Scripting an audacity of hope, the Sanders way (A whole new era of politics in the US)

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 Scripting an audacity of hope, the Sanders way (A whole new era of politics in the US)

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Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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• Bernie rising: The rise of the senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders (now of the Democratic Party), has surprised many. But the prime reason for his rise is a response to the uncontrolled rise in inequality (income and wealth).
• Impact of inequality: Today's inequality levels were seen a 100 years ago, not after that!

1. Standard of living of the working classes has fallen sharply
2. Wages have been stagnant for many years and longer working hours are needed
3. Health of working classes has deteriorated as a result (exhaustion, anxiety, job insecurity)
4. Since US is the only rich nation without a Universal Healthcare plan, most of such maladies go untreated!
5. Average lifespan in working classes is reducing!

• The Two Party System: US has a 2-party system and both contributed to the above malaise.

1. The Democratic Party, in some ways, was less of an evil as far as inequalities are concerned
2. It saw two waves of welfare state expansion - New Deal under President FD Roosevelt (1930s) and Great Society programme by President Lyndon Johson in 1960s.
3. Under Bill Clinton, Democrats became Republicans, as they followed the same neo-liberal economic principles.

• Revolt: The public has now revolted against the inequality, and Bernie Sanders is the face of it.

1. Bernie Sanders always was an independent, but for the Presidential race, joined the Democrats.
2. Sanders' views are actually not digestible to most Democrats, and they are trying to defeat him!
3. He is proposing national healthcare, a higher minimum wage, bigger social safety net, and a new foreign policy.

• The people of America: Bernie Sanders's campaign tells us that

1. citizens want a welfare state, and to say that they hate 'big government' is wrong
2. citizens only vote for the centrists.
3. Sanders is openly progressive, and not centrist in approach. He is appealing to the large number of poorer voters who choose to stay away from elections as the govt. has always sidelines their interests. The rich always go to vote!

• What about the race: Another myth is that he is only focused on "white" issues like wages, healthcare and education. But he is actually speaking for everyone - all non-whites. 
• Working classes rising: Now Bernie is driving the campaign in a strong way. All the efforts by the "Centre" to discredit him are now failing, and the working classes are coming out in larger numbers to support him. The Democratic Party is panicky, and wants to stop him.
• The truth: American parties cannot really control who runs on their tickets, as anyone can enter a primary, and if voters support them, no one can stop them. Sanders is running on hope, not anger, and that is about to change American politics for a long time!
• Summary : The American politics may change in a fundamental way with the rise of the progressive Bernie Sanders, and the fall of the rich, conservative "Centre"!

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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