BERNIE SANDERS DELIVERED HIS LONG-AWAITED, MUCH LAUDED
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM DEFENSE SPEECH JUST YESTERDAY, AND
WE GOT THE MILEAGE.
TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICAN FAMILIES CONTINUE TODAY TO LACK
THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE. THE GREAT MIDDLE CLASS OF OUR
COUNTRY HAS BEEN IN DECLINE, AND FAITH IN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM IS
NOW EXTREMELY LOW. ORDINARY PEOPLE, WORKING PEOPLE, YOUNG
PEOPLE DON'T VOTE. WE HAVE AN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CRISIS IN
THIS COUNTRY, AND THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
WILL NOT EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THOSE CRISES. IF WE ARE SERIOUS
ABOUT REINVIGORATING AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY, WE NEEDED TO DEVELOP A POLITICAL MOVEMENTS WHICH,
ONCE AGAIN, IS PREPARED TO TAKE
ON AND DEFEAT A RULING CLASS WHOSE GREED IS DESTROYING OUR
NATION.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM MEANS THAT IN A DEMOCRATIC, CIVILIZED
SOCIETY, THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE AND THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS
MUST PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES. I DON'T BELIEVE
GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE OVER THE GROCERY STORE DOWN THE STREET,
OR OWN THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THE MIDDLE
CLASS, AND THE WORKING FAMILIES OF THIS COUNTRY, WHO PRODUCED
THE WEALTH OF THIS COUNTRY,
DESERVE A DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING, AND THAT THEIR INCOMES
SHOULD GO UP, NOT DOWN.
IT IS INCREDIBLE, I LOVE THAT HE GAVE THIS SPEECH, BUT IT IS
INCREDIBLE HOW HE HAS BEEN PAINTED AS A RADICAL. SO MANY
PEOPLE WHO WOULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM HIS POLICY IDEAS ARE
AGAINST HIM BECAUSE THEY HAVE BOUGHT INTO THE BERNIE SANDERS
FEAR MONGERING. THEY HEAR THE WORD SOCIALIST WITHOUT REALLY
UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS, AND IT SCARES THEM. YOU LISTEN TO
THAT SPEECH, AND YOU UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT HE IS GOING FOR. HE
IS JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR WAGES DON'T CONTINUE TO BE
STAGNANT. HE IS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE CORPORATIONS, IN SOME
YEARS, LITERALLY PAY NOTHING IN FEDERAL TAXES AND GET A TAX
RETURN. COMPANIES LIKE VERIZON
AND BANK OF AMERICA PAY THEIR TAXES. WHY IS IT THAT THE
WORKING CLASS, THE MIDDLE CLASS PAY A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF THEIR
INCOME TO THE GOVERNMENT, AND THEN YOU HAVE THESE MASSIVE
CORPORATIONS NOT PAYING ANYTHING IN TEXAS? YES WE HAD THE HIGHEST
CORPORATE TAX RATE OF ANY
DEVELOPED COUNTRY, BUT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE REBATES
AND THE LOOPHOLES, IT IS MUCH LOWER.
IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A FREE MARKET, THAT IS WHAT THEY KEEP
TELLING PEOPLE. WHEN HE HEARS SOMEBODY LIKE BERNIE SANDERS IS
A SOCIALIST, IT'S LIKE, HE WANTS TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM RICH
PEOPLE AND JUST GIVE IT THE POOR PEOPLE. THAT'S NOT RIGHT, THAT
CAN'T BE GOOD. THE FREE MARKET MEANS THE RICH PEOPLE RIGGED THE
MARKET IN HER FAVOR, WHICH IS WHY WHEN WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF
ECONOMIC BOOM TIMES, WHICH WE
ARE RIGHT NOW, WALL STREET IS AT RECORD HIGHS, YET WE STILL HAVE
THE BIGGEST INCOME DISPARITY
SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES, BECAUSE THAT FREE MARKET ISN'T FREE. IT
IS RIGGED BY PEOPLE LIKE DONALD TRUMP, AND GENERAL ELECTRIC, AND
COMCAST, AND EXXON MOBILE. DAYBREAK THAT SYSTEM SO THAT YOU
DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF YOUR LABOR. SO EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE
WORKING HARDER PRODUCING MORE,
YOU'LL GET TO BENEFIT. YOU DON'T GET ANY OF THAT MONEY. WINDOW
CORPORATIONS PROFITS GO UP, THAT GOES RIGHT INTO THEIR POCKET
WHERE THEY SAID THAT OFFSHORE
SUMMER. IT USED TO BE WE HAD STRONG UNIONS IN AMERICA, AND
LET'S REMEMBER, STRONG UNIONS
AFFECT OTHER PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THEIR UNION, AND NOW WE HAVE
GOTTEN RID OF UNIONS AND LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE
WORKING-CLASS. HE IS SAYING LET'S RIG THAT FREE MARKET
MORE TOWARDS THE WORKERS, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A THRIVING
ACROSS AMERICA. RIGHT NOW YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF POVERTY. HERE
IS ANOTHER THING IT WAS SAID AT
THE REPUBLICAN DEBATE, WHICH I HAVE NOT HEARD MENTIONED
ANYWHERE ELSE. WHEN THEY WERE ASKED THE FIRST QUESTION ABOUT
THE MINIMUM WAGE, DONALD TRUMP AND BEN CARSON SAID THAT WAGES
OF AMERICAN WORKERS ARE TOO
HIGH. THEIR PLAN TO HELP REJUVENATE OUR ECONOMY, WHICH IT
DOES NOT NEED REJUVENATING,
THEIR PLAN IS TO LOWER THE WAGES OF WORKERS IN AMERICA. DONALD
TRUMP SAID WAGES ARE TOO HIGH, TAXES ARE TOO HIGH. MEETING
PEOPLE IN AMERICA EARN TOO MUCH MONEY. BEN CARSON SAID, IF WE
LOWER THE WAGES FOR INNER-CITY BLACK TEENAGERS, THEY WILL GET
MORE JOBS. THEY ARE BOTH ADVOCATING LOWERING WAGES FOR
AMERICAN WORKERS, WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME I'D EVER HEARD A
POLITICIAN SAY THAT, AND IT COMPLETELY SLIPPED PAST
EVERYBODY IN THE MEDIA.
WHY DO COMPANIES CREATE MORE JOBS?
OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEARTS.
THEY CREATE MORE JOBS WHEN PEOPLE PURCHASE THE SERVICES. SO
IF THERE IS THIS ROBUST MIDDLE CLASS, WORKING CLASS, THAT HAS
DISPOSABLE INCOME, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH THAT DISPOSABLE
INCOME? ARE THEY GOING TO WORD IT OR PUT IT IN AN OVERSEAS
ACCOUNTS, OR JUST SIT ON IT IN A U.S. BANK ACCOUNT? THEY AREN'T
ACTUALLY GOING TO GO OUT AND SPEND IT. THEY'RE GOING TO GO
INTO THE ECONOMY AND SPEND THAT. THEY SPEND THAT MONEY, AND THAT
IS WHAT STIMULATES THE ECONOMY.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE BUYING THINGS, COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO HIRE
MORE PEOPLE SO THEY CAN DEAL WITH THE DEMAND. IF WE ARE
DEALING WITH A SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE DISPOSABLE
INCOME, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND SPEND ANYTHING.
THEY CAN BARELY AFFORD TO PUT
FOOD ON THE TABLE.
YOU ARE A RADICAL.
YOU ARE SAYING THAT IF WE GIVE THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT
WALMART, FOR INSTANCE, MORE MONEY, THEY ARE NOT GOING
TO PUT IN A TAX SHELTER SOMEWHERE OFFSHORE?
THEY MIGHT.
