2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: How to spot a threat to Democracy: Bernie Sanders and Philip K. Dick on radicalism and revolt [View all]DirkGently
(12,151 posts)Sanders is saying no more or less than FDR, who said,
"That in its essence is fascism: ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.
His brand of "socialism" only sounds "radical" to some because of the successful push for the idea that not only can money equate to power and control, but that it should.
Somehow a large block of our culture has been convinced that the core principal of America is the unimpeded pursuit of wealth and power. That money and guns equal speech, but speech itself is irrelevant.
It's only radical to oppose those things to the extent people are afraid to change them. It's only "revolutionary" because we have been pushed and shoved and trampled past the point of recognizing the way our democracy is supposed to work.
I am reminded of a friend who spoke to the state legislature on a women's issue, and had a state representative respond in utter confusion to the idea that she could be standing there, representing people who "wanted something," as though that was rude or inappropriate. I think she asked him whether lobbyists and campaign contributors ever came to him "wanting" something, at which point he sputtered, and said something about "young lady" to this woman who was probably five or 10 years his senior.
We have lost track of where we began. It may be a long way back, but that doesn't mean it is crazy to start off.
It just means we need to hurry.