debt forgiveness—yes or no? Can we as a nation afford to pay for everyone to attend college or higher training after high school? (More likely, how can we afford not to!) Do you regret going into debt to finance your own education?

MXC:  How we will pay for student loan forgiveness, which is something I wholeheartedly support, is actually one of the easier questions to answer: by adding a half of a tenth of a percent tax (0.05%) on speculative trading on Wall Street. This is a small ask, given how much welfare they have received from us. It will not just pay off student loan debt within the next decade, but fund free public college and trade schools for everyone, now and in the future. The Republicans are screaming, "How are you going to pay for this?" If we are the greatest country in the world, the richest, the most powerful, the kindest, the most compassionate, why can’t we take care of our own citizens as is done in countries that are not the greatest in the world, the richest, the most powerful, the kindest, and the most compassionate?

No, I do not regret going into debt to finance my own education. But, like so many others, I did so with the expectation that I would eventually be able to pay it off while still pursuing my chosen career and having the life I want to lead.

Though this financial burden has weighed heavily on me and forced me to stray away from the job I love--teaching--it has also taught me an invaluable lesson. I might not be running for office were I not, like so many others, struggling to keep afloat in this economy, with the weight of student loan debt holding me down. Whatever the drawbacks, it has helped spur me to take up this fight. 

TRC:  You state that you are an ardent supporter of the progressive candidate Bernie Sanders and his bid for the presidency and that you believe in his “Not me, us!” motto. Have you received any word yet that Bernie will endorse your run for Ohio’s 5th District? And if Bernie doesn’t receive the Democratic nomination, will you support the eventual nominee or will you follow Berners who support a more progressive candidate for the White House?

MXC:  We are still working on endorsement from the Bernie camp. Our values and campaign goals are very well aligned, and I am running in part to ensure he has more support in the House when he gets elected.

As far as it goes with supporting whoever the DNC nominates, I am a man of principle. If their principles align with my principles, then yes, I will support them. We need to take out Donald Trump. That must happen. But if we’re going to just serve it up to someone else who’s going to spout more platitudes and get nothing done for the American people, what’s the point?

I am the type of person who stands behind his principles no matter what I am fighting for. I was raised as a Republican but spent my entire voting life as an independent until Bernie Sanders came along. Then I finally decided I was a Democrat. I always believed the Democratic Party is the party of the working class, and it needs to return to that. 

Whoever is nominated, if they’re fighting for the working class, I will stand by them. But if they are going to compromise and be bought off, we’re just getting the same stuff as usual. I cannot accept that. 

Given how the primaries are going so far, and from what we are seeing in national polls, I think Bernie not winning will cause a fundamental breakdown within the Democratic Party, sooner rather than later. I hope this is not the case, but if Bernie has the nomination stolen from him, I think the question will be far more interesting than whether or not his supporters will go on to support the Democratic nominee.

TRC: Interesting it will be, no doubt about it! Thank you for answering our questions and best of luck in the primary, Xavier. Ohio voters don't forget to vote early now or on primary day, March 17.

*** 

The United States Must Make Testing and Treatment for Coronavirus Free to Ensure Containment!

Sign Now

While the novel virus COVID-19 (aka coronavirus) continues to spread across the globe, credible health organizations still say containment is possible. However, there are a few things making containment within the U.S. less likely. The biggest of these is that people are expected to pay out of pocket for testing, treatment, and quarantine. But it doesn't have to be this way, and New York State just proved it! Sign on to demand every other state follows New York's lead to block insurance companies from charging people for testing and treatment of coronavirus! The current estimated death rate of the virus is 3.4%, which would translate to millions of people in the U.S. if the virus continues to spread. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has just changed the standards for coronavirus testing to anyone who has a doctor's order. But due to the cost of such testing — one Miami man was charged over $3000, and that was with insurance — many people will not get tested and instead continue to spread the disease. The solution? Governors can prohibit insurance companies from charging people for testing and care of coronavirus. We, collectively, can afford to do this. Other countries are already proving that this works. In South Korea, for example, testing is free and extremely efficient — the system even includes drive-through stations that can test people in minutes. Making it a no-brainer for folks to get tested means a better chance of containment, a better understanding of the disease iteself, and even a lower mortality rate — South Korea's is just around 0.65%. If the U.S. has any hope of curbing the sickness and death this virus is causing around the world, we have to demand free treatment for all! As a society, we are only as safe as the least safe among us. Let's stand together and demand our lawmakers protect us in every way possible, starting with making all testing and treatment of coronavirus free! Please, sign the petition today. Thank you, Lauren W. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. If the cost of coronavirus testing is left unchecked, undetected cases will cause the disease to spread like wildfire. Please sign the petition.

