Two Takes on Remaking the U.S. Left
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- Published on Tuesday, 15 November 2016 22:00
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A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1331 .... November 16, 2016
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Two Takes on Remaking the U.S. Left
Build an Independent, Democratic Socialist Left
Bernie Sanders
The following is an excerpt from Bernie Sanders's speech at a meeting of the National Committee for Independent Political Action in New York City on June 22, 1989, published under the title "Reflections from Vermont" in the December 1989 issue of Monthly Review.
It seems obvious to me that there is no way that we can deal with the enormous economic, social, and environmental problems facing this country without making radical changes in the economic system, and we've got to be honest about that. I believe that democratic socialism is the appropriate framework for making those changes, and we should be upfront about our beliefs. . . .
When... the rich are getting richer while the poor and middle class are getting poorer; when the standard of living of the average worker is in rapid decline; when people can't afford healthcare, can't afford housing, can't afford to send their kids to college, and the environment is being destroyed for quick profits, when you put it all together, what do you have? You've got a disaster. And the people understand that. They know what's going on, and they want a movement which will speak to these issues, the issues that are wrenching out the guts of this country, but which the Democrats and Republicans and the corporate media will never honestly deal with.