Is Socialism The Answer?

by C. A. Matthews

When skies are cloudy and dark (like they are here most days in November), it’s hard imagining you’ll ever see the sun again. But then a little light starts to trickle through those thick clouds and then just a little more light and then… Suddenly the orange-red sun explodes across the horizon and bathes the bleak autumn landscape in its warm glow. You breathe a sigh of relief. All is not lost. There is hope in the world.

This past week gave Americans a glimmer of hope that perhaps all is not so dark or lost.

Everyone is talking about Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral election, so I don’t really feel like discussing his personal achievement of his win as much as the achievement of the voters of NYC. The voters’ achievement is what I find a glimmer of hope in.

How so? New Yorkers were inundated with an insane amount of propaganda—dare I call it hasbara—from Zionist donors who tried to equate a vote for Mamdani as a vote for Sharia Law and endless Islamic jihad. The videos and memes financed by the other candidates’ wealthy donors were just disgusting. Some went beyond the pale. It’s really telling that racism and Islamophobia is still very much alive and well in the US. The Civil Rights Movement of the last one hundred+ years counts for nothing to the billionaires, obviously.

But what I really found encouraging in all this distasteful mudslinging was that NYC voters didn’t fall for it. They didn’t let the smears and the name-calling dissuade them from voting for Mamdani. I praise them for seeing through the bullshit and standing up for themselves. What really gives me hope is that they were even okay with the ridiculous “He’s a Commie!” style insults hurled at Mamdani. It didn’t slow down New Yorkers from voting for him, at least not in significant numbers to cost him the election...

 

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This article is the 545th blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading, sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years. 

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Why It's a Wonderful Life

A blessed holiday season to you and yours from all of us at The Bernie Blog.

Why It's a Wonderful Life

by Kara Post-Kennedy

As far as holiday traditions go, spending time with family and watching the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life have become fairly ubiquitous. There’s nothing like kin in close quarters to inspire in us a need to be uplifted!  Ha.  My family, like many others I know, boasts a wide variety of political views, which makes for spicy conversation.  Personally, I think a wide variety of political views is a hallmark of great parenting. If all the kids grow up to have the exact same belief system,  that’s something called “brainwashing”, right?  


Anyhow, this Thanksgiving the “spicy” topic of Donald Trump came up. No surprise as there is no escaping the man, even at your own kitchen table.  Turns out the view that Donald Trump is nuts was the consensus from both sides of the aisle.  The possibility that his actual intention is to undermine the Republican Party by making them look like a bunch of intolerant extremists was floated without argument. The only point of contention that arose, in fact, was when the opinion that Bernie Sanders is also “crazy” was introduced.  

 My reaction? When did having high-minded ideals and dreams of a strong and thriving middle class become a “pie-in-the-sky” proposition in this country?  With Donald Trump doing well in the polls, I have to ask:  When did the paradigm shift happen that allowed so many people to start rooting for Mr. Potter instead of George Bailey?

For those of you unfamiliar with the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is the hero, a man who sacrifices his dreams to run a family building and loan company, the only thing standing between the middle class families of his town and a selfish, greedy miser named Mr. Potter.  Because Bailey Building & Loan is cutting into his bottom line, Mr. Potter tries to lure George away from his humble life with grandiose promises of wealth and freedom from the weight of what George sees as his moral responsibility to his fellow man.  Potter tells George, “We’ll have so much winning, you’ll get bored with winning!”  

 Oh wait, no… Donald Trump said that.  

What Mr. Potter said was, “You wouldn't mind living in the nicest house in town. Buying your wife a lot of fine clothes, going to New York on a business trip a couple of times a year...”  George’s response to this offer is unselfish and wise: “You sit around here and you spin your little webs and you think the whole world revolves around you and your money.  Well, it doesn't, Mr. Potter!”  

Donald Trump has said, “I’m really rich. And by the way, I’m not saying that in a bragging way; that’s the kind of mindset you need for this country.”  Lionel Barrymore, who plays Mr. Potter, even scrunches up his face into the same weird scowl Trump does.  Role model alert!

The crux of the conflict between Mr. Potter and George is that Mr. Potter believes that giving the middle class a break will result in “a discontented, lazy rabble”.  Donald Trump has said, “If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable.”  

But Americans work longer hours for lower wages, take less vacations and retire later than the citizens of any other developed country on earth.  Do you supposed the burn-out and discouragement the middle class is feeling right now might best be solved by “whistling while we work”?   

Bernie Sanders thinks that raising the minimum wage might actually be somewhat more helpful.  He has said, “In the year 2015, no one who works 40 hours a week should be living in poverty.”  Does that really seem like a crazy ideal?  

 In the movie, the first time Mr. Potter tries to shut down Bailey Building & Loan, George is incredulous that the man is actually against his father’s goal of helping middle class families realize their dream of home ownership.:  “Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers?” George asks.  Donald Trump says “having a low minimum wage is not a bad thing for this country” and has no plans to raise it.  Do you want to know who having a low minimum wage is great for?  Corporations and business people like Trump that can increase their wealth on the backs of men and women living in poverty.  

 Is this the wonderful life we dreamed of as Americans?

The climax of the clash between George’s high ideals and Mr. Potter’s self-interest comes when George’s forgetful Uncle Billy loses an $8,000 bank deposit, effectively destroying the business that both George and his father fought so long and hard to maintain.  When Mr. Potter swoops in like the vulture that he is, the people of the community rally behind George. Everyone contributes as they can to save the day.  


Oo, that sounds a little socialist, doesn’t it?   

Bernie Sanders calls himself a “Democratic Socialist." He says  it means, “We must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy”.  He proposes universal health care and free college tuition, things that are working in other thriving societies like Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. 

Here’s the question we should be asking ourselves:  If we have successful working models in wealthy countries of Democratic Socialism, what exactly is our objection to it?  Are we afraid we’ll have so much winning we’ll get bored with winning?  Why are we so moved when everyone contributes what they can to save George (and their town as well) but so offended by the idea that the rich can afford to pitch in more to save their fellow citizens (and country).   

Perhaps you're saying to yourself, “Well, that is just a movie and this is real life!”  And I will say to you, "Why can’t real life be wonderful, too?" Not just for those from privileged backgrounds but for all of us?  Why is a man (Mr. Potter) who keeps the $8,000 he doesn’t need that could save his neighbor considered a villain in a movie--but a similar man (Trump) is a contending presidential candidate in real life?  

Bio:  I am a Mom, writer and blogger at Your New Best Friend:  http://karapostkennedy.blogspot.com/ 

Bright Lights for Bernie Shine Over Toledo 

 December 18th may have been the new Star Wars movie premiere, but it was also the debut of Bernie's Light Brigade in Toledo, Ohio. These brave Buckeye Bernie supporters donned lots of warm clothing (temperatures were well below freezing after dark) and stood on a busy overpass bridge at Monroe Avenue and I-475, as well as a few other street corners in the area. They report that they got quite a few honks and "Go Bernie!" thumbs up from drivers and passers-by.  Don't their signs look awesome? Click on this link to learn out more about how you and your friends can become members of Bernie's Light Brigade today. Feel free to email photos from your events to The Bernie Blog so we can share them with others. Thank you.

Bernie's Light Brigade--brightening the world and sharing the love and hope of the Bernie Sanders Revolution.  Enjoy the lights and #FeeltheBern everyone!

 

Buster Chats with Readers About “Socialism”

We wish you all a happy and healthful Thanksgiving Day.

BUSTER CHATS WITH READERS ABOUT “SOCIALISM”

By Buster Brown Town

When I talk about the democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, many readers love to quote Margaret Thatcher who said, “Socialists are happy until they run out of other people’s money.” Margaret, bless her silly heart, clearly misunderstood the concept of “taxation.” Government is in the business of Spending Other People’s Money. They’re gonna take your money no matter what. That’s a done deal. The question is how do you want them to spend your money? Right now, most of it goes to war machinery and subsidies and tax breaks for the rich and the corporations who have bought our Congress. Is that okay with you?

