Sanders Refuses to Address Latin American Socialist Failures on Univision

I know the first thing that's going to come slithering out of some of your keyboards is the tired-and-debunked-ad-nauseam deflection about the type of socialism Sanders supports, namely that it isn't like Latin American models.

Which is total bulls#. Socialism has a core philosophy that is shared by all of it's various forms and through all of it's incarnations, including that supported by Mr. Sanders--the "democratic" variety.

What I find most interesting about the following interview is that he doesn't take the opportunity to clarify how his model differs from Latin American socialism, and instead refuses to address it at all:

LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: I am sure that you know about this topic: various leftist governments, especially the populists, are in serious trouble in Latin America. The socialist model in Venezuela has the country near collapse. Argentina, also Brazil, how do you explain that failure?

BERNIE SANDERS: You are asking me questions…

LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: I am sure you’re interested in that.

BERNIE SANDERS: I am very interested, but right now I’m running for President of the United States.

LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: So you don’t have an opinion about the crisis in Venezuela?

BERNIE SANDERS: Of course I have an opinion, but as I said, I’m focused on my campaign.

Bernie Hits Bump on Univision: Speechless on Socialism's Failures

I guess he doesn't understand how the political philosophies of our southern neighbors, and the impeding failures of the states ascribing to them, could possibly affect the United States.

I'm thinking economics, immigration, security. Just off the top of my head. But I'm not as bright as ol' Bernie. He knows that even acknowledging the evident hazards of socialism imperils his own flailing candidacy and the momentum of his greater cause. He knows better than to call attention to it.

So, it's dismiss, deflect, ignore. Irrelevant. Move along. Nothing to see here.

If you socialists are so damn smugly confident in your philosophy, why can't you ever be open and honest about what it is you really want and how you want to achieve it?

a reply to: NthOther

Socialism doesn't win U.S national elections, so for now I think its a non issue and Bernie is hanging in hoping for some miracle.

a reply to: NthOther

It isn;t the same and I am tired of answering a blank person.

originally posted by: TechniXcality
a reply to: NthOther

Socialism doesn't win U.S national elections, so for now I think its a non issue and Bernie is hanging in hoping for some miracle.

He is a Democrat. he has socialist leanings, as some of our government has. As in HOW IT WORKS. I am not letting you get off easy.

originally posted by: reldra

It isn;t the same...

Is that why you think he didn't want to get into it? If it were me, I would take every opportunity to clear up misconceptions about my particular brand.

After all, you take every such opportunity. I wonder why he didn't.

ETA: And I don't think the question was meant to conflate the Sanders Method with Latin failures, but perhaps was intended to simply glean insight from a self-professed and highly influential socialist.

Again, I think there was a missed opportunity for clarification that would only make sense if he just simply didn't want to call any attention to the matter.

Which is shady.

a reply to: reldra

The armed forces could be considered socialistic. All those toys don't come for free, neither do the campaigns that go on for decades and the military bases and staff all over the world

All need to be paid for by society, for the "greater good". If you can spend money killing people you can spend money saving or healing people. Depends on a societies priorities on how tax revenue is best spent

originally posted by: NthOther

originally posted by: reldra

It isn;t the same...

Is that why you think he didn't want to get into it? If it were me, I would take every opportunity to clear up misconceptions about my particular brand.

After all, you take every such opportunity. I wonder why he didn't.

there are all different kinds of Socialism. I think that is well known. Maybe he didn;t want to argue with the interviewer?

And wait..I take every opportunity to do what?

originally posted by: reldra

And wait..I take every opportunity to do what?

Defend whatever definition of socialism you're using this week.

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
a reply to: reldra

The armed forces could be considered socialistic. All those toys don't come for free, neither do the campaigns that go on for decades and the military bases and staff all over the world

All need to be paid for by society, for the "greater good". If you can spend money killing people you can spend money saving or healing people. Depends on a societies priorities on how tax revenue is best spent

Exactly.

originally posted by: NthOther

originally posted by: reldra

And wait..I take every opportunity to do what?

Defend whatever definition of socialism you're using this week.

I am trying to make sure I follow you... You think I defend some type of socialism, maybe every week, maybe rotating weeks, and change the type? I am not such an expert in socialism that I could possibly do that.


