Socialism is a big part of our national conversation, thanks to one presidential candidate, and many soundbites about the topic include the idea that ‘people just want to have the state take care of them.’ Well….what’s the choice?
Our particular choice is between the oligarchy (Koch brothers, et al.) and the government. Check out the Republican line up: with the exception of one, each candidate is beholden to Wall Street, and the exception I mentioned is literally from Wall Street. On the Democratic side there is the potential for the first woman president, but it’s obvious she too is cozy with the corporate elite. Senator Bernie Sanders on the other hand has been blatant about taking on Wall Street and the oligarchy while at the same taking steps to promote democracy by allowing more equal opportunities via the socialist model.
We either make the choice to let the oligarchy ‘take care of U.S.’ or we allow the government to ‘take care of U.S.’ History has lent us a great deal of knowledge on the matter: an oligarchy will lead to an eventual halting system wherein socialist measures will be used to bring balance and health back to the nation (look up the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and peruse Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine).
When it comes time to mark your ballot, consider who you’re willing to allow to “take care” of you….the oligarchy or the government. It’ll be one or the other. May we choose wisely.
#vote2016
Yours,
Frankie