THEY ARE GOING TO SPEND IT AT WALMART. THERE IS A LOT OF WAYS
THAT WE CAN THINK OF, HOW CAN YOU COMMIT POLITICAL SUICIDE.
YOU WOULD THINK SAYING, YOU MAKE
TOO MUCH MONEY.
BERNIE SANDERS HAD TO DELIVER A SPEECH FOR WHY HE IS NOT AN
ECONOMIC RADICAL, WHILE ON THE OTHER SIDE NOBODY IS QUESTIONING
THE FACT THAT HE SAID MY SUPPORTERS MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY.
HOW IS BERNIE SANDERS A RADICAL?
BROKEN JOURNALISM.
PEOPLE DON'T REMEMBER HISTORY. PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF
SOCIALISM BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD BY EXTREMELY RICH PEOPLE
THAT IF THE RICH HAVE TO PAY A LITTLE MORE IN TAXES, AND IT
GOES TO POOR PEOPLE, THEN THAT
IS ROBBERY. YOU ARE BEING ROBBED. BUT THE WHOLE TIME, AS
THEY ARE WATCHING THAT SPEECH, THEY ARE BEING ROBBED. WHEN
PRODUCTIVITY GOES UP EVERY YEAR FOR DECADES, AND YOU'LL GET THAT
MONEY ñ THE MONEY EXISTS, SOMEBODY IS GETTING IT, NOT YOU,
YOU ARE BEING ROBBED. THE SHAREHOLDERS MAY BE, THE PERSON
CONTROLLING THE COMPANY, BUT THE OWNERS, THEY GET THAT MONEY. YOU
ARE BEING ROBBED TO PAY THEM. THAT IS WHY YOU CANNOT AFFORD A
HOUSE. THAT IS WHY YOU MAKE LESS
MONEY THAN YOUR PARENTS DID. THAT MONEY EXISTS. GREAT
SERVICES AND PRODUCTS ALL OVER AMERICA, AND THAT IS GENERATING
A LOT OF MONEY, IT IS JUST NOT
GOING TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU. BY SOCIALISTS, BUT BY THE
ESTABLISHED ECONOMIC SYSTEM WE
HAVE IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IN
AMERICA ON ALMOST EVERY ISSUE IS THAT WE HAVE ALMOST NO
UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORY. BERNIE SANDERS ECONOMIC POLICY WOULD BE
WEAK SAUCE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE 1970S, BUT FOR SOME
REASON IT IS RADICAL NOW. HE HAD TO REMIND IN HIS SPEECH, ALMOST
EVERYTHING WAS ABOUT PROPOSED WAS CALLED SOCIALISM. SOCIAL
SECURITY WAS CALLED SOCIALIST. MINIMUM WAGE, ABOLISHING CHILD
LABOR, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, STRONG BANKING REGULATIONS,
DEPOSIT INSURANCE, ALL OF THOSE
WERE CALLED SOCIALIST. THEY WERE ATTACKED AS BEING A COMMUNIST
PLOT THAT WAS GOING TO DESTROY AMERICA. WHAT ARE THEY CALLED
NOW? THAT IS ONLY HALF. WILL HAVE A FOUR-YEAR-OLD
WORKING COAL MINES. THE FACT THAT WE GOT PUBLIC FREE
ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS, COLLEGE WOULD BE CRAZY. WE HAVE
A TWO-DAY WEEKEND, A THREE
DAY WEEKEND WOULD BE CRAZY. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US AS A COUNTRY?
THE MEDIA, DEFINITELY. ALSO, YOU HAVE TO HAND IT TO THE RIGHT
WING. THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY TAKEN POLICIES THAT OBVIOUSLY
HURT THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE WORKING CLASS, AND SOMEHOW
TWISTED THE MESSAGE TO MAKE PEOPLE WHO ARE HARMED BY THIS
ACCEPTS THESE POLICIES, AND VOTE FOR THEM. THEY VOTE FOR THEM. I
SEE PEOPLE ON MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT, I KNOW THIS IS
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, BUT I SEE PEOPLE ON MY FRIEND LIST ON
FACEBOOK CONSTANTLY WRITING
STATUS UPDATES ABOUT HOW CRAZY BERNIE SANDERS IS, AND HOW WE
HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT SOCIALISM. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO
ARE MAKING $7.25 AN HOUR. LISTEN, YOU ARE GOING TO BE
HARMED BY THESE POLICIES THAT YOU ARE ENDORSING ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LOOK INTO HOW THE
ECONOMY WORKS, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A
ROBUST MIDDLE CLASS.
I USED TO LOVE, BEFORE OBAMA CARE, RIGHT-WING COMEDIANS
WITHOUT HEALTHCARE. I SAW THIS GUY COMING OUT AGAINST COLLEGE,
IT'S ALL ABOUT MOOCHERS. IF YOU WANT YOUR KID TO GO TO COLLEGE,
WORK AND PAY FOR IT. THAT IS THE THING OF, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO
GET THE MONEY FROM? WE HAVE THE MONEY. WE ARE THE RICHEST
COUNTRY IN THE FACE OF THE EARTH HAS EVER SEEN, WITH AN ECONOMY
TWICE THE SIZE OF CHINA. WE CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR COLLEGE FOR
EVERYBODY. WHEN I WENT ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE AND SAID LET'S NOT
PAY FOR COLLEGE, AND YES, LET'S MAKE THEM PAY FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU WANT TO LEARN MATH, GET A
JOB YOU LAZY ASS. AND THIS IDEA, WHY DO WE GIVE EDUCATION TO
GRAMMAR SCHOOL KIDS? BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE A WORSE COUNTRY WITH
A BUNCH OF IDIOTS RUNNING AROUND WITHOUT EDUCATION. THE PEOPLE
WHO LOOK AT EDUCATION AT A COST
TO OUR SOCIETY, YOU KNOW GRINNED WHEN YOU DO THAT? RUPERT MURDOCH
GRINS WHEN YOU CALL EDUCATION A
COST. WHAT THAT IS IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COUNTRY. WHEN
YOU PAY FOR COLLEGE, IT IS NOT A NET. YOU DON'T GO BROKE
EDUCATING YOUR OWN CITIZENS. YOU CREATE A STRONGER ECONOMY
BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE EDUCATED
PEOPLE CREATING AND INNOVATING. THAT IS WHAT ALL THE STRONG
ECONOMIES DO. WHATSOEVER THIS ALSO, GERMANY, THE STRONGEST
ECONOMY IN EUROPE, WORKS LESS HOURS THAN THE FRENCH. FREE
COLLEGE AND FREE HEALTHCARE. AND THEY GO, SOMEBODY IS PAYING FOR
IT.
YOU ARE TOTALLY RIGHT.
IT IS THIS PURITANISM. YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD, AND IF YOU
WANT SOMETHING ñ MEANWHILE, WE'RE SPENDING BILLIONS ñ AGAIN,
WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR THIS. WE HAVE THE MONEY TO EDUCATE OUR
PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM HEALTHCARE. WE'RE THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE
HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE. EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO BOMB ISIS, WE
HAVE THAT MONEY.
AFTER WE'VE DUG UP THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND PUT IT BACK TO
FRANCE, WE NEED A SYMBOL FOR THE COUNTRY. IT SHOULD BE A DUDE
BENT OVER WHIPPING HIMSELF, BECAUSE WE ARE ECONOMIC MASTER
IN THIS COUNTRY. THERE IS NO LEVEL OF SUFFERING THAT IS NOT
GOOD ENOUGH FOR US. FINAL POINT, IF YOU THINK BERNIE SANDERS IS A
HARD-CORE SOCIALIST, I THINK YOU SHOULD READ SOME OF THE
CRITIQUES OF HIS SPEECH WRITTEN BY ACTUAL RADICAL SOCIALISTS,
WHO THINK IT IS WEAK SAUCE.
HE WOULDN'T EVEN BE A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT IN THE 70S.