Sanders' Acorn

[bigtree]

Bernie Sanders gave a very interesting speech defending his politics - both identifying with past pols, like FDR, who, he reminded the college crowd in Georgetown, was accused in his time of being a 'socialist' because of his New Deal proposals - and relating his own humanistic policies to those historic, liberal initiatives.

FWIW, I don't think Sanders is a socialist, in the very strictest of definitions or terms. Nor do I believe FDR was a socialist. The New Deal proposals, however, may well have roots in Socialist initiatives.

I'm going to use Wiki for this little story:

The End Poverty in California movement (EPIC) was a political campaign started in 1934 by famed socialist writer Upton Sinclair. The movement formed the basis for Sinclair’s campaign for Governor of California in 1934. The plan called for a massive public works program, sweeping tax reform, and guaranteed pensions. The plan gained major support, with thousands joining End Poverty Leagues across the state. EPIC never came to fruition due to Sinclair’s defeat in the 1934 election, but is seen as an influence on New Deal programs enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

After two previous unsuccessful runs for Governor as a member of the Socialist Party, Sinclair was encouraged by the election of President Roosevelt in 1932 to switch his affiliation to the Democratic Party in September 1933. A grassroots movement soon formed in support of EPIC, with thousands joining End Poverty Leagues across the state. A weekly newspaper, the EPIC News, appeared in support of the plan, and reached a circulation of nearly a million by the time of the Gubernational primary in August 1934. Several EPIC-supporting candidates won the primaries for state assembly and state senate seats. Sinclair didn’t find total support from his party, however, with Roosevelt refusing to endorse Sinclair, seeing the plan as too radical.

EPIC faced major opposition by the Republican Party and major media figures. Opponents of EPIC “organized the most lavish and creative dirty-tricks campaign ever seen—one that was to become a landmark in American politics” involving “turning over a major campaign to outside advertising, publicity, media and fundraising consultants for the first time.” Notable among these opponents were the heads of the major movie studios in Hollywood. This was largely due to Sinclair’s proposal to hand over idle movie studio lots to unemployed film workers to make movies of their own. In reaction, the studio heads threatened to move film operations to Florida, and deducted money from employee’s paychecks to give directly to the campaign of Sinclair’s Republican opponent for Governor, Frank Merriam. In addition, two of the state’s most influential media moguls, William Randolph Hearst and Harry Chandler used their papers to solely cover Merriam’s campaign and to attack Sinclair. In the face of this coordinated opposition, and without the backing of Roosevelt, Sinclair began trailing Merriam in the polls. On November 6, 1934, Merriam defeated Sinclair with 1,138,629 (48.9%) to Sinclair’s 879,537 (37.8%). Despite his defeat, Sinclair’s vote total was the twice as large as the vote total of any Democratic candidate in California history to that point. In addition, two dozen candidates running on the EPIC platform were elected to the state legislature.

Despite Sinclair’s defeat, EPIC is still recognized as being strongly influential on Roosevelt’s New Deal programs after 1934. Harry Hopkins, a senior adviser to Roosevelt who would go on to oversee many New Deal programs, proposed an End Poverty in America campaign in late 1934 that the New York Times wrote “differs from Sinclair’s plan in detail, but not in principle.”

My conclusion? So much for the bugaboos about Socialism and public policy. One of the arguably greatest social initiatives and undertaking in America was based on a Socialist ideal.

That doesn't mean that Sen. Sanders is going to suspend fire against his political identification as a 'Democratic Socialist' by pointing to FDR. Roosevelt didn't escape the attempt in his time to paint his initiatives outside of the American mainstream of political reasoning, and Sen. Sanders won't either.

Yet, Sen. Sanders and his supporters can confidently point to the legacy of Roosevelt in establishing a social safety net as they promote their candidate's own populist agenda - clearly influenced by a proud and thoughtful Socialist legacy - many facets of which, as he noted in his speech this afternoon, are currently being practiced by successful, progressive economies around the world.

What of Upton Sinclair, the Socialist candidate, encouraged by the election of FDR to change his party affiliation to Democrat? As Wiki noted, State Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk later declared that Sinclair's EPIC was “the acorn from which evolved the tree of whatever liberalism we have in California.”

From these acorns, mighty trees...

[HerbChestnut]

1. Well said, bigtree.

Though I fear that our own party is fighting against those ideals. Without trying to be too harsh, Hillary Clinton has sold out the $15/hr movement and the universal healthcare movement by actively campaigning against both. What does it mean for the future of the party if one of our most prominent figures won't support a basic progressive agenda?

[JaneyVee]

2. He should have stuck with "progressive"...

Seriously, he would be polling higher.

[bigtree]

3. I'm not a fan of conducting elections according to polls

...I hope he 'sticks with' whatever he believes in his heart and mind.

[KoKo]

4. Yes....the Acorn from which Springs....

Nice reminder. I believe that in his heart and soul, that is what he wants to do. Whether he wins, or not, he wants to remind young Americans and the rest of us that this country needs to begin to care about all of its People and their needs rather than the constant focus on the top 1% which we've been obsessed with glorifying for a long time, now.

[bigtree]

8. for too long

...programs and initiatives which benefit the vast majority of Americans living well below where most of our tax dollars flow have been fought against by the right wing as largess and special interest. It's past time to bring these concerns into the mainstream of our economic debate and to stop funding them as some miserly afterthought while pouring money into defense and investing the bulk of our resources in the enterprise of the top 1-2%.

Bernie does well to focus his efforts on re-balancing our economic efforts. That fight for economic justice and economic fairness should be a major part of what defines our party.

[bigtree]

5. kick

[sadoldgirl]

6. On the other hand

an acorn dropped into the desert has no way
to grow. Mother Nature will not wait any longer,
I am afraid to say.

[bigtree]

7. kick

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Recommended for the audacious act of discussing Democratic history on a Democratic board!

I bet few here know about Sinclair or his impact on California politics which is still felt to this day.

[bigtree]

10. »

[lovemydog]

11. I'm encouraged.

Even if he doesn't win the nomination, the effect he and his supporters are having on the national discussion is positive. I'm gratified so many young people have caught on to his message. I hope they continue staying active to help improve the democratic party and to help shape a better future. The policies they're advocating are basic tenets of fair play.

We can move left, both economically and socially. And yes, if you look at American history, most of the positive changes to our society like social security, civil rights legislation, worker protection laws were first advocated by socialists and democrats. And opposed by people who yelled 'socialist!' as though it was an epithet.

No doubt some hardcore socialists in the 30's made a mistake in taking too long to renounce Stalin's Soviet Union. But these are different times. And we don't have to worry about a dictator or restrictions on freedom of speech here.

As Angela Davis has said, imagine the great creativity that can be unleashed if we combine our democratic freedoms with people getting their financial and health needs met. If we spend money only defending ourselves and providing for our veterans and stop spending money on overthrowing other regimes. It could be an incredible society. I think younger people in particular are going to have to create that kind of society. They're faced with few other options to protect the planet and maintain a decent standard of living.