EJ Dionne on Bernie Sanders

[MBS]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bernie-sanders-the-new-st-nick/2015/05/31/7fb3ba76-0659-11e5-bc72-f3e16bf50bb6_story.html

How is it that Democrats forgot about the joys Santa Claus can bring? How is it that Republicans managed to steal the Santa idea from the party of FDR and never let go? Understanding why Bernie Sanders’s presidential candidacy is important requires revisiting the politics of St. Nick. The senator from Vermont has little chance of defeating Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. But he is reminding his party of something it often forgets: Government was once popular because it provided tangible benefits to large numbers of Americans.At a time of rising inequality and short-circuited social mobility, Sanders is unapologetic about taking some wealth and income away from those who have a lot of both to ease the path upward for those who don’t. He has proudly called himself a democratic socialist, but he doesn’t spin abstract Marxist theories. He wants government to do stuff, and the sort of stuff he has in mind is potentially quite popular.. . .
. ..
And far from cutting Social Security, he wants to expand benefits. Why? Because the decline in employer-guaranteed pensions is leaving many of today’s retirees (and will likely leave most of tomorrow’s) without the retirement security that was once far more common. He is also big on pre-kindergarten and paid sick leave. He’d pay for his new spending with substantial tax increases on the best-off.
. . .
Of course, there are legitimate questions about his largesse. But consider what a victory it would be for those who are weary of responding defensively to the phrase “tax and spend” if the sack of proposals Sanders carries over his shoulder began to reframe the popular debate. Suddenly, the country would be asking of this or that idea: “Why not?” Nothing could be better for politics than expanding our imaginations about what we might usefully do together to solve some big problems.
And far from hurting a likely Clinton general-election campaign, Sanders will help Clinton by shifting the boundaries of a public conversation dominated by a crabbed and pessimistic attitude toward what government can do. . . .

[delrem]

1. It isn't "tax and spend", it's "tax and spend where?"

On an insane military causing havoc the world over?
On civil infrastructure?

On programs and enterprises that have a heart?

[CentralMass]

2. Rob from the poor and give to the rich.

[rurallib]

3. with tea baggers it is borrow and give to the rich

[underpants]

4. Great read

Rec'd