An independent democratic socialist observes LIFE in " OUR democracy ": New Restaurant at Providence Public Library- an as...

An independent democratic socialist observes LIFE in " OUR democracy ": New Restaurant at Providence Public Library- an as...: 4 views Aug 21, 2024 Upscale , high price coffee? Homeless visitors to public library not welcome? On the whole an asset to the Providenc...

" To be sure , no individual or political party has a patent on socialism or the blessing of HISTORY "

6 years ago I give your comment an UP vote because I realize that confirmed socialists -whatever their base of operations - have a lot of EXPLAINING to do . To be sure , the history of SOCIALISM as political movement right here in the United States has succumbed to collective amnesia. In brief , I think " socialist " Democrat Bernie Sanders, for decades now, has more in common with the late Irving Howe, author of " World of Our Fathers ". In that book Howe explains the political evolution of numerous New York " radical " Jews. In his youth Irving Howe was infatuated with Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and thrilled - as were millions of working class people-with the drama of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. That revolution was indeed betrayed as Trotsky said. Nevertheless the democratic socialism as an ideal survived the nightmare Stalin era. It also survived the nighmare McCarthyism era in the USA. It continues to defend those very ALL-AMERICAN principles of FREE SPEECH and FREE THOUGHT . Bernie Sanders has nothing to apologize for - except perhaps endorsing " Corrupt Hillary " in the 2016 presidential election. I would hope a once again "defeated " Bernie Sanders would advocate for an independent third party in the United States. WE THE PEOPLE need to institutionalize a THREE PARTY SYSTEM in the USA. The new party will resemble the British Labor Party in its CLASS base. Call it the American Labor Party. This has nothing in common with bloody , " revolutionary " chaos- unless the American plutocracy provokes it . Who does not see that the present Democratic Party is as unstable as a U-235 nucleus ? I too deplore the lack of civil debate in the United States. FREE SPEECH and FREE THOUGHT must always be respected simply because any group in power or craving power can be mistaken in their ideas and opinions. To be sure , no individual or political party has a patent on SOCIALISM or the blessing of HISTORY . Belief in a Higher Power , in God , is the perfect anti-dote to fatal hubris. Good luck to Bernie in Mass. on Super Tuesday !

" To be sure I don't think like these " liberal " Democrats that Trump is the root of all evil "

No insult intended. Thank you for your intelligent and articulate reply . Most informed socialists take the long view of history and the evolution of human civilization. " Socialism " is not a mechanical blueprint for a social order designed by Karl Marx, Plato, Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Mao , Castro or some obtuse Central Committee in Venezuela. ANY " blueprint " for socialism is based on the inner contradictions of capitalism well documented since the 1848 " Communist Manifesto ". Your view of socialism reminds me of the one nightly damned on " Red Eye " radio. I listen to these two guys Eric and Gary - not just insomnia - but because they are honest , decent , and intelligent , offering " critical support " of Donald Trump. To be sure I don't think like these " liberal " Democrats that Trump is the root of all evil . For this democratic socialist President Trump is just a very representative plutocrat - certainly not Hitler. The social order of humanity was never a " machine " which social engineers hoped would " work " . Modern " socialism is ridiculed as a metaphorical " perpetual motion machine ". A functional " socialism " can only be based on the collective experience of ALL humanity. I don't see how even American capitalism is prepared for future catastrophes for which the late Isaac Asimov said we have a CHOICE. Think about another Great Plague like that of the 14th century. Rather than being a HELPING HAND a " libertarian " government might tell THE INDIVIDUAL to save himself. The alienation of THE INDIVIDUAL is one of the tragedies of capitalism .

[ " If you could have an honest referendum on capitalism vs. socialism .... " ]

6 years ago Pending I must be brief for now . An educated good citizen's opinion of socialism is conditioned by his life experience, his family loyalty, his own economic status and his present job. I am not aware of any religious faith that blesses greed. So significant reform within the capitalist system is always possible. Growing fascism indicates that moderate " progress " toward social justice does not always win the day . Yes, there was Roosevelt - " that man " in 1932 year of the Great Depression. There was also in that very year Hitler and his Nazi Party in Berlin. Before the end of that decade Stalin would make a pack with Hitler on dividing Poland and then order American Communist Party members to support FDR. If you could have an honest referendum on capitalism vs. socialism I would bet that 80 percent of the working class population would JUST SAY NO TO CAPITALISM , to the ONE PERCENT ,to plutocrats Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg.