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Bernie has spent the past 50 years advocating socialist ideology while denying he was a "real" socialist---until recently.
Now, when cornered, Bernie explains he's not "that" kind of socialist---he's actually a "Democratic Socialist."
I wouldn't mention it, except he, (or Mayor Pete), may well be the Democrat nominee for President of the United States---especially if Biden continues to self destruct.
What is a "Democratic Socialist?"
Does the Bible teach socialism or capitalism?
Be informed.
The candidacy of Bernie Sanders for the Democrat nomination raises real prospects of a real socialist as President of the United States.
Notably, Sanders lives like other famous and infamous elite socialist leaders, telling people to "do what I say, not what I do," but he really doesn't get into the details of what he means by "Democratic Socialist"---other than offering lots of people lots of free stuff.
Let's take a look at socialism---and Democratic Socialism.
Wisdom from afar on socialism.
Marina Medvin was born in the USSR. She knows all about free stuff from social elites. And she has been writing a lot about it from her first-hand knowledge as Bernie has begun to rise (again) in the Democrat race for the White House.
Medvin wrote awhile back, "Bernie Sanders has spent his career publicly announcing and executing plans to steal large portions of cash from hardworking Americans in order to redistribute their money at his will to whomever he deems worthy of his sympathies. He calls this theft 'high taxes'."
She says, "I was born in the USSR. Since demonic leaders like Sanders glorify the slavery that is socialism, let me refresh your information about the USSR through first-hand experience."
She then gives a long list of first-hand accounts of living under socialism. These are a few of her memories:
- We waited in line for food, clothes and whatever else the government was willing to sell to us on the backs of their trucks. You couldn't choose what to buy, when of how. You would take whatever was available and then trade later if you didn't need it.
- Food was rationed. Food was distributed in portions. Portions were computed based on ration coupons. You got the portion the government chose to give you. Without your ration coupons, you got no food.
- We could not speak against the government. It was jailable.
- People were afraid of one another. If you snitched something on your neighbor, the government rewarded you---so we all had rugs hanging on our walls to diminish the sounds of our voices.
- The worship of any god was not allowed. Remember the line in the Bible when Jesus says "I was dead, and now look I am alive forever" well my first-grade soviet textbook opened up with a page that read, 'Lenin lived. Lenin lives. Lenin will live forever.' That was your godly substitute. You had to worship accordingly.
And about all the free stuff: She says, "Every month, my family was taken away from the city where we lived by government buses to a government farm to harvest potatoes. And this only high lights some of the evils of socialism."
She remembers that her father took her into a store with empty shelves---he wanted her to look at the empty shelves just before her family moved to America. He told young Marina, "America will be different." She says, "I didn't even have a concept of plenty or choice."
Marina knows that about 47% of Americans now tell polls that they could---and may, vote for socialism and a socialist President of the United States. Out a heart of deep concern she says this:
"Capitalism is liberating, Capitalism makes America great. Capitalism is what keeps people free and productive and innovative. It is the direct ideological opposite of socialism, which is a system of slavery, poverty and unproductiveness. That is why I love America and American capitalism---it liberated me and my family, who were held captive by the chains of socialism. Never again."
History affirms that in every case where socialism has been imposed, the results have been a form of slavery, not utopia.
The skeptic would say, come on Gary, we all know Bernie isn't that kind of socialist.
Wisdom from home on socialism.
Paul Gregory, with the Hoover Institution, is asking, "How socialist is Bernie Sanders?"
Gregory observes,
"Notably, Sanders reveals little about what socialism means to him, other than giving many things away free. He disarms critics by asserting that he is not a 'socialist' but a 'Democratic Socialist' without defining what that means."
Gregory gives a detailed backdrop of Sanders' political activities, reminding us that "socialism burst on the American political scene with Sanders, openly telling the public he is a Democratic Socialist."
He says the election of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib to the House added momentum to the socialist chic sweeping this country.
If fact, he says, "In the past few years candidates identifying themselves as socialists have won more than 50 state and municipal offices, the latest being the election of five candidates to the Chicago city council."
Socialist Kshama Sawant is currently on the Seattle City Council.
Sanders has spent his long political career advocating for socialist ideals, with the press never really pushing back asking the hard question of what Bernie really believes.
When pushed, Sanders always says he is not really a socialist, but a "Democratic Socialist," as if everyone understands what that is.
They don't.
The Democratic Socialists of America is America's largest socialist party. Unlike Sanders, they are not timid in publicly sharing their agenda and goals.
Gregory very succinctly goes through the 4 basic beliefs and goals of the organization. I would encourage you to read his entire article if you want to be more informed.
This is a brief overview of their beliefs and agenda.
1. Democratic socialism wants more than an expansive welfare state. They want a complete socialist culture.
2. They believe capitalism is a zero-sum game in which the rich get richer by making the poor and working-class poorer.
3. The poor, working-class and other underdogs can overturn the capitalist order only if they are organized.
4. Capital must be publicly owned because there is no real democracy with private ownership of capital. Only a handful of elites are capable of handling the money---call the shots.
Gregory writes, "Sanders is fully on board with the Democratic Socialists of America platform and agenda."
You will note, if you listen to Bernie, that he is consistently calling for "a political revolution to transform our country economically, politically, socially and environmentally." Only by organizing the people against business and the rich.
Karl Marx declared that a socialist revolution would be required to part the capitalists from their capital.
Today's socialists see a different path to achieve the same end. Organize the poor, the working class, and all other oppressed groups into an "overbearing majority," using them to impose a socialist agenda---which would "remake" America---a phrase Obama used often, and an agenda that Bernie advocates consistently.
Yes, he is a socialist. And he has said he is probably an atheist.
Capitalism is biblical.
In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), Jesus is very clear with His capitalist beliefs. Jim Wallis and his so-called Religious Left would have Him be a flaming socialist, but Scripture declares a very different view.
Bernie and AOC would have had Jesus tell the story differently. The businessman in Bernie's world would have distributed his resources "to each according to his need," but Jesus has the businessman distributing the money from "each according to his ability.
My friend Bryan Fischer has written an excellent article on this subject. I encourage you to read it.
Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful.