20 Big Ideas From Bernie Sanders to Reverse Inequality, Expand Safety Nets and Stop America's Plutoc

[marble falls]

20 Big Ideas From Bernie Sanders to Reverse Inequality, Expand Safety Nets and Stop America's Plutocrats
Sanders outlines his platform in a major hometown speech.
By Steven Rosenfeld / AlterNet
May 27, 2015

On Tuesday, Vermont Independent Sen. Bernard Sanders gave a major speech in Burlington, Vemont, where his political career began three decades ago when he was elected mayor of his state’s largest city. Sanders, who is seeking the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, described 20 ideas that will be the hallmarks of his campaign.

1. Time for big thinking and new ideas: “Brothers and sisters: Now is not the time for thinking small. Now is not the time for the same-old-same-old establishment politics and stale inside-the-beltway ideas. <snip>

2. America’s problems are worse than ever: “This country faces more serious problems today than at any time since the Great Depression....
<snip>

....... Here is my promise to you for this campaign. Not only will I fight to protect the working families of this country, but we’re going to build a movement of millions of Americans who are prepared to stand up and fight back.”

3. Economic inequality is the top issue: “In America we now have more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth, and the gap between the very rich and everyone is wider than at any time since the 1920s. The issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time, it is the great economic issue of our time and it is the great political issue of our time. And we will address it.”

4. The middle class is being destroyed: “It is the tragic reality that for the last 40 years the great middle class of our country—once the envy of the world—has been disappearing. Despite exploding technology and increased worker productivity, median family income is almost $5,000 less than it was in 1999. In Vermont and throughout this country it is not uncommon for people to be working two or three jobs just to cobble together enough income to survive on and some healthcare benefits.”

5. Poverty is worse than is acknowledged:
<snip>
Today, shamefully, we have 45 million people living in poverty, many of whom are working at low-wage jobs. These are the people who struggle every day to find the money to feed their kids, to pay their electric bills and to put gas in the car to get to work. This campaign is about those people and our struggling middle class.”

6. The country needs a real jobs program: “If we are truly serious about reversing the decline of the middle class we need a major federal jobs program which puts millions of Americans back to work at decent paying jobs. At a time when our roads, bridges, water systems, rail and airports are decaying, the most effective way to rapidly create meaningful jobs is to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation which would invest $1 trillion over 5 years to modernize our country’s physical infrastructure. This legislation would create and maintain at least 13 million good-paying jobs, while making our country more productive, efficient and safe. And I promise you as president I will lead that legislation into law.”

7. Raise the minimum wage and fight for living wages. “The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage and must be raised. The minimum wage must become a living wage, which means raising it to $15 an hour over the next few years—which is exactly what Los Angeles recently did, and I applaud them for doing that. Our goal as a nation must be to ensure that no full-time worker lives in poverty.”

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/20-big-ideas-bernie-sanders-reverse-inequality-expand-safety-nets-and-stop-americas

This is well worth the read.

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Not Poetry & Platitudes, Real solutions !!!

And you tell me this doesn't encompass, Womans Rights, Racial and Justice inequality, the Infrastructure and the pursuit of the Happiness for 99% of us, the 1% and MIC will be fine, just pouty until they figure out it's good for them too .

[marble falls]

2. I know, ain't it the best? Bernie is no johnnie come lately checking out polls for a position.

[Enthusiast]

3. In regard to #17,

we fought the Iraq War based on false, concocted intelligence. That was bad enough. But we then proceeded to build over 500 military bases in Iraq. It was like, "Waste as much money as you possibly can." WTF?

The media won't even mention this. And that's another issue that must be addressed, Senator Sanders—media integrity.

Senator Sanders, we need a fucking investigation, a real investigation into war profiteering.

[marble falls]

4. And let the chips fall where they may.

[orpupilofnature57]

8. Well of all the canidates who do you think would try to cure the MIC greed ?

[Enthusiast]

10. I think Bernie would be the most likely.

[peacebird]

5. Talks to us like we are all adults. No wishy washy platitudes. Just unvarnished honest truth.

[jwirr]

12. And one of my favorite parts is that he talks to us as if we are able to understand that it will

take all of us mobilized to make these changes. None of the candidates are going to be able to do this alone. He is not making empty promises. He is telling us the truth - we are in for a fight.

[heaven05]

6. read them all

great...but

[orpupilofnature57]

7. But he doesn't have a utopian plan to make people loving, tolerant, responsible altruists ?

Who does ?

[heaven05]

13. not looking for utopia

Last edited Mon Jun 22, 2015, 11:44 AM - Edit history (1)

just racial equality. Is that REALLY too much to expect after many, many generations, many, many politicians, many, many promises and many, many elections. It will never happen of course, no matter who's elected from the Democratic Party. I am under no illusions as to the priorities of this society. I am not fooled by this obvious obfuscation of the god awful truth that polite and not so polite white society does not want their privilege threatened by racial equality. That dollar that is more or less guaranteed to certain privileged segments of our society is threatened and the fear of losing white racial supremacy is the reason white racism stays the powerful attitude and force it is in this society. Too many feel that supremacy is in danger.

Is it any wonder that the subconscious fear(s) of all the segments/groups/sub groups of privileged society came to the fore with the election of Barack Obama. Which is what baffles me. Many, many of the privileged in this society voted for him and now have started fearing him and what he represents about our society. I will not be remiss in pointing to the unprecedented political and social white obstruction he faced in what he wanted to do to help ALL americans. That obstructionist attitude even filtered down to the "progressives and liberals" of this nation. Barack Obama never stood a chance at being the effective POTUS he could have been because he never had the support other Democratic presidents have had from their Party. He has his legacy assured in spite of the white racism faced by him from all sectors and political parties of this country. I know I am correct. Bluedogs is an accepted term of reference, for sure.

What did roof say? "YOU'RE TAKING OVER, YOU HAVE TO GO". Perfect encapsulation of subconscious white fear being pushed by RW media, hate radio and the sites he and thousands of others have visited. Looking for Utopia? No. Racial equality? Yes.

[orpupilofnature57]

14. You have explained your " But " fully, Thank you and I Agree 100% .

[raouldukelives]

9. K&R I'm with you 99% Bernie.

“This country faces more serious problems today than at any time since the Great Depression and, if you include the planetary crisis of climate change, it may well be that the challenges we face now are direr than any time in our modern history."

They are direr than at any time in our history, I truly believe that. I think the next decade is going to cement our trajectory, one way or the other.

Are we going to listen to the smartest people, the 98% of scientists who agree we are speeding towards a cliff? Will we believe our eyes when we see raging fires, droughts, starving people and animals gasping into extinction?

Or will we continue to ignore it all, out of avarice and a lack of personal responsibility?

This can be our swan song or a power ballad. Personally, I'm ready to rock.

[L0oniX]

11. K & R