The fact that I am not a socialist might ruin your entire idea of me.

a reply to: reldra

Well yes, that's kind of like saying Trump is a conservative when really he's a nationalist. Yes i realize there are social programs and I don't have many problems with them, I know as a civil society we cannot have people dying and starving in the street (though in some places we do) I also realize that as technology advances we WILL progress towards a more socialistic society, and that is not a bad thing, but I also know at this juncture in time we are not ready for such a monumental overhaul and that frankly our society has to come to grips with the divisive issues and make concessions and focus on the real issues that need reform, for instance

Abuse of power ( stop the execution of both black and white citizens in situations that ultimately could of been prevented)

Prison population (making punishments for non violent crimes obsolete and pushing toward rehabilitative treatment)

Mental illness ( de-stigmatizing and changing our understanding of these people effected in courts and in police action)

Legalization of drugs (take the criminal element out of a personal choice, and invest in more treatment centers)

Education ( get rid of the "zero tolerance policy's" stop pushing medicating on our boys, allow them to fight if they need to without there records being completely destroyed, or being ostracized by the school and becoming a number in the system, reform the whole education system from the social policy's to the curriculum)

Foreign policy ( reform the whole thing much like education, maintain as much of a non intervention policy as we can, but if we are to goto war we do not destabilize the region by leaving in a quagmire, we truly nation build until it looks something like modern day japan or Germany so perhaps perhaps that's a hundred year mission, and if we are not willing to do that then WE DON'T GO TO WAR and instead of spending 45k on that missile we feed our homeless)

I could go on and on, but yes Bernie Sanders is too socialist for our nation in this day and age, and wouldn't win the election, that's my take, but hey I could be wrong, i've been wrong before. Thanks for not letting me get off that easy

a reply to: TechniXcality

I agree with most of what you said.

Down to "bernie Sanders is too Socialist'. After all that typing, you could describe HOW he is TOO Socialist?

As for letting you get off easy, I haven't said you ae off the hook.

Probably sanders wanted to say. That the American police forces are more militarized then those countries armies and can keep people in line.

If needed, the Big guns of the military can handle anything that our police cannot

Socicialsm is always enforced by the barrel of a gun

a reply to: NthOther

Bernie does not address the issues, because he is not a socialist. He is Social Democrat (Democratic Socialist). These are two extremely different ideologies besides the fact that both contain the word "socialist".

Check out Sanders on Bill Marr last night on HBO...Sanders talked about it.
Cheers

originally posted by: JaMeDoIt
Check out Sanders on Bill Marr last night on HBO...Sanders talked about it.
Cheers

Thanks for mentioning this.

I am still on the fence as to Bernies 'democratic' socialism and how different it really is. Some members here pose some really good arguments in favor of those differences. Bernie refusing to speak on this spoke poorly to me on this but perhaps it was more a cultural issue and him not wanting to put his opinion where he felt it didn't belong?

Just speculating here, can't stand Maher these days but gonna check that episode out so I can see Sanders' explanation.

Thanks again!

I would of liked to hear sanders positions on why they failed. It could have helped clarify his ideology for me. He may have upset his socialist revolutionaries if he blamed s. american governments for distorting markets and prices he may have been more palatable.
It needs to be remembered that nordic countries despite some redistributionist policies have the highest private property rights indexes(above USA)

As for american police militarization. It's not great, I am guessing they see something in the future. Inner cities already need to be up armored. The riot/looting/protest that has happened in certain places decimates those places long term. businesses, investments, and taxpayers leave. When the rule of law/non aggression principle is not respected money leaves the area, see us inner cities.
Also american police are up armored because unlike a lot of other countries especially s. american countries it is very difficult to legally deploy armed forces domestically, usually only state guards under state governors, no federal troops. see Posse Comitatus

a reply to: NthOther

It's not total BS to point out there's different models and degrees of Socialism. Regarding Latin Socialism... we have no idea what that actually looks like so how can we judge it? The US doesn't let it happen as soon as a Populist or Socialist pops up we start fueling the opposition and if that fails we back a coup. Maybe you should be voting for Hillary, she likes a good coup to overthrow a Socialist.

Who needs jobs when you got breadlines?

If socialism is so bad, then we need to end supporting many things that most against socialism support. How ironic right?

So let's stop funding the military, roads, bridges, the police, firefighters, etc. Why doesn't Trumps "Making America Great Again" speech include shutting down those things?

Maybe we can just turn into a 3rd world country. Then you can be happy.

Eta: The reason Bernie stated he's focused on his campaign is because he stands for something different than Venezuela.