It kind of makes sense to me that we take some of that money and put it toward rebuilding our infrastructure, which will create a ton of private sector jobs, investing to make sure our kids are educated for the jobs of the future, and asking profitable businesses and corporations to stop expecting the taxpayers to pick up the tab for food stamps and medicaid because they are not willing to give their workers a living wage.

“Socialism” is just a word that scares you because there are people going out of their way to scare you. This ain’t Russia or Cuba or China or Nazi Germany or even Greece. This is America, and the basic things that Bernie is talking about are things we all had in the “glory days” of the 50s and 60s when America truly was exceptional. What’s wrong with that?

Buster Brown Town is a professor of odd human behavior at Dogville Academy. Buster blogs for Bernie, bites billionaires and will bark for food. His web sites:

www.busterbrowntown.com

https://www.facebook.com/buster.browntown?fref=ts

Professor Town is also the founder of Dogs for Humanity, a not-for-profit with the motto: “We may not be human, but we are humane.”  We asked Mr. Town to tell us why he’s supporting Bernie:

“That’s easy!  I’m a dog. We’re Man’s Best Friend. We don’t care if you’re rich or poor.  We don’t care if you’re white or black or brown or yellow or red; we don’t care if you’re straight or gay or male or female or young or old; we love you all. Also, we’re pack animals. We want everyone in our pack to do well because that’s how the pack survives. Bernie is the only candidate who thinks like a dog. We refer to him affectionately as Saint Bernard.”

Watch Bernie Sanders describe what he means by “democratic socialism” and find out what other U.S. presidents have been labeled as "socialist” in his talk to the students of Georgetown University. (Bernie's remarks begin about the 1:33 mark on the timeline.) Click on the You Tube video link below and feel the Bern! 

Bernie Sanders's New Deal Socialism is a very good article which also explains Bernie's position.

Why Bernie Sanders Will Win -- Part 1: Economics

Doc Brown has been to the future--and he knows who will be our next president!

 Why Bernie Sanders Will Win – Part 1: Economics

by Joe Brunoli

a.k.a. EuroYankee

The establishment political set and the mainstream media seem to be wholly fixated on writing off Bernie Sanders as an “extreme left” politician from a “small, mostly white state” and a “self-proclaimed socialist.” And because of these attributes, he has no chance of winning in the general election – this presumably because America is a “centrist-right” or even a “conservative” country.

They are overlooking some very basic facts of history and socio-economics, as well as politics. It is true that over the past 35 years, “liberal” has been become an epithet, while “conservative” has become an emblem that more and more Americans feel comfortable with. But why is that?

It Started with Reagan

Ronald Reagan embodied a strident, “conservative” persona, rejecting Jimmy Carter’s namby-pamby “liberal” identity. The so-called “Reagan Democrats” were drawn to Reagan because he was willing to tell then that they did not have to lower their thermostats, drive smaller cars, or switch to the metric system. America was a “shining city on a hill” whose best days lay ahead. America was perceived as weak in the world, and he, Ronald Reagan, would beef up the military and make America strong again.  He played on racial tensions, revving up the “Southern Strategy” that had worked for other Republican candidates since Nixon. And of, course, Reagan was the first one to propose a Constitutional amendment to ban abortion.

“God, Guns and Gays”

Since 1980, the idea of what makes a “conservative” has been framed in mostly non-economic terms.  Creationism, Christianity, Abortion, Gay Rights, Gun Control, Affirmative Action – these are the key issues that defined an American as a Conservative. It was never so much about tax cuts and small government, as far as the average voter was concerned. Sure, every conservative would automatically stand for cutting taxes, but that was an auxiliary, second tier issue that did not engender the type of fervor among the electorate.

For thirty years, Republicans won elections by putting gay marriage, abortion rights and other cultural “wedge issues” on the ballot.  And they are still using that playbook. 

The Democrats, for their part, have also happily played into this game. The Democratic Leadership Council, headed by Bill Clinton, co-opted conservative economic principles and left the Democratic Party only a slim playing field on which to oppose Republicans on cultural issues. “Liberal” billionaire donors like George Soros, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer give to Democrats to support cultural, social or environmental issues – not economic ones. These are smart men. After all, they know enough not to go against their own economic interests.

But for just how long can the American voter be asked to vote against his or her own economic interests in order to promote their positions on cultural issues?

Bernie Not Afraid to Speak about the Economy

In Bernie’s speech announcing his candidacy, he spent fully 45% of his time speaking about economic issues – more than twice as much as any of the other candidates, and almost three times as much time as Hillary Clinton did. Some Republican candidates didn't even mention economics in their announcement speeches.

Resentment at growing wealth inequality, the disappearance of the middle class, the harsh reality that most people are moving backwards economically compared to their parents – these are all issues that have been percolating, seething below the surface of the superficial political debate in America. But they are important issues, and when people say that Bernie is “touching a nerve” they vastly underestimate the power of his message.

As an Independent who refuses to take PAC money or billionaires’ donations, Bernie now occupies a unique position in American political history. I believe history will show that his is the winning ticket.

Bio: Joe Brunoli, a.k.a. The EuroYankee, is a US ex-pat with dual US-EU citizenship. Originally from Connecticut, Joe currently splits his time between his ancestral residence on Lake Como, Italy, and his apartment in Barcelona, Spain. He travels Europe extensively for his work and tries to find time to comment on trends, attitudes, politics and points of interest - especially as they may affect or regard the US. 

Have you been hosting debate watch parties, voter registration parties, etc., for Bernie? Have you been inputting them into the national site's event map? Please remember to do so in order to give them an idea just how many events are happening and how many Bernie supporters are out there. #FeeltheBern and keep spreading the word--Bernie Sanders for president in 2016!

Why I Support Bernie Sanders for President, Part 2

Why I Support Bernie Sanders for President, Part 2

By George Oeser

To recap:  I have been living in the Netherlands. The time I have spent here has allowed me to see, first hand, what happens when a country takes a different path than America: To see the results of certain policies and programs with my own eyes instead of just watching what one talking head or another with a particular agenda has to say on TV. I have been surprised by many of the things I have seen here, and my mind has changed on several issues. It has affected who I will be voting for. I hope you can find this information valuable to your own decision making process. 

People in the Netherlands work hard and take risks, not because of a lack of a safety net but because a strong safety net exists. In America, if you start a new business and it fails, you can lose everything. This prevents many people from starting a new business or trying to turn their ideas into great new inventions. The rewards may be great, but the risks are just too high. In Holland, you know that if your business fails you at least will still be able to feed and house your family and send your kids to college. This makes taking risks much more worthwhile. The entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive and well in Holland.

In Holland, almost everyone speaks English extremely well, along with their native Dutch and often times German and French as well. This allows the Netherlands to be very competitive in the global market. This is only possible because the Dutch place great importance on education. Schools are well funded; teachers are well paid; higher education is kept affordable. All of this allows the Netherlands to be a center of high tech industry and a world leader in innovation. 

The Dutch education system is amazing. Children go to schools that are funded by the government but normally run by private organizations. Often times these are religious organizations or civic groups that are required to meet government regulations while at the same time being allowed to bring their own culture into the educational process. Higher education is also funded by the government through a series of exceptionally high quality universities and technical schools. Higher education is not free, but costs are regulated so that everyone can afford to get an education if they choose to. 

You need well-educated people to compete and lead in the world today. America is falling behind in this area. Sure, we have of the best paid college presidents and coaches in the world, but many students can’t afford college or are forced into crushing debt to attend, and our country has suffered as a consequence. 