***

 

2020--The Year That Will Shape the Future of the Democratic Party

Our guest blogger shares his well-researched reasoning on why he supports the senator from Vermont. What do you say about The Independent Reformist's insights on the future of the Democratic Party? Is it a "make or break" year for them if they don't nominate Bernie Sanders? For the US as a whole if Bernie isn't allowed to run for the White House?
  

2020 – The Year That Will Shape the Future of the Democratic Party: Why I Support Bernie Sanders
by The Independent Reformist

https://bernnoticepolitics.wordpress.com/2020/02/05/2020-the-year-that-will-shape-the-future-of-the-democratic-party-why-i-support-bernie-sanders/

Let me preface this article by stating a couple of things for the sake of clarity:

1. I have no intention of slandering or disrespecting other candidates or their voter base. I believe it is counter-productive and a good way to alienate those whom you may potentially bring to your side in the general election.
2. I understand that some may support different candidates. That is your right and I respect it. That said, please note that this is my opinion and I hope that you will at least consider what is being said in a fair and honest manner, regardless of where your allegiance lie afterwards.

With this out of the way, I would like to outline the reasons why I support Sanders in 2020, as I did in 2016.

I think that the summation of the campaign slogan “Not Me, Us!” encapsulates why I am a Sanders voter. I am voting for a future that is comparatively of less consequence to me than it is to younger voters. With that being said, we must think beyond our own individuality and consider the countless others who are not in our shoes.

Income Inequality & College Debt

It is hard enough to try to get ahead in this world. We all have to work to put food on the table, and ensure that basic needs are met. Now imagine trying to get a start in life where most jobs that pay a decent wage require a college degree.  Sure, you can get a scholarship, if you make the cut for the limited scholarships available. If you don’t, then you have to take out a loan.

The common answer from older voters is “Well, I had to do it too,” but have you considered that the cost for a college education has skyrocketed—even when compared to the cost of living?

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:College_tuition

Just to get a decent start in life, the current generation has to take on debt that has inflated 2.5 times the value of a home and basic cost of living between 1978 to 2010. This effectively puts them in a massive hole that they will need to work their way out of.

To make matters worse, according to an article written by Abigail Hess from CNBC:

As 2019 comes to a close, for many doing a review of their finances, the decade will likely be defined by student debt.

Today, some 44 million Americans collectively hold nearly $1.6 trillion in student debt. Given that there are approximately 242 million Americans over the age of 18, that means that roughly 18% of American adults are paying off student loans.

These rates are even higher among young people. According to the Federal Reserve, over half of young adults who went to college in 2018 took on debt.

At the end of 2009, Americans held roughly $772 billion in student loans. By the end of 2019, that total had spiked to nearly $1.6 trillion — that’s an increase of roughly 107%.

Reference: Student debt increased by 107 this decade, Federal Reserve data shows – by Abigail Hess – https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/30/student-debt-totals-increased-by-107percent-this-decade.html

To make matters worse, they are still looking at an income rate that has largely been stagnant since the 1970s. Yet the top 5 percent of earners income has gone up dramatically in comparison. In light of all of these facts, how can we expect them to simply accept things as they are? Better yet, why do we as a society continue to accept it?

Reference: CBPP – https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/a-guide-to-statistics-on-historical-trends-in-income-inequality

Also as a result of the bad trade deals like NAFTA, the American manufacturing base, especially in the Midwest (Rust Belt) is virtually non-existent. Automation is also eating into low skilled and redundant work, so the pool of jobs is getting smaller. As direct result, the pool of competitors for jobs rises and the employers can pay employees less.

In summary, if the young average worker has to spend a good chunk of their lifetime working out of debt because of college loans, they are already going to have less disposable income. If there is no upward mobility in wages as cost of living increases, they have even less. How can an economy not be stagnant when the working class has no disposable income (if they even have an income) to buy products? This matters because the consumer, not the business person, is the gas that fuels the economy.

The $15 an hour minimum wage that Sanders dragged into the mainstream is a start. There still have to be opportunities, and they need to have real relief from crushing loan debt. The only solutions, other than “We can’t do that,” has come from Senators Sanders and Warren and Andrew Yang. Sanders' goal, in my opinion is more ambitious where it forgives college loan debt and makes state run colleges and universities tuition free. The latter alleviates the burden on future generations.

Include Senator Sanders federal jobs initiative and you have more of a pool of opportunities for workers. It will have the additional impact of decreasing the pool of employees which can force private industry to offer more competitive wages for talent.

The Future of Humanity is at Stake

The worst effects of climate change are still to come, but half measures will get us nowhere. If we don’t take serious action, we could leave future generations a planet that is hostile to human life. Being in the pockets of the fossil fuel lobby via campaign donations risks watering down efforts to aggressively change to more sustainable energy.

Reference: https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/

Our effects on our ecosystem is no longer debatable. There is scientific consensus that humanity’s effect on the ecosystem is measurable and evident.

The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is extremely likely (greater than 95 percent probability) to be the result of human activity since the mid-20^th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia.¹

Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global scale. This body of data, collected over many years, reveals the signals of a changing climate.

The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century.² Their ability to affect the transfer of infrared energy through the atmosphere is the scientific basis of many instruments flown by NASA. There is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response.

Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth’s climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas levels. Ancient evidence can also be found in tree rings, ocean sediments, coral reefs, and layers of sedimentary rocks. This ancient, or paleoclimate, evidence reveals that current warming is occurring roughly ten times faster than the average rate of ice-age-recovery warming.³

Reference: https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

The role of adults in society is to try guide the next generation in a manner that gives them a chance at a better future than the previous generations had. We also owe them and subsequent generations a habitable world that they can pass on to their progeny. This isn’t just an United States thing. This is an “all of humanity” thing. It’s global.

Just one campaign cycle ago, Senator Sanders declared the top threat to national security being climate change. At the time, many laughed. Now in 2020 more people are parroting the line. Once again showing Senator Sanders was out front, before most of the rest of our leaders in Washington D.C.

The time for half-measures is over. If we are to be good custodians of our world, and the future of humanity we must be serious about climate change. I believe that Sanders is as serious about combating climate change as they come.

Racial and Social Justice

It is easy to look at the current field and note that they are all white people. The News media certainly reminds us enough. What it doesn’t mention is that Senator Sanders is Jewish. Both of his father's parents were lost in the Holocaust.

He is not the kind of person to go out of his way to bring it up, but when asked about it in a 2016 CNN interview the exchange went as follows:

Sanders could be the first Jewish U.S. president ever elected, though he has repeatedly described himself as a secular Jew without strong ties to organized religion. 

Jewish political activists, historians and pollsters have said Sanders’ minority faith has also been overlooked because the national attitude toward Jews has evolved to the point where there’s no stigma attached to the religion or culture. 

Sanders’ comments on his Judaism were in response to CNN’s Anderson Cooper asking him if he is intentionally keeping his Judaism in the background , after an audience member asked Sanders whether he believed God to be relevant, to which Sanders responded, “yes.” 

Reference: CNN Politics, Bernie Sanders: ‘My fathers family was wiped out by Hitler in the Holocaust’ by Daniella Diaz

https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/07/politics/democratic-debate-jewish-bernie-sanders-cnn-flint-michigan/index.html

Understanding these facts can help understand why Bernie took the stand that he did during the civil rights movement. It’s easier to relate to other ethnic groups and marginalized communities when you are a descendant of a marginalized community yourself.

