Is Bernie Sanders a Communist?
In the Nevada Democratic debate, Michael Bloomberg indirectly referred to Bernie Sanders’ policy proposals as “communism”. Specifically, he said: “We’re not gonna throw out capitalism. We tried that. It was called communism, and it didn’t work.” Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren immediately responded with “Ooo” and “Whoa”, implying that the statement was painfully inaccurate.
Soon after, Sanders specified that he argues for democratic socialism, calling Bloomberg’s use of the term communism a “cheap shot”. Was it?
On its face, the answer seems to be yes. Bernie Sanders is known as a socialist, but the term communism carries a far more negative connotation associated with authoritarian regimes like those in the Soviet Union, Maoist China, or North Korea. Communism in practice has meant an authoritarian government that controls the economy, whereas democratic socialism generally refers to political democracy with some form of socially owned economy.
If we look at Bernie’s political positions and policy proposals, it’s hard to call it communism. He supports democratic elections and a certain degree of free business. Most of his proposed policies exist in some form in other developed countries, most notably universal healthcare.
I recently listened to Bernie’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, and I can’t deny I found him reasonable and convincing. Healthcare seems to be his strongest point. The merits of America’s healthcare system aside, it’s a fact that countries with national healthcare systems provide coverage to all their citizens, and at a much lower cost.
The appealing nature of Bernie’s ideas shouldn’t come as a surprise though. Sanders is primarily a critic. There’s always something wrong with the status quo, and plenty to critique in capitalism. Whether or not he is right or his ideas are good, the issue here is not so much with his political positions or his policies. It’s his perspective, his rhetoric, and his consistent praise of oppressive communist governments.
Let’s start with his perspective and rhetoric. Bernie Sanders has always been a harsh critic of his own country. The same goes for capitalism. Obviously there are things to critique in both the United States and its capitalist economy, but there’s a problem. That’s about all we get from Bernie. He fails to recognize the positives in the status quo, and how good it is to live in the United States in general. That’s dangerous.
For example, when Bernie argues that billionaires should not exist, he seemingly does so without recognizing the merits of the capitalist system that creates billionaires. If you’re going to tackle a problem, you must give the status quo it’s due, and consider the disadvantages of your solution. When all you do is talk about the negatives of the American system, you sound ideologically possessed.
There’s a part of Bernie Sanders’ message that sounds especially like Marxism: the simple narrative of the oppressor versus the oppressed. Sanders seems to look at everything through that ideological lens. Regardless of whether being a billionaire is immoral, proclaiming so to the masses is the kind of rhetoric that’s led to communist revolution.
Then there’s Bernie’s consistent history of paying complements to communist regimes, like those in Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Soviet Union. The senator’s comments on Cuba in the 1980s resurfaced before the debate in South Carolina, and Sanders defended his statements on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper.
His comments included praise for Fidel Castro’s literacy programs, which were actually used to spread communist propaganda and indoctrinate the citizenry. In the interview with Anderson Cooper, Sanders said: “When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing, even though Fidel Castro did it?” This makes it sound like the first thing Castro did, when actually, the first thing he did after seizing power was crack down on any opposition, which included imprisonment and execution of “enemies”, gagging the press, and closing down churches.
Sanders is obviously going out of his way to praise an oppressive communist dictator. Why? It’s an important question. To use an extreme example, I could probably find something positive that Adolf Hitler did to praise, but why do that? He was a monster. Castro wasn’t as bad, but he was still a brutal dictator.
Then there is Bernie’s “honeymoon” business trip to the Soviet Union in 1988. While in Russia, he criticized the foreign policy of the United States, while praising the Soviet Union’s cheaper housing and healthcare, and the efficiency of their transportation system. Sanders also supported the communist revolution in Nicaragua, while President Ronald Reagan strongly opposed it. The socialist Sandinistas received aid from the Soviet Union, while the United States supported counterrevolutionary groups.
Bernie Sanders has clearly been enamored with communist government in general. He’s always been a sympathizer. Is he an actual communist? At the very least, the evidence makes it difficult to answer a resounding no.