In Holland, seeing your primary physician never costs you a penny. This means that people are willing to go to the doctor sooner, which means a simple problem can be kept from turning into a serious condition. This also means less sick days and a more productive workforce. Adding to the high productivity levels are a minimum of four weeks paid vacation per year, paid maternity leave, and higher wages that make employees willing to work harder because they don't feel like they are being cheated every time they see one of their pay stubs. This allows more families to have a parent who is able to be at home with the kids at all times, which of course is better for the children who become the next generation of well-educated, well-paid, and highly motivated workers and entrepreneurs. 

Workers in the Netherlands are pretty much just as productive as workers in America, but American full time workers put in an average of 46.7 hours a week while Dutch workers average just 29 hours per week. Think about overtime pay and regular pay combined—are American companies really saving money by paying their employees less and offering them fewer benefits?

I know what many of you are thinking: “What about taxes?” It is true that taxes are considerably higher in the Netherlands than in the United States, no doubt about that. But to stop the conversation there wouldn't tell the entire story. You have to compare the cost against the benefits. For example, if someone could move into a city and be closer to work, have more free time and spend less on fuel because of a shorter commute, spend more time with their family, get an extra hour of sleep every day, and generally live a higher quality of life, but they refused to do so because their rent would go up by 10%, something they could easily afford, you would think they were crazy. Americans should think the same way about taxes. 

Yes, taxes in the Netherlands are higher, but they result in lower healthcare costs, lower educational costs, lower transportation costs, a higher quality of life, and many other benefits that greatly outweigh the higher tax rates. The problem isn't high taxes—the  problem is feeling like you get nothing in return for your taxes. In America, we could lower our taxes by 90%, but if we didn't feel like we were getting anything for our money we would still think our taxes were too high. This is why the higher taxes aren't a big problem in the Netherlands. They feel like quite a bargain. 

While the national government of the Netherlands is quite strong, it does not hold all of the power. Local governments, the sections of the government closest to and most connected to the people, have considerable power. The national government may provide funding to local governments that has to be spent on roads or on education or on cultural initiatives, but the municipalities get to determine how those funds are specifically spent in their areas. This allows tax money to be spent in the most effective ways possible so it can benefit the largest number of people. 

As I mentioned earlier, I believe that we could learn a tremendous amount from a country like the Netherlands, but so far in the presidential race it only seems one candidate has paid attention to these lessons. Bernie Sanders has stood up for workers and American families. He supports policies that will benefit the middle class and help the poor work their way out of poverty. He is the only candidate who is not being supported by billionaire donors who want to maintain the current policies that are benefiting them in the short term but destroying America over time. This means he is the only candidate who can act on these lessons because he isn't beholden to the 1%.

Bernie  Sanders sees the ripple effects of policies.  Fight poverty and you can't help but be fighting racism at the exact same time. Increase educational opportunities and you increase business opportunities as well. Creating a better public transportation system creates more jobs and gives people more access to opportunities. All of these things could happen in America. All of these things could benefit everyone in America, even the wealthiest among us. Bernie Sanders wants to combine the best ideas from countries like Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands with the drive and ambition of America so that the United States can work better, be more efficient, and make opportunity available to everyone.

Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who wants to help America live up to its potential, and he is the only candidate who will be able to do anything other than simply serve the desires of the wealthy. Bernie Sanders is the one candidate who really understands and supports the American dream. That's why I support Sanders for president.

Bio: George Oeser is a photographer, born and raised in Tennessee but currently living in the Netherlands. He spends much of his time thinking about how much he misses good Southern food. His web site: George Oeser Photography

An Honest Socialist

Does this mean Bernie can count on your vote, Gov. Jindal?

An Honest Socialist

by A. J. Matthews

Why shouldn't a person be honest about holding socialist views? Why is being termed a "democratic socialist" seen as a negative thing by politicians like Bobby Jindal? Mostly the word "socialism" suffers because of 70 year old rhetoric still being bandied about today.

Socialism got a bad name during the dark days of the Cold War when it was mistakenly equated with Soviet-style Communism. However, there are significant differences:

1. Socialism is an economic system while communism is both an economic and political system.

2. In socialism, the resources of the economy are managed and controlled by the people themselves through communes or councils while in communism, management and control rest on a few people in a single authoritarian party.

3. Socialists distribute wealth to the people based on an individual’s productive efforts while communists farm out wealth based on an individual’s needs.

4. Socialists can own personal properties while communists can not.

5. Socialism allows capitalism to exist in its midst while communism seeks to get rid of capitalism.

Source: http://www.differencebetween.net/ Read more.

 

These differences were enough to allow the United States from the end of World War II onward to cooperate fully with socialist governments around the world with few qualms since it meant having allies against the Soviet Union. Today, the four Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland can boast of the highest standards of living in the world, and they've had democratic socialist governments for the past seventy years.

Democratic socialists? Who are they?
  

Democratic socialism is a political ideology advocating a democratic political system alongside a socialist economic system, involving a combination of political democracy with social ownership of the means of production. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism

The Cold War is over, and yet there are those who'll use the same rhetoric, inspire that same old fear of "The Reds" to cow the American people into voting against their best interests. As always, follow the money. Certain people face serious problems in making vast sums of money if the American government followed democratic socialist principles. These people are the oligarchs, also known as "the 1%." These people tell us socialism is bad.

Let's face it--the odds that any of us reading this blog will become rich enough to be in that 1% are slim to none. We could work hard our whole lives, save every penny we can, and still we'll have less money at the end of our days than one of these oligarchs obtains in one month.

Think on that. While the corporate bosses, multi-millionaires and billionaires to a man (and yes, they are mostly men) quibble over paying employees a living wage of $15 an hour, most of them have an income that calculates to fifteen bucks or more per second. Most of the 1% place their profits into tax havens such as offshore accounts in the trillions of dollars. It was estimated in 2012 that these oligarchs have funneled at least $32 trillion in financial assets out of the country. 

$32 trillion? Exactly how big is that? Take the digits 3 and 2 and stick twelve zeros behind them: $32,000,000, 000, 000. That's enough to give every man, woman and child currently living in the United States $96,969 each.

Is the hoarding of $32 trillion fair and equitable? No, of course not! It's obscene. Socialism offers a way to place a firm cap on the naked greed of the 1%. It's an honest form of government. To give an example from Bernie Sanders' policies, taxing Wall Street at a tiny .1% per transaction will generate enough money to give everyone who wants to attend college four years free public university tuition, which is in line with many European countries. 

And you read that right--the tax is really that small: just one-tenth of one percent. Consider the kind of wealth Wall Street generates to be able to raise that much money from such a miniscule tax. It's staggering.

There are some folks, usually people who dream of being in the 1% one day, who say, "Socialism means giving someone the shirt off another person's back." This statement is downright misleading and deceptive. The 1% don't care if you have a shirt or not. If you can't afford to buy a shirt from them, the 1% are not interested in you. They've got better things to do, like demanding that their paid-for politicians give them more tax cuts and more corporate welfare subsidies, the money for which comes out of the pockets of the working poor. 

"Shirts for the poor?" asks the 1%. "Who cares about shirts? Who cares about the poor?

There's a lot wrong with this country. Democratic socialism can and will fix it. If the term "Democratic Socialist" still bothers you, perhaps you can use the term "Progressive." Bernie Sanders terms his policies "progressive policies." If you do a little investigating, you'll see how the policies Sen. Sanders has proposed differ very little from those espoused by the Republican Party sixty years ago or those of the Democratic Party forty years ago.

Think about the many benefits we enjoy today, thanks to socialist-oriented policies such as the Interstate Highway System, instituted under Republican president Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Social Security and Medicare benefits for our senior citizens.

If any of this resonates with you, then you'll want to vote for Bernie Sanders!

Bio: A. J. Matthews is an author and artist who says to all his fellow Bernie supporters: #FeeltheBern 

What Do Women Think About Bernie Sanders?

A lot of people are probably wondering if Bernie Sanders is attracting the attention (and votes) of female voters. Political pundits go on about how Bernie can only "attract people who look like him" and, therefore, he cannot be drawing women, minority or younger voters to his campaign. 

From what we at The Bernie Blog have experienced, nothing could be further from the truth. (How else can we explain Women for Bernie?) If you are still in doubt, listen to the voices of two women from two very different parts of the country--Hawaii and Ohio--and see what they have to say about Bernie Sanders running for the presidency.

Badge art by Jane Jefferies

Millions are Feeling the Bern!

by Eloise Engman

It’s early in the primary season, and the democratic primary race is getting interesting. I’m excited about Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont. His voting record shows he has worked consistently for social justice, the environment, civil rights, and the middle class during his political career. Pundits on the left and right all agree: Sanders is “authentic”, which is extremely rare in politics. He walks his talk consistently.

Sanders is a leading voice on climate change, campaign finance reform, income inequality and getting big money out of politics. Senator Sanders is also outspoken on civil liberties, and has been particularly critical of mass surveillance policies such as the Patriot Act, and spying conducted by the NSA.

Bernie Sanders is rising in the polls, and he’s ignited the internet, especially Facebook. Millions are “Feeling the Bern!” Sanders message is resonating with Americans of all persuasions. I have a libertarian Christian friend who said he may well vote for the self-described “Democratic Socialist.” People are realizing we already live in a socialist society. Most of the institutions we hold dear are socialist programs, such as public funding of the military, highways and roads, bridges, public libraries, police, fire departments, US post office, libraries, garbage collection, public landfills, the EPA, Social Security, museums, public schools, public parks, sewer systems, Medicare, the courts system, and much more.

Please visit https://berniesanders.com/issues/ for more info on Senator Bernie Sander’s candidacy for president of the US. Or visit his official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/berniesanders

Here's what Eloise Engman says about herself: Born and raised in Honolulu, I've lived on Maui since 1977, raising three daughters who are all independent women now. I've also lived in Seattle, Washington, and Pensacola, Florida. I have a special affinity for Letters to the Editor as I started a movement and organization (GMO-Free Maui) with such letters. Aloha!

My Mother Was a Democratic Socialist
by Barb McMillen

A drunk named Snowball was asking kids in the Philadelphia schoolyard for food. I ran home and told our mother, and she made sandwiches for me to take back to him. 

Jump ahead thirty years to Toledo, Ohio, where houses all around me are in foreclosure. It is the result of the government repealing Glass-Steagall (controls on capitalism) and that resulted in a huge corporate bailout. Subsequently taxpayers lost their jobs, homes, life savings. And not one corporatist on Wall Street has gone to jail. Add NAFTA to the mix and all the jobs have gone to China.

Doesn’t that make you angry? 

Bernie Sanders is a Democratic Socialist--think capitalism with a heart. That means he thinks all those people who lost their houses and their pensions and their kids’ college money have value and are not simply collateral damage. It means he thinks all those welfare breaks we gave Wall Street and the corporatists were really bad breaks for American citizens. 

Bernie Sanders reminds me that mom sent me to the schoolyard with sandwiches for Snowball. Not with the police and not with blame. I know in my heart that Mom was a Democratic Socialist. And I know for a fact she would have loved Bernie.

Barb McMillen is a co-creator of The Bernie Blog. She lives in Northwest Ohio and is doing all she can to bring about Bernie's political revolution in the Buckeye state. Go Team Bernie! 

Got an event or a helpful web site link to share?

Have you got an event or a "helps" web site you'd like to share with others? List it at The Bernie Blog! Email us at thebernieblog2016@gmail.com with the info and link. (Yes, Bernie supporters and others frequently check out our links and pages, so this is a great place to promote your site.)

Ballotpedia is a web site that tells you more about the voting process. You can find out when your state's primary is, and how and when you need to register to vote in the primary. Ballotpedia -- http://ballotpedia.org/Important_dates_in_the_2016_presidential_race 

Thanks for all your feedback and shares. Keep it coming! #FeeltheBern  We are making it happen--Bernie Sanders in 2016! #Bernie2016