Without going into all of the details in this article (which is lengthy enough), I will reference a Mother Jones article about Sanders in the Civil Rights Era.

During Sanders’ first year in Chicago, a group of apartment-hunting white and black students had discovered that off-campus buildings owned by the university were refusing to rent to black students, in violation of the school’s policies. CORE organized a 15-day sit-in at the administration building, which Sanders helped lead. (James Farmer, who co-founded CORE and had been a Freedom Rider with Lewis, came to the University of Chicago that winter to praise the activists’ work.) The protest ended when George Beadle, the university’s president, agreed to form a commission to study the school’s housing policies... He continued his activism with CORE and SNCC. In August of 1963, not long after returning to Chicago from the March on Washington, Sanders was charged with resisting arrest after protesting segregation at a school on the city’s South Side. He was later fined $25, according to the Chicago Tribune:

Reference: Mother Jones, “Here’s What Bernie Sanders Actually Did in the Civil Rights Movement” by Tim Murphy
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/bernie-sanders-core-university-chicago/

He has also taken a stand for LGBTQ rights in the 1970s. Politifact referenced Chuck Todd’s comment about Senator Sanders stance as follows:

Chuck Todd, the host of NBC’s Meet the Press, focused on same-sex marriage during an interview with Clinton on Sept. 27, 2015.
“Bernie Sanders has been where you are on these issues,” Todd said. “Bernie Sanders was there when it came to marriage 20 years ago. Do you think one of the reasons he’s doing well right now is some progressives think, ‘Well, you know what? He was there when it wasn’t popular.’”

Todd said Sanders was “there” on same-sex marriage 20 years ago, but we found evidence pointing back even further.
In the early 1970s, Sanders ran for governor of Vermont under the banner of the Liberty Union party, a coalition of leftist groups. The party platform called for making taxes tougher on corporations and lighter on families, an end to the Vietnam War and a number of measures to get government out of people’s private lives.

“The Liberty Union believe that there are entirely too many laws that regulate human behavior,” Sanders wrote in an open letter. “Let us abolish all laws which attempt to impose a particular brand of morality or ‘right’ on people. Let’s abolish all laws dealing with abortion, drugs, sexual behavior (adultery, homosexuality, etc.).”

Reference: Politifact, “NBC’s Chuck Todd: Bernie Sanders was there on same-sex marriage 20 years ago” by Jon Greenberg – https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/sep/29/chuck-todd/nbcs-chuck-todd-bernie-sanders-there-same-sex-marr/

There is a reference to the original letter, but unfortunately it is a broken link. However, the same platform can be found here:

Reference: The New Republic, https://newrepublic.com/article/122005/he-was-presidential-candidate-bernie-sanders-was-radical

Some might argue that he didn’t perfectly meet the modern bar. Perhaps so. But there are many who were around in that era who didn’t even meet his bar.  I think a fan made video sums it up nicely, using the speech given by Killer Mike:

Video by GoodNightProductions – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikgh4JbAWUU

I would rather have someone who at least will honestly take a stand when times are hard, than someone who only says the right things when it is convenient or politically expedient.

A Candidate Who Means What He Says and Says What He Means

I often say that “You can’t possibly mean what you say, if you don’t say precisely what you mean.” Words have meaning, and how you use them have consequences. We currently live in a time where “Doublespeak” is the norm. Where being duplicitous is completely expected, especially when it comes to politics.

There was a time where speaking openly and honestly was refreshing and welcomed. Yet our jaded sensibilities have allowed us to give up of honesty. You can look at what Senator Sanders says and compare it to his track record in life and politics to find he is remarkably consistent. He has stood for these policies for decades, most notably in the decades when it was not popular, and he was one of the lone voices in the wilderness.

