Healthcare Isn’t ‘Fringe:’ Bernie Sanders Says Voters Like Socialism When They Find Out What It Is

[Purveyor]

In a Monday appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) defended his socialist affinities, and argued that socialist policies could become popular in the United States if Americans become more literate in international economic affairs.

Meyers asked the Democratic presidential candidate this week if his willingness to self-label as socialist could be “a dangerous thing politically.” President Barack Obama, Meyers points out, “doesn’t consider himself socialist,” but Obama’s detractors hurl that word toward him anyway “as an insult.”

Does Sanders have concerns, Meyers wants to know, about “framing yourself” as a socialist politician, even giving the word “socialism’s” negative connotations in American culture?

Sanders predicts popular expressions of socialism-induced pearl clutching will go down in frequency as Americans become acquainted with basic concepts surrounding the modern global economy. The junior Senator of Vermont sees his presidential campaign as an “opportunity to describe what democratic socialism means.”

“What it means,” Sanders continues, “is you have countries like Denmark, Sweden, Norway, other European countries, which have had social democratic and labor governments.” In those countries, Sanders says to much audience applause, “health care is a right for all people. I don’t see that as a great problem.”

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http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/healthcare-isnt-fringe-bernie-sanders-says-voters-like-socialism-when-they-find-out-what-it-is/

[HassleCat]

1. Need some for all

Socialism should be available to all citizens, not just the wealthy.

[bigwillq]

2. Congrats on 500 posts!

[NCTraveler]

3. People have been working for a century to make this topic more comfortable to talk about.

They have done a great job laying the ground work. That includes Hillary through her time as first lady and beyond. So many have been talking about healthcare and moving it forward to a better place. Obama was huge in moving the conversation forward. We are slowly getting to the place where healthcare being talked about as a human right is acceptable. O'Malley is also good on this subject. The direction we are going is the right direction. It has taken a long time and it's success is based of the willingness of others to take risks and fail. It is not "fringe" today because of all of those who fought to make it so. Sanders is correct. It is no longer fringe.