When Bernie said, “We need to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour,” in 2016 everyone in the establishment said we can’t do it. Now it’s mainstream. When Bernie said, “We need to have Medicare for all,” in 2016, the establishment said that’s crazy. Now it’s mainstream. When Bernie said, “I am going to run on a grassroots funded campaign without big donors,” in 2016 the media said it would never work. Now he is a fundraising juggernaut rivaled only by Trump and Bloomberg, but the difference is Bernie is running solely on small dollar contributions from working class people like us.

I could continue on with health care and the need to bring the Democratic Party back to FDR principles. I could go on about how the power brokers in the party have ignored the Midwest until election time and then forgets them just as quickly. I can talk about how the Flint Water Crisis still needs resolution, and how the DNC hasn’t addressed it outside of campaign talking points, but this article is quite long enough. The bottom line is we need and frankly deserve a leader who works for us!

Make no mistake, he’s not perfect. No one is. But when compared to the numerous other candidates his rhetoric and actions, few (if any) have been more consistent than Senator Sanders. It’s easy to say something when things are popular. It’s easy to fight for something when everyone, including entrenched power is on your side. The true mettle of a person is measured when they take a stand when an idea is well outside of the mainstream.

I stand with the candidate who fights for the the alienated, the discriminated and the decimated. Say what you will, but in my opinion that is Senator Bernie Sanders. Unbossed. Unbought. Unbroken.

References:

Image, Not Me Us Rally picture, by Mark Dixon – https://www.flickr.com/photos/9602574@N02/25300155296

Image, College Tuition vs Home Prices vs CPI – Wikicommons – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:College_tuition

Student debt increased by 107 this decade, Federal Reserve data shows – by Abigail Hess – https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/30/student-debt-totals-increased-by-107percent-this-decade.html

Image Graph Real Family Income between 1947 and 2018, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities – https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/a-guide-to-statistics-on-historical-trends-in-income-inequality

Image, Temperature Anomaly Common Baseline 1951-2019,  NASA – https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/

Climate change references,  NASA, Global Clmate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet – https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

CNN Politics, Bernie Sanders: ‘My fathers family was wiped out by Hitler in the Holocaust’ by Daniella Diaz – https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/07/politics/democratic-debate-jewish-bernie-sanders-cnn-flint-michigan/index.html

Mother Jones, “Here’s What Bernie Sanders Actually Did in the Civil Rights Movement” by Tim Murphy https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/bernie-sanders-core-university-chicago/

Politifact, “NBC’s Chuck Todd: Bernie Sanders was there on same-sex marriage 20 years ago” by Jon Greenberg – https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/sep/29/chuck-todd/nbcs-chuck-todd-bernie-sanders-there-same-sex-marr/

Image, “A Letter from Bernie Sanders”, The New Republic, “Bernie Sanders Was Just Another hippie Rummaging Through My Mom’s Fridge” by Chelsea G. Summers – https://newrepublic.com/article/122005/he-was-presidential-candidate-bernie-sanders-was-radical

Video by: GoodNightProductions, Bernie Sanders Ad (Killer Mike Speech) The Time is Now – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikgh4JbAWUU

Image, Bernie Sanders, Wikimedia Commons by Gage Skidmore – – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bernie_Sanders_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg

The Independent Reformist

This blog is primarily about, but not limited to politics. What makes this blog different is that I bear no loyalty to either party, and I am willing to listen to, and consider the merits of differing viewpoints. I will share my opinions on what I see in our world based on an idea that politics is not solely about what happens on Capitol Hill. It is about what happens in our lives, everyday. There will be moments where what I say may infuriate you because it goes against everything you believe. There will also be moments where we can agree and be on a similar page. That's healthy, and we should embrace that idea. The ultimate end I hope that this blog will achieve is to foster discussion about how politics affect our lives, and how to address the concerns we have about numerous issues. It's equally important that if makes us all consider how our decisions at the voting booth, or our apathy for participating in the political process at all influences the actions that our elected leaders take. It is my opinion that it is not enough to simply blame the system, we as a society must also accept our share of the blame for allowing things to get so far out of control. View all posts by The Independent Reformist